The preliminary review for the 2023 SeoulIndie-AniFest Asia Road Competition was an invaluable opportunity to experiencethe diverse worlds imagined by creators from across Asian countries. We aregrateful to everyone who submitted their work. More than ever, the members ofthe jury gave their careful consideration to each submission, recognizing thehard work that went into each of them.
In addition to participants from manySoutheast Asian countries including Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia, wereceived more submissions from Pakistan and Kazakhstan than in the past,reminding us of the festival’s mission to discover new Asian directors.
This year, we witnessed the remarkableadvancements of Chinese directors working around the world. There were filmsthat used individual experiences to create narratives about history andculture. There were delightful and exciting films set against the backdrop ofdiverse cultures. Many of the films introduced us to new worlds and charactersnot confined to any particular culture. The methods of production and themessages being conveyed were all different, impressing upon us the uniquepersonality of each creator.
It was a year in which films with politicalmessages about human rights, gender issues, war, and other topics caught ourattention. At times their topics were expressed metaphorically, and at othertimes more directly, but these films came together in their pursuit of peaceand equality.
In addition to the diverse themes, therewere also many interesting takes on subjects and techniques. The growing numberof films that incorporate live-action footage points to the changing scene inanimation production. The growing number of films that explore advancements inmodern technology and artificial intelligence shows us the timeliness ofcreators tackling the biggest issues of the present day. Meanwhile, we also sawfilms that returned to traditional expressive techniques in animation. It was apreliminary review that showed us the wide range of trends among shortanimations.
709 film submissions came from differentcultures, but they showed sensibilities toward subjects which allowed universalappreciation. They showed us not only that we are all fellow creators thinkingabout what makes a good story, but also that we are indeed living in the sameera, enduring the same pains and endeavoring to resolve them. For giving ussuch an opportunity, we thank all those who submitted their work. We hope towitness the continued growth of your creative worlds, not only in this year butin the years to come.
Written by CHUNG Huibin on behalf of theASIA ROAD Preliminary Selection Committee (LEE Kyunghwa, CHUNG Huibin andKristin JI)
