Category: Best Student Film ARFF Berlin 2023

Original Film Title: Farewell

Director’s Name: Zirui Ye

Country of Origin: China

Country of Filming: China

Language: Chinese

Runtime: 7 minutes 18 seconds

Film Description:

The short film chooses four small things, such as buying sugar, playing chess, going to school and going to the opera, to tell the story of this regrettable family relationship, the relationship between Grandpa and Xiao Ai, and grandpa’s love for Xiao Ai. However, all these have become Xiao Ai’s regrets after his death. The film uses the contrast between reality and imagination. In the imagination, grandpa buys delicious candy for little love, little love accompanies grandpa to the theater and chess, Grandpa sees little love to be happy for her when she is admitted to college, and describes pictures of Grandpa and little love being happy and harmonious. However, back to reality, even if little love is trying to do the same thing as in the imaginary world, But still can’t get rid of the loneliness in their own lives. Xiao Ai wants to make up for the regret of not accompanying grandpa before, but regret is regret after all. 
What the short film “Farewell” wants to convey is that implicit love in Chinese style often becomes regret in life, we need to learn to express love, cherish the company with family, and do not let love become regret, at the same time, we should also believe that love is a existence across time and space, as long as there is love, we will always accompany each other’s life, as long as there is love, we will eventually meet again across time and space. Leaving is never the end of life, being 

Original Film Title: Kitchen Madness

Director’s Name: Fiona Stewart

Producer: Lindsay McLaren

Country of Origin: United Kingdom

Country of Filming: United Kingdom

Language: No Dialogue

Runtime: 2 minutes 46 seconds

Film Description:

Short 3D student Film about a Passionate chef that descends into madness over his busy kitchen.

Original Film Title: 余痕

Director’s Name: Kathryn Christensen

Writer’s Name: Kathryn Christensen

Producer: Kathryn Christensen, Wyatt Debban, Hannah Pedersen

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Language: English

Runtime: 8 minutes 56 seconds

Film Description:

Two robbers attempt to hoodwink a religious, sharp-shooting cowboy who just found the largest gold nugget in the area. Playing on the cowboy’s religious dedication, the robbers decide to approach him as priests in hopes of convincing him to donate his gold to the church. A subtle comedy, “Hell’s Gold” uses humor and tense emotion to reveal the true intentions of the robbers. As the robbers realize they’ve been found, the two decide to turn on each other in hopes of making it out alive.

Original Film Title: Handcuffs

Director’s Name: Yifan Evan Zhang

Country of Filming: China

Language: Mandarin Chinese

Runtime: 5 minutes

Film Description:

One day an unexpected incident drives a strict，conventional father to overturn his preceding perceptions. As a masculine soldier, the major income source of the family, and a man who pays good attention to reputation, the man has zero tolerance for any kind of disobedience in the family for his dominant status. He is the embodiment of his own definition of “man” and is willing to pass it on to the next generation. However, despite the outer figure, the sensitivity and tenderness(helplessness) hiding under his mask is yet waiting to foster.

Original Film Title: Thank you for your souvenir, UK!

Director’s Name: Oushi Lin

Writer’s Name: Oushi Lin

Country of Origin: United Kingdom

Language: English

Runtime: 3 minutes 3 seconds

Film Description:

This film tells the complex experience of “Chinese students” in the context of today’s increasingly common transnational education. As a “one-year passer-by”, the director elaborated on the embarrassing situation of today’s international students wandering between “marginal people” and “internationals”. It attempts to arouse people’s re-examination of the transnational education system by depicting the real dilemma. 

Original Film Title: Neverland

Director’s Name: Alyson Phillips, Daimein Parmelee

Writer’s Name: Megan Stone

Producer: Scott A Galeski, Noel Galeski, Calvin Johns, Zachery Grew, Meghan Martin, Joey Dagda

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Language: English

Runtime: 3 minutes 18 seconds

Film Description:

A music video of a young girl who does not fit in and who’s dreams come true.

Original Film Title: 对话

Director’s Name: Jiaqi Liu

Writer’s Name: Jiaqi Liu

Producer: Jiaqi Liu

Country of Origin: China

Country of Filming: China, United Kingdom

Language: Chinese

Runtime: 5 minutes 54 seconds

Film Description:

My good friend committed suicide because of her LGBTQ identity and I was feeling depressed and sad because of my LGBTQ identity. So I decided to give her in heaven a call

Original Film Title: 轻舟欲过万重山

Director’s Name: Shiling Xiong

Writer’s Name: Yuxin Wan

Producer: Huizhong Weng

Country of Origin: China

Country of Filming: China

Language: Chinese

Runtime: 25 minutes 16 seconds

Film Description:

Chen Ping, who has been away from his homeland for many years, takes his boyfriend back to his hometown to visit his sick mother. He takes a small boat through the dangerous peaks, not paying attention to the dark currents under the quiet Qianhai water. Everything he had run away from enveloped him again in the name of love. During this journey, his conflict with his lover unveils the unspeakable conflict between himself and his mother. In mutual alienation, another silent farewell is ushered in.