Lee Phongsvananh’s The Signal is a feature film that walks the line between rom-com and sci-fi, focusing on the relationship between Namfon (an underprivileged young woman from a rural town) and a spirit-like figure named Max. Lee has previously won a Lao Filmmakers Fund grant for his short documentary Motion of Life 2 (2014), and co-wrote a 2018 grantee project, Expiration Date, with Anysay Keola. He is a two-time winner of the Vientianale Short Film Festival, and his short film “A Wildlife Move” placed third in LPFF’s American Film Week competition. The Signal will be Lee’s first feature.

Mitpasa Sitthihackpanya’s short film “The Blanket” champions unconditional love about all else, and touches on the need for community and family support. In this film, a seven year-old boy from a rural Lao village becomes responsible for his younger siblings and mother, when his father goes off to the city in search of work. Mitpasa has previously been involved with LPFF through its projects “Love Laos, Keep it Clean” (2016) and “Many Voices, One Laos” (2018). She also participated in a Busan Film Commission workshop in 2017.

Xam Keodoungdy’s In the Shadows is a short documentary about a shadow-puppet master from southern Laos and his fight to preserve this dying art form. The documentary will move between a shadow-puppet performance and the master’s day-to-day struggles. Xam is an emerging Lao filmmaker who received a “Many Voices, One Laos” grant from LPFF in 2018 for his film, The Apprentice Singer.

Kansouda Khammanivong and Xaysawanh Thammavong’s short film, Depression, aims to deal with the topic of mental illness and familial pressures through an exploration of two teenage girls’ daily lives. LPFF is excited to see these young emerging filmmakers approach the complex topic of mental health in Laos in a different way. Xaysawanh and Kansouda have made a number of short films within @My Library workshops. In an effort to support the team’s capacity-building, LPFF has connected them with filmmaker and former LFF grantee Ka Xiong, who will act as a mentor for this project.

Vannaphone (Kino) Sitthirath is the producer of Expiration Date, a live-action feature film. The story centers on Khai — a man with the ability to foresee the end of relationships — and Khaun — a woman seeking revenge for her best friend’s abandonment.

Xaisongkham Induangchanthy‘s Raising A Beast is a feature-length coming-of-age drama about a Hmong sister and brother who must groom their bull into a prize fighter in order to support their family.

Somchit Kittisak is the director of a short fiction film, “Flame of Fire.” The story follows two young boys struggling to maintain their friendship throughout their diverging life paths. Somchit’s story features Khmu characters, giving screen time to an ethnic group currently underrepresented in Lao film. As part of Somchit’s project, LPFF paired him with an established Lao filmmaker for mentorship.

Dorn Bouttasing‘s Let’s Love is a short fiction film about Mai, a young woman learning to navigate a society that doesn’t accept her sexuality. This film aims to bring attention to the challenges of identifying as LGBTQIA+ in Laos. Dorn shot much of her film in her hometown, Xieng Khouang, to show the reality of LGBTQIA+ communities in Laos’ more remote areas.

Ka Xiong‘s A Melody of Change is a short fiction film about a mysterious woman named Hongfa. Hongfa travels through a remote village in Northern Laos, and uses music to bring together the divided Khmu and Hmong communities. As part of the film’s production process, musicians in the region composed an original soundtrack using traditional instruments and melodies.

Beyond the Power is Light Flare Team‘s science fiction film project about four teenagers with superpowers, who team up to stop an evil corporation from creating an army of superhumans and starting World War III. The Light Flare Team specializes in CGI effects. Director Palinya Sayyamoungkhoun won the Outstanding Technical Achievement award for his short film, “300 Seconds”, at the Mini-Vientianale Film Festival.

Unlikely Friendship by Lao Children’s Workshop is a short fiction film that follows three young friends along their respective journeys to their Khmu, Hmong, and Lao villages. The crew is comprised of five young students from the Luang Prabang Orphanage School, whose films screened in the Mini-Vientianale’s Short Film Competition.

Suliyachak Phuntulad’s Candlelight is a short film about the conflict between two students from different backgrounds in the same class. The film is a project by the Savannakhet University Movie Club. This student-run group consists of Mass Media and English students, who work together to make short films and learn about writing and shooting movies. This was the second film the team made together.

The Long Walk by Mattie Do is a feature-length supernatural thriller. It follows a subsistence farmer, living on the fringes of rural Laos, who develops an obsession with the amnesiac spirit of an accident victim that haunts the dirt road where she died. Continuing with her favored theme of the supernatural, this is the Lao-American director’s third feature film. Her sophomore title, “Dearest Sister,” screened at the 2015 Luang Prabang Film Festival.

Xaisongkham Induangchanthy‘s Those Below is a short film that highlights the effects of the secret war in Laos. Although the war ended more than four decades ago, its legacies remain and continue to haunt those affected — be it Lao villagers living in UXO-contaminated areas, or veterans in the USA. This film was Induangchanthy’s thesis project for his MFA Film degree at City College of New York.

Vilayphong “Lee” Phongsavanh‘s Motion of Life is a short documentary about free-running in Laos. This film highlights a new sport popular with Lao youth, which requires physical strength, dedication, speed and agility. Lee shot most of the film with a drone, against the background of Laos’ most significant historical and cultural sites.

Xaisongkham Induangchanthy‘s Against the Tide is a short fiction film that tells the story of Mr. Leum, an older fisherman from the 4000 Islands in Southern Laos. This film focuses on the Lao generational differences in values between the young and old populations in the country. While some believe material goods might make you happy, others feel content with what they have.

Phonevilay Keopaseuth‘s The Choices addresses the issue of young women coming from rural Lao provinces to find work in Vientiane. The women often take jobs in factories, but the need for fast income for themselves and their families drive them to seek other sources of financial support.