Shorts Program 1: The Animals That Therefore We Are

These seven superlative short films from emerging and established Asian and Asian diasporic filmmakers explore and reconfigure the relationship between humankind and animals. 

Fish Boy / 魚仔
Christopher Yip, 2023, Canada, 11m
English and Cantonese with English subtitles
New York Premiere
Fish Boy is a lyrical meditation on bisexuality and faith through the eyes of an Asian American teenager. When 16-year-old Patrick (Ian Chen, Fresh Off the Boat) questions his love for God, his journey of self-discovery toward fluidity and openness manifests in his skin.

Save My Soul / 我是貓
Leung Kam Fai, 2023, Hong Kong/Nepal, 15m
Cantonese with English subtitles
North American Premiere
A mute young man seeks a new life in the wilderness––with survival a daily struggle. Envisioning himself as a feline, he finds refuge in a blind elderly cat lover’s home where he experiences newfound tenderness while momentarily forgetting his human identity.

Bottle George
Daisuke ‘Dice’ Tsutsumi, 2024, Japan/U.S., 13m
East Coast Premiere
Oscar-nominated director Daisuke ‘Dice’ Tsutsumi’s standout stop-motion animated parable follows a mischievous cat and a little girl facing family troubles as they encounter an otherworldly creature confined within a small bottle. A Chimney Town, dwarf studios, and Tonko House co-production.

Hot Seat
Johmar Damiles, 2023, Philippines, 13m
Tagalog with English subtitles
International Premiere
When two young siblings are accused of theft by a convenience store owner, their family’s deep-seated trauma is brought to the surface. Inspired by 8-bit video games, the unlikely protagonists find an uproariously offbeat way to extricate themselves from this harrowing mess.

The Boys and the Donkey / 少年与驴
Tsering Yangjyab, 2023, China, 20m
Tibetan with English subtitles
International Premiere
Executive produced by late Tibetan filmmaker Pema Tseden, this hilarious coming-of-age tale continues the legacy of Tibetan New Wave cinema with a novel new take on the classic fiction, Journey to the West. After little “Sanzang” accidentally falls off his “White Dragon Horse,” a series of ridiculously amusing events ensue.

A Snail Without Shell / Bikinggri Etchaluk
Mohin Rakhaine, 2023, Bangladesh, 15m
A’chik and Bengali with English subtitles
International Premiere
In a Garo tribal village facing displacement, an elderly couple clings to their broken home as well as the hope of seeing their firefighter grandson. Unaware of his fate, their hearts ache with the potential weight of loss yet they never lose hope in this inspiring ode to the human spirit.

The Horse / 馬語
Lan Yi-Tzu, 2023, Taiwan, 15m
Mandarin with English subtitles
North American Premiere
Taiwanese icon Mavis Fan returns to the screen with a stellar performance in The Horse, a poignant film about intimate spaces and nostalgia. As Jing starts packing and prepares to move, a stubborn brown horse unexpectedly appears in her apartment, stirring up a whirlpool of memories and emotions.