The geography of crafty filmmaking in THE COMPETITION – I

Eleven feature films of a variety of topics and origins are in competition for the top IFFAM Award 2018. They will be shown in Macau venues – from December 8 to 14 – as Asian or international premieres. In this first supplement, MDT presents the first six competing movies, by alphabetic order while the second installment will be published tomorrow

Ága

This film tells the story of Nanook and Sedna, a couple who live in a yurt on the snow-covered fields of Yakutia. The couple find themselves alone in the wilderness. Due to the remote location of their yurt, it seems like they are the last people on earth. As they try to live by following the ancient traditions of their people, they are regularly visited by Chena – their only contact to both the real world and to their daughter, Ága. Due to a family discussion, the daughter had to leave home, never to return. When Sedna starts to fall ill and expresses to Nanook her wish to see their daughter, he finds it in him to start looking for Ága. Thus, he starts a long journey where he will learn about the world and about himself.

Born in Bulgaria in 1967, Milko Lazarov attended the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts (NAFTA) in Sofia, from which he graduated and studied under Vladislav Ikonomov – renowned Bulgarian director. Lazarov’s first feature film “Alienation” was about a Greek man who wishes to buy a newborn child, and so travels to Bulgaria to do so. It premiered in the Venice Film Festival in 2013, under the Venice Days section where he won the Fedeora prize for best debut director.

Feodosia Ivanova, who plays Sedna, was cast because of her role in Yakutian film “Bonfire” directed by Dimitrii Davydov. The rest of the cast: Mikhail Aprosimov, who plays Nanook, Galina Tikhonova, who plays Sedna and Nanook’s daughter Ága, and Sergey Egorov are known for being professional actors in the Yakutian theatre and are relatively new to the film industry.

All Good

All Good tells the story of Janne, a girl on whom her new boss’s brother-in-law has forced himself. After the incident, she keeps it to herself and acts as if nothing has happened. Although she has a boyfriend, she doesn’t tell him either, and her silence has consequences that she will have to face. Her life motto is “If you don’t see any problems, you don’t have any.” She quickly realizes that this isn’t always true.

Born in East Berlin in 1983, Eva Trobisch first launched her professional life as a theatre assistant. She then moved on to work as a film assistant until 2009, when she enrolled at HFF München to study film directing. Later she was a visiting student at the New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. She later graduated with a master’s degree in screenwriting from the London Film School in 2015. All Good is Trobisch’s graduation film and it had its world premiere at Filmfest München earlier this year where it won the German Cinema New Talent award.

Aenne Scharz plays Janne. Scharz is a German-born actress who is known for her roles in “Stefan Zweig: Farewell to Europe” (2016) and “Time you Change” (2010). Andreas Döhler, who stares as Piet, Janne’s boyfriend, is a 44-year-old German actor known for “Die Hände meiner Mutter” (2016), “Schilf” (2012) and “The Saboteurs” (2015).

Clean Up

Jung-ju fell into a trap of pain and sadness from which she can’t escape after her son died from heart disease. Filled with grief, she spends her days drinking, praying, going to church and working. Until one day when a young man, Min-gu, who just recently got out of prison, is hired to work at the same company she does. After a period of confusion, she gets a good look at his shabby scar-filled face and recognizes him as the boy she and her husband had kidnapped over 12 years ago for the ransom money needed for their child’s operation. With a sudden feeling of guilt, Jung-ju’s life is changed by this boy’s presence as she becomes more and more curious about him.

Born in 1983, Korean-born director Kwon Man-ki majored in Cinema from the Sangmyung University. He also studied at the Chung Ang University’s Graduate School of Advanced Imaging Science. Later, he took his majors in film directing from the Korean Academy of Film Arts. He is known for having directed various short films such as “The Parcel” (2006), “Jai-hee’s Eiffel Tower” (2007) and, perhaps his most famous short to date, “Telepata” (2015) which won the top prize at the  Daegu Independent Short Film Festival, first prize at the Seoul Independent Film Festival and the jury award at the Brussels International Short Film Festival.

Starring in the director’s first feature film is YOON Ji-hye, a South Korean actress born in 1979. She started her acting career in 1998 as she starred in the horror movie “Whispering Corridors.” Since then, she has been known for her roles in “Possible Changes” (2004), “No Mercy for the Rude” (2006) and “Kundo: Age of the Rampant.” She has also acted in various TV shows, the most famous of which is the 2007 “Que Sera, Sera.”

Jesus

A young boy called Yura and his family have always lived in Tokyo, until one day, they decide to move to the snowy countryside. Now living with his grandmother, Yura, in addition to having to get used to his new town, has to try to fit in at his new school. It is very different from his old one, as it is Christian. At first, he has a hard time understanding the mandatory activity of prayer, but slowly he begins to adjust to his new environment. He gradually becomes more devout as a small Jesus appears to him in prayer.

22-year-old Japan-born director, Hiroshi Okuyama, has received the New Director award at the 66th San Sebastian International Film Festival, making him the youngest to have ever received this prize. Okuyama first started making films while still in high school. “Graduation Party!!!!!”, a music video he directed, had its premiere at the Kyoto International Film Festival and was critically acclaimed. His short film “Tokyo 21st October” (2018) was chosen for the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia. In addition to this, the director is an editor, cinematographer and writer.

Starring in this film is actress Yûko Kibiki. She was born in Japan and is best known for her roles in “Mother” (2016) and “Sayonara” (2015). Her co-star is performer Kenichi Akiyama who is famed for “Hospitalité” (2010).

Scarborough

Scarborough, a small British seaside town, is the perfect weekend getaway for two couples who seek an escape from the judgmental eyes of their hometown. Expecting to be alone, each couple finds out that the other is present, turning their supposedly safe hotel rooms into prison cells as they do not wish to run into each other. Why all the secrecy? Each couple is a 16-year-old and their teacher. This love story serves as a social commentary that intends to explore the topics of consent, responsibility and relationships.

The drama is directed by Barnaby Southcombe. Born in London, Southcombe launched his career in Paris as he directed an adaptation of renowned British playwright Harold Pinter’s Betrayal. He moved on to TV directing the Channel 4 teen show: “As is.” He is known for directing other programs for British television including “Teachers,” also on Channel 4, MTV´s “Top Buzzer” and “Waterloo Road” for BBC1. In 2010 the director launched Embargo Films, a London based production company that specializes in international feature films.  In 2012 he released his first feature film, Anna, starring Charlotte Rampling, Hayley Atwell and Gabriel Byrne.

Jessica Barden stars as Beth, the fiery and impulsive 16-year-old who is in love with Aiden, portrayed by Edward Hogg. The English actress is better known for her tv appearances as Alyssa in the Channel 4 series, “The End of the F***ing World.” Her male counterpart is well known for his role in the 2015 “Jupiter Ascending.” Actress Jodie May, who has appeared in the Season 5 premiere of the HBO series Game of Thrones, and actor Jordan Bolger, who was plays Isiah in the popular TV Show “Peaky Blinders,” star as Liz and Aiden, the other couple in this drama.

School’s Out

After the tragic suicide of a high school teacher, Pierre Hoffman joins the St Joseph School – a prestigious and mysterious place – as a substitute teacher. Expecting to find an emotionally distraught class, he is surprised by the calm and unemotional faces of the student. He is immediately seized by a feeling of discomfort and worry. This is a class of six precocious students who act suspiciously and appear to be conjuring a plan. The peculiar behavior of the children makes Pierre obsessed with them and with trying to understand what is going on. Why are the acting this way? Is it because they witnessed the death of their teacher? Is it because they seem terrified with the ecological threat and have lost all hope in the future? It is up to Pierre to figure it out.

This French mystery thriller was directed by Sébastien Marnier who, despite having studied applied arts and cinema studies at university, started his career as a writer, publishing three novels. In June 2015, Sébastien Marnier began filming his first feature film “Irréprochable” with Marina Foïs, Benjamin Biolay, Joséphine Japy and Jérémie Elkaïm. Produced by Caroline Bonmarchand at Avenue B Productions and distributed by Memento Films, the film became the surprise hit of the summer. New to the film scene, Sébastien began filming his second feature film “School’s Out” in 2017 which is expected to be a big hit.

Starring as Pierre Hoffman is renown French actor Laurent Lafitte who has acted in over 50 films. Lafitte is best known for his roles in “Elle” (2016), “Tell No One” (2006) and “The Crimson Rivers” (2000). Other cast members include Emmanuelle Bercot, known for her work in “My King” (2015), “Polisse” (2011) and “Clément” (2001).