Short Film Programme：Post-Apocalyptic Hong Kong 短片集：現實超現實
Post-Apocalyptic Hong Kong is a series of 5 short films, reimagining the city in a dark and dangerous light. Cast in the shadows of the anti-extradition protests and of the pandemic, the future, infinitely fraught, hangs in the balance. Questions of histories, of humanity, and of freedom are launched to the forefront in this examination of the unknown.
The screening in London on 19th March will be followed by a hybrid panel discussion featuring Dir. Kin Pong IEONG (online), Dir. Steve LI and Dir. Asgard WONG (in-person).
Depths of Night 極夜
Hong Kong / 2021 / 13 mins / Colour / In Cantonese with Chinese & English subtitles / Dir. Step C
It portrays the author’s fear of change. It feels like the soul has been broken into many pieces endlessly, but as long as we can survive, depths of night pass eventually.
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Step.C was born in Hong Kong and is an animation director, illustrator, and educator. She graduated from a Canadian university in visual arts, animation, and photography, and also studied multimedia animation and illustration courses in Hong Kong, France, and New York. Step.C likes to discuss the relationships between people and enjoys creating in different media. Her work include animations for the 903 music festival, performances by Terence Lam, RubberBand, Dear Jane X Aga, Yoyo Sham, and Panther Chan, animations for RubberBand's "Every Little Thing" music video, Yoyo Sham's "Born on 00.00.00" music video, and Terence Lam’s "doodoodoo" music video.
Her personal animated short film "Polaris" was made with the lyrics by Siu Hak, and the ending theme song was sung by Charmaine Fong Ho Man. "Polaris" was nominated for the 58th Golden Horse Awards and won 18 local and international awards. It has also been shown at more than 50 international film festivals.
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Golden Horse Film Festival 2021
Lost Pearl 失城 (UK Premiere 英國首映)
Hong Kong / 2021 / Colour / 21 mins / In Cantonese with Chinese and English Subtitles / Dir. Steve LI
While protests rage in Hong Kong, Kit spends most of his time on his father’s fishing boat. The radio and his phone keep him abreast of the latest developments. He sometimes meets with friends, but his uncertainty about the future just keeps increasing.
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Steve Li is an independent Hong Kong based writer-director, active since graduating from CUHK Business School. Li’s drama short “Lost Pearl” was selected at the International Film Festival Rotterdam 2022 amongst other international film festivals. His film, “Taste of Tomato” (2019) was selected for the 13th Fresh Wave Short Film Festival. Alongside producing short films, he has been writing feature films. In 2021, he finished his first feature film proposal “Beyond the Waves” which entered 4th HAF Film Lab. Currently, he is working on his second feature proposal “Anthea”.
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51st International Film Festival Rotterdam 2022
Minikino Film Week 8 - Bali International Short Film Festival 2022
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Best Short Film at Arctic Film Festival 2022
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Special Jury Mention at Batumi International Short Film Festival 2022
THAT SPRING, IN THE SKY OF H-VILLE, THERE WAS ____
那年春天，H城的天空上出現了＿＿
Hong Kong / 2022 / Colour, B&W / 9 mins / In Cantonese with Chinese and English Subtitles / Dir. Chung Hong IU
That spring, there was _____ in the sky of H-ville. What is _____? No one can tell. The sudden “unknown” caused absurd and strange phenomena. The real nightmare was not a natural disaster, but a man-made one. The regime used this to implement the "state of exception". The system continued to operate. How much human value would be left?
The image of "H-ville" is based on Hong Kong. As Giorgio Agamben stated at the beginning of the pandemic, “The epidemic has caused to appear with clarity that the state of exception, to which governments have habituated us for some time, has truly become the normal condition.”
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Chung Hong IU is an independent film director based in Hong Kong. He graduated from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and worked in an NGO. He has a vocation for social movement and filmmaking. He directed the documentary, Hong Kong's "Road to the Abolishment of Death Penalty", for Amnesty International Hong Kong in 2013. His short film "The Autonomous Era" (2015) earned Special Mention in Fresh Wave International Short Film Festival 2015 and REC Film Festival Berlin 2017.
His experimental short "After the Riots, Before the Liberation" (2020) earned the Award for Excellence in the 35th Image Forum Festival in Japan. He is also an amateur photographer. His photography works were exhibited in numerous galleries in London, Rome, Athens and Chicago.
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As Giorgio Agamben stated at the beginning of the pandemic, “The epidemic has caused to appear with clarity that the state of exception, to which governments have habituated us for some time, has truly become the normal condition.”
The idea started in early 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic. But a lot of revisions were made due to the situation and changes in my own life.
The film is set in a sci-fi background. Rough special effects, that I am not good at, are used to create a not-too-distant future. All the dystopian elements in films and literature are happening all around us nowadays. The so-called "future" is actually the present. Thus, could this film be considered as a critical documentary? The film starts as sci-fi, but finally an essay film.
The image of "H-ville" in the story is based on Hong Kong, but changes were made. First, it is because the phenomenon I criticise is not only in Hong Kong, but also in other places under capitalism and globalisation. Secondly, Hong Kong is changing rapidly. Even the HongKongers feel unfamiliar (“jamais vu”?) and sometimes find it hard to recognise.
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22nd NeMaf Seoul International ALT Cinema & Media Festival 2022
20th International Festival Signs of the Night 2022
VIII Festival Cinemística 2022
6th Festival internazionale Segni della Notte 2022
Time, and Time Again (World premiere 全球首映)
Hong Kong / 2022 / B&W / 30 mins / In Cantonese with Chinese and English Subtitles / Dir. Asgard WONG
Detective Max is sent to investigate a mysterious missing case, only to discover the remnant of a cult ritual and a murder scene. Yet, the power left behind by the rite sends Max back to his past.
Once again, he sees a late friend and faces the unsolved case he regrets the most. Meanwhile, the culprit of the murder scene is lurking in Max's shadow, waiting for an opportunity.
Within Max's dismal past, lies perhaps a glimmer of hope for redemption.
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Since 2013, when a short film I was a part of was selected by a German film festival, there seems to be a strange connection between myself and the country. I worked as a 2nd AC on the film "Guns Akimbo" there.
After returning to Hong Kong, I applied to multiple production assistant jobs to no avail. I work mostly as an assistant camera or VFX artist in indie projects.
Realising how close filmmakers from other Asian countries work with the European industry, I hope to return to Germany to seek new possibilities there as a Hong Kong filmmaker, particularly during this diasporic time of our city.
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My application referenced heavily to my final year project as I don't have many past works. I wrote the story based on the style of my FYP and what I would like to try after I was told I passed the first round interview.
Rather than "what to tell", I focused more on "how to tell" during the stage. It was May 2021. I wrote whatever I consider to be within my capability. I did not have any worry other than the production.
It has been more than a year since I signed up for the competition. What we are allowed to say today is anyone's guess. Perhaps, "how to say" is what we should be focusing on.
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Special mention at 16th Fresh Wave International Short Film Festival 2022
Walk Along The Wall 十二點前我要返屋企 (UK premiere 英國首映)
Hong Kong / 2021 / Colour / 30 mins / In Cantonese with English Subtitles / Writer/Dir. Kin-pong IEONG
Cau locks himself in a room inside the red-walled compound for days. He becomes mentally fragile.
Mung is wandering in the building, searching in darkness. She records her thoughts wherever she goes.
Tung Tung and Coffee cannot withstand the feeling of being trapped. They decide to leave through a dangerous way.
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IEONG Kin-pong creates images in different media. Since the 2014 umbrella revolution of HK, he made some narrative and non-narrative shorts on the status of HK people. In 2019, he helped make documentaries of the people during the anti-extradition bill movement. He keeps on living and filming in Hong Kong.
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15th Fresh Wave International Short Film Festival 2022
