Screening Schedule
15/4 (Sat) 3pm        “Hong Kong versus The World II” Programme 1
15/4 (Sat) 7:30pm   “Hong Kong versus The World II” Programme 2
16/4 (Sun) 3pm       “Hong Kong versus The World II” Programme 3 

Tickets are now available at POPTICKET

Welcome to the annual HKAPA School of Film and Television, Dean’s Screening Series. “Hong Kong versus The World II” a showcase of recent award-winning and notable films. APA students proudly present some of their work screened here alongside a selection of the very best work created by students from around the world and submitted to the CILECT prize.

Of course, filmmaking is not a competitive sport.

But where is the next generation of screen storytellers? Is Hong Kong keeping up with developments in filmmaking? Are students using the new digital art technologies available today?

These screenings are curated in response to some of these questions.

The school maintains a very active engagement with international film schools. The school keeps abreast of new and developing trends in screen design and storytelling techniques. The school constantly monitors teaching and learning and curriculum design to ensure our practices and processes align with approaches adopted by international film and media schools and the needs of the Hong Kong industry. Our alumni film work is clearly evident in many cinemas across Hong Kong.

The School of Film and Television encourages students to become effective users of traditional and new filmmaking tools and takes pride in encouraging students to develop an artistic sensibility when using those tools. This approach develops screen work which is original and always strives to tell stories honestly and with artistic impact and integrity.

We are pleased to continue the collaboration between the Hong Kong Arts Centre and the School of Film and Television. This beautifully refurbished cinema, named after our recent HKAPA Honorary Fellow, Mr. Louis Koo, fittingly underscores our partnership by again hosting this annual screening. We also thank Mr. Koo for his generous support of this year’s Graduation Projects.

Thanks also to CILECT. The School has been a full member of CILECT since 1997. CILECT represents over 180 audio-visual educational institutions from 65 countries on 6 continents with 9,000+ teachers and staff that annually train 55,000+ students and communicates with an alumni network over 1,330,000+. CILECT coordinates the annual CILECT Prize which is the ultimate peer-reviewed student screen competition where teachers and students from the member schools view and judge the submitted films across three categories – Fiction, Documentary and Animation.

We proudly present here some of the best films from the CILECT Prize. For this we especially thank the Netherlands Filmacademie, Amsterdam, the Griffith Film School, Brisbane, the Australian Film, Television and Radio School, Sydney and FAMU, the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague for providing permission to screen their award-winning student films in Hong Kong.

In the spirit of re-opening the world post-COVID, I present this screening of Hong Kong and CILECT student films side by side to compare, contrast and yes, respectfully and most graciously, compete.

Professor Geoffrey Stitt
former Dean, School of Film and Television
Acting Deputy Director (Academic), HKAPA

"two-riffic! - not to be missed"

On one exciting note, we are proud to announce that Director Tsang Tsui Shan’s latest collaboration with HKAPA, HOUSE OF CHIFAN, will be premiered in programme 2, the film is also available in VR, with an excerpt with be demonstrated before and after the screenings.

 

“Hong Kong versus The World II” Programme 1
15/4 (Sat) 3pm | Total duration: 92 minutes | DCP

THE SILENT ISLAND
Director: Wu Ruo Shi, Dorothy
Hong Kong | 2022 | 30’ | In Cantonese with Chinese and English subtitles | Colour

A 16-year-old girl, Yan, met a new sculpture teacher, Wah. After a while together, their relationship developed further during after-school tutoring. Since then, Yan began to use various methods to make herself closer to the particular and beautiful in Wah's eyes. However, Yan accidentally discovered Wah's secret, and she began to question whether it was true, or just her own fantasy...

ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHA KWO LING
Director: Chan Hei Man, Heyman
Hong Kong | 2022 | 14’ | In Cantonese with Chinese and English subtitles | Colour

Cha Kwo Ling Village, located between Lam Tin and Yau Tong, outstands itself in this busy city, is a squatter area made up of tin houses.
Being dilapidated and inconspicuous, the area has been through several serious fire, some typhoon-disasters, and a few floods throughout four centuries, yet it is still standing firm and nurturing generation after generation of people, villagers who are willing to take root in Cha Kwo Ling, calling this place their “home”.
Hidden in this area are numerous small shops that have 60-plus-year-histories, that are carrying the precious neighbourhood friendship of Cha Kwo Ling villagers, shops that have witnessed the changes of the village over time/ over the decades.
Are they willing to let the village go “demolished”?

LOVE DAD
Director: Diana Cam Van Nguyen
Czech Republic | 2021 | 13’ | In Slavic with English subtitles | Colour

A Short film about ties and gaps between a child and a parent.
The author rediscover letters her dad used to write her from prison. That loves seems to be gone now. She decides to write back in hope to find the connection again.
She puts in writing what could not be said: Blaming him for family’s break-up but also trying to understand.

STAY WITH MY SHADOW
Director: Lee Ka Yu, Rosa
Hong Kong | 2022 | 13’ | In Cantonese with Chinese and English subtitles | Colour

Yau, whose parents divorced since childhood, ran away from home after having some arguments with her mother. She went to her father and would like to take refuge in his new family. While staying there, Yau witnessed the harmonious of father's new family. She eventually decided to leave.

ANATOMY OF A CZECH AFTERNOON
Director: Adam Martinec
Czech Republic | 2020 | 22’ | In Slavic with English subtitles | Colour

Temperatures are rising and crowds of people push around the banks of lakes every day, as if they were thirsty animals. Summer hits blasting from the speakers are silenced by an announcement of two boys gone missing. We may witness a tragedy or just lie in the shadows with the feeling that it’s not our concern.

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“Hong Kong versus The World II” Programme 2
15/4 (Sat) 7:30pm | Total duration: 92 minutes | DCP

ONE NIGHT LEGENDS
Director: Jenny Wan
Hong Kong | 2022 | 30’ | In Cantonese with Chinese and English subtitles | Colour

Luna, a high school student, committed suicide. Her classmate, Sam, finds her death suspicious. Thus he tries getting in touch with her older sister, Solana, for more hints. One night, Sam finds Solana at the convenience store. Meanwhile a fight between gangsters happens. In the middle of the fight, a pistol dropped onto the ground. Solana picks up the gun instinctively. Sam helps Solana escape from the chaos.
Two of them become partners immediately, and embark on a journey of truth-seeking. With a gun, they are determined to denounce the corruption of the school. In the end, they find out the mastermind. Yet, in front of the truth, Solana faces a choice between vengeance and forgiveness.

NONPLUS
Director: Leung Yu Yat, Jacob
Hong Kong | 2022 | 14’ | In Cantonese with Chinese and English subtitles | Colour

North Ice was known by being very cautious in drug trafficking and was the key member in his gangs. However, one accident had occurred during major transaction which has led to high consequences to the gang. Boss was disappointed to North Ice and now the gang required to handover people to appease the police and the public.
North Ice has an arrogant, and impulsive younger brother called Bone, who is also in the same gang. He always wanted to gain more fame in the gang which he can show off to his brother. The handover “candidate” has been on Bone now, North Ice wanted to protect his brother, yet bone thinks his brother is an obstacle.
In all that sudden, the handover limited is approaching. How would North Ice choose between brotherhood or the fame of the gang?

WAITING FOR TRIAL
Director: Tam Ho Him
Hong Kong | 2023 | 7’ | In Cantonese with Chinese and English subtitles | Colour

At the year of 2012, the leader from a cult claims that the “doomsday” is going to occur at a designated time according to the interpretation to “Book of Revelation”. A group of followers were called up to the mountain and perform special rituals to embrace the “doomsday”. Under the calling of the leader, the group attempts a mass suicide in order to return to the utopia in heaven, Zion. However, the young follower Judas hesitates to take the poison, but under the persuasion of his mother, he was pressured to consume some of the poison reluctantly, he passes out afterward. Judas wakes up from the coma and realise that he is surrounded by dead bodies, and stared by the cult leader……

MUD CRAB
Director: David Robinson-Smith
Australia | 2022 | 13’ | English with English subtitles | Colour

Set in NSW’s Central Coast, a woman reflects on her past and the effects she may have had on a local boy she used to know.

HOUSE OF CHIFAN
Director: Tsang Tsui Shan
Hong Kong | 2023 | 17’ | Cantonese & Flemish with Chinese & English Subtitles| Colour

The story takes place in Antwerp, Belgium. Where Chifan, a native Belgian Chinese, lives peacefully with her daughter. Soon after the outbreak of the pandemic, Chifan’s grandmother passes away. The sadness from grief and the abuse from neighbours makes Chifan psychologically unbalanced. Enduring the psychological and physical constraints brought about by the outbreak of the pandemic, Chifan becomes silent, and begins to express her feelings by dancing. The community that has always been in harmony becomes unfamiliar, and the unresolved problems in Chifan's heart emerge one by one. HOUSE OF CHIFAN was shot in the studio, by mixing dance elements into performance, we explored the boundaries between indoor and outdoor, and the inner and outer sanctum of chifan’s mind.

AN OSTRICH TOLD ME THE WORLD IS FAKE AND I BELIEVE IT
Director: Lachlan Pendragon
Australia | 2021 | 11’ | English with English subtitles | Colour

A young office worker uncovers the flaws in his stop-motion universe with the help of a mysterious talking ostrich.

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“Hong Kong versus The World II” Programme 3 
16/4 (Sun) 3pm | Total duration: 100 minutes | DCP

HAPPILY EVER AFTER
Director: Lau Wing Man, Doris
Hong Kong | 2022 | 26’ | In Cantonese with Chinese and English subtitles | Colour

Many’s the seemingly rock-solid marriage that’s been shattered by secrets and distractions of social stigma. Will this couple find a way to bridge the gaps in their relationship?
forgiveness.

COVEN
Director: Mickael 'Marso' Riviere
Hong Kong | 2022 | 10’ | No Dialogue| Colour

The word “Coven” stands for a ritualistic gathering of like-minded people seeking for healing or empowerment. The fact that we can finally gather and celebrate our dance and voices feels almost impalpable at times, surreal, spellbound, perhaps even close to a miracle for some... And so, metaphorically, COVEN is about our super dance powers coming together; a true relief that this work is finally on stage; shaking the ground, breathing and celebrating this unique moment with the dancers I have worked with this entire year, which gives us a sense of unity and bonds us together as one.

ETHICAL SLUT
Director: Chan Tsz Shan, Adrain
Hong Kong | 2022 | 13’ | In Cantonese with Chinese and English subtitles | Colour

This film follows and interviews the sex-positive advocate, Fe, to explore her views on sexual openness and morality in the wake of her private photo leak scandal. In addition to the interviews, the film also recreates the events to provide viewers with a closer look at the issue.

DUSK
Director: Cheung Ming Wai
Hong Kong | 2022 | 11’ | In Cantonese with Chinese and English subtitles | Colour

Soon in the evening, Ka Ting awakens from a coma, unsure of where she was.
After the reunion with her friends, they struggle to live in the collapsed world.

SISTERS
Director: Daphne Lucker
Netherlands| 2018 | 15’ | Dutch with English subtitles | Colour

Three sisters grow up in a broken home. They are at each other’s mercy and survive as long as they are together. But is their loving connection strong enough to endure their gloomy surroundings?

OO
Director: Tang Kwan Yeung, Owen
Hong Kong | 2022 | 6’ | No Dialogue | B/W

What is memory? Two men fall in love and one of them leave afterwards, however the one who left behind still living in their memories.

THE DEBIT CARD
Director: Thijs Bouman
Netherlands| 2021 | 19’ | Dutch with English subtitles | Colour

When the Polish au pair Karina goes grocery shopping with the family’s children, the mother of the family she is working for does not trust her enough to give her the PIN. The relationship between Karina and the family becomes spoiled, which is not without consequences…

 

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