Heya, I've already returned to Tokyo for two nights, but still, I think, a little jet laggy. Even so, that didn't stop me from immediately conducting audition sessions for my new film yesterday morning, and later today! (I'm such a workaholic!)
I'll post the photos from my last day at the Dubai Film Fest. But I'll still be posting many Dubai-related stuff in the next few days, like the numerous films I've seen etc.
Just to mirror the photos from my first day there, I'll start off with a photo of me and dad having breakfast.
Dad was then visited by a pigeon.
When dad went off to get more food, another pigeon came over to eat from the crumbs on his plate. It was a John Woo moment.
Being the last day in the fest, we decided to take photos at places we had to say goodbye too. So we started at the Mall of Emirates, where most of the screenings were held in the multiplex. Dad went to see I WANT TO SEE, a Lebanon film with Catherine Deneuve that was also shown in TOKYO FILMEX. I saw the rest of the short films that were in the same programme as my Chicken Rice Mystery.
Night came, and we were on our way to the closing ceremony. This is the bus stop outside the hotel where festival guests usually wait for the shuttles to ferry them either to the mall, the festival HQ or other hotels.
After nearly an hour of bus ride, we ended up in the middle of the desert where the closing ceremony was held.
With the Japanese filmmakers Tsuki Inoue (short film "The Woman Who Is Beating The Earth") and Hajime Kadoi ("Vacation"). Few hours after the closing ceremony, we went back to Japan on the same flight. Tsuki had just finished her feature film and brought everything over to Dubai for editing, but of course, she never had the time to even touch her computer :D Kadoi, on the other hand, won a Special Jury Prize under the AsiaAfrica film category for VACATION.
This is Cem Oztüfekçi from Turkey, who did the short film, Downstairs. A year younger than I am, I think he was actually the youngest among all filmmakers in the AsiaAfrica short film category.
The closing ceremony was unsurprisingly grand.
And I went bonkers when I saw Kimmy's now-famous CHICKEN RICE MYSTERY photo on the big screen. As you can see, my hands were shaking verily when I took the photo.
Yu Guangyi's Survival Song, which had already won awards at this year's Seoul Cinema Digital Festival and Tokyo Filmex, also won another Special Jury Prize under the AsiaAfrica Documentary category. He asked me to hold the trophy with him:
"Your time will come soon." He said.
I never had any expectations that Chicken Rice Mystery would win anything here, so I wasn't disappointed at all. I was already happy enough that the film was selected for this film fest and screened to public in a multiplex!
Here's a photo with the winner of Best AsiaAfrica Short Film award, Haolun Shu ("Young Blood"), along with his wife.
The ceremony ended with fireworks.
And a large feast that felt extremely extravagant because we were feasting under the clear night sky in the middle of the desert!
For me, the highlight of the closing ceremony came very early. As dad and I were walking into the venue, we saw Tsui Hark in front of us. He was there to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the festival. I wasn't surprised to see him, of course, but then my dad told me to turn around, and to my immense surprise, I saw screen legend Brigitte Lin!
Brigitte Lin of SWORDSMAN 2, ASHES OF TIME, CHUNGKING EXPRESS, DRAGON INN, PEKING OPERA BLUES, THE BRIDE WITH WHITE HAIR!!
So excited I was that when I asked someone to take a photo for us, I didn't set up the flash for him. The photo ended up rather dark and blurry... :(
I decided not to repeat the same mistake when I took a photo with Tsui Hark.
Wooooooooh!
I'll post the photos from my last day at the Dubai Film Fest. But I'll still be posting many Dubai-related stuff in the next few days, like the numerous films I've seen etc.
Just to mirror the photos from my first day there, I'll start off with a photo of me and dad having breakfast.
Dad was then visited by a pigeon.
When dad went off to get more food, another pigeon came over to eat from the crumbs on his plate. It was a John Woo moment.
Being the last day in the fest, we decided to take photos at places we had to say goodbye too. So we started at the Mall of Emirates, where most of the screenings were held in the multiplex. Dad went to see I WANT TO SEE, a Lebanon film with Catherine Deneuve that was also shown in TOKYO FILMEX. I saw the rest of the short films that were in the same programme as my Chicken Rice Mystery.
Night came, and we were on our way to the closing ceremony. This is the bus stop outside the hotel where festival guests usually wait for the shuttles to ferry them either to the mall, the festival HQ or other hotels.
After nearly an hour of bus ride, we ended up in the middle of the desert where the closing ceremony was held.
With the Japanese filmmakers Tsuki Inoue (short film "The Woman Who Is Beating The Earth") and Hajime Kadoi ("Vacation"). Few hours after the closing ceremony, we went back to Japan on the same flight. Tsuki had just finished her feature film and brought everything over to Dubai for editing, but of course, she never had the time to even touch her computer :D Kadoi, on the other hand, won a Special Jury Prize under the AsiaAfrica film category for VACATION.
This is Cem Oztüfekçi from Turkey, who did the short film, Downstairs. A year younger than I am, I think he was actually the youngest among all filmmakers in the AsiaAfrica short film category.
The closing ceremony was unsurprisingly grand.
And I went bonkers when I saw Kimmy's now-famous CHICKEN RICE MYSTERY photo on the big screen. As you can see, my hands were shaking verily when I took the photo.
Yu Guangyi's Survival Song, which had already won awards at this year's Seoul Cinema Digital Festival and Tokyo Filmex, also won another Special Jury Prize under the AsiaAfrica Documentary category. He asked me to hold the trophy with him:
"Your time will come soon." He said.
I never had any expectations that Chicken Rice Mystery would win anything here, so I wasn't disappointed at all. I was already happy enough that the film was selected for this film fest and screened to public in a multiplex!
Here's a photo with the winner of Best AsiaAfrica Short Film award, Haolun Shu ("Young Blood"), along with his wife.
The ceremony ended with fireworks.
And a large feast that felt extremely extravagant because we were feasting under the clear night sky in the middle of the desert!
For me, the highlight of the closing ceremony came very early. As dad and I were walking into the venue, we saw Tsui Hark in front of us. He was there to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the festival. I wasn't surprised to see him, of course, but then my dad told me to turn around, and to my immense surprise, I saw screen legend Brigitte Lin!
Brigitte Lin of SWORDSMAN 2, ASHES OF TIME, CHUNGKING EXPRESS, DRAGON INN, PEKING OPERA BLUES, THE BRIDE WITH WHITE HAIR!!
So excited I was that when I asked someone to take a photo for us, I didn't set up the flash for him. The photo ended up rather dark and blurry... :(
I decided not to repeat the same mistake when I took a photo with Tsui Hark.
Wooooooooh!
