CinemAsia: Under a Harvest Moon

In many cultures, the spirit of the full moon symbolises collective reunion, renewal and celebration. Across the mid-autumn festival, lantern parades, harvest rituals, and family traditions, it marks a time imbued with folklore and a sense of wonder. How might we re-embrace these practices of dreaming and collective imagining in the everyday, both within and beyond our own traditions? 

Bringing together six films from Asia and the diaspora which playfully explore mythical histories, fantasies and the future, we want to reflect on the importance of gathering, gratitude, and re-connection under the harvest moon.

The screening will be followed by a lantern workshop led by Alina Tang, the founder of Pansy, a ceramic & illustration studio in Amsterdam. Everyone will receive a small lantern to craft whilst collectively reflecting on the program’s themes and new beginnings. Participation in the workshop is optional, but all are welcome to join! 

Doors open: 19:00

Short film programme: 19:30 – 21:00 

Workshop: 21:00 – 22:00 

Short Film List (total run-time: 85 mins):

Full Month

Ash Goh Hua | Singapore | 2025 | 14’ 

Following the birth of her niece, Jing returns to Singapore for the newborn’s full month celebration. Here she is forced to confront her contentious relationship with her estranged mother and a traditional family politic—the causes of her departure a decade prior.

Little Rebels Cinema Club 

Khozy Rhizal | Indonesia | 2024 | 17’ 

Set in 2008, Doddy, a 14 year old boy, tries to recreate an iconic scene of a zombie film with three of his best friends, using a handycam belonging to Anji, his sad and angry emo brother.

She Cries (The Holy Water)

Panida Petchara | Thailand, The Netherlands | 2026 | 10’  

Drifting through a waking dream of endless rain and tears, a diasporic artist bridges her grandmother’s fading memory with the golden mermaid folklore of her youth.

The Tale of Tran Thanh Duong 

Hachul Le Do | Vietnam | 2025 | 8’ 

In a world where men are fish and women are shrimp, the birth of a new species emerges. Drawing inspiration from Vietnamese folklore and traditional musical theatre, Trần Thanh Dương swims against binaries with the spirit of a mythic species that doesn’t quite fit anywhere—a fictional reimagining of Saint Gióng.

Surface Tension 

The Serrano Sisters | Philippines | 2025 | 17’ 

Young competitive swimmer Bulet returns to her family’s lakeside home in a Philippine jungle town. Amidst church rites and fiesta crowds at her cousin’s wedding, reality and dream begin to blur and Bulet confronts the loss of love and land.

Grandma Nai Who Played Favourites 

Chhengkea | Cambodia | 2025 | 19’  

During her chaotic family’s Qingming visit, dead Grandma Nai sneaks away from her peaceful afterlife after overhearing that her queer grandson is about ​to get engaged to a woman.

CinemAsia Film Festival brings together stories from across Asia and its diaspora to enhance Asian visibility and empowerment in culture and media in the Netherlands. The festival aims to foster an inclusive society by enriching the public discourse on Asian culture through an intersection between Asian cinema, popular media, and community building.

The next edition of the festival will take place between 31 March–4 April 2027. Please visit cinemasia.nl to find out more.