I continue with my list of the best Asian short films from 2022.

This list was created considering films I watched last year, awarded films from Class A festivals, and movies I recommended during 2022. You might find some films from 2021 that I consider worth mentioning since they are cinema gems. Please remember that AFF covers festivals from East Asia, South Asia & Southeast Asia. If you enjoy this article, please share it with your friends. As always, thanks for your support. – Sebastián Nadilo

Ying-hong, a martial arts lover, accidentally becomes the Internet celebrity “Kung Fu Man”. He has to face the challenges from not only others but his true self. (TaipeiFF 2022)

Trailer:

Jiho starts delivery work with a second-hand bike she spent much to buy. One night, a small delivery mistake gets her running about, and the more she works the poorer she gets. Familiar situations and likely events unfold at a time when you encounter delivery riders at every corner. (BusanIFF 2022)

Trailer:

The film begins with a girl’s narration of a story about the fire that broke out at an institute for girls and a girl named Yurim. Yurim was particularly afraid of fire but was determined to start one. Based on the true story which took place in 1995—forgotten in most people’s memories despite dozens of casualties. (SIFF 2022)

Trailer:

A mother sings lullabies to her 12-years-old daughter in order to calm her down. But, when the lullabies end, and the daughter comes to her senses, the reality turns out to be much grimmer, and life-altering. It’s a film about the legacy of patriarchy that is upheld by women and handed down to generations in the form of rituals and folk songs. (TSAFF 2022)

Moshari’ is a traditional South Asian mosquito net, made for protection against vermin at night. When the world is overrun with bloodthirsty creatures, staying inside the moshari is the only way to safety. In Dhaka, Bangladesh: two sisters must stay inside the moshari to survive – but first they must survive each other. (SSFF 2022)

Trailer:

It is May of 1992. The state sanctioned “Operation” has put the city of Karachi in constant unrest. Abdul Aziz Ansari wakes up at night and is informed by his daughter in law, Naseema, that his son hasn’t returned home. As a knock on their door later at night summons them to the hospital. What they witness along the way is known today as the most brutal chapter of the city’s history, a sentiment of hatred towards their race, deep rooted beneath the system. (Kaohsiung 2022)

Trailer:

My alien daddy pays a visit. (JeonjuIFF 2022)

Trailer:

My Mothers Tongue explores the complexity of communication in a mother and son relationship when they don’t speak the same language. (CambodiaIFF 2022)

Trailer:

There are women who suffer from an unknown disease that causes unexplained pain. The film conveys their physical, mental, and social suffering through narration citing various texts. The director says that the narration is “a structure made of sentences collected” that she encountered during her research.​ (DMZ Docs 2022)

“Palengke Day” recounts experiences within the Baguio Public Market during the COVID-19 pandemic and the country’s Community Quarantine. Through the words and images of vendors and market-goers, the film glimpses into the space’s history and its possible future with the impending redevelopment and modernization undertaken by the city government and SM Prime Holdings. (GawadAlternatibo 2023)

To see Part 1 please go HERE
To see Part 2 please go HERE
To see Part 4 please go HERE
To see Part 5 please go HERE