Lineup
FRIENDS
2020 / 20 min / Drama / Mandarin, Uyghur / Chinese and English subtitles / International Premiere
Beijing Queer Film Festival 2020
Joseph, Kamran, Ilzat, Maomao, Ailong, and Suyang – some from Xinjiang, some from Guangdong, and others from Beijing – are going to graduate from a prestigious university in China. They gather at a bar in Beijing to celebrate the birthday of Kamran, the only gay person among them. At the birthday party, they openly discuss various topics including men, women, sex, adultery, incest, racial discrimination, and other thorny issues. Joseph, who loves filming, is recording the last party of their university years. Unfortunately, the seemingly happy birthday party ends on bad terms because of some intentional or unintentional words.
Mirzat Abduqadir was born in Aksu in 1994. In 2015, he began to teach himself filmmaking and film theory. He has participated in the production of multiple highly anticipated works by emerging filmmakers.
ELEPHANT IN THE CAR
2020 / 17 min / Drama / Mandarin, Uyghur / Chinese and English subtitles / North American Premiere
FIRST International Film Festival 2020
Hong Kong International Film Festival 2020
Xiao-xiao, a Chinese girl, works overtime, so she decides to go home by taxi. On the way, the driver picks up two Uyghur carpoolers. They sit in the back, chatting in Uyghur and Chinese. Things become irritating for Xiao-xiao as the driver joins the chat; he even starts to put on Uyghur music. As she cannot stand it anymore, Xiao-xiao gets off the car early. However, the music still stays in her head.
Ikram Nurmehmet, a native of Urumqi, Xinjiang, graduated from Marmara University with a degree in television and film production. Currently based in Beijing, he has directed multiple narrative and documentary shorts.
ALIKIS
2019 / 12 min / Drama / Uyghur / Chinese and English subtitles / North American Premiere
Beijing International Short Film Festival 2019
Osaka Asian Film Festival 2020
On his first wedding anniversary, Nijat comes home without telling his wife in advance. He discovers that his beloved dog Alikis is missing. Nijat is anxious and spares no effort to find Alikis, whereas his wife is relatively indifferent to the dog’s disappearance.
BLESSED WINTER
2020 / 13 min / Drama / Uyghur / Chinese and English subtitles / North American Premiere
Best Film, 86358 Short Film Festival 2020
Special Mention (Short Film Competition), Hong Kong International Film Festival 2021
In the process of a teenager’s pursuit of a girl, some interesting things happen. At the same time, the girl’s father is so alcoholic that her mother wants to divorce him, but she keeps dragging on.
Emetjan Memet, born in 1991, hails from Kashgar, Xinjiang, and is currently a graduate student at Beijing Film Academy.
THE NIGHT OF ARZU
2017 / 35 min / Drama / Uyghur, Mandarin / English subtitles / North American Premiere
Golden Horse Awards 2017
Best Short Film, China Independent Film Festival 2018
On a Beijing winter’s night in 2017, a Uyghur boy called Mustaffa is hanging out with his friends in a bar. They notice a girl drinking alone with a headscarf on. Mustaffa goes up to her and finds out that she is also a Uyghur called Arzu. They have a crush on each other and leave the bar together…
MARIA BY THE SEA
2019 / 38 min / Drama / Korean, Uyghur / English subtitles / North American Premiere
International Film Festival Rotterdam 2019
Busan International Film Festival 2019
In a western restaurant in Seoul, Professor Jung is explaining to his date, Ms. Lee, why he is late: he ran into his former student, Maria, who helped him choose a gift; then they talked at a café, as Maria had a few questions for Professor Jung. The story unexpectedly pleases Ms. Lee, so she offers to treat him. Professor Jung objects. Small talk grows into a hostile conversation. Feeling offended, Ms. Lee leaves without Professor Jung’s gift…
Tawfiq Nizamidin is a Uyghur director born in Urumqi in 1991. He graduated from Beijing Film Academy. In 2017, his short film THE NIGHT OF ARZU was nominated for Best Live Action Short Film at the Golden Horse Awards in Taipei. In 2018, he completed his second short film MARIA BY THE SEA, shot in Korea in collaboration with the Korean Academy of Film Arts. It premiered at the Voices section of International Film Festival Rotterdam and was selected by Busan International Film Festival’s Community section. He also produced and co-wrote ELEPHANT IN THE CAR. Currently he is based in France and preparing for his next short film and first feature.