30 Short films you shouldn’t miss at the 22nd Kaohsiung Film Festival (Part 2)

By Asian Film Festival on October 13, 2022 • ( Leave a comment )

We continue with our list of short films that you shouldn’t miss at the Kaohsiung Film Festival which will take place from October 14 – 30, 2022.

**Persona** by Moon Sujin – Korea | 2022 – 7 minutes

The process of being encroached by the persona. (Kaohsiung 2022)

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**Sandstorm** by Seemab Gul – Pakistan | 2021 – 20 minutes

Zara, a schoolgirl in Karachi, Pakistan, shares a sensual dance video with her virtual boyfriend, who then blackmails her. Caught between his manipulative behavior and the desire to experience love on her own terms, Zara searches for the strength to reject the confines of a patriarchal society. (Kaohsiung 2022)

**Shadow Under the Bed** by Chang Yu-le – Taiwan | 2022 – 20 minutes

Late one night, while waiting for his father to come home, Xiaopi is attacked by a monster and escapes from his house. A child who dares not sleep in his bed, a father at his lowest point in life, and a monster that should only exist on game cards. Is it a dream, an illusion, or reality? (Kaohsiung 2022)

**Smoke Gets in Your Eyes** by Alvin Lee – Singapore | 2022 – 19 minutes

A funeral director finds himself hapless when the wrong body has been sent for cremation. When there seems to be no other way, he devises a plan for a sham funeral with the deceased’s three estranged children. (Kaohsiung 2022)

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**The Best Gift Ever** by Hao Chit – Macao | 2022 – 20 minutes

One night before her birthday, little Ting Hsuan has two separate dinners with each of her divorced parents and their new partners, receiving two gifts she doesn’t like. She hatches a plan to get the gift she really wants, and ends up being rescued by her grandma when she gets into trouble. In the end, it seems “growing up” is to be the greatest gift she could ever wish for. (Kaohsiung 2022)

**The Island of Us** by Yu Yu – Taiwan | 2022 – 19 minutes

A seed who can’t get under the sun and the shadow who needs light to exist are each other’s meaning of life. The seed makes up her mind to find a way to be with the shadow, kicking off a journey to explore this strange world. (Kaohsiung 2022)

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**The Remains** by Tsai Chia-ying – Taiwan | 2022 – 19 minutes

Fang, a young and innocent female dancer, has a pure love for dance. Her experienced and strict female teacher, Xue, who used to capture the spotlight on the dance floor, has an extreme pursuit of performance. The power of obsession, however, has almost driven her crazy. The relationship between master and apprentice becomes entangled with mutual obsessions, causing a great change in both their lives. Will an unexpected failure transform Fang’s own obsession into paranoia? Life is an experience with various obsessions. But is obsession the motivation of living? Or is it simply the reason why we exist? (Kaohsiung 2022)

**The Sea Calls for Me** by Tumpal Tampubolon – Indonesia | 2021 – 18 minutes

Sura lives alone in the fishing village, waiting for his father to return home. One day, he finds a broken sex doll, and he asks Argo to help him fix the doll. He finds a companion and a surrogate parent in the doll. But this companionship is threatened by Argo, who wants to take it away from Sura. (Kaohsiung 2022)

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**The Silent Echo** by Suman Sen – India, France, Bangladesh, Nepal | 2021 – 15 minutes

Four teenagers from a remote mountain village spend their days in an abandoned bus on a ridge, playing music. When a band competition is organized in a neighboring town, they gather the money and courage to be part of it. (Kaohsiung 2022)

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**To the Sea** by Lin Po-yu – Taiwan | 2021 – 25 minutes

An elderly mother who spends her life taking care of her intellectually-disabled son finally reaches her breaking point and decides to take her son on one last ride, towards the sea and towards the end of their lives. (Kaohsiung 2022)

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**Tree Hole for Secret** by Wu Pin-hsuan – Taiwan | 2021 – 25 minutes

This film follows a girl who has been living with depression for many years, and explores the concept of “I’m sick” through different points of view. Everyone has experienced low moments in their lives or been through dark times in the past that are rarely talked about. It is hoped that this film can transform these emotions into positive energy in our lives. (Kaohsiung 2022)

**Turn Twice and Click** by Cheng An-chun – Taiwan | 2022 – 25 minutes

In Ximending, the vampire meets the magician. The vampire can’t see herself in the mirror, but she wants to learn to laugh. The flightless magician is always laughing, and his blood seems to be the antidote for vampires. They run and laugg in the city, and even fly into the sky. They hope to enjoy a night of fun before the magic wears off. (Kaohsiung 2022)

**Unspoken Things** by Chung Yik-ching – Taiwan | 2022 – 24 minutes

On New Year’s Eve, Hao carries the drunk Xuan to his home to rest. On their way, they reveal unknown secrets to each other. After arriving at Hao’s home, Xuan blurts out a secret that surprises Hao. From that moment on, their long night becomes slightly different…(Kaohsiung 2022)

**Where the Winds Die** by Pejman Alipour – Iran | 2021 – 13 minutes

Sardasht is a Kurdish city in western Iran. At 4:15 p.m. on Sunday, June 28, 1987, the city was hit by chemical weapons in a mustard gas bomb attack. This film is about before and after the bombing, a romantic relationship between a couple, and finally, the effects of the war. (Kaohsiung 2022)

**Will You Look at Me** by Huang Shuli – China | 2022 – 20 minutes

When a young Chinese filmmaker returns to his hometown in search of himself, a long overdue conversation with his mother dives the two of them into a quest for acceptance and love. (Kaohsiung 2022)

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