CTFF 2025 Official Selection Present: The Shorts Corner
GRANDMA NAI WHO PLAYED FAVORITES
Writer/Director/Editor: Chheangkea
Producers: Daniel MATTES (Anti-Archive), Karen MADAR (NoMad Productions)
Co-Producers: Loy TE, Vincent VILLA
Director of Photography: Shyan TAN
Casting: Savunthara SENG
Cast: Bonrotanak RITH, Saroeun NAY, Sokun Theary TY, Phalla IM, Chansophorn “Rose” BUTH, Ponleu CHAB
Production Designer: Bandiddh PRUM
Logline:
During her chaotic family’s Qingming visit, dead Grandma Nai sneaks away from her peaceful afterlife after overhearing that her Queer grandson is about to get engaged to a woman.
DIRECTOR, Chheangkea
Chheangkea is a Cambodia-born filmmaker based in Brooklyn, New York. He earned a BS in Architecture from MIT and an MFA in Filmmaking from the NYU Tisch Graduate Film program, where he was a Dean’s Fellow. He is a former Mar-cie Bloom Fellow and a recipient of the Sundance Asian American Scholarship.
Through his films, Chheangkea seeks to showcase the complexities and nuances of queer and Cambodian stories. His upcoming short film, GRANDMA NAI WHO PLAYED FAVORITES, will premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. His previous short film, SKIN CAN BREATHE, was a finalist of the 2022 HBO Max APA Visionaries competition and is now streaming on Max. His debut feature film, LITTLE PHNOM PENH, is currently in development, having been selected for the HamptonsFilm Screenwriters Lab, MunichFilmUp, and the NYU Purple
List in 2024.
Director’s Statement:
My Grandma Nai was often irritated. She scolded anyone who ever did any-thing frivolous or annoying. So when it came to her grandchildren, Grandma Nai played favorites, and I was hers. Growing up, I knew I wasn’t like most boys, so I clung tightly to Grandma Nai because, by her side, I was protected.
Having lost her at a young age, Grandma Nai has become my personification of hope. In moments of loneliness, I often speak to her and wonder if she could
hear the secrets and stories I share. Then one day, I imagined a world in which she could. I imagined her presence living at the tomb we built for her. And next to
her was a neighboring grandma ghost with whom she could confide and laugh. They’d spend their days gossiping about their families and playing made-up
games. Out of these imaginations, the characters of Grandma Nai and Grandma Muy were born.
Making a queer film in a traditional country like Cambodia was not easy. Instead of scouring the streets or working with professional actors, we approached
LGBTQ+ organizations and our own network in the small queer community in Phnom Penh for the casting process. When I first met Saroeun (Grandma Nai),
a fun-loving grandmother who has been with her trans husband since before the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s, I instantly fell in love with her charm and warmest of
smiles. Bonrotanak (Meng) was known to us for his charisma in beer commer- cials and the billboards that came with them. We bonded over extensive con- versations regarding queer life in Cambodia and how we fit into it. Much like the character, Bonrotanak isn’t out to his traditional family—the pressure and fear the
character feels are all too familiar to him.
Originally, I was hesitant to cast actors who were too similar to their roles. But during rehearsals, it was apparent that our mutual understanding was crucial to
the heart of the film. We never needed to explain our queerness to one another, which allowed us more time and space to play and build upon the world I wrote,
ultimately resulting in the irresistible chemistry between the film’s Grandma Nai and her grandson.
We spent our first four production days at Wat Kambol, the pagoda in which my Grandma Nai was laid. I went to greet her at her tomb every morning and prayed for good weather. True to her protective nature, for four days, she kept the mon-soon rain away. The final day happened to be the Hungry Ghost Festival, and so I brought her flowers that my boyfriend had bought. It appears that Grandma Nai was indeed still looking out for her favorite grandson.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2025 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM @ Art Theatre of Long Beach (CLICK HERE TO GET TICKETS)
Have I swallowed Your Dreams
Director: Clara Chan
Art Director & Character Designer: Zilai Feng
Cast: Catherine Ip – Voice of Mother, Clara Chan – Voice of Daughter, Dan Lavender
Composer: Haibei Wang
Key Animation: Kitty Fung, Max Woodward
Synopsis:
This film is a poetic conversation between an immigrant daughter and her mother about sacrifices and dreams. Amy meets her mother for afternoon tea. They have a quiet reflective moment. When Amy looks back on her mother’s life, she sees a young woman with big dreams. She also sees all the sacrifices her mother has made to give her the life she has now. She questions if she has swallowed her mother’s dreams. But her mother’s answer is surprising, moving and liberating.
DIRECTOR, Clara Chan
Clara Chan has been in the animation/VFX industry for over two decades. She works as a VFX Supervisor at Sony Pictures Imageworks by day, and as an independent filmmaker by night. She made her first independent short film, “Embrace,” in 2021 to express the feeling of loneliness in the pandemic. She started Flying Dumpling Films in 2022 because she is passionate about telling unique and authentic stories that connect with people. Her second film, “Have I Swallowed Your Dreams” is a multiple-award winner and has been accepted to 12 Oscar-qualifying film festivals and many others. Clara has lived in mainland China, Hong Kong, California, New York and Texas, and currently resides in Vancouver, Canada. She has been a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (Animation Branch) since 2021.
Director’s Statement:
This is a fictional story inspired by my family’s immigration journey. When my parents were teenagers, they left their homes in Vietnam and Cambodia respectively to go to China for free education. I could imagine the big dreams they must have had when they first landed in China. Then life’s journey altered those dreams. After my brother and I were born, my parents decided to leave everything behind to start a new life in Hong Kong. My father worked as a construction worker in Hong Kong instead of utilizing his degree in architecture because his mainland Chinese degree was not recognized in Hong Kong. Life was tough but good until in the 80’s when talks of returning Hong Kong to China started. My parents knew that the meaning of freedom would not be the same once China took over. So once again, we left our home in Hong Kong and immigrated to North America, hoping for a better future. But life as immigrants is full of challenges. Language barrier, economic hardship, racism, to name a few. That made me wonder, is it all worth it?
Now that I have two children of my own, I understand the choices and sacrifices a parent has to make for the family. Sometimes I struggle to make those choices. That was when I got inspired to write a poem, showing first the point of view of a daughter, feeling guilty that she has swallowed her mother’s dreams, and then the surprising different point of view of her mother. Animation is the perfect medium because it lets me tell this mother-daughter story in an imaginative and visually interesting way.
I believe this film will help light a spark for one to reflect on their relationships with their parents, children or loved ones. Also, by sharing one immigrant family’s experience, I hope to create room for empathy and understanding amongst people.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2025 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM @ Art Theatre of Long Beach (CLICK HERE TO GET TICKETS)
RED MOON
Director: Roshane Saidnattar
Producer: Yves Dumont
Cinematography/Editor: Makara Ouch
Screenplay: Roshane Saidnattar, Eric Wiener
Music: Olivier Lliboutry
Cast: Dorin Som, Lyer Von, David Sokha, Kosal Sem, Rotha Rin
Synopsis:
Under the Khmer Rouge, a young couple is torn apart and forced into loveless marriages. Defying the regime under threat of death, they reunite for one final moment of love—an instant they carry with them into death.
DIRECTOR, Roshane Saidnattar
Roshane Saidnattar, a French-Cambodian filmmaker and graduate of the University of Paris VIII, began as a journalist before becoming an assistant director and then a director. Her film Survive (The Important Thing Is to Stay Alive) won several international awards and was used as evidence in the International Tribunal against Khmer Rouge officials. She is co-founder and in charge of cultural affairs at the High Council of Asian in France (HCAF).
Director’s Statement:
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Khmer Rouge’s rise to power, a regime that annihilated millions of lives. My film is part of a mission of remembrance and transmission, exploring a little-known aspect: the systematic organization of forced marriages to ensure the regime’s survival after these massacres.
Through this historical drama, I aim to expose a policy of absolute dehumanization, where love in all its forms was forbidden to impose forced reproduction. As a witness to these events, I sought to give them a universal resonance.
My experience as a filmmaker has allowed me to develop a cinematic language that is both intimate and powerful. I have opted for a minimalist and immersive approach: a desaturated palette, raw landscapes, austere settings, and a contrast between wide shots and intimate close-ups to highlight the tension between collective oppression and individual suffering.This film bears witness to a reality even more horrifying than fiction. Selecting this film means giving a voice to forgotten victims and offering a universal reflection on humanity in the face of totalitarianism.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2025 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM @ Art Theatre of Long Beach (CLICK HERE TO GET TICKETS)
THE HEALING CIRCLE
Director/Producer: Thavary Krouch
Featured Participants: Celena Chin, Saroth Loeuk, Pich Houy
Storytelling Facilitator: Ada Cheng
Artist in Residence: Punisa Pov
Music Ensemble: Crossing Borders Music
Director of Photography: Aidan Kranz
Editor: Geneva Garcia
Synopsis:
The Healing Circle is a short documentary following Cambodian Genocide survivors as they gather in Chicago to share stories, sing traditional songs, and reflect on their journey toward healing. Through performances and intimate conversations, the film honors their strength and the power of cultural memory passed from one generation to the next.
DIRECTOR, Thavary Krouch
Thavary Krouch is a Cambodian American filmmaker and storyteller whose work explores themes of memory, resilience, and cultural identity. Born in the Khao-I-Dang refugee camp on the Thai-Cambodian border and raised in Long Beach, California, she brings a deeply personal lens to stories about the Cambodian diaspora.
Thavary holds an M.F.A. in Writing and Directing for Film and Television from Columbia College Chicago and currently serves as Deputy Director of Film for the New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, where she supports both independent and studio productions. Her narrative short films—including Bitter Melons and Arrangements—have screened at festivals across the U.S. and abroad.
Informed by her background in both filmmaking and public service, Thavary is committed to telling stories that honor intergenerational voices and center women, diaspora experiences, and the space between laughter and loss.
Director’s Statement:
As a Cambodian American filmmaker, I created The Healing Circle to honor the stories I grew up with and the women who carried them. These women survived the unimaginable and chose to heal through community, art, and joy. This film is my offering to them—and to all who hold generational pain while still choosing love.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2025 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM @ Art Theatre of Long Beach (CLICK HERE TO GET TICKETS)
It Would be Foolish to Make Art with Eyes Closed
Featuring Sayon Syprasoeuth
Produced By T Rivas Lopez
Directed and Edited By Levi Yin
Cinematography and Assistant Editing By Abby Kottke
Additional Cinematography By Danny Perez
Sound Recording By T Rivas Lopez and Mateo Medina
Synopsis:
The artist’s journey is one of healing. Sayon Syprasoeuth is a Cambodian artist based in Long Beach. Through his art he’s been able to confront his trauma to heal from his past. In a full circle moment, he’s gone from healing himself to giving back to his community through art.
PARTICIPANT: Sayon Syprasoueth
Sayon Syprasoueth is a Cambodian refugee who lived through unbelievable circumstances. This story is about his path, as he deals with his past traumas and navigates through his adversities. This documentary is an intimate portrait of resilience and healing. It follows Sayon as he revisits the traumatic memories while also working to create a meaningful future not only for himself, but for his community. Through personal interviews, archival footage, and observational moments of his life, we witness a man who refuses to be defined by his trauma.
Director’s Statement:
This project is meant to be an experience for viewers to connect with a reality that they may not be aware of. Providing an opportunity to step into the shoes of someone from a different walk of life. His experience as a Cambodian refugee is deeply personal, yet it speaks to something universal how we endure, adapt, and attempt to heal after surviving the unimaginable. This film is not just about what happened to Sayon it’s about what he’s chosen to do with that history. Through this documentary, I hope to honor the resilience of refugee communities and offer a lens into the internal, often invisible process of healing.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2025 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM @ Art Theatre of Long Beach (CLICK HERE TO GET TICKETS)
CHASING REDEMPTION
Dara and Tommy change their life trajectories after their Life Without Parole (LWOP) sentences are commuted. This is a story about the life long road towards redemption.
A survivor of the Cambodian genocide, U.S. immigration policy and Life Without Parole, Thaisan Nguon strives to keep families together and to #EndLWOP. He grew up in Long Beach, CA as the second oldest of 10 siblings and is a current member of the National LWOP Leadership Council.
DIRECTOR, Thaisan Nguon
Thaisan and his family are survivors of the Cambodian genocide (1975-79) that saw over 3 million lives lost. He grew up in Long Beach, CA and is the second oldest of 10 siblings. He was formerly sentenced to Life Without the Possibility of Parole (LWOP) until his sentence was commuted in December 2018. He is a member of the National LWOP Leadership Council, an organization committed to ending LWOP sentences; and closely aligned with immigrants rights organizations like South East Asian Freedom Network (SEAFN), an organization committed to ending the inhumane practice of separating families through current US immigration policies. Thaisan strives to #EndLWOP and keep families together because he has been directly impacted by that sentence and US immigration policy, respectively, and believes in second chances.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2025 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM @ Art Theatre of Long Beach (CLICK HERE TO GET TICKETS)