POPPIES
DRAMA : SHORT FILM : 00:20:00 : 2018
POPPIES 罌粟花
While on a long-haul flight from Shanghai to New York, a despondent, American lawyer becomes seduced by the enchanting stories of a wise, Chinese woman seated beside him; unleashing feelings he had tried to bury deep inside.
STORY
Fate intervenes, when Charles, a young and over-worked American corporate lawyer, finds himself seated beside an elderly Chinese woman with a mysterious past, Auntie Ling on a contemporary flight from Shanghai to New York.
After noticing the beautiful bouquet of Poppies that Charles has brought onboard the flight, Auntie Ling reminisces about the early years of her marriage to Shu Zhen, an opium trader in 1940s Shanghai, and tries to coax Charles out of his solitude.
Slowly lured into her stories, Charles begins to see the layers beneath Auntie Ling's polished facade. Poppies brought Charles and Auntie Ling together, underscoring the fine line between joy and sorrow...life and death.
Influenced by real events, Poppies explores the cross-cultural and cross-generational relationships that develop between strangers in mid-air.
A NOTE FROM THE WRITER / DIRECTOR
At the root of Poppies are the universal ideas of love, fate and destiny, told through a contemporary lens exploring cultural values, age and gender.
Was Charles destined to sit beside Auntie Ling, the one woman who can save him in his time of need? Or was he lucky – had he not brought the poppies on board the flight, what would happen to him?
Like the character of Charles, I was absorbed in a stressful job that left me dispassionate and questioning my values (individual pursuits vs family), and my ideas on types of love. Also like Charles, I was lucky to have met a figure like Auntie Ling in Singapore, a colleague of mine at my first job in an investment bank.
Poppies is a deeply personal story, based upon my experience of living and working in Asia for 7 years and the impression that Asian (and Chinese) culture has left on my perception and values. The film is not only a personal expression of experience, but also an important story for diversity – strengthening the relationship between Asia and America, and supporting the Asian-American community in the entertainment industry.
CAST
-
Matt William Knowles 馬泰
CHARLES HARRIS
-
Cindera Che 車倩文
AUNTIE LING
-
Kara Wang
LIAN HUA
-
Jonathan Stanton
SHU ZHEN
-
Yadira Pascault Orozco
MARY HARRIS
CREW
-
Myles Yaksich
WRITER / DIRECTOR
-
Jennie Lew Tugend
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
-
Cindy Lu
PRODUCER
-
Dylan Chapgier
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
-
Nicholas Pike
COMPOSER
-
Lazaro Hernandez
VISUAL EFFECTS
FESTIVAL AND AWARDS
LA SHORTS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Official Selection
July 2018 in Los Angeles
AMAZON ALL VOICES FILM FESTIVAL
Finalist
Aug 2019 in Los Angeles
ASIANS ON FILM (SPRING)
*Official Winner - Best Actress (Cindera Che)*
*Honorable Mention Best Drama*
July 2018
ASIAN TOURISM FILM AND TELEVISION ART WEEK
*Official Winner - Overall Short Film (3rd)*
July 2018 in Taizhou City
GOLDEN STATE FILM FESTIVAL
*Official Winner - Best Production Design*
Aug 2018 in Los Angeles
IMDB'S INDEPENDENT SHORTS AWARDS
*Official Winner - Original Story*
*Official Winner - Best Narrative Short*
*Official Winner - First Time Director*
Aug 2018 in Los Angeles
SACRAMENTO FILM AND MUSIC FESTIVAL
*Official Winner - Jury Award - Best Student Film*
*Official Winner - Audience Award - Best Student Film*
Sept 2018 in Sacramento, CA
THE GREAT LAKES INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Official Selection
Sept 2018 in Eerie, PA
CANADA CHINA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
*Official Winner - Best Actor (Matthew Knowles)*
Sept 2018 in Montreal, QC
EDMONTON INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Official Selection
Sept / Oct 2018 in Edmonton, AL
LA FEMME INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Official Selection in Oct 2018
Los Angeles, CA
OPEN WORLD TORONTO FILM FESTIVAL
*Official Winner - Best Director (Myles Yaksich)*
Oct 2018 in Toronto, ON
THAT FILM FESTIVAL (MARBELLA)
*Official Winner - Audience Award (Best of Fest)*
Oct 2018 in Marbella, Spain
GLOBAL SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL
*Official Winner - Best Short Film*
*Official Winner - Best Screenplay*
Oct 2018 in Los Angeles, CA
DURHAM REGION INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Official Selection
Oct 2018 in Durham, ON
SAN PEDRO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Official Selection
Oct 2018 in San Pedro, CA
ALAMEDA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
*Official Winner - Newcomer Short*
Nov 2018 in Alameda, CA
HAMILTON FILM FESTIVAL
Official Selection
Nov 2018 in Hamilton, ON
CHINESE AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL
Official Selection
Nov 2018 in Los Angeles, CA
CULVER CITY FILM FESTIVAL
Official Selection
Dec 2018 in Los Angeles, CA
LA CINEFEST
Semi-Finalist
Dec 2018 in Los Angeles
CANADA SHORTS
*Official Winner - Award of Excellence*
Jan 2019 in Toronto, ON
ROMANCE FILM AND SCREENPLAY FESTIVAL
Official Selection
Jan 2019 in Toronto, ON
ASIANS ON FILM ANNUAL FESTIVAL
Official Selection
Jan 2019 in Los Angeles, CA
TORONTO VANGUARD FILM FESTIVAL
Official Selection
Jan 2019 in Toronto, ON
KATRA FILM FESTIVAL
*Official Winner - Audience Award Best of Festival*
Jan 2019 in Brooklyn, NYC
THAT FILM FESTIVAL (BERLIN)
Finalist
Feb 2019 in Berlin, Germany
HOLLYWOOD SCREENINGS FILM FESTIVAL
Semi-Finalist
Feb 2019 in Los Angeles, CA
PASADENA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Official Selection
Mar 2019 in Pasadena, CA
ONIROS FILM AWARDS
*Official Winner - Best Short Film*
*Official Winner - Best Screenplay*
Apr 2019 in Italy
QUEEN PALM INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
*Official Winner - Best First Time Filmmaker (Silver)*
*Official Winner - Best Cinematography (Bronze)*
Nomination - Best Drama Short
Nomination - Best Actress (Cindera Che)
June 2019 in Palm Springs, CA
BRENTWOOD & PACIFIC PALISADES INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Official Selection
June 2019 in Los Angeles, CA
12TH ANNUAL HAMILTON INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Official Selection
July 2019 in Hamilton, NY
INDUSTRY NEXT: FILM & MUSIC
Grand Prize Winner
July 2019 in Los Angeles, CA
ONTARIO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Official Selection
Oct 2020 in Ontario
BEIJING INDIE SHORT FILM FESTIVAL
Official Winner - Best of Fest
Jan 2021 in Beijing
SEDONA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Official Selection
July 2021 in Sedona