The inaugural edition of the Asian Film Awards Academy (AFAA) International Film Camp (IFC) took place in Macau in 2024. Supported by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency of the Hong Kong SAR Government and Sands China, the camp was designed to nurture emerging Asian filmmakers through a comprehensive short film development and production program.
Under the theme of “My Hometown”, the 2024 edition received 550 submissions, from which 16 participants were selected for the five-day intensive workshop. The program featured mentorship (led by Hong Kong director Mabel Cheung, alongside acclaimed filmmakers Anthony Chen and Tan Chui Mui), industry panels and masterclasses, culminating in a pitching session judged by an awards panel. Eight filmmakers were each awarded a HKD 300,000 (USD 38,000) grant to produce their short films, with post-production support
provided by Shaw Studio Hong Kong. The AFAA/IFC also offered guidance on film festival submissions and screenings.
The completed films were directed by emerging talents
from Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Macau, and
Mongolia.
ONCE UPON A TIME THERE WAS A MOUNTAIN
Kwong, on the brink of transitioning from primary to secondary school, organizes a farewell football match with his classmates. However their plans are thwarted by unexpected obstacles in finding a suitable venue – construction sites, an elderlies dance club, and a group of territorial teenagers occupy their usual spots. Their search leads them to a group of South Asian boys playing cricket who reluctantly share their space. Blending fantasy, local folklore and reality (including bickering parents), director To captures the uncertainties and resilience of a young boy on the cusp of adolescence. Expanding on themes from his earlier films (Overman, 2023, shows a young boy successfully transforming into Ultraman but unable to turn back into a human), this work reflects on childhood in Hong Kong – the crowded spaces, colorful characters, and the looming unknowns of growing up.
Running time: 17’
Director/Screenwriter: To Chun Him
Producer: Lam Kee To
Cast: Wong Tsz Lok, Lam Shun Hang, Zakk Wong, Wen Taoxu
SWEET, BITTER, SOUR
A young man, Jian, travels from Hong Kong to Liuzhou in China to visit his aging father who runs a spicy noodles shop with his caregiver and occasional noodle cook, Ah Ping. She fears that Jian will eventually take over the eatery but is unaware that he can only taste sweet, sour and bitter flavours but not hot spicy chili peppers, a crucial ingredient in his father’s signature dish. When Jian reconnects with his childhood friend, now a striking woman working at the local market, their passionate encounter reawakens his senses restoring his ability to taste hot peppers.
Lee’s film balances sensitive realism with dry humour and empathy, echoing the style of his producer, Hong Kong’s pioneering filmmaker Fruit Chan. Through potent imagery, Lee uses a coffin, chili peppers and human vulnerability to weave a message of desire, love, and mortality.
Running time: 20’
Director/Screenwriter: Frankie Lee Chak Hang
Producer: Fruit Chan
Cast: Wong You Nam, Larine Tang, Chung Man Cheung, Yeung Hiu Yung