Tai Kwun Movie Steps - New Generation Actor Short Films - Stunning Emerging Actresses (Apr 2024)

A new generation of homegrown actors have emerged in recent years. Unlike their predecessors trained by the local television corporation, these young talents have starkly different style, charisma, ways of entering the industry, and performing experiences. In the past, aspiring actors needed to first become household names through entertainment shows or TV dramas, before they could perform in films. The rise of new media and the internet in recent decades, have dramatically opened up the once centralised industry. At the same time, the expansion of local university multi-media schools has created an even bigger dissemination platform for student works, online videos, and short film competition submissions. A bigger demand for content also means more exposure opportunities for new talents - a plethora of acting methods and styles begin to emerge, injecting new dynamics into Hong Kong cinema.

Honkaz Fung

Curator of Tai Kwun Movie Steps (April 2024):

New Generation Actor Short Films -  Stunning Emerging Actresses

Every Sunday at 3pm
Location: Laundry Steps
Free Admission
Chinese and English subtitles available

*With sharing session

The Gentle Madness (2018)

Mothers often go to extremes and make sacrifices for their children, including feigning madness. Fun Nei's mother has been kept in custody in a mental hospital for killing her husband, leaving daughters Fun Nei and Si Ling on their own. Fun Nei later achieves success by making her eventful life story into a documentary. One day the mother escapes from the hospital and returns home. Furious that Si Ling has not reported the escape, Fun Nei clashes with her sister and films the conflict, eventually unveiling the hidden truth.

Hong Kong | 2018 | 30 mins | Cantonese
Director: LI Cheuk Fung
Cast: YUNG Pui Ling, CHUNG Suet Ying, LO Hsueh Yen, LI Cheuk Shing
12th Fresh Wave International Short Film Festival Awards - Special Mention

Fencing Distance (2019)

Yan-Sin always treats Hoi-Lam as her imaginary enemy in the high school fencing life. In the last Inter-School Fencing Competition, Yan-Sin is determined to beat her, no matter how hard it will be.

Hong Kong | 2019 | 24 mins | Cantonese

Director: TSE Hei Long
Cast: Rachel LEUNG Yung Ting, LAW Hei Tung
 

Butterfly (2019)

Tsz Lok, who is traumatised by the knowledge of his mother working as a prostitute, treads the very same illicit path and provides carnal gratification for money. The “fallen” mother, nonetheless, still has Tsz Lok’s birthday in mind and wants to celebrate with him, but the mother’s birthday cake and good will are not appreciated by Tsz Lok. Worse still, Tsz Lok pours all his rage at his mother, first verbally and then physically. Taking its cue from the convoluted mother-son relationship in CHANG Tso Chi’s Soul of a Demon and Thanatos, Drunk, the short film also draws from the latter’s homoerotic depiction. Within a few minutes’ time, the film evolves from tranquility and same-sex intimacy to volatile confrontation between Tsz Lok and his mother.

Hong Kong | 2019 | 6 mins | Cantonese

Director: LAU Ka Lok
Cast: LAM Yau Hin, Isabella CHAN, MOK Kok Pong

Conditioned (2015)

In order to fulfill the expectation of her mom and her grandpa, Nam is raised as a boy since she was born. She dresses like a boy every day before going to school, gets changed back to a girl’s uniform, and puts on a boy’s outfit before heading home. Her hysterical mom anticipates the return of her husband, which is a dream never come true. Nam finds her only shelter at her childhood friend Yeung’s house, a place where she can finally be herself, i.e. doing laundry for her underwear. But her life changes on the day when Yeung disappears.

Hong Kong | 2015 | 24 mins | Cantonese

Director

Cast: NG Wing Sze, NG Siu Hin, Angel KOO Tsui Ying, LI Ying Tao

Fresh Wave Fresh Wave Award 2015
Fresh Wave Best Film Award (Student Division) 2015
Fresh Wave Best Script (Student Division) 2015

Bubbles (2015)

Bubbles is about Sum yin, a girl who lives in a fantasy world constructed from film. She’s enrolled in the Film department at university, but gets stuck writing about topics she has no interest in. She has her own stories she wants to film, but not without her own self-doubt. Her story is very original, but her classmates and family have their doubts about her ultra-creative path. Her theme is bubbles because she wanted to capture a temporary moment in her film—it may be fantasy, it may be real but both are temporary states.

Hong Kong | 2015 | 34 mins | Cantonese & English

Director: CHUNG, Wing Yee
Cast: Rachel LEUNG Yung Ting, NG Ka Hung, Doreen KWOK

Child Tung (2015)

Child finds her peace of mind in drawing but that does not please her mother at all. At school she is bullied by her Visual Arts classmates, while the teacher regards her works as ‘not up to standard’. One day comes a substitute teacher who introduces the different possibilities of art to Child and that there is no right or wrong when it comes to painting assignments. There has never been anyone in her life that brings her such inspiration. Holding her charcoal stick in hand, Child finally knows whose portrait she should draw.

Hong Kong | 2015 | 25 mins | Cantonese

Director: CHAU Nok Yi
Cast: Alma KWOK, LEUNG Tin Chak

Until Now What We Are (2014)

There are people and places that we used to hold dear in our hearts and gradually became sediments of buried memories. When Charlotte encounters a suitcase at the second hand shop she works at, her emotions are unearthed and bring her back to the days of innocence with Chan. Charlotte did believe that Chan, just like the neighbourhood in bygone times, would remain constant. Yet all old things are helplessly abandoned and crushed beneath the wheel of time. At the same time, Ling is depressed and lonely because of Chan's death. Sending Chan's things away to purge her negative emotions and to set herself free from the past, a treasured relationship reveals itself like ripples of emotions.

Hong Kong | 2014 | 25 mins | Cantonese

Director: CHEUNG Wing Sum
Cast: Charlotte LAM Wai Yan, Ranya LEE, Will OR

Leaving to Stay (2011)

She lost her unborn baby last time and now she gets a second chance without signs. The girl who became pregnant out of wedlock must choose between her willingness and her father's advice, so that she can survive in this difficult and cruel reality.

Hong Kong | 2011 | 15 mins | Cantonese & English

Director: SIA Sze Ying April, YANG Yu Fei
Cast: Sofiee NG Hoi Yan, Ben YUEN Fu Wah
The 1st Chinese Short Film Media Awards - Best Female Actor Award

Chinese Frankenstein (2021)

Our Chinese Frankenstein -- Doctor Frank, can’t stand the loneliness after his ex-girlfriend Shan left him.  He then invents a robot which looks exactly the same as his Shan, named “T01”.

To make T01 more human-like, he remodels the robot, providing T01 the ability to have its own thoughts, just as human beings.  However, with its free will, T01 starts to disobey its master, things are getting out of Frank’s hands……

Hong Kong | 2021 | 26 mins | Cantonese

Director: TSE Tin Chak Jevon
Cast: Aaron CHOW, Kiki CHEUNG Hoi Kei, CHAN Chit Man

The Silent Island (2022)

A 16-year-old girl, Yan, met a new sculpture teacher, Wah. After a while together, their relationship developed further during after-school tutoring. Since then, Yan began to use various methods to make herself closer to the particular and beautiful in Wah's eyes. However, Yan accidentally discovered Wah's secret, and she began to question whether it was true, or just her own fantasy…

Hong Kong | 2022 | 30 mins | Cantonese

Director: WU Ruo Shi, Dorothy
Cast: Sheena CHAN, LEUNG Tin Chak

Close to you (2019)

Allie and Karen were born into a musical family. Karen is a gifted pianist, and Allie always looks up to her. During the preparation of her piano recital, Karen is overwhelmed with emotions which are getting out of control. Allie watches in despair as Karen is gradually engulfed by pressure, but there is nothing she can do...

Hong Kong | 2019 | 25 mins | Cantonese

Director: Canice TAM Kai Yin
Cast: Eva MAK Ching Man, Yoyo TSE

The Dropout Of Her (2019)

"......that with devotion's visage / And pious action we do sugar o'er / The devil himself." (Hamlet)

Kwan believes that she is unique. Enclosed in solitude within her own literary world and deprived of affections from her family, she longs for love in whatever form it takes - no matter how distorted. She considers the detention class with Mr Cheung a shelter from the world, until it is shattered together with all her hopes. She finally comes to the realisation that it is the world that goes against her. There is no hiding place for her no matter how hard she struggles……

Hong Kong | 2019 | 27 mins | Cantonese, English

Director: Sasha CHUK Tsz Yin
Cast: Yoyo TSE, LO Chun Yip, Kitty YU

13th Fresh Wave International Short Film Festival Awards – Best Cinematography

3 Generations 3 Days (2019)

Ching is asked to take care of her grandmother who has arrived at Hong Kong from mainland China and is to be admitted into a nursing home soon. During the three days she and her grandmother spend time together, she learns more about her grandmother and how the past has shaped her mother with whom she finds difficult to communicate. The three women from different generations each has her own share of pain in striving to survive and fulfilling commitments in life. With her new insight, Ching is inspired to re-examine her relationship with her mother.

Hong Kong | 2019 | 21 mins | Cantonese

Director: CHU Hoi Ying
Cast: CHAN Lai Wun, Ellen LIU Oi Ling, Alma KWOK, LEUNG Chung Hang, Crystal LEE

56th Golden Horse Awards – Best Live Action Short Film
13th Fresh Wave International Short Film Festival Awards – Best Director
13th Fresh Wave International Short Film Festival Awards – Fresh Wave Award

Post-screening sharing will take place at Laundry Steps to share the context of the videos and stories of actresses. Stay after the two screenings and let us know your thoughts after watching the films.

Post-screening sharing
Date: 07 April 2024
Time: 4:10pm
Guests: Honkaz Fung (Programme Curator), and CHUNG Suet Ying (Actress)

Date: 28 April 2024
Time: 4:30pm
Guests: Honkaz Fung (Programme Curator), Yoyo TSE (Actress), and Alma KWOK (Actress) 

* Post-screening sharing will be conducted in Cantonese