Synopsis

A Chinese theater student tries to get rid of her accent in order to land a college performance. But as she tries harder, the line between the skill set and her self-identity gets blurred.

Director’s bio

Shicong Zhu is a Chinese filmmaker based in Los Angeles, CA and Beijing, China. Her works have been selected to screen at the Oscar-qualifying LA Short Fest, International Foyle Film Festival, Fantasia Film Festival, Bolton Film Festival, the 44th Asian American International Film Festival and so forth. She graduated from the USC School of Cinematic arts where she was an honoree and recipient of the 2020 Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Grant for her most recent short film, Heather’s Voice, which got the invitation to 2022’s China Science Fiction Conference, which is the highest platform in China of its kind.

Her recent script has entered the second round of 2023 Sundance Development Track.

Curator Note

Director’s statement

When Ella (Siyi) presented me with the story inspired by her experience, I immediately felt a personal connection to it. Soon after, I found out that I was not alone. The immigrant experience in the U.S. is so vast yet so specific. It can be so intense, yet so subtly overlooked as merely “minor feelings.” And I feel honored to direct Ella’s story, to present a razor-focused moment in Siyi’s life that has a significant, universal resonance. At its core, de closin night is about a first-generation immigrant in America who tries very hard to assimilate into the culture, to the point that she risks eliminating her own history. Also, it is about an invisible bond through shared culture and family history, grounding Siyi through loss and grief and reminding her of her origins.

Festival & Awards

• Best Narrative Short at 2022 Topaz Film Festival by Women in Film Dallas (a sub organization of a huge organization called Women in Film)

• Platinum Remi Award at 2022 WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival (Canadian Screen Awards-qualifying festival)

• Finalist at 2022 USA Film Festival International Shorts Competition (Canadian Screen Awards-qualifying festival)

• Streamed on Comcast Xfinity as part of the 2022 Portland Film Festival (SVOD)

• Streamed on the Shorts Network as part of the 2022 New York Shorts International Film Festival (SVOD)

  Official Selections at:

• 2022 Urbanworld Film Festival

• 2022 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival

• 2022 New York Shorts International Film Festival

• 2022 Tallgrass Film Festival

• 2022 DC Asian Pacific American Film Festival

• 2022 Breck Film Festival

• 2022 Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival

• 2022 Seattle Film Summit

• 2022 Seattle Film Festival

• 45th Asian American International Film Festival

• 2022 Ojai Film Festival

• 2022 Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival

• 2022 Silicon Valley Asian Pacific FilmFest

• 2022 Boston Asian American Film Festival

• 2022 The Valley Film Festival

• 2022 San Antonio Film Festival

  Semi-Finalists at

• Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival

• Miami Short Film Festival

Casts

Ella Rouwen Chen, Rod Menzies, Jocelyn Liu

Credits

Editor: Guangwei Du, Guanqing Lin

Sound: Lai Jiang

Music: Jasmine Guo