20 Short Films you cannot miss at the 23rd Busan International Film Festival

By Asian Film Festival on October 2, 2018 • ( Leave a comment )

These are twenty short films you cannot miss at the 2018 Busan International Film Festival, taking place from October 4th – 13th, in the beautiful city of Busan (Korea).

A Gift by Aditya Ahman – Indonesia | 2018 – 15 min.
Section: Short Film Showcase | Asian Premiere

Isfi is the lead troublemaker among a group of boys in male uniform, but is a little smaller and prettier than the rest. When going over to friend Nita’s house, Isfi must wear a hijab. Two days before Nita’s birthday, Isfi leaves a special gift in Nita’s room.

Schedule:
October 5th | Friday | MEGABOX Jangsan Haeundae 7 – 16:00
October 8th | Monday | MEGABOX Jangsan Haeundae 5 – 14:00

A Million Years by San Danech – Cambodia | 2018 – 21 min.
Section: Asian Short Film Competition | World Premiere

A woman taking a break in a riverside restaurant talks about her past experiences with the server and is at times mesmerized by the water and the trees. Such a beautiful scene may soon be destroyed at the hands of development, and her memories will disappear someday. A film about the youth’s anxieties and gloom of the unknown.

Air by Aizhana Kassymbek – Kazakhstan | 2018 – 14 min.
Section: Asian Short Film Competition | World Premiere

“Can we just throw grandpa away somewhere?“ A young boy who dreams of becoming a pilot someday is taking care of his grandpa on another boring day—until that question. What choice will he make? Or what choice can he make? A sad story about a boy stuck between what he wants to do and what he needs to do.

Cat Day Afternoon by Kwon Sungmo | South Korea – 25 min.
Section: Korean Short Film Competition | World Premiere

One summer day, a woman calls a repairman to fix her air conditioner. A cat appears, the heat is scorching, the perspiration never stops, and the repairman is allergic to the cat. In an instant, everything seems to go wrong.

Chasing Paper by Shoki Lin – Singapore | 2018 – 16 min.
Section: Asian Short Film Competition | World Premiere

A high school student is at her most sensitive because of her grades. Her mother suddenly loses her job, and finds work as a janitor at her high school. Things become increasingly awkward between the two. To restore their relationship, Mother comes up with a dangerous plan.

Down by Lee Woosoo – South Korea | 2018 – 29 min.
Section: Korean Short Film Competition | World Premiere

A couple finds they are going to have the baby they waited so long for. But they learn that the baby might have Down syndrome after they take an amniotic fluid test. As the pregnancy continues, they are deep in a dilemma, not knowing what to do.

Down There by Yang Zhengfan – China, France | 2018 – 11 min.
Section: Short Film Showcase – Asian Premiere

A woman’s desperate scream is heard on a summer night. Residents of the apartment building wonder at the sound, but ignore it. What happens down there becomes something that never happened if no one saw it. A fearfully cold look into the cruelty of the city.

Habitat by Hong Eui-jeong – South Korea | 2018 – 17 min.
Section: Korean Short Film Competition | World Premiere

After sudden unification, the Korean peninsula is struggling with economic chaos. An old laborer, Chan-ki, receives a new high-tech telephone from his son in China and goes to seek help from his neighbor, as he does not know how to use it.

Last Order by Joji Villanueva Alonso – Philippines, Singapore | 2018 – 17 min.
Section: Short Film Showcase

Nitoy is in a conundrum today. As a waiter in a small restaurant, he can’t bring out customer orders because there aren’t enough ingredients. The restaurant will close the next day. The film is a bitter story about the lonely restaurant and why it must close.

Nooreh by Ashish Pandey – India | 2018 – 22 min.
Section: Asian Short Film Competition – World Premiere

Nooreh is an eight-year-old girl living in a village on the India-Pakistan border. She discovers that gunfights stop when she wakes up. When the crossfire becomes so bad that school closes, Nooreh decides to stay up all night. Will the gunfight really stop if she does not fall asleep?

Only All of Us by Han Yuwon – South Korea | Korea – 28 min.
Section: Korea Short Film Competition – World Premiere

Before he leaves for a working holiday program abroad, a man decides to stay at a temple with his girlfriend—a last trip as a couple. He tries to record every moment with his camera, but it doesn’t seem to work as he expects.

Over there by Jang Minseung – South Korea | 2018 – 44 min.
Section: Short Film Showcase | World Premiere

For a thousand days from 2015 to 2018, JANG captured the magnificent scenery of Jeju Island in his film. It doesn’t contain plot or dialogue, but its beautiful images and music, composed by Okja music director Chung Jaeil, will engage your eyes and ears.

Schedule:
October 8th | Monday | Busan Cinema Center Cinematheque – 13:30
October 9th | Tuesday | Busan Cinema Center Cinematheque – 17:00

Road to Her by Cho Jeehoon – South Korea | 2018 – 29 min.
Section: Korean Short Film Competition – World Premiere

Chong-whan goes to visit his hometown to commemorate the anniversary of his mother’s death. On the way, he happens to come across and accompanies Suji who goes to the same school with him.

Similitude by Hariyali Desai – India | 2018 – 8 min.
Section: Asian Short Film Competition | World Premiere

Amyra is in a car accident, and her life is turned upside down when her heart is filled with crazy thoughts. This psychological horror film brings extreme fear to the audience with only the tension of atmosphere and sound, without any dialogue. Three women completed all aspects of the film, including directing, shooting and acting.

Stranger by Kim Youjune – South Korea | 2018 – 13 min.
Section: Korean Short Film Competition – World Premiere

A girl is painting on a wall. A man, whom she has never met before, comes up to her and asks: “Will you come with me for a moment?” Thinking that she is not supposed to follow a stranger, she hesitates, wondering whether she has to run away or not.

Supermonk by Shenang Gyamjo Tamang – Taiwan, Nepal | 2018 – 18 min.
Section: Short Film Showcase | Asian Premiere

Tashi is an 11-year-old monk who’s crazy about action films. While sneaking out to watch a film in the village, he meets another boy his age wearing an army uniform. Soon the army and the rebels arrive at the temple looking for the boy soldier. A lovely film about the friendship between two boys wisely overcoming hardships.

The Moon Is Bright Tonight by Abinash Bikram Shah
Nepal, Myanmar | 2018 – 16 min.
Section: Asian Short Film Competition – World Premiere

A migrant worker’s body arrives in a remote Nepali village. His wife, now a widow, wants to start a new life with the money from his life insurance, but her father-in-law and village elders stop her, claiming the money belongs to the village as per tradition. The film reflects on the issues of migrant workers in Nepal and the old traditions that continue to restrain them.

The Narrow Gate by Kim Younmi – South Korea | 2018 – 30 min.
Section: Korean Short Film Competition – World Premiere

A twenty-year-old girl finds a place to stay at an old woman’s house at a cheap price. The old woman, living alone, seems to act strange and does not allow her to open a small door at the back of a kitchen.

Schedule:
October 8th | Monday | Lotte Cinema Centum 7 – 10:00
October 9th | Tuesday | CGV Centum City 3 – 20:00

The Stain by Nuntanat Duangtisarn – Thailand | 2018 – 26 min.
Section: Asian Short Film Competition – World Premiere

Fah, a middle-aged monk lives peacefully on the religious pathway. Until one day, Fah meets Sak, a young man who has dark secrets. When Fah is asked to do an ordination for Sak. Fah is finally forced to face his trauma and confront the great dilemma of his life.

Water Spray by Oh Eunyoung – South Korea | 2018 – 18 min.
Section: Korean Short Film Competition – World Premiere

Life is hard for Hye-min, who already feels exhausted at the age of 30. One day, she goes to a friend who suddenly left this world’s funeral, then goes back home to go to bed. When she wakes up, two women start to nag her.