Blink and You'll Miss It: Beijing Indie Short Film Festival Returns This Friday
The Beijing Indie Short Film Festival (BJISFF) returns for its fourth year this Friday, Jun 7, at Camera Stylo, presenting over 20 indie short movies for your viewing pleasure – including a couple of immersive VR flicks.
BJISFF has steadily built a following over the years, attracting increasingly high-caliber film submissions from around the world, which this year includes “some that are mindblowing for their visual effects, and others that are incredibly genuine storytelling plus quite a few very well done animations,” according to Joshua Linder, independent filmmaker and BJISFF organizer.
Dedicated to supporting Beijing's indie filmmaking scene, the festival aims to shine a spotlight on local and international filmmakers, accepting submissions that span a wide array of genres. Though disparate in content, each of the films has been chosen for its connection to Beijing, whether via the director or story captured.
The entire festival takes place over one evening, starting with a screening of the VR films on the first floor of Camera Stylo, which attendees can immerse themselves in via the ten VR headsets provided (available on a first come, first served basis). Screening of the other shorts – all with English subtitles, and mostly between 5-10 minutes long – will follow on the second floor.
The line-up includes Perfect Audience by Juyi Mao, Last Man on Earth by Xiao Junyi, The Passport by Olivier H. Dressen, The Thorn by Franz Rugamer, A Farewell by He Yifei, and The Baby I Picked Up by Fu Qitong, just to name a few. Below is a description of the VR shorts that will get the festival started:
Everest VR - The Movie Experience Trailer (dir. Jon Griffith)
In this experience trailer for the full-length feature film Everest (pictured at top), director Jon Griffith narrates the story of his Mount Everest climb, documenting the dangerous, beautiful, and sometimes tragic moments that he encountered.
Dating Hotel (dir. Joshua Linder)
Dating Hotel explores how we decide to act when faced with many choices and opportunities that life throws at us. What happens when great things fall into our lap? Do we drop what we already have to pursue them? Or should we resist temptation?
Hallo (dir. Wang Peisheng)
Wang Pesheng's Hallo centers around a mysterious phone call that vaults the receiver into a scenario they never wished to be a part of.
The Beijing Indie Short Film Festival kicks off at Camera Stylo at 7pm on Friday, Jun 7. Tickets are RMB 70 and include a beer. Buy your tickets here, or they'll also be available on the door.
READ: What to Expect at This Year’s Art Book in China (abC) Fair, Jun 6-9
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Email: kuang@thebeijinger.com
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Photos courtesy of BJISFF
