The 1st Macao International Shorts Film Festival (hereinafter referred to as “Shorts Film Festival”), co-organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau and Galaxy Entertainment Group, will be held from 23 to 30 March, featuring an opening ceremony and opening screening, screening activities, thematic workshops, lectures by masters, as well as a closing and award ceremony, with over 50 local and international short and feature films.
The opening ceremony and opening screening was held on 23 March at Galaxy Cinemas of Galaxy Macau™ Integrated Resort and was officiated by the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, Ao Ieong U; the Deputy Director of the Department of Publicity and Culture of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR, Yin Rutao; the President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Leong Wai Man; the Director of the Galaxy Entertainment Group, Philip Cheng; the Chairperson of the International Advisory Board of the Shorts Film Festival, Gaia Furrer; and the directors of the opening films, Lasse Lyskjær Noer and Chao Koi Wang. The ceremony was also attended by the Advisor of the Office of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Lo Hou Chi; the Vice President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Cheang Kai Meng; the member of the Administrative Committee of the Cultural Industries Fund, Hoi Kam Un. The two directors shared insights with the audience before the screening of the Oscar-nominated Knight of Fortune by Lasse Lyskjær Noer, Chuff Chuff Chuff by Chao Koi Wang and AirHostess-737 by Thanasis Neofotistos.
The Shorts Film Festival features four sections of screenings, namely “Macao Shorts”, “New Voices from Horizon”, “Director In Focus” and “Special Screenings”. During the event, over 50 short films from different genres will be screened at the Galaxy Cinemas of Galaxy Macau™ Integrated Resort and the Cinematheque‧Passion. The closing and award ceremony will be held on 29 March at the Galaxy International Convention Center, with ten shortlisted short films in the section “Macao Shorts” to be competed for the “Best Macao Short” Award, while 26 works from across the world in the section “New Voices from Horizon” to be competed for four awards, namely the “Best Short Film”, the “Best Technical Contribution Award”, the “Best Director Award” and the “Innovative Storytelling Award”.
The section “Director In Focus” of the Shorts Film Festival features renowned Japanese director Shunji Iwai, who will come to Macao to exchange and share his creative experiences with the public. In the section “Special Screening”, Hong Kong actor Will Or and director of the film Fly Me To The Moon Sasha Chuk Tsz-yin will hold post-screening talks, offering audience a deeper viewing experience. Various screening sections of the four sections of the programme will include post-screening talks with directors from around the world and Macao.
In addition, registrations for the workshop “The Art and Strategy of Short Filmmaking”, jointly hosted by the Golden Horse award-winning director of the film Stonewalling Huang Ji and Ryūji Otsuka, are available through the website of the Macao International Shorts Film Festival at www.macaoisff.com. Seats are limited and distribution is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Tickets for all sessions are available through the Macau Ticketing Network at www.macauticket.com and are priced at MOP60. Senior citizens and students can enjoy a 50% discount, while members of the public who purchase 10 tickets can receive a 20% discount.
For more information about the activities, please visit the website of the Macao International Shorts Film Festival. For enquiries, please contact Mr. Leong through tel. no. 8399 6297 or Mr. Kwan through tel. no. 8399 6295 during office hours.
