I AM NOT THE WORLD YOU WANT TO CHANGE by Izumi Takahashi [Tokyo Filmex 2012]

Izumi Takahashi's (高橋泉) I AM NOT THE WORLD YOU WANT TO CHANGE あたしは世界なんかじゃないから is one of the two Japanese films in competition at the Tokyo Filmex this year. (The other is Odayaka, which I, being the editor of its trailer, have seen much too many times)

EPILOGUE by Amir Manor [Tokyo Filmex 2012]

Having attended the Tokyo Filmex three times, this year marks the very first time when I actually got to catch the Grand Prix winner in the festival.

MEMORIES LOOK AT ME by Song Fang [Tokyo Filmex 2012]

The Tokyo Filmex ended a few days ago. I was surprised that I had managed to catch all three of the award-winning films. (well, except Kim Ki-Duk's PIETA, which won the Audience Award)

MEMORIES LOOK AT ME 记忆望着我 by Song Fang 宋方 is a Chinese docudrama that received the Special Jury Prize at Filmex. It was also the Best First Feature award winner at the Locarno Film Festival.

Photos of Tokyo International Forum at night. And autumn.

While waiting for the "111 GIRLS" screening at Filmex last night, I decided to take a walk and kill some time.


Nearby was the Tokyo International Forum building, which I haven't stepped in for four years. I thought it would snap some photos of the place.

BAD FILM by Sono Sion [Tokyo Filmex 2012]

I have been attending some screenings at the Tokyo Filmex since it started last week on Nov 24th.

The Tokyo Filmex is one of the two major film festivals in Tokyo (the other being the Tokyo International Film Festival held a month earlier). Ever since I moved to Tokyo, I had attended screenings at the 2008 and 2009 editions of the festival, but was unable to do so in the last 2 years because I was either at the Torino Film Festival 2010 or the Golden Horse 2011.

So it's good to finally be back, indulge myself in some films.

Happy 30th Anniversary, Mom and Dad

All my life, I have never really remembered the actual date of my parents' wedding anniversary.

But today is their 30th anniversary, so there's no way I'm going to forget it. (it only happened because 2 years ago Mom was emailing me an e-card she made for Dad to celebrate today, and I had a glimpse of the actual date of their anniversary!!)

Songs sung by my mom 我妈妈戚舜琴的歌

Yesterday (November 17th) was my mom's birthday.
昨天（11月17日）是我妈妈的生日。

In certain parts of the world, it IS still my mom's birthday.
在一些国家， 现在还是我妈的生日。

Over the years since I started this blog, I usually mention about her birthday.
每一年我都会在这部落上提起这一天。

I might have also mentioned before that she was a singer before she married Dad. And these are her albums.
你们也有可能知道我妈妈戚舜琴曾经是一名歌手。 跟老爸结了婚以后就退出歌坛。

Fascinated by THE THIEF AND THE COBBLER, an incomplete masterpiece 30 years in the making

I haven't updated this blog the past two weeks because I was busy with my doctorate dissertation. The week that led to the dissertation were spent mostly in my dimly-lit room or my lab in Waseda University. It was a repetitive cycle of writing, researching, drinking lots of black coffee. The topic was something I have been familiar with for the past four years (It's an expansion of my Masters' Thesis), so it's not as difficult as I have worried. But there were still a lot of things to write.

Exactly a week ago, on a Friday afternoon, I managed to turn in my dissertation. Whatever happens next is beyond my control. Having not slept for the past 48 hours, I was tired when it all ended.

Saturday was a day I chose to recharge my energies. There was nothing else I planned to do except staying on my bed.

While doing that, I read on The Playlist about a documentary called PERSISTENCE OF VISION, a documentary about animator Richard Williams' 30-year-long work on his passion project "The Thief And The Cobbler".

I talk about horror films, ghosts, and Woo Ming Jin's short film DOUBLE (The Star, 26th of October, 2012)

Last week, just before I returned to Tokyo, I did an email interview with Phyllis Ho of R.AGE (the weekly youth section of The Star) about Woo Ming Jin's DOUBLE (which I co-wrote, produced and edited), and also horror films in general. I assume it's for Halloween. The article came out a few days ago.


Here's my part:

Woo Ming Jin answers questions about his horror short, DOUBLE

In the past week since our horror short film DOUBLE was posted on YOMYOMF, the responses had been surprisingly positive. I liked reading the speculations from the viewers. (watch it if you haven't done so already)

Watch this: DOUBLE by Woo Ming Jin (co-written, produced, edited by me)

Back in August, I did a short film called DOUBLE with Ming Jin, serving as producer, co-writer and editor.

How I bought a ZTE ACQUA V880E (an obscure Android phone available only in Malaysia for now)

I returned to Malaysia on Monday. It was raining heavily.

The 1st Tiny Pupil screening @ Nara International Film Festival 2012

An award-winning short film I produced, TINY PUPIL (2012) yxineff.com/film/xiao-tong… is now available online for a short while. Please RT this.
— Edmund Yeo (@greatswifty) September 27, 2012

Today, thanks to the Yxine Film Fest, TINY PUPIL by Teng Fei, which I produced, is available online for a brief period of time.

I find this the best time to share with you all the video of the post-screening Q and A session I did for TINY PUPIL at the Nara Film Festival on the 15th of September.

楊毅恆 冬天、最后的碎片 北海道短片展獲獎 (中國報) Edmund Yeo's LAST FRAGMENTS OF WINTER wins award in Hokkaido (China Press, 22/9/2012)

Mom called me this morning as well, to tell me that Last Fragments of Winter's receiving of the award in Sapporo Film Fest is also on today's China Press.

冬天， 最后的碎片」在札幌国际短片影展获奖的事情也被登上中国报了。感恩。

楊毅恆執導短片‧日本獲獎 (星洲日報） Edmund Yeo's Short Film Wins Award in Japan (Sin Chew Daily, 21/9/2012)

Mom called me yesterday morning to tell me that news of LAST FRAGMENTS OF WINTER receiving the award in Sapporo Short Film Fest was on yesterday's Sin Chew Daily.


The entire article (in Chinese only) is here.

Now I switch to Chinese.

LAST FRAGMENTS OF WINTER receives Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner Award @ Sapporo Short Film Fest

16th of September was my second day at the Nara Film Fest. Aside from having the second screenings of Last Fragments of Winter (sadly, I accidentally deleted the video from the Q and A session) and Tiny Pupil (I might upload that one later), I also revisited some places in Nara that I went to 4 years ago, like the Todaiji Temple.

The 1st LAST FRAGMENTS OF WINTER screening @ Nara Film Fest 2012

On the night of Sept 15th, my short film LAST FRAGMENTS OF WINTER was screened at the Nara International Film Festival.

Nara International Film Festival 2012, I muse about Nara and "Yuanfen"

On the morning of the 15th September, I left Sapporo for Nara, taking the local Japanese budget airline, Peach Airlines, for the very first time.

Short films about the March 11th earthquake and tsunami @ Sapporo Film Fest 2012

For my final night in Sapporo, I decided to attend the Sapporo Film Festival's "AFTER 3.11" Special Programme screening. And what a fine screening it was to end my wonderful Sapporo experience.

This program is a compilation of short films related to the Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami that happened in March 11th, 2011. I will recap them one by one, along with my thoughts.

Exploring Otaru 小樽市

My Last Fragments of Winter screening at the Sapporo Film Fest on Sept 12th was actually attended by Yi Hua, a friend from primary and secondary school whom I haven't met for ten years. This had never happened before in all my few years as a filmmaker. She just happened to be in Sapporo.

After that, when we were having ramen, she mentioned a place that intrigued me. The port town of Otaru, just northwest of Sapporo, known for its beautiful canal, the sublime seafood and music boxes (there's a famed music box museum).

And then, hours later, when I attended the Hokkaido Selection program screening, and saw a short film set in the town (there was also a scene shot in the museum), I instantly decided to go there.

So, I went yesterday.