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April 2024 – ASIAN Filmmakers Festival – April 29th-30th

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Showcase of the best ASIAN Filmma Films from around the world today.

AUDIENCE AWARDS:
Best Short Film: A GIRL CALLED ZHEN ZHEN
Best Action Film: MAKOTO
Best Cinematography: U
Best Comedy Film: 50K
Best Direction: APPLAUSE
Best Drama Film: DETO YETI
Best Experimental: MY BLUE FLEW AWAY
Best Micro-Short: CYCLE
Best Performances: SUBAH (AWAKENING)
Best Relationships: LIP SERVICE
Best Romance Film: RICE, RIBS, AND TEA
Best Story: BLUE BIRDS
Best Student Film: DISCONTENT
Best Sound & Music: DAEBU (Godfather)
Best Thriller Film: THE SHOES

Monday April 29th – ASIAN Shorts Program #1

SUBAH (AWAKENING), 20min,. USA
Directed by Arnav Magla
The main character is Jai, a 17-year-old runner who is dealing with the recent loss of his mother in a car accident while constantly being pushed for an upcoming, crucial race by his disciplinarian father/coach. Due to Jai’s grief, his sense of time is distorted, further aggravated by his seemingly unaffected younger brother and recurring apparitions of his mother.

https://www.arnavmangla.xyz/all-work/subah
https://www.instagram.com/filmfhrer/

DAEBU (Godfather), 18min., USA
Directed by Al Chang
6 years removed from his once violent life, an ex-mob boss is pulled back in for one night to tie up loose ends, for good.

https://www.instagram.com/4lcfilm/

MY BLUE FLEW AWAY, 16min,. China
Directed by Yufei Li, Xuekai Ge
A lost blue crayon, a phone that no one answers, arouses curiosity as a child explores the truth. Chenchen misses his maternal grandmother.I always ask my mom. Where’s my grandmother?The answer is always as far away as the sea.The more the mother suppresses, the more curious the child becomes.That day, Chenchen went alone and conspired to get to the bottom of the matter.On this day,Chenchen went alone and conspired to get to the bottom of the matter.That’s how the door to truth opened.It was not my grandmother who opened the door, but a lie.Chenchen and his mother stand at both ends of the lie.

50K, 14min., Vietnam
Directed by Nguyen Phan Thai Vu
Following the journey of a 50.000 VN? as it changes hands in society, the currency becomes a witness to surprising events and stories, connecting people in unexpected ways.

https://www.facebook.com/StrawberryFieldsForeverrrrrr/
https://letterboxd.com/film/50k-2023/

CYCLE, 3min., India
Directed by Rajendra Ray
Despite his son’s persistent requests, a father had to decline buying a bicycle due to financial constraints caused by monthly EMIs. This situation highlights the difficult choices many families face, balancing the desire to fulfill their children’s wishes with the need to manage finances responsibly. The father’s decision reflects his commitment to fulfilling his financial obligations while also prioritizing his family’s long-term financial stability.

U, 7min., Japan
Directed by SHOGO SAWADA
Everyday information is complicated, but there are many people who do not have their own opinions. Don’t you resonate with the opinion of those who say beautiful words on TV and SNS “similar to yourself”? In art, I think that “the attitude of trying to understand for yourself” also increases the value of the work. From the above, the theme is “Don’t quit thinking”. Since it’s a student film, I can’t find any information about it. Even if it comes out, it’s only my SNS. This work pursues the “possibilities” that only student films can create. Please find your own answer.

MAKOTO, 7min., USA
Directed by Fumi Matsuura

DETO YETI, 20min., Russia
Directed by Aydar Sharipov
The ethnobotanist girl went into the wild in search of a rare plant. According to legend, this plant brings good luck to the locals. She does not even suspect that along the way she will have to break off co-dependent relationships and look at the world in an adult way.

Tuesdaay April 30th – Shorts Program #2

RICE, RIBS, AND TEA, 6min,. USA
Directed by Lenti Liang
In ‘Rice, Ribs and Tea,’ a Chinese couple’s wedding anniversary takes an unexpected turn when the husband forgets the special day. As disappointment looms, the wife discovers that love isn’t about grand celebrations, but the small gestures of caring in everyday life. This touching short film delves into the essence of true affection, celebrating the beauty found in simplicity and genuine connection.

BLUE BIRDS, 12min,. Taiwan
Directed by Pei-an Chen
When tasked with “Parent Appreciation Assignment”, Aoi faces the challenge of changing her relationship with her mother.

LIP SERVICE, 10min., India
Directed by Arnav Mangla
A muddle of madness and love follows a paranoid woman whose relationship with her husband is hitting the rocks, as she hires an enigmatic lip-reader to inspect her husband’s potential affair.

https://www.arnavmangla.xyz/all-work/lipservice
https://www.instagram.com/filmfhrer/

A GIRL CALLED ZHEN ZHEN, 9min., China
Directed by Liangxue Duan
Zhen Zhen undergoes a traumatic experience when her mother’s morally corrupt boyfriend enters their lives.

APPLAUSE, 8min., UK
Directed by Jinhao Ding
Gwen is about to the most important dance performance of her career, but she is injured accidentally in a rehearsal before the performance, lost the vision temporarily.It also means she will miss this performance.As she want to prove herself through this performance too much.In order to get flowers and applause, she become insane gradually.She start to rehearse at her home constantly and image herself succeeding in this performance. One day,a thief break into her house and watch her dancing unintentionally,therefore, the thief become a only audience of her unconsciously.

DISCONTENT, 24min,. Pakistan
Directed by Areesha Amin
Ashraf wants to pursue his long-lost passion for music after retirement, but the society he lives in views music as disgraceful.

THE SHOES, 6min., Pakistan
Directed by Areesha Amin
A girl has just moved into an apartment and finds an old pair of shoes. Those shoes keep on haunting her.

Winners: March 2024 ASIAN Film Festival

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Showcase of the best FILMS in the world today. Here are the awards for the March 2024 ASIAN Festival season. Over 400 films were submitted and these are the best of the best from around the world today. We are proud to showcase these amazing films that fall under the ASIAN filmmaker umbrella.

Audience Award Winners:
Best Short Form Short Film: DAISY
Best Long Form Short Film: ELSEWHERE WITH THE TAINTED VEIL
Best Direction: EMIRI
Best Performances: DEAR JANE
Best Comedy Film: WHAT DO YOU WANT?
Best Experimental Film: in silence is the offering presented
Best Relationship Film: KID HEART
Best Story: SCHOOL BELL
Best Animation Film: NOOR
Best Student Film: BIRDCAGE

See info for each film:

EMIRI, 5min., USA, Drama
Directed by Eddie Yukun Long
Emiri, a Japanese girl who escapes her hometown to a foreign city accidentally discovers another Japanese girl with the same name and connects with her by listening to her recorded answering machine messages.

https://songosh7.wixsite.com/eddieyukunlong

WHAT DO YOU WANT? , 7min., Comedy
Directed by Al Chang
A couple’s hunger-fueled indecisiveness about where to eat sparks a showdown, pushing them to the edge as they must find a satisfying meal and save their relationship.

in silence is the offering presented, 8min., USA
Directed by Li Chiao-Ping
This short screendance work takes its title “in silence is the offering presented” from a quote attributed to Chinese philosopher Confucius, which is instructive of peace over violence. Looking across the body of water, memories of homeland and feelings of displacement merge as the two main characters, mother and son, find themselves as refugees. Home, hope, dreams, safety, security, and love can be found in the silence. With choreography and direction by Li Chiao-Ping, cinematography, editing, and sound design by Christal Wagner, music by Byron Au Yong, and performance by Li Chiao-Ping and Jacob Li Dai-Loong Rosenberg, the evocative images in “in silence is the offering presented” reflect their experimental and collaborative approach to this expressive work.

KID HEART, 11min., Japan
Directed by Meg Igarashi
A grandpa that’s heartbroken, a mother that’s disappointed, and a granddaughter that’s not ready to give up on the family. A Japanese heartwarming musical!

https://www.instagram.com/kidheartfilm

SCHOOL BELL, 3min., India
Directed by B. Suresh Kumar
Importance of education is conveyed through a Child Laborer’s Point of View.

https://www.facebook.com/babusureshkumar
https://www.twitter.com/sureshkumardft
https://www.instagram.com/sureshkumar_1971

DAISY, 5min., India, Spain
Directed by Aditi Dixit, Joffrey Atienza Zamora, Shecid Domínguez Aguilera
In the depths of darkness lies a music box which opens to reveal a young girl dressed in a petal dress. As the spotlight illuminates her, she discovers her ability to make music with her movements, which engages her to dance. Unbeknownst to her, eerie eyes observe her dance, causing petals to pluck out from her dress. Suddenly, she realizes that she is being watched by these eerie eyes. Desperate to escape, she struggles against her captors, only to be confined within the music box. However, a twist of fate unfolds as another child emerges from a new music box.

https://www.facebook.com/daisystopmotionfilm/
https://instagram.com/daisy_stopmotionfilm?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==

ELSEWHERE WITH THE TAINTED VEIL, 23min., Myanmar
Directed by Min Thu Han
A girl who can speak to the mask her mother gave her. She wants to get free from the obsession with faces. When the coup happened on February 1st, she found the path of freedom with the determination to stand with righteousness. However, when struggling in a foreign country as a refugee, will she be able to overcome her mental illness. The path she has to take is full of challenges.

https://filmfreeway.com/MinthuHan
https://www.facebook.com/minthu.han.35?mibextid=ZbWKwL
https://www.twitter.com/min55692
https://www.instagram.com/minthu.han.35?igsh=dWd1NmwxdXUyZmh4

DEAR JANE, 19min., Thailand
Directed by Worawee Ekpoothorn
Jane, a young woman suffering from an end of a 5-year relationship with her ex-lover, yearned for someone to confide in and share her frustrations. One day, she stumbled upon a booth advertised as a safe and free space for individuals to express themselves by telling stories. Jane made the courageous decision to visit the booth. There, she met Dear, a compassionate young woman who attentively listened to Jane’s words and provided solace. The two of them engaged in a meaningful conversation.

https://www.instagram.com/dearjane.withacomma

NOOR, 5min., India
Directed by Pritha Mukherjee
An elderly man, perceived differently by the world around him, lives in a home surrounded by photos and memorabilia from his past, particularly from his time as a sergeant in the Indian Army during the Kargil War. These artifacts from his past have a profound emotional significance for him, as he has no one else for company. After a typical boyhood and adolescence, he enlisted in the army. Upon returning from the battlefield, however, his life was anything but typical. The horrors and discipline of war had changed him profoundly. No longer able to relate to the nuances and emotions of civilian life, he became increasingly detached and isolated, leading to strained personal relationships. For him, peace in the outside world did not equate to peace within. The modern societal norms further alienated him, exacerbating his trauma.

BIRDCAGE, 14min,. USA
Directed by Ash Zhou
The mother, stripped of her maternal identity post-divorce, is unable to sit in the chair marked with her daughter’s name or ascend the stage to celebrate her child’s award, a situation ironically contrasted with the stepmother’s attitude. In the last scene, when the mother drives to see her daughter, intent to escape the intangible cage with her daughter, she only witnesses the stepmother coercing the child to discard her award.

https://www.instagram.com/film.birdcage

Winners: February 2024 ASIAN Film Festival

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Here are the awards for the February 2024 ASIAN Festival season. Over 500 films were submitted and these are the best of the best from around the world today. We are proud to showcase these amazing films that fall under the ASIAN filmmaker umbrella.

AUDIENCE AWARDS:

Best Short Form Short Film: CROSSROADS
Best Long Form Short Film: SUBURBAN STORY
Best Story: BASTART TOADFLAX
Best Student Film: BLACK HOLE
Bests Direction: THE NESTLING
Best Animation Film: CLOUT CHASER

FULL LINEUP OF FILMS:

CLOUT CHASER, 3min., USA
Directed by Lubomir Atan
The animated video shows two girls in a fierce race to get to Star2 and his riches. They hurdle over a series of blocks and use supernatural powers to battle each other to reach him in a room guarded by a golden dragon and Buddha where he sits on a throne in front of hundreds of gold bars. Star2 narrates the video singing into a microphone: “she a little, little, little, clout chaser, she a little, little, gold digger, she don’t love me, she just love my money, love my money…”

https://www.youtube.com/@Star2MusicGroup/videos

THE NESTLING, 23min,. China
renxwzheng@outlook.com
http://www.renxzheng.com/
https://www.instagram.com/__renzheng/

BLACK HOLE, 24min., South Korea
Diercted by Seoyoung Lee
‘Eunha’ relys on sleeping pills every night. She becomes addicted to the pills and begins to feel confused between reality and dream.

CROSSROADS, 4min,. USA
Directed by koka singh arora
Viki is a dead and has to decide is she’s willing to commit sin to save her soul.

BASTART TOADFLAX, 12min,. USA
Directed by Koka Singh Arora, Juggy Arora
When warehouse employee Jack gets questioned by police about a missing person named Barrera, he demands they focus their attention on finding his younger brother Mikey. With no clues and no one talking, the key to finding both missing persons might be found inside of a box truck.

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt28632347/?ref_=nm_knf_c_2

SUBURBAN STORY, 30min,. USA
Directed by Chris Yen
Struggling against the harsh realities of poverty, a devoted father, Mike reluctantly turns to burglary to provide for his daughter. Amidst the complexities of his choices, the narrative unfolds through the varied viewpoints of those touched by his actions, including the menacing presence of Red, his psychopathic partner in crime. The story weaves a tapestry of morality, betrayal, and unexpected consequences as a desperate man navigates a world where the pursuit of a better life carries profound implications for all involved.

https://www.instagram.com/nagrooven