CCCL announces 38 short films in the short film program for the 4th edition of CCCL Film Festival.
This year, selected from a record-breaking 383 short film submissions, 38 short films were selected for the main competition, comprising 19 documentary films and 19 non-documentary films. Among these, there are 16 Thai short films and 22 short films from other Asian countries.
The 38 selected short films will compete for main awards in the documentary and non-documentary categories, and special awards, including the young filmmaker award, the Youth Jury Award, and the Audience Choice Award, with a total prize value of 250,000 Baht.
CCCL Film Festival will take place from February 15-18, 2024 at the Alliance Française Bangkok, and from February 19-29, 2024 in Chiang Rai, Nan, Nakhon Phanom, Udon Thani, Songkhla, and Pattani. Free registration begins February 6, 2024 on www.ccclfilmfestival.com. See the full list of short films in competition below:
Documentary Short Films
โรงเรียนไม้ไผ่ (BAMBOO SCHOOL)
DIR. Weeraya Vichayaprasertkul
A story of a small school in a rural area of Buriram province, Thailand, that implemented a curriculum empowering children to meaningfully engage with communities and environmental activities.
CLIMATE CHANGE: UMESH SRINIVASAN AND HIMALAYAN BIRDS
DIR. Bahar Dutt, Vijay Bedi
Arunachal Pradesh’s Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary is a magical place with a rich diversity of birds. However, climate change and habitat loss are threatening their survival. Scientist Umesh Srinivasan is trying to unpack how the birds are responding to these changes.
คนหลังเขา (CORDILLERA SONGS)
DIR. Issaree Arunprasert
Ban Huai Hin Lad Nai, Chiang Rai province in Northern Thailand is a community of the S’gaw Karen ethnic group that is responsible for preserving and protecting the forest from generation to generation through rituals, beliefs, and teachings that have been passed down for a long time. In the past, the community was abundant with forests, wildlife, and various plant species. However, at present, the villagers here are facing numerous challenges, such as deforestation, the extinction of wildlife, inconsistent agricultural yields, and changing climatic conditions, which have impacted their way of life and livelihood. Nevertheless, the villagers continue to work together to protect and preserve the forest, following the teachings that have been handed down from generation to generation "Drink from the river, protect the river. Eat from the forest, protect the forest.”
DREAMS OF THE RAVAGED
DIR. Breech Asher Harani
Three young survivors of the most fatal super typhoons to ravage the Philippines recollect their experiences and challenges dealing with extreme calamities, shedding light on the realities of communities already facing the worst impacts of climate change. Using a mix of live action documentary and scribble animation, the film explores the visualizations of their memories, what they learned about the climate crisis and what they look forward to the future.
FOUNT (BULAK)
DIR. Evrim İnci
Walid and his family, who had been having a difficult life in Somalia and had to migrate to Turkey, are sent to Burdur. Walid, facing the drought in Burdur which he ran away from Somalia, is struggling his life, as well.
ใครเปลี่ยนกะเบอะดิน (KA BOE DIN CHANGE)
DIR. Vachiraya wiratboonyagon
The documentary whose title was inspired by the words "Climate Change" unfolds the narrative of climate change impacts on the KA BOE DIN village— altering their agricultural practices, lifestyle, and cultural traditions due shifting seasons. The documentary also sheds light on impending coal mining projects in the area, serving as a catalyst to exacerbate the already profound climate impacts on the community.
LIFE IN THE SALT WATER (নোনা জলে জীবন)
DIR. Samiur Rahman
The documentary "Life in Salt Water" portrays the resilience of coastal women in Shyamnagar, Bangladesh, facing rising sea levels and water-related challenges. It emphasizes their daily struggle, discussing issues like health problems and economic hardship.
LOST LANDS
DIR. Andy Ball
Cambodia’s appetite for sand has exploded, but as the thirst for sand grows, so does the uncertainty over the future of the Mekong and its communities. Lost Lands follows two families as they’re left to bear the consequences in the wake of Cambodia's rapid development.
พรายของ (MEKHONG'S SPIRIT)
DIR. Kamonlak Jirahitapat, Sarocha Intanom
After the mysterious demise of giant catfish in the Mekong River, their spirits embark on a quest for answers, delving into the stories of their lives intertwined with the river. In the end, they uncover that their deaths were not attributed to a single group of people.
MIWATARI
DIR. Yusuke Ono
Lake Suwa is nestled in the Suwa Basin of central Nagano Prefecture of Japan. Lake Suwa, which is the largest lake in the region, used to be covered by thick ice during winter. The variance in temperature would cause a natural phenomenon known as miwatari in which shards of ice would rise up from the water with a thunderous cracking sound and race far across the lake. It was believed that this was the path left by the gods as they traversed the lake and was eagerly awaited every winter, but in recent years, its occurrence has been decreasing. Kiyoshi Miyasaka, the Chief Priest of Yatsurugi Shrine, who conducts the Shinto rituals connected with miwatari guides us what the globally rare 580 years of miwatari records is telling us. (this film was produced as part of an art x climate exhibition of "HELP: A Eulogy 30 Years in The Making" which was organised by Greenpeace in Japan from 17th to 26th November 2023)
PODAMPETA IS DROWNING ANYWAY
DIR. Paribartana Mohanty
Podampeta and many other Nolia fishing villages in the Ganjam district of Odisha are abandoned due to land erosion resulting from rising sea levels. The Nolia have been rehabilitated elsewhere, through the provision of one room kitchen. The rehabilitation colonies are far from the ocean and, ultimately, these displaced fishermen lose their work, skills and culture. This leads to further migration to cities where they seek work as daily wage labourers. ‘Podampeta is Drowning Anyway’ is set between both the ghost villages and the abandoned rehabilitation colonies that stand witness to this crisis of livelihood and existence.
REFLECTION IN THE MARSH (PAMALANDONG SA DANOW)
DIR. Breech Asher Harani
A day in the life of three childhood friends and indigenous descendants whose life mission is to protect and preserve Agusan Marsh, an ecologically significant wetland in the Philippines affected by climate and human induced environmental impacts, highlighting the challenges they face and their hopes for the future of their ancestral land.
REGROW OUR HOME: MEET THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE REGROWING A RAINFOREST IN MALAYSIA
DIR. Bryan Yong
Tropical Rainforest Collection (TRLC) Banun is an NGO project in Malaysia that restores the degraded and fragmented Amanjaya Forest Reserve in Gerik, Perak state. The TRLC Banun team hires and trains Jahai indigenous communities who live in the rainforest to use science and indigenous knowledge to collect and grow endangered rainforest tree species for the project.
This documentary follows TRLC Banun as they travel deep into the Royal Belum State Park to a Jahai indigenous people village called Kampung Klewang. The team wants to buy tree seedlings from a nursery operated by the Jahai. The Jahai communities earn income by selling seedlings foraged from the ancient jungle in their backyards to the TRLC Banun team. Meanwhile, TRLC Banun races against time to restore a degraded forest area to help Malaysia adapt against climate change.
SUNDARBANS: STUCK BETWEEN THE CYCLONE AND A RISING SEA
DIR. Roundglass Sustain
Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest, has braved cyclones for hundreds of years, but over the last decade, they have become faster, deadlier, and more frequent. Is climate change to blame?
THE NGAMEES OF THE LAST WETLANDS
DIR. Longjam Meena Devi
The story of “THE NGAMEES OF THE LAST WETLANDS” will be a compelling story of the untold story of fishing communities, their woes and threatening livelihood. Loktak Lake is increasingly exposed to innumerable threats to its ecological biodiversity as well as pollution and inevitable climate change.
THE SILENCE AFTER THE STORM
DIR. Alina Rizwan
In the heart of Sindh, a young boy rewrites his rain-soaked dreams. A tale of floods, where classrooms become rivers, and lessons flow with resilience. Witness a young soul redefine life's horizon
Embark with us on this journey as we unveil the narrative of a young Kubargoth dreamer. To him, rain is not just water from the sky. Through his eyes, we glimpse a world reshaped by the relentless forces of climate, where each droplet tells a tale of resilience and transformation.
เรื่องเล่าเต่ามะเฟือง (THE STORY OF THE LEATHERBACK)
DIR. Dr. Alongkot Chukaew
An account of the Leatherback Sea Turtle, the largest turtle species on Earth, through the eyes of a 12 year-old boy who has been keeping up with its status and journey in Thailand for 6 years, its declining population, its plight and how to save the sanctuary where they were born, so that they can have a place to return to lay their eggs. “If all of us do our best, we will be able to preserve their home,… our home.”
โกหกคำโต (THE WHOPPER)
DIR. Weeraphan Thavorn
At the border near a national park, managed by the state through the Department of Irrigation, plans are underway to build 7 more dams. The stated goal is to create water management areas for stability and sustainable benefits for the country's people. However, critics argue that despite claiming the need for water, the construction process involves destroying water reservoirs in the form of forests and disrupting watershed ecosystems in various parts of the country. Millions of villagers have long suffered the consequences of these dams, facing not only the direct impact but also grappling with unfulfilled promises from the government. Now, a new phase of dam construction is starting, prompting questions about who will resist and who will be forced to accept the recurring challenges.
ผีจากผ้าอ้อม (TWILIGHT WITHOUT GHOSTS)
DIR. Panitarn Boontarig
The myth of "Phee-Tak-Pah-Aom" (Nappy Ghosts) is vanishing due to the spiders immigration and human disconnection with other species. TWILIGHT WITHOUT GHOSTS portrays loss of lives and ecosystems that impacts on the dissappearance of culture and beautiful folktales.
Non-Documentary Short Films
AVOCADO ON PANCAKES
DIR. Chinanang Tamrongtanakijakarn
Jack and Rose secretly have an affair at their workplace. One day, the two go on a date at an Izakaya restaurant and start an argument about the world.
《BEASTS OF THE SOUTH》 《南方野兽》
DIR. Xiongyuan Yao
This work reflects on the current living environment based on its own experience of climate trauma, and through the cycle of painting, erasing, reconstruction and erasing on the acrylic plate, it recalls and reorganizes a ""disaster world"", to see the fragile and sad state of things in it, and how everything is falling apart. As a disaster victim, I used experimental animation to write about the flood experience and the phenomena I witnessed during the disaster.
EVERYTHING IS FINE
DIR. Areeya Jitaree
TEAM: Kanpicha Sungket, Koetkan Koonlapatkunanon, Kachaporn Borkham, Chonthicha Jantanapipat, Shin Suwannasing, Chissanucha Umtawong, Chutimon Aunsripeng, Thanchanok Wongwan, Napapim Tianchaisririklun, Nutdanai Srisakhon, Thiranan Sangsrijan, Thanakorn Jampangam, Thanakul Jampangam, Tankamol langkapea, Naphatsanun Kumjing, Boonlong Aong, Punya Intasing, Ponthipa Attachoo, Waritsara Puangwatthana, Wichayada wiwadwanich, Saranya Chailert, Siraprapa Yavilai, Suppakarn Prommart
A young girl unveils the truth about her surroundings and endeavors to transform her city.
GLOBAL WARMING, SO WHAT?
DIR. Christoph Pokkamol von Karstedt
A climate change expert imparts wisdom on global warming and offers guidance to address its challenges, just before an unforeseen event alters her life forever.
HIDE AND SEEK
DIR. Rian Apriansyah
Zahran was playing hide and seek cheerfully with his friends in a friend’s house. When it was his turn, the situation suddenly turned silent. A thick fog of smoke enveloped the entire room, and his friends disappeared. A mysterious black figure appeared to terrorize Zahran and took away the baby in the house.
OLD TIMES
DIR. Chaela Tordillo
A retired fisherman returns to his old hometown that is steadily sinking due to rising sea levels and land subsidence.
บันทึกท้องถนน (ROAD OF THE WIND)
DIR. Shotipath Sriwattanatanyakorn
As the winds shift direction, a man named 'Win' loses the ability to communicate with his grandfather's spirit. Coinciding with the writing of the article on 'Climate Change,' the global chaos alters the seasons, disrupting the natural flow of communications between Win and his grandfather.
ROASTED CHICKEN
DIR. Roland Cartagena
One hot afternoon, Pedro goes out to feed his father's chicken Señora only to find out she is suffering from heatstroke. With no water and electricity, the young man needs to find a way to cool the chicken fast or risk losing her.
SIMULATION
DIR. Shin Jungkyun
"We find the results of imitation and “scene-staging” in Shin’s Simulation (2021).
All the elements in Simulation’s partitioned three-dimensional space – the smoke,
the vibrations, the wind and water –are devices included to create a particular
scene. With such a staged disaster or emergency, the participants expect to learn
some pre-designed pattern of behavior. But then something unexpected happens:
the character in Simulation speaks out, declining to go along with the anticipated
theater.
In a subway car thick with smoke, he remains in place and performs a handstand.
Struck by the water, vibrations, and wind coming down the staircase, he lurches
forward. He is too alive to be called powerless, too frail to be called strong.
Eliciting a temporary pausing effect, the scene recalls Brecht’s attempt to turn
theater from a place of Illusion to one of a practical experience. In other words,
by distancing us from and rendering a strange contemporary experience where we
exist in the form of temporary theater, Shin encourages us to notice the unstable
– or perhaps artificial –ground upon which we stand"
THE BOAT NO. 5 (قایق شماره پنج)
DIR. Reyhane Kavosh
Alma who is living beside a lake and has made lots of beautiful memories of the lake and the boat No. 5, now had to immigrate to a city with her parents for a while but when they return back, she found something has happened...
ณ วันที่คลื่นจะกระทบชายฝั่งอีกครั้ง (THE DAY OF A TURNING TIDE)
DIR. Atipat Lertkornkitja
At the breakwater, a young man, nursing a heartache, encounters a mysterious woman. Amidst the backdrop of a decaying, under-construction breakwater, they share a conversation and a stroll, teaching him valuable life lessons in coping with challenges.
THE EDGE OF THE SEA
DIR. Rizkia Nurfaiza Kamal
In this work I reveal how fast fashion as representation of anthropocentrism paradigm has a very damage impact to the earth, the paradigm that human as a central in the universe, humans have manipulated their environment excessively without concerning the negative impacts for the future, especially for climate change and global warming. In term of these matters we have to preserve the earth by the implementation of public policy, such as law enforcement. All creatures depend on the earth. However we exploited the earth excessively. An article by Christopher Stone voices the concern about this situation in the journal that entitle ""Should Tree Have Standing"". We have to shift our point of view from nature of right to right of nature as effort to save the Civilization. However, sadly the change still succeed partially.
All clothes that used are secondhand clothes or clothes that we already have. And vitiligo skin is a representation of earth. The shaky shot in this video is a representation of an unstable ecosystem. The Edge of The Sea is an analogy that nowadays we are facing the end of our life.
THE LAST RECALL
DIR. Thanin Sumethasorn
The story of ""Phrin"", a boy who lost his mother in a major pandemic. He has lived through a life-and-death collapse of ecology, causing food shortage. For Phrin, being and living alone in a world like this is not easy. As time passed, he learned that the cause was entirely humans.
THE LAST TREE (SON AĞAÇ)
DIR. Zülfü Gül
What happens when the last tree on earth is cut down?
THE SWALLOWING SEA
DIR. Afif Fahmi
After 11 years, Arga (24), a documentary filmmaker, returns to his childhood village submerged in rob. He returned for a pilgrimage to his grandmother’s grave.
THE VOICE OF THE WIND
DIR. Duy Thanh Tran
This film delves into the disconnect between humanity and nature, highlighting the consequences of our growing indifference. As we turn a deaf ear to the natural world, the future looms darker and uncertain. Through this short film, I aim to illuminate our profound relationship with the world we inhabit and draw attention to the challenges we face in maintaining that bond. Amidst a world that becomes progressively harder to navigate, the wind itself whispers a message, urging us to listen and reflect.
ฝนแล้ง (WATSAKAN)
DIR. Pakasit Sordsri
In Yasothon province, village leaders grapple with drought during the rainy season, urging the government for water to support farming. Unsuccessful in their plea, they resort to launching rockets, seeking assistance from Phaya Than. However, they unexpectedly find themselves confronting the challenge of 'fire' falling from the sky.
ทฤษ 'ดี' 3 ป.
DIR. Natthawipha Phakdeemai
In a rainy season devoid of rain, humans seek divine intervention. An angel proposes restoring balance by adhering to the three 'P's of the 'good' theory.
โลก(จิต)
DIR. Kawin Sriprasert, Suwaphak Chumkamnoi
Lom, grappling with mental illness, finds solace by improving his surroundings according to his desires.
About CCCL Film Festival
CCCL Film Festival is a platform for Thai youth and communities to share their stories of climate impact, resilience, inspiration, and innovation. Founded in 2019, CCCL aims to raise awareness about climate change through the power of short films and inspire action in Thailand and Asia. We organize year-round activities and offer a limited number of filmmaking grants and mentorship to young aspiring filmmakers.