M+ will host its first-ever Asian Avant-Garde Film Festival in a four-day programme that celebrates independent art and filmmaking across Asia. For this first edition, the films will re-examine the past and look back at cross-cultural and intergenerational lineages to create new historical narratives. Split between the Grand Stair and M+ Cinema House 1, the programme will be grouped into themes that touch on motifs such as the relationship between the self and society, animation work, and spotlights on particular artists such as video art pioneer Zhang Peili.
We’re most looking forward to essay-films using found footage by Bo Wang, Ho Tzu Nyen, and Lee Kai Chung that unveil Hong Kong’s slippery relationship with her neighbours; the Fearless & Fierce programme which shows how filmmakers from the 70s to the present day have addressed the dilemmas of being women in Asia; and Taiwanese artist Su Hui-yu’s recreation of the 1985 homoerotic cult classic The Glamorous Boys of Tang by Chiu Kang-chien.
For the duration of the festival, the Moving Image Centre will become the Festival Lounge, hosting workshops, talks, film presentations, and more. Definitely hit up the museum on the night of May 31 for Amorphous Bodies: A Happening, an immersive art experience with performances by artist filmmakers and simultaneously a party with a diverse lineup of DJs.
Tickets for screenings at the Asian Avant-Garde Film Festival are selling for $85, while some special programmes will cost $120. Festival passes are also available for $750, which will grant holders access to all ticketed festival programmes and fast track entry. All pass and ticket holders can enjoy access to the Amorphous Bodies celebration at Horizon Terrace.
