RUNDOWN:
18:45 Registration
19:00 Screening
20:30 Post-Screening Talk
21:00 End

Free Admission, prior registration required. 

The Association of Southeast Asia Nations or ASEAN is a diverse region of almost 700 million people. Strong economic growth and a young and increasingly well-educated population have contributed to a vibrant arts and cultural sector. Motion pictures are an important contemporary medium to tell stories and share ideas, beliefs, and culture. And Southeast Asia has many interesting stories and wonderful films to share with the world. The ASEAN FILM FESTIVAL (AFF) is organized by the Hong Kong-ASEAN Foundation (HKAF) as a non-profit initiative to promote a deeper understanding and appreciation of culture through the art of storytelling through films. Now in its second edition, AFF strives to be a premier event anchored in Hong Kong SAR to showcase a curated selection of films from Southeast Asia's top filmmakers. As ASEAN Film Festival Co-presenter this year, Asia Society Hong Kong will host five movie screenings at the Asia Society Theatre in September.

Gadong is a story that captures the dreams of immigrants through the eyes of Saleem, a barber in Brunei, who battles immense difficulties and debts amid the economic downturn caused by the pandemic. While the world in the grip of lockdown, where barbers seem unnecessary, Saleem's only wish is to reunite with his family in India. Yet, he carries the burden of fulfilling his late father's dream of opening a shop in Gadong, Brunei's most prestigious district. Through the highs and lows, Saleem is supported by his best friends, Zakaria and Raja. They are soon joined by Azam, a much-needed breath of fresh air who transforms the business. For the first time in a long time, Saleem's dreams begin to take shape.

Academy Award-winning filmmaker Ruby Yang was born in Hong Kong and has spent the past 35 years of her career working in the USA, Beijing, and Hong Kong. Her work in both documentary and dramatic films has earned her the 2007 Oscar for Best Documentary Short Subject, Academy Award and Emmy nominations, as well as numerous international awards such as the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Journalism Award, FilmAid Asia’s Humanitarian Award, and the Global Health Council Media Award. She started at The University of Hong Kong in 2013 as the Hung Leung Hau Ling Distinguished Fellow in Humanities at the Journalism and Media Studies Centre (JMSC). As a filmmaker and teacher, Ruby has inspired students from Hong Kong and beyond, elevating the art of storytelling both in journalism and filmmaking. She became the director of the JMSC on 1 July 2024.

Riduan Sulaiman (Director) first discovered his passion for story telling through his experience as a photographer and videographer. With more than 5 years of freelancing experience under his belt, 'Gadong (My Father's Dream)' marks his directorial debut and the culmination of all the skills he has learned as a videographer. From framing to editing, Riduan took it upon himself to ensure 'Gadong (My Father's Dream)' is how he intended it to be.

A creative at heart, Yoji Aziz (Producer) found his passion for the arts through creative design. As his skills grew, he started to explore one of his favorite hobbies: movies. Over the years he has imagined what a good story would be, only to realize the best story for a feature film happened before his very eyes, when he saw immigrant barbers struggling during COVID. Thus the spark for 'Gadong (My Father's Dream)' was born.

A lifelong fan of films, Khai Anwar (Writer and Lead Actor)  has been writing screenplays for almost a decade and mentored under Hollywood executives. Believing he had more to learn, he enrolled himself in the New York Film Academy for a screenwriting program and finished with a 4.0GPA. 'Gadong (My Father's Dream)' is his second outing as a writer and actor for a feature film, while his directorial debut 'Stay' is in post-production.

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https://bit.ly/4cCeIFF

The views and opinions expressed are those of the speakers and participants and, unless expressly stated to the contrary, do not reflect the opinion, position or official policy of Asia Society Hong Kong, its members, or its committees. Asia Society Hong Kong does not endorse or approve, and assumes no responsibility for the content of the information presented