I present you the last part of my list of fifty remarkable Asian short films from 2023.

The Waves by Joung Yumi – Korea | 2023 – 9 minutes

Waves coming and going on an empty beach. Various people, from children to the elderly, appear one by one on the beach. And, within the rhythm of the waves, each repeats their own actions. (Locarno 2023)

Trailer:

Tumatawa, Umiiyak by Che Tagyamon – Philippines | 2023 – 9 minutes

A man remembers a bygone afternoon involving him and his grandfather as they traverse their old neighborhood into other parts of the city in order to pick flowers for school. From the narrow streets of the barangay, they arrive at the nearby business district where high-rise buildings stand and a seemingly out-of-place cemetery lies. It is a cemetery for the rich – with vast greenery and a peaceful atmosphere in contrast to the bustle of the streets outside. (QCinema 2023)

Vania on Lima Street by Bayu Prihantoro Filemon – Indonesia | 2022 – 24 minutes

Vania lives in a large Chinese medicine store. She wants to be helpful to adults but is too young. On a quiet night, she finds an injured thief running away from mobs. She invites the fugitive into the store and begins to treat her secretly. (PARK Sungho | Busan2023)

Trailer:

Voice Club by Kim Taeyoung – Korea | 2023 – 27 minutes

Dana, a telemarketer and aspiring voice actor, makes her first connection to the SNS (Social Networking Service) app called “Voice Club”, where communication is solely via voice. Feeling ignored due to external factors, Dana starts creating a fake persona for herself. This work represents the flaws and weaknesses of the SNS. Addicted to social media, she believes that her existence is only valid in that virtual world, gradually distancing herself from reality. This piece skillfully reflects the current era, providing an enjoyable experience through its realistic elements. (YEOM Jiho | BIFAN 2023)

Trailer:

What We Leave Behind by Kang Nam-jin – Korea | 2022 – 11 minutes

A glimpse into the life of a man, from the birth of his child to the death of a loved one, told through his possessions and the place he calls home. (NYAFF 2023)

Trailer:

When you left me on that boulevard by Kayla Abuda Galang – USA | 2023 – 13 minutes

In Kayla Abuda Galang’s carefully imagined coming-of-age film, teenager Ly and her cousins get blazing high before a boisterous Thanksgiving gathering at their auntie’s. A beautifully nostalgic portrait of diasporic upbringing in the mid-aughts. – Ariel Esteban Cayer

Trailer:

White Grass by Justin Kim WooSŏk – Mongolia | 2023 – 16 minutes

In the remote northeast of Mongolia, Munkhjargal, her parents, and her grandparents persevere to carry on the nomadic herding tradition. They work from dawn to dusk to maintain their herd and live off the meat, milk, and wool their herd provides.

Munkhjargal dreams of becoming a horse trainer like her dad one day. In between the work herding demands— corralling horses, churning butter, shearing wool—Munkhjargal and her dad train and prepare their horses to race at the annual Naadam Festival. (AAIFF 2023)

You know, there are ghosts under the tree by Lee Ruri – Korea | 2023 – 14 minutes

It’s a scorching summer. The girl and the boy cannot attend the festivities on the eve of the school festival. Then Kali says to the wandering children: “You know, where the festivities are taking place, as far as the shadow of the sacred tree reaches, young spirits are gathered under it.” (BIFAN 2023)

Trailer:

You Will See by Kathleen Bu – Singapore | 2022 – 15 minutes

“Look closely. This is what the camera can show you.” With a hushed voice, the woman gives the girl a camera. With it comes the yearning to catch the perfect moment, and the fear of missing it. Gradually, these conflicting emotions overwhelm the young photographer, and us as well, as she comes ever closer to seeing the “right moment”. – Xige Yi

Trailer:

Young People, Old People & Nothing in Between by Parida Tantiwasadakran – USA | 2022 – 20 minutes

7-year-old Juice has one mission this year: to help Grandma Lovely retain as many memories as possible in order to halt the onset of her early dementia. (VAFF 2023)

Trailer:

To access Part 1, please go HERE
To access Part 2, please go HERE
To access Part 3, please go HERE
To access Part 4, please go HERE