The 13th Hong Kong International Deaf Film Festival

Venue: Louis Koo Cinema, Hong Kong Arts Centre

Date: 2025.05.24 - 2025.05.25

Price: $85, $65

Presented by: AccessWus Limited

HKIDFF Programme 1: Challenge Ourselves and Rewrite the Rules
24 / 5 / 2025 Sat 2:30-4:30pm

- Mini TV
Youmee Lee｜2021｜USA｜39 secs｜

No Dialogue, with Chinese and English Subtitles

Youmee Lee created this experimental miniature TV with a scroll of a poem she wrote during the pandemic. TV became an important part of her childhood when she finally had access to closed captions.

- Elevated
Palmer Morse｜2022｜USA｜15 mins｜
In English with American Sign Language, Chinese and English Subtitles

Effective communication is a challenge every climber faces. It’s a sport that requires intense focus, dedication, and overcoming fear. For Deaf climber Sonya Wilson, communication and community is of vital importance. Elevated is a non-verbal film sharing Sonya’s experience as a Deaf woman and outdoor advocate working to bridge the gap between the Deaf community and the outdoor industry, one crag at a time.

- Watch Us Roar!
Samuel Ash｜2024｜UK｜27mins 40 secs｜
In English with British Sign Language, Chinese and English Subtitles

Watch Us Roar! is the definitive behind the scenes story of the GB Deaf Women’s Futsal squad's quest to win a medal at the 2024 Winter Deaflympics. With unprecedented access to the squad before, during and after the tournament, this raw and honest film explores the adversity that British Deaf athletes must overcome just to be able to compete, and the emotional realities of performing on the international stage. A Flashing Lights Media production for BSLBT.

- Millo
Laura Díaz｜2024｜Spain｜15min｜
Spanish Sign Language with Chinese and English Subtitles

Fede and Juli challenge gender stereotypes as they explore their relationship and sexuality openly and honestly.

- Resilience｜17 mins
Julien Bourges｜2023｜France｜17 mins 47 secs｜
French Sign Language with Chinese and English Subtitles

Way out in the country, Joseph, a Deaf man, lives alone. A traumatic experience leaves him unable to leave the village. One day, a delivery man comes with a package that will change him.
An after-screening discussion with Deaf filmmakers will be arranged.

HKIDFF Programme 2: Who Am I?
24 / 5 / 2025 Sat 7:30-9:30pm

- Rite of Identity
Youmee Lee｜2022｜USA｜4 mins 16 secs ｜
American Sign Language with Chinese and English Subtitles

Rite of Identity is a 2D animated film about a Deaf child, Hana, who has exceptional artistic talent but struggles with an overwhelming soundscape. Hana represents a collection of Deaf people's childhood stories. The film is shaped by the American Sign Language (ASL) poetry format and is loaded with Deaf symbols and motifs.

- My Deaf Papa
Anthony Cheung ｜2023｜Hong Kong｜20 mins｜
In Cantonese and Hong Kong Sign Language with Chinese and English Subtitles

In the quiet corners of the city at night, while most people are asleep, Wyatt, who is deaf, quietly begins his work. At dawn, he always shares a special breakfast with his daughter Allison. Allison is a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) and is fluent in both sign language and spoken language. Allison's passion for becoming a KOL and her interest in videography has made her a somewhat popular YouTuber. However, when her sign language teaching video unexpectedly goes viral, it sparks an unforeseen family conflict. Wyatt is completely unaware of Allison's videos until a heated argument leads to him accidentally breaking her camera. Overwhelmed with guilt, Wyatt struggles with how to make amends. Will Allison understand her father's intentions? How will they resolve the incident?

- Vibrations from Gaza
Rehab Nazzal｜2023｜Canada｜16mins｜
Palestinian Sign Language with Chinese and English Subtitles

Vibrations from Gaza offers a glimpse into the experiences of Deaf children in the colonized and confined coastal territory of Gaza, Palestine. Born and raised under siege and frequent onslaughts these children, including Amani, Musa, Israa, and others, provide vivid accounts of their encounter of bombardment and the constant presence of drones in their sky. The children describe their perceptions of missiles strikes through sensing vibrations in the air, trembling of the ground, and the resonance of collapsing buildings. The film also questions whether the deafness of these children is a natural or a consequence of Israel's use of sonic weaponry, such as sonic booms.

- Becoming Jazzy Whipps
Bim Ajadi｜2024｜UK｜10mins 30 secs｜
British Sign Language with Chinese and English Subtitles

Jazzy Whipps is the UK's biggest Deaf influencer, but it takes courage and resilience to be Jazzy. This film follows Jazzy's inspiring journey after her rise to fame was met with online trolling due to her Deaf voice.

- What Somalia Want
Jade Bryan｜2023｜USA｜43mins 57 secs｜

American Sign Language with Chinese and English Subtitles

In this gentrified Harlem dramedy series, Somalia LaMine, a Black Deaf fashion designer, pop-up store owner,
and TikTok influencer experiences new challenges and hilarious situations associated with the pressures and
demands of a Gen Z era.

An after-screening discussion with Deaf filmmakers will be arranged.

HKIDFF Programme 3: Empathy: Efforts for Mutual Understanding
25 / 5 / 2025 Sun 2-3:30pm

- Real
Maria Forysthe｜2020｜USA｜5 mins 20 secs｜
American Sign Language with Chinese and English Subtitles

REAL, a tiny film web series exploring Deafness, love, and the lengths we go to find it. These tiny films follows Lauren as she navigates relationships and connections in a world of complex communication.

- Passenger
Martin Bouche｜2023｜Quebec, Canada｜8 mins 14 secs｜
French and Quebec sign language with Chinese and English Subtitles

Noëlla is in a hurry and calls a Taxi to get to a 50th birthday party. The driver is very friendly and she becomes increasingly interested in him. But she doesn't know how to communicate with him...

- Salt & Pepper
Con Mehlum｜2024｜Norway｜77mins｜
Norwegian Sign Language with Chinese and English Subtitles

In an elegant apartment in Oscars gate in Oslo, three couples gather for
dinner on an early winter evening. All the guests are between 40 and 50
years old, and five of them have known each other since childhood. It is a special occasion, because the pandemic is finally over. It has kept
them apart for a long time.

While the evening begins with pleasant and superficial conversations around the table, they begin to notice that things are not quite as before. Changes in their lives affect how they relate to others, and the community they once shared is not the same.

Eventually, revelations and previous traumatic episodes come to light, which create conflict between the friends. Tension rises at the dinner table, and reaches a climax no one could have imagined when the evening began.

Voices of Deaf People in Medical Decision: You Shall Hear
25 / 5 / 2025 Sun 4:30-6pm

- You Shall Hear
Petra K. Wagner｜2022｜German｜90mins｜
German, German Sign Language with Chinese and English Subtitles

Mira's parents were suddenly sued by a doctor, who claimed that one of their medical decisions posed a threat to their child's well-being, sparking significant public attention. With the trial approaching, a judge has been urgently assigned to take over the case...

HKIDFF Programme 5 and Closing Ceremony: Coexisting in Diversity: The Search for "Us"
25 / 5 / 2025 Sun 7:30-10:30pm

- The Letter
Samuel Dore｜2023｜UK｜27 mins 30 secs｜
English and British Sign Language with Chinese and English Subtitles

THE LETTER follows the struggle of Deaf people who fought back against Nazis’ oppression during World War Two. It tells the story of a Deaf regiment of stormtroopers, and charts the rise of the Nazi-ruled social org for deaf people (Reich Union of the Deaf of Germany). The story is based on true events with fictionalised characters.

-Pas Le Choix
Hrysto｜2022｜France｜59mins｜
French and French Sign Language with Chinese and English Subtitles

Hugo is a cabaret drag artist at Chez Titi. With his sister Victoria, his faithful friend Matt, and all the regulars of the famous cabaret watching, Hugo takes to the stage for his latest number. Afterwards, when he is found murdered in his dressing room, there seems to be an obvious culprit...but did they do it?
No Choice is a murder mystery and bilingual psychological thriller which addresses themes of guilt, falsehood, and identity.

-With My Own Hands
Kit Wong｜Hong Kong｜2022｜20mins｜

Cantonese and Hong Kong Sign Language with Chinese and English Subtitles

Living in the hearing dominated school and society, how do young Deaf students cope with the challenges of finding their own voices and expressions?

Closing ceremony with Deaf artists’ sharing.

Programme enquiry：
Instagram/Facebook: hkidff
Email: hkidff11@gmail.com
Whatsapp: 94336117

Website：https://hkidff.hk

Ticketing：https://www.art-mate.net/doc/83508
Full price: $85
Concessionary price: $65 ( full-time students, senior citizens aged 60 or above, people with Disabilities etc )
Deaf Group tickets (More than 10 tickets): $65 per tix
One film ticket plus one set of limited edition HKIDFF13 special postcard set (13 postcards designed by Deaf artists)：$148

What's On

Exhibition

4/F, Hong Kong Arts Centre

2022.05.25 - 2027.05.27

Luis Chan Studio

Public Arts

Tai Kok Tsui

2023.04.17 - 2025.09.16

RE: Tai Kok Tsui

Public Arts

2023.10.11 - 2025.09.16

RE: Tai Kok Tsui - Open Call Competition for Pavilion

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