This four-day program, supported by CHANEL, showcases independent art and filmmaking in Asia, celebrating these robust communities, original visual languages, and cross-cultural dialogues. Held between 30 May to 2 June 2024, the festival will host screenings, exhibitions, performances, talks, and workshops with artists and filmmakers from across Asia and key works from the M+ Collections.

The Asian Avant-Garde Film Festival foregrounds independent art and filmmaking that challenge dominant historical narratives and expand the possibilities of visual expression. By presenting an array of moving image practices and key works from the M+ Collections, the festival will activate the museum in new ways to offer different aesthetic and spatial experiences for audiences.

In this first edition, the festival will look at the history of Asian avant-garde filmmaking through M+’s unique lens of visual culture to consider interdisciplinary, cross-cultural, and intergenerational lineages. It will highlight the crucial role that artists play in re-examining the past and forging new historical narratives. Artists and filmmakers from across Asia, including Nick Deocampo, Lei Lei, Simon Liu, Lu Yang, Ellen Pau, Wing Shya, Su Hui-Yu, Wong Ping, Ruby Yang, and Zhang Peili, will participate in post-screening talks, workshops, lounge chats, and performances.

M+ has invited Wing Shya, a renowned Hong Kong photographer, designer, and filmmaker, to be the festival Art Director. Shya has led the festival’s visual identity and provided never-before-seen photography works for the key art and trailer.

Learn more about the Asian Avant-Garde Film Festival. Learn more about M+ Cinema.

April 2024