BIG LITTLE THINGS

As celebration gives way to confrontation, Lei finds herself caught between familial obligation, cultural expectations, and the desire to live authentically. In her debut feature, writer and director Michelle Zhou transforms an intimate family gathering into a tender exploration of identity, love, and the complicated ways families communicate — and avoid communicating — about what matters most. Both deeply personal and universally resonant, BIG LITTLE THINGS examines the seemingly small choices and compromises that can reveal larger truths about intimacy, acceptance, and belonging. 

This film is presented as part of the New American Perspectives program. Developed in partnership with the Vilcek Foundation, the program shines a spotlight on immigrant and foreign-born artists, celebrating the powerful impact that diversity has on contemporary cinema and storytelling in the United States. 

Writer and director Michelle Zhou will participate in a post-screening Q&A on Sunday, October 25, and the New American Perspectives panel discussion at Honolulu Civil Beat on Monday, October 26.  

BIG LITTLE THINGS is nominated for the Kau Ka Hōkū Award presented by Hawaiian Airlines, and for the NETPAC Award presented by the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema at HIFF46. 

1. Sunday, October 25, 2026, 8:00 pm
2. Premiere screening - Followed by a Q&A with Michelle Zhou; Producer Chun Yu also present.
3. Wednesday, October 28, 2026, 3:30 pm
4. Encore screening