Hello there!!

My name is Chloris Au and I am the producer for an upcoming short film titled 'Flourish'!

Written by our director Lianne Guo, the film will be competing against 7 other teams in the 10-minute shorts category of the Mighty Asian Moviemaking Marathon (MAMM), hosted by the Vancouver Asian Film Festival (VAFF)!

About the film:

Flourish is a film about regret and broken dreams, offering reflection by dissecting the reasons behind hesitation and self sabotage. By reinventing the classic Chinese Idiom “叶公好龙“ in the context of an ambitious Drum Major, we paint a cautionary tale; warning those against allowing fear of failure to hinder one from pursuing success and achieving their dreams.

At a cadet marching band competition, the film follows Anna, the Drum Major, and her inner battle of wanting to outdo her older sister’s legacy and impressing her supportive mentor Sofie at the same time. The stakes are high as this is her final year in the cadet program before turning 19 and aging out.

Despite her years of practice and dedication, in the moment where it matters the most, Anna freezes up under the pressure and fails to complete her routine. The fear of messing up a move and dropping the mace stops Anna from showing her full potential.

Needing to redeem herself, Anna flees the arena shortly after the performance and proceeds to complete her routine flawlessly on a familiar grass field, free of pressure, but also without any witnesses to see her true capabilities. It leaves a bittersweet conclusion to her Drum Major career, now having to reconcile the damage from self-doubt and fear.

What will you be funding?

A little bit goes a long way! We hope to use these funds to support our crew and make the best film possible! The money will go towards feeding our cast and crew, securing filming locations, sourcing camera and lighting equipment, having insurance in case of emergencies, and towards our arts and costuming departments to truly bring our vision to life!

All supporters will also have their name in the credits of our film under "special thanks", because this film would not be what it is without you!

Director's Statement:

For all the dreamers out there, Flourish is for you. A bittersweet tale reminding us to not let fear have its way. Anna's ambition at its core is what makes and breaks her, it is self discovery that propels her to move past missteps. In a time like now, when the future holds much uncertainty, I feel it is important to remind ourselves to dream freely and pursue our ambitions boldly.

There may be many factors in our daily lives that hinder us from pursuing our dreams, which I find as a universal experience, especially among youth and young adults who want to make their first mark. Hopefully, this serves as a moment of pause, to take time to rediscover the joy of putting action towards ambitions, unburdened by the perceived consequences of failure.

Our team of passionate, emerging filmmakers seek this chance to make our mark through storytelling. Flourish is not only a story to inspire, but also a culmination of dreams and ambitions. We may blunder along the way, but we will continue to pursue our aspirations, undaunted.

-- Lianne Guo

Closing Remarks:

We have put together an amazing team of upcoming filmmakers and artists, all with their own unique set of skills, and with your help we'll be able to showcase their talent to the fullest!

This is a story that is personal and close to our hearts, and we hope to have it resonate with audiences and to show that all you need to do is to believe in yourself.

Thank you! <3

-- Team Long