Category: BEST STUDENT FILM – 2024 ARFF PARIS

Original Film Title: 他/她

Director’s Name: Fiona LU

Writer’s Name: Fiona LU

Producer: Esther WEI

Country of Origin: China

Country of Filming: China

Language: Chinese

Runtime: 18 minutes 24 seconds

Film Description:

A naughty middle school boy discovers a secret about a strange female classmate he likes while watching her practice piano. The boy‘s reaction may have brought changes to the life trajectories of both of them.

Original Film Title: 钥匙

Director’s Name: Haiwei Sun

Writer’s Name: Haiwei Sun

Producer: Zibo Xu

Country of Origin: China

Country of Filming: China

Language: Chinese

Runtime: 15 minutes 1 second

Film Description:

A naughty middle school boy discovers a secret about a strange female classmate he likes while watching her practice piano. The boy‘s reaction may have brought changes to the life trajectories of both of them.

Original Film Title: The Pyramid-02

Director’s Name: Fares Mahmoud Ghattas

Writer’s Name: Fares Mahmoud Ghattas

Producer: Fares Mahmoud Ghattas

Country of Origin: Lebanon

Country of Filming: Lebanon

Language: Arabic

Runtime: 20 minutes 30 seconds

Film Description:

In the dimly lit underground labyrinth, the man known only as “Zahak” stood in ominous silence, his icy gaze fixed on the three newcomers trembling before him. They were his latest acquisitions, prisoners of circumstance thrust into a nightmarish world of captivity. Each one was assigned a role, but their fates remained shrouded in mystery. As Zahak’s sinister smile revealed itself, the tension in the air grew palpable, a promise of unseen horrors lurking in the shadows. The prisoners had no choice but to play their parts, but the question that gnawed at their souls was whether they could survive this twisted game of life and death.

Original Film Title: Hijinks

Director’s Name: Armando Xavier Peniche

Writer’s Name: Armando Xavier Peniche

Producer: Tamika Madden

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Language: English

Runtime: 5 minutes 39 seconds

Film Description:

A home invasion goes awry when a pair of amateur thieves come across a sinister discovery.

Original Film Title: organism

Director’s Name: Hongyuan An

Writer’s Name: Hongyuan An

Producer: Hongyuan An, Yuting Wang, Qiang Zhang

Country of Origin: China

Country of Filming: China

Language: Chinese

Runtime: 9 minutes 48 seconds

Film Description:

An alcoholic office worker wakes up in the bathtub to find a mysterious woman breaking into his home. Took him on a day trip and discovered something mysterious. Man or woman? What are the boundaries of gender? Whether love is influenced by gender. The door I’ve been afraid to knock, the chaotic space, you say, can I meet you at the end of the white light corridor?

Original Film Title: The Flower

Director’s Name: Yiyang Ye

Writer’s Name: Yiyang Ye

Producer: Yiyang Ye

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Language: English

Runtime: 2 minutes 10 seconds

Film Description:

“The Flower” is a film set on a distant planet where everyone grows a flower overhead upon birth, except for Mowa. Her daily battle with insecurity changes when she encounters her past self, leading to a magical journey of self-discovery. The story highlights self-esteem and the importance of embracing one’s uniqueness, conveying the message that true confidence originates from within.

Original Film Title: 也无风雨

Director’s Name: PENGJIE ZHAO

Writer’s Name: PENGJIE ZHAO, XUEFEI QIN

Producer: YUFEI TAO

Country of Origin: China

Country of Filming: China

Language: Chinese

Runtime: 24 minutes 32 seconds

Film Description:

In the short film “Embrace Unkonwn，” the potangonist, Tang Hao, finds it extremely difficult to secure a job due to his criminal record, resulting in tremendous pressure in his life. He can only find a low-level position at a factory and works part-time at a car wash after work.Tang Hao is caught off guard by his girlfriend Li Yue’s unexpected pregnancy. He is unprepared and only wants to escape. The boy, Lin Ran, grew up in a single-parent family plagued by domestic violence, living in constant fear at home and finding solace in handicrafts. When Tang Hao meets Lin Ran, he sees a reflection of his own childhood, so he takes good care of him. Lin Ran also feels the warmth of love from Tang Hao. Thus, the two embark on a journey of mutual redemption.

Original Film Title: The Last Time Martians Came Home

Director’s Name: George Tsounis, Jason Da Silva

Writer’s Name: George Tsounis, Jason Da Silva

Producer: Fiona Jordan, George Tsounis

Country of Origin: Australia

Country of Filming: Australia

Language: English,

Runtime: 19 minutes 27 seconds

Film Description:

A man , who came to Taiwan for learning Chinese, doesn’t enjoy his life there. Someday, he left his key in his room, so cannot enter the room. He wanders around his room.

Original Film Title: Reach out of the blue

Director’s Name: Yuki Lou

Writer’s Name: Yuki Lou

Producer: Yuki Lou

Country of Origin: Japan

Country of Filming: Taiwan

Language: Chinese, English, Japanese

Runtime: 46 minutes 13 seconds

Film Description:

A man , who came to Taiwan for learning Chinese, doesn’t enjoy his life there. Someday, he left his key in his room, so cannot enter the room. He wanders around his room.

Original Film Title: The Photography Club

Director’s Name: Yvonne Lui

Writer’s Name: Yvonne Lui

Producer: Log C Cheng

Country of Origin: Hong Kong

Country of Filming: Hong Kong

Language: Yue Chinese (Cantonese)

Runtime: 16 minutes 9 seconds

Film Description:

A clueless freshmen joined the university’s photography club for fun, but the tension within the club forced him into a social dilemma, all while he tries to figure out his life’s direction.