To commemorate of the 20th anniversary of Handover of the MSAR, this year’s IIFAM featured Years of Macao, a diverse collection of short films by nine young local directors sharing their ideas about their changing city. The project was creatively overseen and supervised by another local filmmaker, Tracy Choi, with each film being set in a different time period, starting with the first film set in the present day, and going back in time to the last film, which is set in 1999, the year of the Handover. Portrayed against the backdrop a variety of locations in Macau, each director focused on a particular theme that symbolizes an aspect of the changing landscape of the city.
“IFFAM has definitely had an impact on the local film-making industry,” comments Albert Chu, whose short film The Last Show set in 2012, was part of the Years of Macao collection. “Some di- rectors who have been invited here might consider making further productions or collaborations in Macau. And for local filmmakers, IFFAM provides a platform for them to showcase their own films.”
“In the last 10 years, we can definitely see the rapid development of the local film industry in Macau. In the future, there are going to be problems like how local filmmakers can create high-quality content and stories about Macau, and how the industry can strike a balance between revenue and expenses, as well how to enter the China and foreign markets. But it’s good to see at least Macau is on its way towards these goals,” he adds.
For his contribution, Penny Lam directed the short film Sparkling Mind set in the year 2000.
“The best thing about IFFAM is that the festival has brought many professional and international practitioners who work in different roles to Macau. Therefore, I look forward to how the local filmmakers can collaborate with those people every year,” Penny notes.
“Nowadays, people making films in Macau tend to be more professional, although a true film industry is still very far off. This film culture is indeed developing and getting more mature. In the past, we just had to use whoever was available, but now we look for people who have expertise in lights, sound and music and different areas. Now we have a group of young people who have a certain degree of capability to make professional films, so we will see how the city, or the government, will provide support to these people by offering better working conditions and opportunities.”
Another local director, Mike Ao Ieong, chose to set his short film A Little Summer Day in present day Macau.
“I think IFFAM is doing better and better. There are a lot more good movies that we can’t watch in commercial theatres. It’s definitely a good thing for the audiences and the industry,” he observes.
“There has never really been a film industry in Macau be- cause of the limited market, but I hope films can become a part of the unique culture of Macau. People can get to know more about Macau through watching films produced by local people. Even for people living in Macau, if they can watch more films about Macau, it would be a great thing,” Mike observes.
Till The End Of The World, directed by Emily Chan, is the love story of a couple in Macau anticipating the end of world in 2012, as predicted by the Mayan calendar.
“Some people are nostalgic for the time before the handover of Macau, other people want to go back to the time before the liberalization of Macau’s gambling monopoly. But what this film is trying to say is that the past is already the past, and we should all look ahead to the future,” Emily explains.
“I think IFFAM is a bridge between local and international filmmakers, allowing them to communicate. It provides a platform for the local practitioners to cooperate with people in the industry from all around the world,” she adds.
“My firstly directed film came out in 2009, at a time when we could not find a complete crew because a lot of filmmakers were amateurs, so we needed to search for filmmakers from other places. Now, in 2019, it is much easier to get all the crew members. I hope there will be an increase in local film production, and locally made films can be released in places with a larger market like Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.”
THESE FOUR LOCAL DIRECTORS OFFER SOME RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT THEIR FAVOURITE, MUST-SEE FILMS FROM THE RECENT IFFAM:
Albert Chu
The Long Walk
Movies made in Laos are relatively under-represented in general, so it’s interesting to get a glimpse into how their films look.
Emily Chan
Better Days
This is a very successful film directed by a Hong Kong director, Derek Tsang, with the subject – bullying in schools – set in Mainland China. I think local filmmakers can take it as a reference and reflect on how we can successfully combine different cultures into one film.
Mike Ao Ieong
Wet Season
The director, Anthony Chen is from Singapore. He was nominated for “Best New Director” at the Golden Horse Awards. This movie is about labor issues and the new generation. Chen is very good at depicting family relationships in a very exquisite way.
