Family Ties is a family friendly exploration that traverses continents, languages, and cultures to connect us all.
Total Runtime: 71 minutes
A Lonely Afternoon | Power Forward | Joss Lotuses to Grandma | My Mother’s Daughter | Gai Mou Sou Rap | Super Duper | JOOK | Wei Lai
All Shorts Program available on-demand in the U.S. from October 20, 12:00AM until Monday, October 31, 2022, 10:00PM ET. The content must be started within the designated viewing window. Once started, you have up to 24 hrs to finish playing the content or until the end of the viewing window – whichever comes first.
A Lonely Afternoon
Directed by Kyle Credo
Narrative | 15 mins | English, Tagalong with Closed Captioning | East Coast Premiere
Justin, a timid Filipino boy, and his mischievous cousin, Lianne, cause trouble during a house blessing. When Lianne’s mother says they have to go home, Justin is left to his own devices. With no one to play with, Justin seeks companionship from his preoccupied family members.
Advisory: Strong language
Power Forward
Directed by Allison Dayne
Narrative| 8 mins | English, Mandarin Chinese, Mandarin with English Subtitles | East Coast Premiere
A family-friendly short film about a pre-teen boy who moves into a new neighborhood in the American South, and his struggle with the bullying and racism that he encounters there.
Joss Lotuses to Grandma
Directed by Stefie Gan
Animated | 6 mins | English, Chinese| World Premiere
A girl returns to Malaysia after her grandma’s death. The film explores their bond, the biculturalism of immigration, and the cultural rituals that can help heal grief and the loss of separation.
Advisory: Grieving/death themes
My Mother’s Daughter
Directed by Flo Singer
Documentary| 12 mins | English | New England Premiere
Two half siblings meet for the first time in adulthood after years of separation.
Gai Mou Sou Rap
Directed by Clara Hsu
Music Video | 3 min | Cantonese with English Subtitles
The creation of Gai Mou Sou Rap is to assert the vitality of seniors and stand firm against hate and violence.
Gai Mou Sou is a household chicken-feather duster and also a symbol of law and order in Asian culture. It has been used for generations to discipline unruly behaviors. Raising the gai mou sou serves as a wake up call that rules and respect are what keep the family, community and society healthy, mindful and honorable.
Advisory: Some strong language in Cantonese
Super Duper
Directed by Matthew Macasieb
Documentary | 7 mins | English | New England Premiere
Jalysa Leva is the creator of the PBS Kids short series ‘Jelly, Ben & Pogo’. In preparation for a Filipino-American summit, she witnesses the impact of her work first-hand within the community.
JOOK
Directed by Olivia Stark
Animated | 6 mins | English | Boston Premiere
JOOK is an intergenerational story about the significance of food. Over a FaceTime call during the covid-19 pandemic, a grandfather teaches his 3 granddaughters how to make jook. Through his teaching, we learn more about the pivotal role this chinese rice porridge has played throughout generations in this family.
Wei Lai
Directed by Robin Wang
Comedy| 14 mins | English, Mandarin with English Subtitles | New England Premiere
Tired of getting pushed and punished by his own parents, Wei-Lai, an 11-year-old Chinese American boy, decides to show up at his best friend’s family and offer himself up for their adoption.
