Serene Chen

Six filmmakers present six short films about the experiences of Chinese immigrants. Shot across Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Myanmar, the anthology depicts the crisis of identity that accompanies international migration.

A kindergarten principal finds a series of morbid cartoons drawn by a docile pupil. A porn actor struggles to rise to the occasion while filming his first porno. A middle-aged nightclub bouncer faces off with a rebellious teenage stripper. Director Ken Kwek tells three iconoclastic stories in a short film that pitches political correctness out the window of Singapore mainstream cinema.

Paper House is a short film set against the backdrop of a traditional Chinese funeral and its customs. The film follows the story of a family as they descend into disharmony after the death of their patriarch. The title of the film refers to the old Chinese tradition of burning paper offerings for their deceased loved ones. This short film is a eulogy for this colourful art form that is fast disappearing in Singapore’s modern society.

Disappointed by his failed dreams, Loh Poh Huat visits his frustrations on his family. So when he wins the lottery, everyone believes the money will deliver them from their struggles. However, Loh dies abruptly and his elaborate and surreal Taoist funeral pitches the family into a battle where the stakes are the very meaning of life itself. Singapore Dreaming is a poignant yet darkly humorous story which follows the lives of six individuals as they navigate the rapidly changing conditions experienced in today’s modern South-East Asian cities.

A young Singaporean woman, haunted by a dark past and teenage pregnancy, has to regain her mother's trust in her rehabilitation as she reassumes custody of her young child.

In Singapore, where even vapes are illegal, three rebellious schoolgirls are caught smoking by the principal. Their revenge prank takes a sinister turn.

In Achiever Secondary School, a new teacher fresh from NIE arrives for his first day of school, his mind filled with thoughts of sweet young kids who are willing to learn and altruistic dedicated teachers eager to teach. He later finds that his dream job has some nightmare moments, the kids are not so easy to lovingly nurture and the teachers he loved and respected are somewhat lacking when he has to work alongside them. Also, a group of new Secondary 1 students become friends, learning through school activities and classes about growing up and the meaning of true friendship, and sometimes even learn something academic, if they're lucky.