Synopsis
Observing and exploring subtle personal relations is one of the crucial topics for young filmmakers. In the corner of private memory, artists devote themselves to the portrayal of emotional connections between father and son, sisters and brothers, mother and daughter, with touching warmth as well as bitter sorrows. Regardless of the storytelling techniques they use, these films generate the power strong enough to penetrate the silver screen and to arouse our most intuitive memories and senses, echoing with each other. Besides these compelling sentiments, we can also detect greater bindings and thinking above the individual and family level. By looking at our family space in retrospect, we are also examining our homeland and the society in which we stand.
Together with Lexus, FIRST presents [FIRST x Lexus Special Screening · Lexus Short Film Premiere] which unites five short film competition finalists with the Lexus Short Film. Within such concentrated space and relations, we invite our audience to experience the most truthful emotions and to witness the ripples of this interaction through cinema. ”
Qu Youjia
Qu Youjia, born in Nantong, Jiangsu Province in 1990. Photographer, film director and the founder of Notation Film Production. He directed a short film entitled Meijing and won The Night Award of the 15th International film festival of Signes de Nuit, Best Fiction Film Award of 4th Chongqing Youth Film Festival, Best Film of Stars Hollywood Festival and is nominated at several others.
Lin Po-Yu
Lin Po-Yu is a freelance filmmaker born in Taipei in 1990, with a master’s degree from the Department of Motion Picture of National Taiwan University of Arts. He has written and directed a number of shorts and commercials. He is especially good at capturing realism in his works, with most of them inspired by everyday life. His films are described as natural, pure, restrained and gentle.
Song Siqi
Siqi Song is an Oscars-Nominated writer and director from China, currently based in Los Angeles. Her films have been recognized by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Sundance, BAFTA, and ASIFA-Hollywood. She is named a Film Independent Directing Fellow in 2018, BAFTA Los Angeles Newcomer in 2019 and nominated for an Oscars for her animated short SISTER in 2020. Siqi is an alumnus of California Institute of the Arts and China Central Academy of Fine Arts.
Zhou Xiaolin
Zhou Xiaolin was Born in China in 1993. She graduated from Jiangnan University, Department of Animation in 2015. She received master’s degree from Tama Art University, Department of Graphic Design in 2019.
Lei Lei
Lei Lei was born in Nanchang in Jiangxi Province in 1985. In 2009, He got his master's degree in Animation from Tsinghua University. In 2010, his film THIS IS LOVE was shown at Ottawa International Animation Festival and awarded the 2010 Best Narrative Short. In 2013 his film RECYCLED was the Winner of Grand Prix shorts - non-narrative at Holland International Animation Film Festival. In 2014 he was the Jury of Zagreb / Holland International Animation Film Festival, and he was the winner of 2014 Asian Cultural Council Grant. In 2017 he worked in CalArts Experimental Animation program as faculty. In 2018, he was invited for new Academy Member for the Short Films and Feature Animation branch. In 2019, his first feature film BREATHLESS ANIMALS has been selected by Berlinale Forum and FIRST International Film Festival.
