North American Premiere
Kunga’s having a hell of a night. It’s 15 minutes to closing at the Queens momo shop where he works and things are just heating up. A homeless regular comes in for his nightly leftovers. Kunga’s girlfriend arrives with something serious to talk about. Immigration officers show up looking for the Mexican chef. Then, just as everything is boiling over, the clock strikes midnight and Kunga finds himself right back where he started — trapped in the same chaotic 15 minutes over and over.
Tenzin Yeshi writes, directs, and stars in this frenetic, distinctly Tibetan-American time-loop comedy, bringing a scrappy, street-level energy to its late-night chaos. With its broken wall clock and endless loops, the film puts a working-class spin on the Buddhist cycle of suffering and rebirth, trapping Kunga in the grinding repetition of shift work. Amidst it all, Midnight Momo makes a case for the sanctity of the smoke break: a moment of respite and something approaching nirvana in a few minutes stolen from the clock.
Content Considerations: Some implied (off screen) violence and substance abuse
Oct 9 & 11: Filmmaker Q&A
Supported by
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Tenzin Yeshi, Rinzin Ngodup, David Montalvo, Stephanie Jeane, Johnny Olmez, Giovanni Sandoval
USA
2026
In English, Tibetan, Spanish, and Mandarin with English subtitles
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Credits & Director
Producer
Tenzin Yeshi
Screenwriter
Tenzin Yeshi
Cinematography
Tenzin Gurmey
Original Music
Tomoka Iwata
Tenzin Yeshi
Tenzin Yeshi is a New York City–based actor, writer, and director whose work explores Tibetan American identity and the immigrant experience. A graduate of the City College of New York and the Neighborhood Playhouse, his films include the short You Tibetan? (2022) and Free Tea Bed (2025). His feature Midnight Momo (2026) is a time-loop tragicomedy set in a Tibetan restaurant in Queens, making its North American premiere at VIFF.
Filmography: Free Tea Bed (2025)
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