Tuesday, March 28, 2006

last weekend

last friday, I 've got two news, one is that i didnt get into 2 major animation festivals, one in South Korea and another one in France (ANNECY)....from that, i got a revelation.....reaching to the international arena is bloody hard, and I guess I am not up to that level yet......

But I guess I just gotta keep trying and sending it to more festivals, and who knows, I might slip into one or two big ones. I wasnt sad or anything, just know that I really need to send it to more festivals, went to Luigi's home and dub like 17 copies of preview tapes.

ON saturday morning, I got this email:
" We are delighted to extend this formal invitation for LIVING IN THE DARK and SUKKI'S STORY to be screened in MIAF 2006. "

I made it to the Melbourne International Animation Festival, that's the one that I really wanted to get into in Melbourne, and I made it. I guess I can get into that one because its a "local" production and I think it lets it get in a bit easier~ but hey, it's an international animation festival and I am happy!!

I called up robbie and we were chatting, tell him about the good news and we looked back at how much we have achieved......we did achieve something, which is pretty cool.

I miss him so much.

my showreel


a screengrab from "Living in the DARK"

"Showreel 2006 of Thomas Leung" is now live on iFILM:
http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2712769

It's the short version unlike that one that I did before I left melbourne.

my two shortfilms

I guess i should show you my works and how they are doing in the festival run:
I've uploaded all my films to http://www.ifilm.com and please have a look at it if you are intererested:

Living in the DARK (2005 5 minutes stereo PAL)

Synopsis:
It captures the filmmaker’s childhood experience of eye injuries, the pain and the loneliness of living in the dark. It is also a story about his father.

Screenings and awards:
- Cinefest (Melbourne University Student Film Festival)
- Icebreakers Film Festival @ Fitzroy Gallery
- 5th Bondi Shortfilm Festival, Sydney 26-11-05 (Winner of Best Cinematography)
- Graphite 2005 – Electronic Theatre Program 30–11-05, Dunedin, NZ
- Melbourne International Arts Festival – Festival Kids Club @ Art Play, 07-10-05
- Victorian Student Animation Festival 2005 (16-2-2006)
· Winner of Best Production Design
· Winner of Best Film
- Sold to Australian Television Station SBS’s program - Shorts on Screen (SOS)

- Melbourne International Animation Festival (MIAF) 2006

"Living in the DARK" is now live on IFILM:
http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2712764

"making of Living in the DARK" is now live on IFILM:
http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2712773



______________________________________________________________________________

Sukki's Story (2005 5 minutes stereo PAL)

Synopsos:

A young man’s lifelong relationship with his mother.

Sukki’s Story is an animated digital story created by Thomas Leung. It reflects on his changing relationship with his mother when he leaves Hong Kong to start his new life in a new country.

Screenings and awards:
- Selected for screening as part of the “first person” - International Digital
Storytelling conference compilations
– Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) Melbourne, Australia
- Victorian Student Animation Festival 2005 (16-2-2006)
- Winner of Best Sound Design
- selected as part of the Australia Digital Shorts Program
at the Sydney Film Festival 2006

- Melbourne International Animation Festival 2006 (MIAF)

"Sukki's Story" is now live on IFILM:
http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2712763

"making of SUKKI" is now live on IFILM:
http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2712815

state of mind

It's an email that I wrote to an old friend, and i think it pretty much shows what's in my head right now.....

Hi Chew,

Good that hear you got your future all planned!!

Well, for me, I am in the middle of a 3 way street i would say. I 've spend the last 2 years working in my field and I think I 've starting to achieve something, my shortfilms are now launching in a few major festivals in melbourne and I am going to keep sending it to more international festivals. But in order to stay in melbourne, i need to apply for another visa, which is what I am doing now, in the process of putting together an application. I have to do that in Hong Kong, which gives me a really good chance of having a real holiday. I think i might actually go overseas!!!

If I don't apply for it now, I will not be eligible to apply it in 6 months, I can always go back to HK....which leads me to this option.


I might use this time to really relax as if I dont it now, maybe I need to have it in another 3 years. I can use this time to think about my future and all that. I dont think i will go back to study this soon, as I want a bit of time off before doing more studies....and I need more experience b4 more degrees. But hey, I got my first class honours, not bad yeah?!!

I really want to think myself as an international worker, and not restrict myself in one location.......I am still trying to figure out how to do that.......but i think launching my films in international festivals can allow me to do that. I might come to singapore in June if my films entered a competition there, would you be there around that time?

I was in New Zealand last December as my film was selected to be screened at a conference in Dunedin, it was great!!

no, no girl friends, I did have a crush on some girls, but because i have to go, i didnt bothered to tell her.....bummer....i think my head was full of aussie girls...hahah!!

that's it for now,

talk to you soon,

Thomas

Saturday, March 25, 2006

today IS the first day of the rest of my life

I've been looking at my friend Tang Shing's blog, and i thought.....
it's time to continue my blogging, and here it is, my new blog....

stay tuned as I really like to talk to myself.