The 20th New York Asian Film Festival was held in New York from 6 August to 22 August 2021. The opening film of the festival was Escape from Mogadishu, a South Korean film by Ryoo Seung-wan. Seventy titles were screened both online, as well as in person. The 20th edition of the festival featured two world premieres, six international premieres, twenty nine North American premieres, eight U.S. premieres and nine New York premieres.

Escape from Mogadishu is a 2021 South Korean political action thriller film, directed by Ryoo Seung-wan and starring Kim Yoon-seok, Zo In-sung, Heo Joon-ho, Koo Kyo-hwan, Kim So-jin and Jung Man-sik. The film, based on real events, is set during the overthrow of Siad Barre and the two Koreas' efforts to be admitted to the United Nations in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It depicts details of a perilous escape attempt made by North and South Korean embassy workers stranded during the conflict.