If there was one thing that united all the IFC 2024 winners, it was a sense of community. In an industry so often marked by creative solitude, Macao offered them days of sharing, collaboration, and learning with both mentors and peers. The friendships forged among young filmmakers from different regions became the common legacy of the camp. But beyond that human bond, they carried home the guidance of their mentors, shaping both their films and the paths they now follow.
Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir, filmmaker from Mongolia, was one of the winners of the first edition of the International Film Camp in 2024 with A South Facing Window.
A South Facing Window, by Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir, tells the story of a couple arguing about their daughter, jobs, and affairs, while trying to imagine a future.
Mongolian director Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir took her short film A South Facing Window to the 78th Locarno Film Festival, where she received two awards — the Green Leopard – Special Mention and the Youth Jury Prize — before moving on to the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF 50). She fondly recalls the support of her mentor in Macao, Mabel Cheung. “I confessed my anxieties and my wish to feel more joy. She told me to relax, that joy would come with time, and for the moment, I should work hard. It was like talking to an older sister who had already walked my path.” After a draining feature film, the IFC restored her energy: “The camp and making this film calmed me and gave me confidence. I am grateful for the opportunity to shoot, but also to have met young filmmakers who made me feel ‘young’ again.”
Galilee Ma, filmmaker from Macao, was one of the winners of the International Film Camp in 2024 with Pop It
Centering on a giant red balloon, Pop It tells a story of a family’s migration weavingweaves through the boundaries of fiction and reality, time and space.
Sponsored by IFC 2024 and directed by Macao director Galilee Ma, Pop It has recently been selected for a Jakarta Film Week Global Short Official Section. She said that participating in the camp allowed her to have in-depth discussions and exchange insights on filmmaking with filmmakers from different parts of Asia. This experience gave her the opportunity to rethink the concept of “making a film,” and she expressed gratitude to have ultimately received funding to produce her work. This cross-border production posed significant challenges for her, but with the help of her team and friends, the project was completed successfully. She hopes that this story, inspired by her own family, will have the chance to be screened in Macao.
To Chun-him, director from Hong Kong, was one of the winners of the International Film Camp in 2024 with Once Upon a Time There Was a Mountain.
Once Upon a Time There Was a Mountain, by To Chun-him, portrays childhood friends facing farewell as they play one final game of football before taking different paths.
From Hong Kong, To Chun-him screened Once Upon a Time There Was a Mountain in Udine, Italy, before taking it to the Asian American International Film Festival in New York and the Drama International Short Film Festival in Greece. His vision changed after attending a masterclass by editor Liao Ching-sung at the IFC. “He said that the editor can move freely between emotion and reason, being totally involved yet totally distant, finding the right balance in between. Those words touched me deeply and redefined how I think about creativity.” The film was also a rehearsal for future ambitions: “This project contains part of a concept I hope to develop into a feature film. The IFC allowed me to test it.”
Song Dongxu, director from Mainland China, was one of the winners of the International Film Camp in 2024 with Ride Your Horse.
Ride Your Horse, by Song Dongxu, follows two men in Inner Mongolia who set out to escape their monotonous lives and journey south.
From Mainland China, Song Dongxu presented Ride Your Horse at the 19th FIRST International Film Festival in Xining, China, a benchmark platform for emerging filmmakers. “My [IFC] mentor, Ding Yuin Shan, practically taught me hand in hand how to pitch and present my project better. That experience remains useful now and will continue to be so in the future.” Looking back, he sums up what he would say to new IFC participants: “Sometimes it’s fine to let go of perfection and embrace the unexpected. The charm of short films often lies in unplanned moments. Trust your team, respect your intuition, and enjoy the adventure. Above all, be brave in expressing yourselves!”
