The prism of diaspora transforms one’s identity into complex colours, in exchange for existing in a liminal space between cultures, generations, borders, and time. Enriching perspectives can be found across wider East and Southeast Asian experiences. A perfect day, the dangers of border-crossing – is grass indeed greener on the other side?

Followed by an in-person Q&A with filmmakers in this programme.

Ticket holders will receive a free drink of Hong Kong-style milk tea after the screening, supported by My Cup of HK Tea.

Films in Programme:

Clearance

Malaysia | 2025 | Colour | 15’ | In English and Bahasa Melayu with English subtitles

Dir.: Charles Normsaskul

With the help of a translator on the phone, a Malaysian woman is interviewed by an immigration officer to decide if she can enter the United Kingdom.

Side A: A Summer Day

Taiwan | 2024 | Colour | 21’ | In Mandarin, Cantonese and Hindi with English subtitles

Dir.: Kin Fai Wan  

Fei will get the best birthday present ever if he finishes his homework, his mother promised. But it's already the last day of summer, and Fei hasn't received anything yet. Best Live Action Short at Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival 2024.

Give and Take

Canada | 2025 | Colour | 60’ | In Cantonese with Chinese and English subtitles

Dir.: Jimmy Lo 羅志明

A schoolteacher and an artist, two newlyweds, leave their lives in Hong Kong and wrestle with the promise of freedom in Canada.

Hong Kong Film Festival UK returns for its third edition from 12–28 September in London, presenting reflective, boundary-shifting cinema from Hong Kong and the ESEA diaspora. This year’s programme foregrounds transient and transitioning identities, exploring perspectives on migration, activism, marginalised communities, and gender, highlighting also the creative lens of women filmmakers. From dynamic contemporary works to intimate personal narratives, the festival centres voices that challenge, navigate, and reimagine belonging. Supported by the BFI.