What Is Impact?

Moderator: Claire AGUILAR｜President, Wilmera Media

Panelists:
Sabine Fayoux CANTILLO ｜Associate Director of Program, Chicken & Egg Pictures
Violet FENG ｜Director, Producer
Mette HOFFMANN MEYER ｜CEO, The Why Foundation
Jaff SHENG ｜Co-founder & Executive Board Chair, Leping Foundation

Five years ago, at the age of 23, PAN Mei-hao moved alone from a small town in Henan to the capital, Beijing. She didn’t leave with her family’s blessings. Their concerns were not unfounded, as Mei-hao has been living in a wheelchair since she turned one. Five years later, this girl who once relied entirely on her parent’s care has not only found a job to support herself in Beijing but is also living a rich and fulfilling life, trying out exciting experiences like skydiving, and has even managed to start her own business. In China, there are 85 million people living with disabilities, and their stories are often seen as marginalized and filled with hardship. However, by following the wonderful ride of a girl in a wheelchair who has defied all odds and danced through life with a smile on her face, we witness not only a woman’s personal growth but also a vision of a diverse and inclusive China, where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Serving the Environmental Protection Bureau of Langfang City, Mr. LI, the Deputy Director, and his assistant HU are facing the deterioration of air pollution and have to try hard improving the air quality in town. How can they keep improving the air quality while being pressurized to maintain economic growth?

Women in China were historically forced into oppressive marriages and forbidden to read or write by their households for thousands of years. To cope, they developed and shared a secret language among themselves called Nushu. Written

Violet is an Emmy-winning independent documentarian and a 2022 Sundance Creative Producing Advisor. She is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences and an adjunct professor at the Journalism School of Columbia University. Violet directed and produced the most recent Oscar Shortlisted Hidden Letters which premiered in competition at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival, followed by eight international festival awards and broadcast distributions in more than 15 countries. She directed PBS/CPB special program Harbor from the Holocaust with music performed by Yo-Yo Ma.

She has directed, produced, and executive produced 13 documentaries. Her producing credits include Dear Mother, I Meant to Write About Death (2022), which received a Special Mention at Busan International Film Festival; Singing in the Wilderness (2021), a nominee for the Golden Alexander Award at Thessaloniki International Film Festival; Confucian Dream (2019), winner of a Special Jury Award at Karlovy Vary International Festival and the Chinese Academy Award of Documentary Film; Mainland (2017), winner of a Special Jury Award at SXSW and Please Remember Me (2015), winner of three awards at GZDocs with a successful theatrical release and impact campaign in China that resulted in policy changes. The film was awarded DocImpactHi5 of 2019.

Violet started her career as a co-producer on the critically acclaimed 2007 Sundance Special Jury winner Peabody and Emmy winner Nanking, which was distributed theatrically around 30 countries throughout the world, and was the highest-grossing documentary in China. Violet produces the forthcoming films Night of Nights and Running with the Prime Minister. Violet is a consulting programmer for Shanghai International Film Festival. Born in Shanghai and based in New York, Violet holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Fudan University and received her MFA in journalism from the University of California at Berkeley.

Speaker: Violet FENG | Director, Producer

The Road Less Traveled chronicles Jeff Huang’s journey of leaving behind his lucrative investment banking job to become a mixed martial artist.

At age thirty-three, with an annual salary in the millions and at the height of his financing career, Jeff walks away from it all, moves to Brazil to train in mixed martial arts. Upon his return to Taiwan, Jeff enters the professional world of the MMA and become known as “The Machine.” His traditional Taiwanese family finds Jeff’s decision irresponsible and disappointing, a betrayal to the “investment” they’ve put in to raise him; and unable to cope with such a drastic life-altering decision, Jeff’s wife divorces him.

But when life doesn’t go according to plan, Jeff is even more determined to prove that he’s made the right decision by becoming a formidable force in the MMA arena. On the road less traveled, Jeff finds strength and meaning.

International co-production projects shine at major film festivals every year. It is a proven fact that international co-production plays a significant role in the success of these festivals and the promotion of the film market. Although the idea of international co-production may initially seem daunting, there are practical strategies that can be learned from experienced professionals such as Stefano CENTINI, who will provide guidance on finding co-production partners, overcoming obstacles, and accessing resources and support. Stefano CENTINI will share valuable insights into how to collaborate effectively with international partners and how co-production can impact a work’s entry into the international market and future productions.

After 20 years away, A-Liang returns to his family in a rural isolated area of Taiwan. He films this reunion day by day, determined to confront them with the superstitions that seem to guide their lives – in particular their stubborn belief in the older brother’s psychic powers. He gradually realizes that his departure is also a deep wound for his family…

Renowned consultant Dan SALERNO delves into the current developments within the documentary and factual genres. He examines the current landscape of streaming platforms, as well as the strategies employed by both public and private broadcasters. What’s Hot. What’s Not. Are we now at an inflection point in the industry? Where are we going? And what is the state of the genre?

Speaker: Dan SALERNO

Documentary: What’s Next?

During their special “dates” with their artificially intelligent companions, three young Chinese women reflect on the uniqueness and boundaries of such intimate relationships. This short documentary captures the richness of these bonds, from philosophical questions to intimate moments to the real sense of security and companionship afforded by these artificially intelligent lovers.

The Artificial intelligence (AI) era has arrived, and with it comes a host of questions and debates around truth that are touching every facet of our lives, including documentary filmmaking. But don’t panic yet! Given our skills in creatively and ethically interrogating the real, documentarians can play an important role in directing this conversation. In the true spirit of documentary, it is time for us to ask, and investigate, some salient questions that can help us shape this brave new world. How can we work with these new tools to build trust, rather than to erase it? How can we begin to think critically and develop best- practices to find practical approaches to working with AI? In this session, we deep-dive into the murky questions raised by AI with a view towards finding a pathway to ethical co-creation.

Moderator: Alice BURGIN

《終點之前》Before the End 臺灣 Taiwan | 2019 | 34 min |林俞華 LIN Yu-hua

《兒童文學》Growing
中國大陸 China | 2022 | 31 min |梁靜圓 LIANG Jing-yuan

Tong is bearing a huge misfortune and pressure before her college entrance examination, she thinks only a place full of love could let her truly settle down. The college entrance exam is only few weeks away,sheshe’s wandering around without knowing where to go.

A chronicle of life in Paris between 1900 and 1914 using documents from the time and excerpts from over 700 films, often held up as a example of how to edit.

“Nicole VEDRES and her little unit have achieved something immensely beautiful that shatters the visual conventions of cinema as profoundly as Marcel Proust’s oeuvre succeeded in transforming the novel.” (André BAZIN)

“I owe everything to Nicole VEDRES.” (Chris MARKER).