Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2012

Two weeks after the ceremony, I still can’t believe it. In reflection, I’m simply left with a deep sense of gratitude for all the support I received on Mo Ikkai, from the cast and crew, to the generous people of Kamiya-cho, Tokyo, to my classmates and faculty at Tisch Asia, to Ms. Meileen Choo from the Cathay Organization, who believed in me when I applied to film school without any experience in filmmaking, and to my family. The lingering idea I’ve been sitting on for 8 years would not have turned into Mo Ikkai if it weren’t for all of them. It is a privilege to even be at Short Shorts, let alone win any award. My sincerest gratitude to Short Shorts Film Festival, Asia, the festival director Mr. Tetsuya Bessho and his team, the Jury, and the audience, who have left me dumbstruck. What I love most about filmmaking is the fact that you can’t make a film alone. Each small piece of the film builds on the next, with the ultimate collaboration reaching the audience. Thank you very much to Short Shorts for giving the Mo Ikkai team the opportunity to connect with the audience and interact with other great filmmakers from around the world. I would simply be very happy if I can continue to encounter great talent and collaborators through filmmaking. I hope I can share future films at the festival again, and wish the Short Shorts Film Festival, Asia continuous success! Thank you thank you thank you!

I want to first and foremost thank the coordinators and staff of the 2012 Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia for organizing such an amazing festival experience; not only for the filmmakers but also for the of audience! A big thank you to President Tetsuya Bessho, Co-director Seigo Tono and Programming Manager Aki Isoyama for not only the honor of selecting "Thief" as part of the Asia International Competition short film program but also inviting me to Tokyo to take part in the biggest short film festival in Asia. This has been the first opportunity I have had to travel to Japan and I had the most amazing time soaking up the culture, meeting new friends, enjoying the wonderful food and seeing as much of Tokyo as possible! But back to the festival experience, the screenings at Short Shorts have been thus far the best overall screening experience I have had with the film. The picture and sound were perfect and the theater was full of passionate moviegoers who were so much fun to talk to during the Q&A session after. But after seeing all the wonderful films selected not only in the Asia competition, but Japanese and International short films, I had given up any expectation of winning any award because there were just so many strong films that deserved it. So when I heard "Thief" announced as the winner of this year's Asia International Competition, I was completely floored! The best short film award was just the icing on the cake, because even without the award, I already thought Short Shorts has been hands down the funnest and most exciting festival I have had the pleasure of attending, also partly due to the fact it is an all short films festival! Finally, I want to thank my awesome producer/screenwriter Wang Hsi-Chieh for helping make "Thief" not only entertaining but leaving the audiences something deeper to think about as the film cuts to black. And of course I want to thank my great actors, crew, friends, classmates and professors for supporting this film even when naysayers thought such a film in a night market would be impossible to film! I hope to be back again in the following years even if I don't have a short film in attendance. I want to come back to Tokyo and be apart of this festival year in and year out. Thank you Short Shorts!! Arigatou gozaimashita!

To receive the Best Short Award in the International Competition from such a prestigious film festival has been an honor and a great joy for me. Writing “Edmond was a Donkey”, I did not think that the film would eventually catch this much of attention. My trip to Tokyo has been a delighted one for me. With a welcoming and kind atmosphere created by the members of the festival, sudden immersion in this extraordinary city and the discovery of Japanese culture made this short trip one of my most vivid memories. I also wanted to thank once again the jury members, who selected “Edmond was a Donkey” with a great prize that surely became the landmark in the career of the film itself. Thanks also to Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia!