The final year projects of three graduates (Professional Programme in Film) of the Academy of Film, School of Communication, brought home major awards from the HK Heart Anywhere Short Film Competition 2017, including Champion, First Runner-up and Outstanding Award.

Abdul Wahid Lui Nok-hei was crowned Champion for Longboard, a film about a group of longboard skaters and their struggles to maintain the business of their longboard shop. Upon receiving the award, Nok-hei said it came as a huge surprise and added that he is grateful to HKBU for giving him the opportunity to explore and try out something which might only be possible in a student film. Famous actor Mr Gordon Lam who is also one of the members of the jury said, “This is the one, I knew it when I was watching the film. In the future, I hope to see more creative works with unexpected plots made by young filmmakers, who are capable of bringing sparkle to the film industry.”

Chow Lok-sum took first runner-up for his short film, Cut from the Same Cloth. The story follows a father and his son who are trying to rebuild their broken relationship. They share a common interest in music but the father likes Cantonese Opera while the son favours pop music. Asked about the message he wishes to deliver, Lok-sum said, “Apart from leading the audience to reflect on their relationship with their parents, I also want to explore the possibility of revitalising Cantonese Opera.” After graduation , Lok-sum, who is now a Year 3 student majoring in Creative Writing for Film, Television and New Media at HKBU, will continue to pursue his interest in after graduation.

Just Dance, a short film directed by Leung Lok-ting, won the Outstanding Award. The film tells the story of Yan, whose mother brought her to dancing class every day when she was a little girl. As the years go by, Yan’s passion for dancing remains strong but her mother no longer supports her. Describing his inspiration, Daniel said, “I have loved dancing since I was young. When I was preparing this project, I came across a girl whose parents were very unsupportive of her interest in dancing. She wished her parents would watch her perform, even just once, rather than quashing her interest. Her story moved me and I was determined to turn it into a film.”

Launched in 2011 with the aim of promoting positive social values, The HK Heart Short Film Competition acknowledges remarkable young filmmakers whose short films show appreciation of things happening around them. This year, the Competition was jointly organised by TVB Anywhere and the International Federation of Creativity and Technology.