Emmie Chew plays Na-Na in the short film Ah-Ma: A Tale of Two Generations.
An Edith Cowan University (ECU) student's short film about a young woman who is inspired to become an opera actress and follow in the footsteps of her Taiwanese grandmother has been shortlisted in the 2024 Diversity in Cannes Short Film Showcase.
WA Screen Academy student Ying Chu’s short film Ah-Ma: A Tale of Two Generations, is nominated for the Best Student Film Award.
The nomination is the latest in a large list of more than 50 accolades for the short film, including selection in a Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival (TINFF), another diversity selective showcase that makes Ah-Ma: A Tale of Two Generations eligible for a Canadian Academy Award.
Hope plays Ah-Ma and Judy Fan plays young Na-Na in the short film Ah-Ma: A Tale of Two Generations.
Ah-Ma: A Tale of Two Generations is a captivating narrative that delves into the lives of two remarkable women from different generations. Born in Taiwan, Na-Na's early years were coloured by the enchanting presence of her grandmother, Ah-Ma.
However, at age four, she returned to Australia, leaving behind the profound influence of Ah-Ma, a celebrated Taiwanese Opera actress renowned for her powerful performances in Gezaixi.
Ah-Ma's legacy is deeply imprinted upon Na-Na, igniting a genuine desire to follow in her grandmother's footsteps and become an opera actress.
WA Screen Academy student Ying Chu has been nominated for the Best Student Film Award at the 2024 Diversity in Cannes Short Film Showcase.
Ying is producer, director and writer of the film. She wrote the story at the end of 2022 after a period of being isolated from family in Taiwan during COVID-19 travel restrictions.
"I had been unable to visit family in Taiwan for three years and missed my parents, grandparents, and hometown, so I created this story," she said.
"I look forward to sharing Taiwanese opera (Gezaixi) culture with a new audience."
Ying said she was delighted with the nomination and recognition of her work, and thanked her ECU supervisors for their support.
"Before creating this short film, I produced and directed another short film, two documentaries, and one dance film," she said.
"All of these works received the support of my supervisors, and without those experiences I don't think I could have produced Ah-Ma: A Tale of Two Generations."
ECU Associate Professor, Screen and Media, Kylie Boltin said Ying Chu’s nomination was recognition of the global standing of her student work.
"It speaks to both the calibre of her work, produced while a student at ECU, and her potential, especially given that the film has already been so well received locally and internationally," she said.
The Diversity in Cannes Short Film Showcase is an opportunity for underrepresented content creators from unique backgrounds to tell stories specific to marginalised populations before a global audience during the Cannes Film Festival. While the screenings take place at the same time as the Cannes Film Festival, it is an independent event. Winners announced on 22 May 2024.
