The 24th ifva Awards
Asian New Force Category Jury Meeting Transcript
Jury Members: Vincent Chui (Chui), Yang Li-chou (Yang), Rita Wong (Wong)
Organizer Representatives: Kattie Fan (Fan), Jaspa Tang (Tang)

Fan:

The mission of today’s meeting is to determine the awards for this category,including Gold, Silver and Special Mention, the winner of which can receive
HK$30,000, HK$20,000 and a certificate, respectively. This year, we received a
total of 229 entries, and after two rounds of jury deliberations, we selected the 10
finalists. We can discuss the films one by one for the record and then nominate
award winners. The first film is Prove It.

Chui:First of all, among the 229 entries, there are many outstanding works, including a
few dance films. This is a good work, but a bit too simple as a narrative film. We
are not really clear on why the main character gives up dancing at first, and there
are not too many layers to the story. However, the last scene is a lively display of
movement and rhythm. All the first-round jurors liked it.

Wong:

I like dance films and pay attention when I see them. This film includes many
outdoor scenes, market and daily life locales, allowing us to observe local customs.
The story is quite smooth but not very deep, and even though it talks about finding
the passion for dance in everyday life, the message is too shallow and simple.
Visually, it is more interesting.

Yang:

There aren't many ideas in the work until the last scene in the market, which turns
everyday behavior into bodily movements of dance. I was touched but I feel that it
has no chance (of winning).

Fan:

The next work is Gentleman Spa.

Chui:

What do you think of the last scene: who does the fat guy touch?

Yang:

I think there are two interpretations, one is the guy he likes, the second is Kevin,
who works at the spa. I know that actor in real life.

Chui:

This is a bit strange. In the end, I am not too satisfied. I like this work because few
gay films cast unattractive actors to play the lead. I understand the character’s
feeling of inferiority, but the only thing that is not satisfied is the last scene. It's a
bit unclear; it's open ending, but what goes on is not clear.
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Yang:

What attracted me more was the dialogue at the beginning and the way they test
each other out is interesting. At the end, I believe he gets together with Hai, theguy he likes. For me, the film is a fun exploration of love, a grope in the dark, andthat’s why the director does not move the camera up to show their faces. This is
an interesting imagery for me. Massage parlor is a place for physical contact. The
characters always meet indoors, but the last scene is outdoors. They turn thevenue for physical contact outside. It is not so important who the person is. Whatis important is that they go from indoors to outdoors to touch each other, which
represents a very good reversal for me, a change in their relationship.

Wong:

I like LGBT movies very much. The actor is very good. As Vincent said, gay films
rarely feature characters who do not look too smart as the protagonist. Initially, thecharacter feels ashamed and inferior until he opens himself up by learning
massage and expressing his love to that man, which must not be easy for him.
The director is very detailed in his depiction of the character’s fear and need for
intimacy. I also wonder who the person is in the final scene. I think it’s the person
he likes.

Chui:

But Hai ignored him previously.

Wong:

Hai gives the main character many chances, he is not sure about his feelings. The
main character is a big contrast with the other person with a nice figure, but theformer is innocent and cute. The two form a big contrast.

Fan:

The next work is Manicure.

Wong:

The subject matter of this work is very special but the development is weak. Afterreading the synopsis, I expected the story to develop further but in the end there
is not much. I don’t gain any greater understanding about the background story. I
only know that the villagers have a strong sense of tradition and oppose theprotagonist, which is a pity.

Yang:

I like this film. Every competition has its guiding principle. ifva cites the ability tochallenge media function and provide creative aesthetics, and also the spirit ofindependence. Many films confront sensitive topics head on, be they narrative
films or documentaries. In the past, films like A City of Sadness used indirectmeans of telling the story of the February 28th incident. As the audience of thisfilm, we only know a little bit about their cultural background. From it, we can get
an inside view of their society, which represents a type of independent spirit. The
film presents a picture of their culture, gender, desire, etc. I find it moving because
it is a kind of direct confrontation.
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Chui:

I thought the subject matter of this film is very unique at first. The story is very
surprising. But when I watched it for the second time, I thought the plot only has
one moment of surprise. However, films from west Asia have one advantage inthat the imageries are very attractive. The cinematography of On the Border (oneof the finalists) is very good, yet films from west Asia look very rich. For example,
the color and art of the pharmacy scene is very distinctive and visually exciting forme. So even if the plot is not very complex, the imagery and locale are captivating
and attract my attention. In recent years, there have been many films abouttransgendered people, but I didn’t expect Iran to tackle this subject. The problem
they face are immense, which they show in the film. As Director Yang said, thisfilm confronts a sensitive topic. Even in a more liberal place such as Hong Kong,transgender people face many difficulties. The subject matter is very bold for Iran.

Wong:

I think the film is attractive, but because it throws out a big subject matter about
hermaphrodites, I expected to see more. Other than people beating up the main
character, I had hoped to see the story develop further. Many of the shots areinteresting. For example, the scene in which they ride a motorcycle, you see themcovered in mud, which shows the harshness of their society. Also, they have to go
to the city to get the nail polish removal liquid, and you can see that the living
conditions are difficult.

Fan:

The next work is The Trader-Sovdagari.

Chui:

Previously, I have served on jury panel of the Open Category and saw that thevisions of Hong Kong directors were very pessimistic. In fact, many films frompoorer societies are equally hopeless while in more civilized places, films are often
about capitalistic oppression. The Trader-Sovdagari is a very simple and direct
record of the lives of poverty-stricken people. For example, that child has lofty
ambitions, but he has little hope of achieving them. The director observes thesedetails in a cool and objective way.

Yang:

I like this documentary. It captures real life rather than just reiterating a story. It
provides the taste and atmosphere of life. All the characters including the oldwomen, trader and children are very objectively rendered by the camera in a threedimensional way. The child is asked what his future dreams are. Maybe because
there are outsiders, he does not answer directly, but his answer is written all acrosshis face. His mother must have encouraged him to be a reporter, but he is too
embarrassed to say it. That part moves me a lot. Sometimes things have noanswer, and this is already the full answer, which is very touching to me. The trader
finishes selling the potatoes and starts to play cards. I felt like I was watching life
unfold and this had been a very enjoyable viewing experience.
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Wong:

I like this work very much. It is not judgmental. It reminds me of the film FourSprings which I saw recently. It documents a way of life and uses the camera toreveal the people and incidents of this place. In this film, the main character is atrader, and even though he has a car, he does not act superior to others. In fact,
he is like a connector uniting different people in this place. I like films that capture
life and calmly observe it while letting the audience judge for themselves.

Chui:

They seem very poor to us, but for them this is life, and the film is not so clichéd
as to say that they happy despite their poverty. Like the scene in which they areplaying cards, the trader is asked if he is happy that he has sold everything, andhe answers that if he sold everything in one day, he’d be even happier. This is their
way of life.

Wong:

The people's dialogue is not very interesting but very lively. Like about buying
shoes with potatoes.

Chui:

This is a Netflix production. RTHK would not do that.

Wong:

RTHK would probably add lots of voice-overs. This film just shows you things as
they are.

Chui:

It is much bolder than RTHK.

Fan:The next work is A Big Deal.

Wong:

The work is very stylized and is infused with black humor, but to me it does notoffer any big surprises.

Chui:

Has round frame been used before?

Wong:

Yes, in I Am Not Madame Bovary.

Chui:

The whole film is like that?

Wong:

No, the frame goes from round to square and a few other shapes. I understand
why the director of this film uses this device, it’s because the theme is dark.

Chui:

The composition is quite nice.

Wong:

Because I had seen I Am Not Madame Bovary previously, I deducted somepoints off this film. However, the round frame matches the theme of the film and4the feeling of an absurd fable. On the whole, the film is just so-so, but the art
direction is good.
Yang:

I feel the same. The round frame reminded me of I Am Not Madame Bovary, andthis feeling stayed with me throughout the film. As a short film, the level ofprofessional craftsmanship is high. The story is interesting and worth reflecting on.

Chui:

I haven't seen I Am Not Madame Bovary. I think the use of round frame and thecomposition is good, but I want to know about the ending. What happens to thetwo thousand yuan?

Wong:

The two thousand yuan is evidence. He actually makes two thousand, but tells
people he got four thousand and then tens of thousands.

Chui:

That 30,000 yuan is his own money, and he only received two thousand?

Wong:

Yes, he tries hard to complete the job and leaves his money to his ex-wife.

Chui:

The story is quite interesting, and so are the characters. However, the ending is
not satisfactory and leaves a lot of questions unanswered. I don’t know if theaudience is supposed to feel sorry for him, think he is a fool or be moved by him.
The relationship between him and his ex-wife is not very strong. That person kills
the main character because he knows that he will be killed by the main character?

Wong:

It’s not clear.

Chui:

I can't say that it is unreasonable, but it seems to be a bit one-sided.

Yang:

In terms of film industry standards, the film is clever and scores high marks. Forme, that character is laughable but in the end, we see a person who is at the edgeof society, and through him we see the changes that are happening in China. The
character finds himself unable to return to his former simple life. He is a stuck andcan only establish his own meaning and value by bragging and lying. The question
you raised is what is interesting to me about the film.

Chui:

Is this director relatively young? Maybe this is my problem, but when I look at theworks of young people, I often feel that the story is told but the emotions are notquite there. It seems that there is not enough time for the emotions to becommunicated, but they think there is enough time.

Yang:

The number changes from 2,000 to 4,000, 20,000, and 200,000. That is myunderstanding of China, which is based on numbers. The director uses this5method to satirize this understanding of the meaning and value of people, which
is determined by numbers. The actual sum is two thousand, not 200,000 like he
said.
Fan:

The next work is Nur.

Yang:

In this competition, this work falls in the middle. We only have three prizes, and it
is difficult to convince me that this work should get a prize. It tells a good story.
The interesting thing is that the story happens in a border region, and the line
separating different regions is very strong. Although we don't know a great deal
about Israel, we have some idea, and this film expressed the situation there in a
powerful way, while the characters are well-portrayed.

Wong:

I also think that the director just succeeds in telling a story smoothly andexpressing the relationship between the older generation and the young. However,this subject matter is very common and there is nothing very special about thisfilm. I think it is just ok.

Chui:

Out of dozens of films in the first round, there is a very interesting phenomenon,
which is that documentaries are more dramatically intense than narrative films. In
many dramas, nothing much happens and the plot is very flat. This has to do withthe fact that young people nowadays do not like to express their feelings. They
only show emojis on WhatsApp! This film has dramatic ups and downs and scenesof the girl quarreling with her family. Among the dozens of first-round entries, thiswork stands out as a result. I also like the ending. The protagonist flees throughan underground tunnel, which I think is powerful. But when I look at the film on the
big screen, some of the production is not very well done probably because it is a
student film. I agree that it is not necessary to consider this work for awards.

Fan:

The next work is On the Border.

Chui:

When viewed on the big screen, the cinematography is really good. Not only is it
beautifully shot, one can tell that the filmmaker takes care with the mise-en-scene
and captures the sense of hopelessness in this town on the Korean border.
Dramatically, it is one of those very flat films. The main attraction is thecinematography, which looks better on the big screen.

Yang:

Many of the works are stories about borders, like the previous work and this one.
For me, Temporary (one of the finalists) is also a story about borders. I especiallylike the performance of the young boy, which is textured. This teenage boy has
hopes for the future, he is brave and fearless. Unfortunately, we don’t have a best
actor award. Aside from cinematography, the acting in this film is also outstanding.
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Wong:

This work expresses the confusion and loneliness of a teenager living in this place.
I feel very strongly about this story. Through imageries and small details, the film
powerfully portrays the loneliness of this teenager.

Chui:

Nowadays, literary films all feature this kind of expressionless acting style andglacial plot. The story is very simple, but the cinematography and performanceinspire the audience to think.

Fan:

The next work is Luzon.

Chui:

It does not show the names of the crew members at the end. It is a Singapore
work, I thought it was Taiwanese.

Tang:

There are two explanations behind this. The crew members are Chinese, andbecause the subject matter touches on the South China Sea, they do not want
their names to appear. The other reason is that the monster at the end ate themall, so there are no names.

Chui:

I like the film very much because it does not rely on dialogue. The plot unfolds overten minutes with twists and turns in the story. The only thing I don’t like is the
middle part, which keeps showing close-ups of the barrel, and one cannot eventell where the two boats are in relation to one another. It may be due to a lack ofresources.
Yang:

It is very clever to use a barrel to express a most complicated political relationshipin the simplest way. The director has a strong personal style, but the work is a bit
monotonous. This story about an episode in the South China Sea is too long forme. I like some of its small details, like the radio that receives Taiwan broadcast,thus showing its sphere of influence. The director is very clever in using these little
details to convey the concept of space.

Wong:

There is also a Macau film that was filmed on the sea. The director told me thatthe production was very difficult. This work is very clever in that it doesn't rely on
dialogue but just sound. The story is very simple and conveys a sense of power
struggle. The ending is surprising. Although it is a sudden leap into sci-fi, the film
is interesting on the whole.

Chui:

This film is worth being shown again. It is smart and interesting and deserves tobe seen by more people.

Yang:

The subject matter about the relationship between three countries is too grand.
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This film barely scratches the surface.
Chui:

The topic about the Chinese threat should resonate with many people.

Fan:

The next work is Temporary.

Chui:

There are many moving elements, but I don’t know why it is structured this way.
Many small details such as painting the green screen and the final section about
the real temporary worker are interesting.

Yang:

The only thing I don't like is the last part with the temporary worker. I think the story
should end when the three of them ride away on motorcycles. This work place islike a stage, and I feel like I have watched a stage play. That final part is theircurtain call. Cutting back to that person feels a bit wrong but the director may have
her own ideas. I liked everything before that a lot. This may be my favorite film,
maybe because I make documentaries myself. The director tells you that they areactors, but for me this is a documentary. I really like the fact that they chose thiswork place, which is like a very clean stage on which we observe the characterswithout interference. The personalities of the three people are very clear. I am from
Taiwan and I have seen many people's so-called documentaries, but this one ismore real than all the rest. The work has a great impact on me because it has
achieved what many documentary filmmakers want to do. No matter how hard you
try, this is the most you can achieve. This director comes closer to the truth than I
have been able to. Most documentaries start off by introducing its characters to
the audience, by showing their family and what their homes looks like, but thisdocumentary lets you see who the characters are. It is about these three people,
father, mother and son, acting on this very pure stage, forming a very interesting
dialectic and dialogue about truth and fiction. The film represents a great
breakthrough in terms of creative possibilities and independent spirit.

Wong:

I like it as a whole. The last section is okay for me. The director must have done a
lot of research to understand the situation of the temporary workers. The man at
the end talks about his relationship with his parents, which reinforces the familylike relationship of the three characters. This documentary is very inspiring to me.
Many documentaries are produced in Macau, and I hope filmmakers do not justrely on conventional methods. This film is a good example. It presents the threemain characters in a three-dimensional way while the man at the end helps people
better understand the difficulties of temporary workers.

Yang:

In general, documentaries start off by introducing the names of their subjects. Thisfilm allows the characters to be anonymous and simply appear as man, woman
and young man. They represent a large portion of temporary workers and their8anonymity makes it easier for people to identify with them.
Fan:

The next work is The Sea Recalls.

Yang:

This is another documentary, and it goes back to a more conventional format. It isinteresting in that initially, we assume that the film is about why those people got
killed, but in the end, it becomes an exploration of the director’s inner world. Thisis a film about saying goodbye, but for me, it is a bit overwrought with the music
constantly driving up the emotional pitch. Since it was screened right after
Temporary, the two form a great contrast because the latter work has no music
and is very clean, while this work has a lot of music along with the sound of waves
and slow-motion images.

Chui:

As I said earlier, narrative films tend to be very dull with little dramatic ups anddowns, while the documentaries among the finalists tell stories in different ways. I
like the sense of suspense at the beginning of the film, which then turns its focus
towards the director and his family. There is a reference to the involvement of themilitary. which I guess is a sensitive subject in Thailand. Although it is ultimately
about the director’s family, the film also raises some social issues. I don't dislike
the use of emotional music, and for many viewers, this makes the work easy todigest. However, I feel that the ending part seem endless. It goes from anemotional scene of their childhood and then cuts to a wide shot of a man standing
in front of the house, which is an imagery reconstruction of their family, and thento the director hugging his mother, which I feel is really too much.

Wong:

I don’t have many special views about this work.

Yang:

On the Border, Temporary and this work are all stories about the border.

Wong:

Last year, we had a program on Chinese films, and all the works were about cities
or towns on borders.

Fan:

If you have any nominations for awards, you can voice them now.

Wong:

My top three are The Trader-Sovdagari, Temporary and On the Border.

Yang:

My Gold Award nominees are Temporary and The Trader-Sovdagari.

Chui:

I like Manicure, The Trader-Sovdagari and The Sea Recalls. I also view
Temporary favorably, but I don’t know much about experimental documentaries.
It captures my attention but I can’t say I understand its intentions completely.
Gentleman Spa is also good.
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Wong:

Gentleman Spa is also among my top 5.

Yang:

I choose Temporary because the aim of this competition includes encouraging
creativity and independent spirit. All the finalists deserve the Gold Award, but I
consider the aim of the event first. To me, Temporary is a powerful documentary;
its technique is solid and the professionalism is above standard, so not giving it anaward is unreasonable.

Fan:

If you were to choose one Gold Award winner, which would you choose?

Yang:

Taking into account the aim of the competition, I choose Temporary, if we don’t
need to consider that, I may choose another film.

Chui:

I do not disagree.

Yang:

If the Gold went to Temporary, can we give second place to The TraderSovdagari?

Wong:

I struggle with which work displays independent spirit.

Chui:

To me, Temporary is very special, but I wonder if it’s because I haven’t seen many
works like this. Works like The Sea Recalls which originates from personal
experience may seem distinctive a few years ago, but in the past few years I haveseen many films like that. For example, a Hong Kong woman made a very goodfilm called 32+4 a few years ago. Temporary made a deep impact on me. Moredown-to-earth works like The Trader-Sovdagari are plentiful, although it surprised
me somewhat that it can be seen on Netflix. Interestingly, many narrative films
nowadays are like The Trader-Sovdagari.

Yang:

In Taiwan, narrative films are made like documentaries, while documentaries are
made like narrative films.

Chui:

Even though I don’t know how to praise Temporary, I feel it is quite good.

Wong:

Temporary is my top choice because it attempts and experiments with new forms,
while from a personal angle, I choose The Trader-Sovdagari. I am okay if Gold
Award goes to Temporary and Silver goes to The Trader-Sovdagari,

Chui:

Audiences chose The Sea Recalls for People’s Choice award after last night’s
screening. This award does not have prize money, right?

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Yang:

I didn’t expect that the audience like the Thai film the most.

Chui:

It is the most palatable.

Fan:

The award is called People’s Choice, and we have this in order to give audiencesa chance to participate and let them consider what they would do if they canchoose award winners and encourage them to look more carefully at the works.
Do you decide that Gold Award goes to Temporary and Silver to The TraderSovdagari?

Chui:

Or shall we discuss further?

Wong:

Do you have other options?

Yang:

What do you think of the two narrative films from China?

Wong:

I quite like On the Border; it is quite good.

Yang:

Between On the Border and A Big Deal, I prefer On the Border. Is there a
problem if we give both prizes to documentaries?

Fan:

We don’t have any preference in this regard.

Chui:

Yang reminded us that we should choose works that are distinctive. In the past
few years, digital technologies have become better and better, and we have also
unconsciously raised our standards. The Trader-Sovdagari is well-made, and it
is about a place that we have seldom seen, so we are curious about it. However,its form is not that distinctive. I always remind myself not to judge things fromperspective of my own youth, so from this angle On the Border is interesting. I
also like Manicure, but it is not so special. It’s only the environment that makes
the story meaningful.

Yang:

I can accept that. I am convinced by your argument. These works are all very solid.

Wong:

My initial choices were The Trader-Sovdagari, Temporary and On the Border.
If I was an organizer for a film festival, I would want audiences to see different
genres of films including documentaries and narrative works. I agree with either
The Trader-Sovdagari and On the Border getting an award. If granting awards
is a way of drawing audience attention to certain works, then giving an award to anarrative film is a reminder to audiences, a way to alert them to certain
developments in different film genres.

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Fan:

Does anyone oppose giving the Silver Award to On the Border?

Yang:

I can accept that.

Fan:

How about Special Mention? Are there any works you wish to mention? Are there
any elements in certain works that you want to applaud?

Chui:

I think providing screening opportunities to works is more important than awards.
Works like Luzon and The Sea Recalls are worth recommending to audiences.

Wong:

For Special Mention, I pick Luzon or Manicure.

Yang:

Between the two, I pick Luzon.

Fan:This director had previously taken part in ifva with Anchorage Prohibited, whichis also about the sea.

Yang:

Luzon is very ambitious.

Chui:

I agree.

Asian New Force Category award winners
Gold Award
Temporary
Hsu Hui-ju (Taiwan)
Silver Award
On the Border
Wei Shujun (China)
Special Mention
Luzon
Chiang Wei-liang (Singapore)12