A young Hong Kong filmmaker has captured the world’s attention with her confident debut feature, Fly Me to the Moon (2023). An inspiring story of immigration that reaches far beyond Hong Kong’s borders. She engages with her audience about their own identities and the lives of immigrants in a universally transferable dialogue. With two shorts and an award-winning debut including the prestigious Golden Horse Award, Sasha Chuk has established herself as one of today’s most exciting filmmakers.
Heiward Mak is an immensely talented director, writer and producer from Hong Kong. She made a significant impact with her haunting debut In the High Noon (2008), which we screened at the 2017 festival. A versatile filmmaker, she is one of the most sensitive and powerful voices in contemporary Hong Kong cinema. Whether the characters in her films are discussing smoking in public, complex theft or family relationships, they always come across as authentic and real human beings. Heiward Mak has a way of putting a name to complex issues. She gives audiences not only a brilliant film, but more importantly, an experience they will think about for a long time. At the screening of Fagara (2019), you can see for yourself.
The Sungkyunkwan University film graduate made her feature film debut in 2014 with A Girl at My Door (2014), which was produced by veteran filmmaker Lee Chang-dong. The thoughtful drama won over audiences at both the Cannes Film Festival and the Czech Mezipatra festival, firmly cementing the filmmaker as one of the most promising Korean filmmakers of our time. Her latest film, Next Sohee (2022), combines a chilling crime drama with a sharp critique of Korean society.