LET'S DRINK THE WINE

Director: CUI Xiwei ZHANG Guorong | 5min

Synopsis Statement

In an abandoned small village, an adventure streamer discovered a deserted elementary school.

Director's Statement

University teacher, whose representative work EVERY BUS WITH YOUR LOVER was shortlisted for the 46th Moscow IFF. Other works he directed/produced have been shortlisted for the Beijing IFF, the Beijing College Student Film Festival, the Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival, the Pingyao IFF, etc.

ZHANG's representative work NOSTALGIA won the Best Cinematography Award at the Beijing Film Academy International Film and Video Festival (ISFVF), the Best Short Film at the China University Student Television Festival, etc.

LEGEND

Director: Yu Lei | 4min56sec

Synopsis Statement

A forest ranger from north county died in a wildfire, and various rumors circulating about him.

Director's Statement

Yu Lei, male, 40 years old, completed the film NATURE in 2015, won the 10th FIRST International Film Festival Best Short Film in 2016, the 13th China Independent Film Exhibition Jury Award, participated in the film EAST POLE ISLAND project in 2017, and acted as the film director.

BROKE BUM LOSERS

Director: LIU Jinyu | 4min21sec

Synopsis Statement

Lao Cai, who had just been released from detention for a traffic accident, was taken to the seaside by his friend Lao Jin to relax. Afterward, they returned to Lao Cai’s hometown to search for an abandoned quarry pit. The two talked about the wealthy people around them and discussed their own dire financial situations.

On a rainy night, Lao Cai dialed Lao Jin’s number.

Director's Statement

LIU Jinyu, born in 1987 in Linyi, Shandong Province, graduated from university in 2010 and moved to Beijing to work as a documentary director. In 2018, he began creating feature films and has since participated in the production of several films, including WHY IS THE SONG SLOW? and THE GRASS, in roles such as co-producer, executive director, screenwriter and producer.

OLD HOUSE

Director: HUANG Weipeng | 4min52sec

Synopsis Statement

An empty house, the memories of three generations, a hundred years of solitude.

Director's Statement

Image art creator, representative works such as MY SIMMONS, CAVE OF ANXIETY, WATER SPLASH, WILD GRASS, THOSE SCENES, HAPPY NEW YEAR, etc. Those works have been exhibited at film festivals such as the Azolo International Art Film Festival in Italy, the Kassel Documentary Film Festival in Germany, Athens International Film and Video Festival in the United States, and the Mykonos Bienniale in Greece.

A SURPRISE OF EX

Director: Easyart | 3min57sec

Synopsis Statement

In 2024, as the prices of second-hand houses plummeted, XU Haoran, a man who once vowed to fight against real estate developers to the end, also joined the ranks of those looking to buy a house.
One day, when XU was trying to snag a bargain on an old house, he unexpectedly ran into his ex-girlfriend ZHOU Yao, whom he hadn’t seen in two years.

They smiled at each other, and it seemed like nothing had changed. But in reality, just like the housing prices over the past two years, everything has changed.

Director's Statement

Director and screenwriter, graduated from the Department of Directing at the Beijing Film Academy. In 2024, Easyart directed and wrote the short film A SURPRISE OF EX, which is set against the backdrop of the current sharp decline in housing prices. The film was shortlisted for the Short Short Film at the 18th FIRST International Film Festival.

THE OLD SHELL

Director: LI Meiling WU Lei | 3min20sec

Synopsis Statement

People’s footsteps will gradually fade away, while the old house and its locked-away memories will slowly fall into the dust of time.

Director's Statement

Wandering on the edges of film, animation, and manga.

A piece of clay exploring the earth.

BEFORE DAWN

Director: Eric Xu | 4min40sec

Synopsis Statement

On a post-apocalyptic Earth, a human and a robot rely on each other for survival. To stay alive, they must find resources and food. They also strive to find an oasis, but along the way, they are surrounded by a group of marauders driving armored vehicles. The human, holding a gun, stands trembling and on the verge of a breakdown…

Director's Statement

Born in Beijing in 2001, Xu is a young director/actor. His works have been awarded or shortlisted at more than 90 film festivals, such as the China Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival, FIRST International Film Festival, Beijing International Film Festival and Pingyao International Film Festival. He also served as a jury member of the 2nd FBS New Youth Script Festival & Blue Sun Film Festival and the 9th Hengdian Film and Television Festival Wenrong Awards.

FIRST TIME

Director: Derrick Wang | 5min

Synopsis Statement

Living under the expectations and pressure of her mother’s desire for her to be both scholarly and physically adept, the young girl Haotian today, for the first time…

Director's Statement

Derrick Wang is a director and screenwriter. In 2023, he directed his short film debut HAND, which was shortlisted for several film festivals, including the 17th FIRST International Film Festival, the 14th Beijing International Film Festival, and the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival. In 2024, his film FIRST TIME was shortlisted for the 18th FIRST International Film Festival.

SOUL

Director: WANG Zhixiang | 5min

Synopsis Statement

The year 2024 marks the fifth year since Grandpa passed away. Although Grandma suffered a stroke that left her right side paralyzed and took away her ability to speak, she still harbors many unresolved obsessions. She firmly believes that Grandpa’s spirit wanders through every corner of the old house, observing the strained and sensitive family dynamics from a spectator’s perspective.

Director's Statement

Director WANG Zhixiang graduated from the Directing Department of the Sichuan Film and Television Academy. After graduation, he worked as an intern in the Economic News Channel of Hefei Radio and Television Station. After the internship, he joined the TV drama crew as a photography assistant. After six months in the industry, he began to do behind-the-scenes documentary films and TV series as well as aerial photography. So far, he has been working in the industry for four years and have rich experience in film and television production.

COMPLAINTS

Director: Dominic Yeh | 4min59sec

Synopsis Statement

This experimental short film creates a strong visual representation of game NPCs through ‘exaggerated’ actor movements, distorted sound effects, and slightly delayed voiceovers. The entire film is shot in one continuous take with natural choreography, enhancing the god-like perspective of a video game. The story revolves around a delivery person whose food is knocked over, exploring the concept of the right to file a complaint. It poses the question of how one should wield this right.

Director's Statement

Dominic Yeh, born in 1998, writer, director, songwriter and actor. In 2017, he was admitted to the Performing Department of Dongguk University. In 2018, he founded 2666 Film Studio (international team) as a screenwriter, director and composer after self-studied. The work IN THE MUD was selected at the Cannes Film Festival (Short Film Corner), Clermont Film Festival in France, transferred to the London School of Art LCC, won 10 international awards, and more than 20 finalists.

GOODBYE! SEE YOU

Director: Dean Wei | 5min

Synopsis Statement

A heartbroken foley artist captures sounds of her ex-boyfriend’s daily life, hoping to find the residue of their love.

Director's Statement

Dean Wei was born in Cologne Germany. He is a graduate of Cinematography Department at Beijing Film Academy. Currently, he bases in Beijing as a director, composer and cinematographer.

FUTURE LOVERS

Director: CHENG Yulong | 4min59sec

Synopsis Statement

A tragedy happens when artificial intelligence takes over a human’s role in an intimate relationship.

Director's Statement

In 2021, CHENG Yulong entered the film industry and worked as the props manager for the film GONE WITH THE BOAT, the art assistant for NEVER SAY NEVER, and the script supervisor for HENGYANG 1944. In 2023, he completed his first short film, FUTURE LOVERS. He is currently studying film and television at New York University.

I AM NOT SHAKESPEARE

Director: GUO Shirui | 4min53sec

Synopsis Statement

The girl chooses to be reborn from the ‘womb’ in that memory. Despite facing numerous dangers, the rebirth path is shining.

Director's Statement

GUO Shirui, born in Shanxi Province in 2004, has the biggest wish is to gain 20 kilograms, and to live happily with fewer worries, while hoping for the health and safety of family and friends.

ECHOES OF STARS

Director: REN Zhengwei | 4min58sec

Synopsis Statement

This is a short documentary about my personal experience. On an ordinary night, while we were all routinely doing our own business in the school dormitory, suddenly a series of sharp screams alerted us to the arrival of the Geminid meteor shower. Everyone reacted differently to its arrival. Some were cheering, some were recording, some were singing, some were disturbed by the noise. In short, there was a strange connection between us in the dormitory building that night. So I chose to bring together our memories of that early morning and actual footage from the scene to make this documentary short film.

Director's Statement

REN Zhengwei, a graduate student majoring in Film at Zhejiang Normal University.

STUDY OF HUMAN DECEPTION

Director: GUO Jun | 5min

Synopsis Statement

A couple, two videos—is it AI learning to forge, or has the line between reality and deception become impossible to discern?

Director's Statement

Theater director, screenwriter, actor, and independent filmmaker. Screenwriter of the play UNKNOWN DISTANCES, which won the Best Screenwriter award at the 16th University Theater Festival. Screenwriter and director of ____, READY? which was shortlisted for the Short Short Film at the 17th FIRST International Film Festival and won the Audience Choice Award at the 3rd Wazi Film Festival. Screenwriter and director of A PLAY FOR ANGELS TO WATCH, which was shortlisted for the 13th Macau International Micro-Film Festival.

A FAMILY

Director: Liu Yanwenjun | 5min

Synopsis Statement

One a fine day, LIN Mengqiao and her sister LIN Mengxin bring their deceased father’s urn to the cemetery hilltop for a picnic and reminiscing. The elder sister, Mengqiao, is about to undergo a surgery. She seeks comfort from their father, just as they did when he was alive.

Director's Statement

Writer-director Liu Yanwenjun holds master degrees from London Film School and Wuhan University. She gained further filmmaking experience by working as assistant director for Tsui Hark and Lou Ye, as well as by filming documentary for Ann Hui's film project. Her early experience in journalism has encouraged an interest in exploring people's stories, feelings and emotions, and therefore, her films reflect such an interest with unique style of realism which communicates her film characters' journey and emotion with heightened sensitivity.

YEAR ONE

Director: ZHANG Tianyu | 5min

Synopsis Statement

This happened thousands of years ago, for a new civilization. In history, three people came together, marking the beginning of this new civilization. The prehistoric land was a wasteland after nuclear war. People of the prehistoric era, due to the war and the presence of biorobots, distrusted each other and avoided contact. This time their gathering was similar to the bonfires in the caves earlier. They found something that ended their suspicions.

Director's Statement

Documentary Filmmaker, Screenwriter, and Film Director. Graduated from University College London with a master's degree in Ethnographic Documentary Film. I hope to make more films, and these films would capture more fresh moments of life.

FAREWELL, FAREWELL

Director: Boob Wang | 5min

Synopsis Statement

After a few drinks, ZHANG Yuan and his friend hit it off and mustered the courage to go to his ex-girlfriend’s house to reveal his heart, hoping to mend the previous intimate relationship. But unreasonable accidents followed.

Director's Statement

A professional teacher, part-time filmmaker, amateur poet, amateur roar singer, amateur observer of human nature, and a professional sufferer of loneliness.

ON ANOTHER NIGHT

Director: Zhu Yunyi | 5min

Synopsis Statement

In the early 1980s, due to rapid urban development, fireflies disappeared at lightning speed. Today, an elderly man shares with us his memories of fireflies on a certain night.

Director's Statement

Zhu Yunyi is a Chinese artist whose practice questions memory and perception. He graduated from Tsinghua University Academy of Fine Arts in sculpture and Le Fresnoy - Studio national des arts contemporains, he works based on the combination of a series of personal experiences relating to the uses of some of our underestimated senses in the field of art, such as touch, and the questions of memory. He transforms these experiences and memories into works by various approaches of mediums.

INSTANT AND ETERNAL

Director: ZHANG Yijun | 3min50sec

Synopsis Statement

Friday afternoon, rush hour traffic.
Children daydream, adults worry.
Countless emotions, the myriad facets of life.
Fleeting moments, eternal thoughts.

Director's Statement

A senior student majoring in Literature of Theatre, Film, and Television at Xi'an International Studies University has directed several short films including DAZED AND CONFUSED, ALONG WITH THE SEA, FOR MOON and MAGIC MOMENT. Notably, DAZED AND CONFUSED was shortlisted for the Mobile Phone New Image Category at the 2nd Golden Rooster Awards and received the title of Outstanding Work.