CAAMFest 2024: Navigating Intimacy Shorts Program

These films move beyond the smooth-as-silk sensuality we so often see on screen to draw out a more nuanced view of intimacy. Tense urges, tricky inheritances, unspoken trauma, and tentative curiosity punctuate the private lives of these characters. As they stumble through fits of shame, fiery encounters, and hazy memories, their stories speak to both the messiness and joys that come from connection at such proximity.

Content advisory: The films in this program contain sexual content, including depictions of nudity and sexual acts.

Expected Guests in Attendance: Director/Writer Alex Qin (Thirstygirl), Director Timothy Guion Smith (Next of Kin), Cinematographer Nathaniel Elgino (Next of Kin), Director Monica Mai (homecoming), Director Jinsui Song (Something Blue), Producer Shen Wei (Something Blue), Cinematographer Jacqueline Chan (Something Blue)

THIRSTYGIRL
DIRECTED BY ALEXANDRA QIN
Two sisters struggle with addiction and mental health on a trip through the American South.

SEVENTEEN
DIRECTED BY GEQI LI
Sex work, teen pregnancy, and abortion challenge a mother-daughter relationship.
Content advisory: This film includes depictions of nudity and sexual acts.

NEXT OF KIN
DIRECTED BY TIMOTHY GUION SMITH
After a painful rejection, mother and son connect over the inheritance of HIV/AIDS “poz undetectable” status.

HOMECOMING
DIRECTED BY MONICA MAI
When a father returns home from prison on the night of his estranged teen’s homecoming dance, the pair must take stock of their relationship.

SOMETHING BLUE
DIRECTED BY JINSUI SONG
Fragmented memories of unspoken trauma bubble up at a cousin’s wedding.

AFTER SUNSET, DAWN ARRIVES
DIRECTED BY ANDY YI LI
A close encounter sparks queer curiosity for an elderly widower dancing into a new chapter of his life.