I continue with my list of fifty remarkable Asian short films from 2023.

Note: This list may contain movies made by filmmakers with Asian ancestry.

Chomp It! by Li Shuen Lam, Mark Chua – Singapore | 2023 – 12 minutes

In a society founded on social hierarchy and privilege where many have to fight for their place, two candid crocodile-people are trying to cool down at a swimming pool – while struggling with their needs and desires. Chomp It! is an unconventional, dark and drily comedic allegory of life in Singapore. Shot on a sultry 16mm, the humidity almost oozes from the screen. – Koen de Rooij (IFFR 2023)

Trailer:

Cross My heart and Hope to Die by Sam Manacsa – Philippines | 2023 – 17 minutes

Mila struggles as she remains unpaid at work and a love interest becomes a source of comfort through his constant phone calls. But a promise of hope may also lead to tragedy and sad love songs. (KFF 2023)

Trailer:

Delivery Dancer’s Sphere by Kim Ayoung – Korea | 2023 – 25 minutes

Ernst Mo works for courier service Delivery Dancer. Every day, she transports an endless stream of parcels, following algorithmically generated routes through a labyrinthine Seoul. After she runs into an alternative version of herself, her reality slowly starts to crack – with all the attendant consequences. In her own unique style, artist Ayoung Kim creates a fascinating and pretty disturbing world. –Koen de Rooij (IFFR 2023)

Trailer:

Deposit by E Seul Monica An – Korea | 2022 – 25 minutes

As a symbol of their undying love, Yoon-il offers Hana his severed left ear. The plan is to have it frozen and permanently stored for safekeeping, but it quickly becomes clear that stowing the sliced-off appendage isn’t a simple matter. Morbid and sardonic (and thus so very South Korean), Monica An’s DEPOSIT is a romantic comedy that will make you wince and flinch while you giggle. – Rupert Bottenberg

Eid Mubarak by Mahnoor Euceph – Pakistan | 2022 – 16 minutes

It’s a beautiful candy-colored world, but nothing could be further from Pakistani girl’s mind as she embarks on a crafty mission to save her beloved pet goat from being eaten on the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Azha. (NYICFF 2023)

English Tutor by Jaho Koo – Korea | 2023 – 10 minutes

A university student takes on the task of becoming an English tutor to a little girl who has trouble learning the language. As she’s teaching the girl how to write, she uncovers a dark and startling truth about the mysterious child and her mother. A creepy, shocking horror thriller that showcases the brilliant and powerful presence of South Korean genre cinema! – Steven Lee

Trailer:

Fix Anything by Lê Lâm Viên – Vietnam | 2022 – 15 minutes

A father ropes in his son for exploits using his DIY ‘memory eraser’ van on their one-night adventure. (NYAFF 2023)

Trailer:

Foreigners Only by Nuhash Humayun – Bangladesh, USA | 2023 – 15 minutes

In Bangladesh, a tannery worker searches for an apartment but when landlords request ‘foreigners only,’ he finds a grisly solution. (BFIFF 2023)

Grandma & Grandma by Sean Wang – USA | 2023 – 16 minutes

Nǎi Nai is my grandma. Wài Pó is also my grandma. Together, they are a grandma super team that dances and stretches their sorrows away. (BAAFF 2023)

Graveyard of Horses by Xiao Xuan Jiang – China | 2023 – 17 minutes

A frigid winter on the Mongolian steppe, an untimely snowstorm aggravated the lives of a pregnant herder and her 8-year-old daughter: the missing flock of sheep, the unborn child, the absent husband, traces of wolves…. everything led the mother and daughter to places they’ve never been.​ (BISFF 2023)

Trailer:

To access Part 1, please go HERE
To access Part 3, please go HERE
To access Part 4, please go HERE
To access Part 5, please go HERE