Celebrating 14 years of short films from Europe, Asia, and the United States, presented at Embassies & Cultural Centers in Washington, D.C.
Friday, May 31 - Friday, June 7
Various locations
EuroAsia Shorts returned for an annual week of short films from Asia, Europe, and the United States, presented at embassies and cultural centers throughout Washington, D.C, May 31 - June 7. Each evening was tied together by the festival theme, Youth, and included an audience discussion and occasional special receptions. An international cinematic dialogue that was uniquely Washingtonian.
Friday, May 31 @ 6:30 pm
Opening Night | Korea & Austria
This year EuroAsia Shorts launched a new format with the addition of two more countries (AUSTRIA and INDONESIA) and thus an additional sixth short film night. The action started with a new early opening event on Friday, May 31, hosted by the Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C and the Austrian Cultural Forum Washington, featuring films from Korea and Austria at the Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. The screening featured award-winning and rarely seen short films and a cultural Q&A with the Austrian film expert Oliver C. Speck (Associate Professor of Film Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University) and Korean language expert Jihye Moon (Department of Modern and Classical Languages at George Mason University). The program had been followed by a Korean-Austrian reception!
SHORT FILMS | OPENING NIGHT
Amateur (아마튜어)
South Korea, 2018, 12 min.
Director: Sung-kyun Cho
Entering the job market can be tough. Stuck in a menial job at a hairdresser, however, Kyung is about to reignite her secret passion: boxing.
The Angler (더 앵글러)
South Korea, 2018, 13 min.
Director: Jang Seung-wook
A solitary man lives his life in search of a fish... who took something from him. Youth, however, is a precious thing, not to be spent in vain.
Jungwild / Buck
Austria, 2016, 16 min.
Director: Bernhard Wenger
Michael is 18 years old and at age where he prefers listening to loud music over thinking about future responsibilities. His father, however, is a hunter and at an age where he likes to savor the peace and quiet of the woods while contemplating his son’s future. On a morning after a night out at the disco, Michael unwillingly goes on a hunt with his father. There, his plans for the future become an inevitable issue.
Glimpse of the Future
Austria, 2017, 3 min.
Director: Marlene Heidinger, Maité Kalita, Silvia Knödlstorfer, Ji-yoon Lee, Esther Martens, Andreas Neudecker, Sebastian Doringer, Lucia de Quiqueran-Beaujeu, Amelie Schlöglhofer
Made by nine students from the Painting and Animation class of the University of Applied Arts Vienna for the 150th anniversary of the institution, the film deals with the possible future of young artists, or even young people in general.
Fucking Drama
Austria, 2017, 17 min.
Director: Michael Podogil
A young couple sees an off-theater production in a mysterious dark basement. The play begins as “artsy“ as they expected – some people are amused and film the spectacle with their phones. But the mood changes when Manfred Amour, the author of the play, enters the room.
AUSTRIAN FILM EXPERT | Oliver C. Speck
Dr. Oliver C. Speck currently teaches Film Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Va. and is director of VCU’s interdisciplinary doctoral program in Media, Art, & Text, a joint endeavor of the Department of English, the School of the Arts and the Robertson School of Media and Culture.
Taking its cues from the cinematic innovations of Michael Haneke as they appear in the specificity of their cultural-historical context, Dr. Speck’s book, Funny Frames: The Cinematic Concepts of Michael Haneke (Continuum: New York, 2010) explores how a political thinking manifests itself in the oeuvre of the Austrian-born director. Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained: The Continuation of Metacinema, a collection of essays that Oliver Speck edited, has appeared in 2014. Befitting such a complex film, the essays that he has collected here represent a diverse group of scholars who examine Django Unchained from many perspectives: Oliver Speck (together with Robert von Dassanowsky) is also the co-editor of New Austrian Film (Berghahn Books, New York: 2011) that has recently been reissued in paperback. He is currently working on a monograph on depictions of black bodies in bondage.
When: Friday, Mai 31, 2019 | 6:30 pm
Where: Korean Cultural Center, 2370 Massachusetts Ave NW
Washington, DC 20008
Ticket: Free admission, registration obligatory.
NOTE on RSVPs: If a screening is full, keep in mind that anyone waiting on standby at a venue without an RSVP has a chance to be admitted -- IF SPACE PERMITS -- about 10 minutes before each show.
Schedule
Friday, May 31 @ 6:30 pm | Opening Night: Korea & Austria
Korean Cultural Center, Embassy of the Republic of Korea | 2370 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Monday, June 3 @ 6:30 pm | Japan & Italy
Japan Information and Culture Center, Embassy of Japan | 1150 18th St. NW
Tuesday, June 4 @ 6:30 pm | The Philippines & Germany
Goethe-Institut Washington | 1990 K St. NW, Ste. 03 (entrance on 20th St. lower level)
Wednesday, June 5 @ 6:30 pm | Indonesia & Spain
Former Residence of the Ambassadors of Spain | 2801 16th St. NW
Thursday, June 6 @ 6:30 pm | China & France
Alliance Française de Washington | 2142 Wyoming Ave. NW
Closing Night: All Countries & USA
Friday, June 7 @ 6:00 pm
Embassy of Italy | 3000 Whitehaven St. NW
Austrian Contribution: A Perfect Me, A Perfect You
Austria, 2018, 5 min, Director: Dina Bukva
This is a story for everyone who is using social media. A story for everyone whose feed is dominated by images showing a life which can never live up to reality. The size-zero blogger who is eating burgers and donuts every day. This is a story about lives that are ruled by images. It is a story of jealousy and judgment. A story about a perfect me and a perfect you.
ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
Now in its 14th year, EuroAsia Shorts (originally the Asian-European Short Film Showcase) remains a collaboration between a small group of Washington, D.C. embassies and cultural center staff. Since 2006, the festival has presented more than 250 short films, including many award-winning shorts making their U.S. debut. Each year a broad variety of films and styles are presented, connected by a single theme. With post-film cultural Q&A’s and discussions with experts each night, EuroAsia Shorts offers an international cinematic dialogue that is uniquely Washingtonian. In 2019, EAS saw a rare expansion of the festival, from 9 to 11 partner organizations. The two new countries added are Indonesia and Austria, represented by the Embassy of Indonesia and the Austrian Cultural Forum. Check out the links below for more on each of us and our many cultural programs beyond EAS.
The theme for EuroAsia Shorts 2019 is Youth. Few things are as universal as youth, although how we experience it varies greatly. It can be full of hardship, hard lessons, mentors, monsters, love, dreams, or all of the above. The experience can also be just as vivid and lasting for a wide-eyed child, a young adult coming of age, digital natives navigating social media, international students, millennials facing a changing global workforce, and even those who simply remain young at heart. Regardless of place or generation, the emotional impact of our youth needs no translation.
Partner Organizations / Countries
Image Credits:
Amateur © Sung-kyun Cho
The Angler © Jang Seung-wook
Jungwild/Buck © Albin Wildner
Glimpse of the Future © Marlene Heidinger, Maité Kalita, Silvia Knödlstorfer, Ji-yoon Lee, Esther Martens, Andreas Neudecker, Sebastian Doringer, Lucia de Quiqueran-Beaujeu, Amelie Schlöghofer
Fucking Drama © Jakob Fuhr