Short Stays photographer Madi Ju posted these snapshots of the “ Wild Gathering” opening on her blog – the June exhibition was a collaboration between Madi, American photographer Peter Sutherland, and Japanese designer Hiro Sawatari.

More:
New photo-essay “Finally we got to Kagoshima Together” on Madi’s site
Recent interview with Madi on Enovate website
Photos on Picdit webzine

(Many thanks to Xie Meng and his staff who helped to set up the event!)

A recent list of China’s most promising young filmmakers includes not one but two Short Stays directors!

From our friends at DGenerate Films:
“The newest issue of Time Out Shanghai (English edition) has a five-page cover feature spotlighting the new generation of independent digital filmmakers. The article singles out seven ‘directors to watch’ whom the magazine playfully dubs ‘The Magnificent Seven’ – Ying Liang, Yang Heng, Zhao Liang, Zhao Ye, Zhao Dayong, Liu Jiayin and Wei Tie.”

The article is not available online, but DGenerate’s blog has a PDF for download.

Short Stays co-producer Samantha was in Hong Kong last week for the HK Art Fair, and on Tuesday night hosted a special screening on the roof of the Foo Tak artist studio complex as part of the closing party for the exhibition “Dubble Happiness.” Though the rain was sprinkling all day, dozens of friends from Hong Kong’s art and film community gathered on the 14th floor to watch the projected films, even enlisting the help of umbrellas when the drizzle got stronger. Thanks to all who attended!

View the slideshow below, featuring snapshots from Samantha Culp and Joao Vasco Paiva of Double Happiness Studio.

(Special thanks to Swire’s East Hotel in Taikoo Shing)

ART CINEMA: INDIE FILM FORUM 1: SINGLE MAN

Moderator:Zhang Xianmin
Guest: Hao Jie ( Director), Li Zhifeng（producer), Du Fu (cinematographer), Ye Lan （actress）

UCCA Art Cinema, in collaboration with Indie Workshop, launches a new programme ”Indie Film Forum” to introduce both recent and classical Chinese indie films. Through discussion with filmmakers, film critics and intellectuals, the series seeks to unfold the map of Chinese indie films, exploring indie film culture, in search of its value in the society. One narrative film and one documentary will be presented every month. The first screening “Single Man” tells a frantic story of four and a half aged bachelors in a remote mountain district, directed by Hao Jie (nationwide premiere).

ABOUT THE SCREENING
DATE
June 5, 2010 17:00 – 19:30

VENUE
UCCA Art Cinematheque

Partner:Indie Workshop

Ticketing:15 RMB per film for adults (with exhibition admission)
Free for students with valid student ID

Box office will close 30 minutes after the film starts.

FILM SYNOPSIS

Four and a half single men in the village are deducting their respective lives and stories.
The wife of the village head is kind to more than half of the Single man in the village, and the single men contribute their hard earnings to the woman and his child. In the rural society, they’re building up a conflicting but harmonious interpersonal network, and a harmonious environment of sexual resource.
Single man Lao Yang bought a young Sichuan girl as his wife at the cost of 6,000 yuan, and this broke the existing harmonious relationship. Lao Yang is detained by Liu Ruan all night long. Gu Lin discloses: Liu Ruan is a gay …
Single man – Lao Yang: Poor when he was young, and Er Yatou, his lover got pregnant. Er Yatou’s parents didn’t agree their marriage… Er Yatou married to the village head, but was still a life-long lover of Lao Yang.

Director’s Bio
Hao Jie, Born in Gujiagou villege in 1981.Graduated from Department of Director, Beijing Film Academy.Began writing Single Man in 2008.

Director’s Notes
In the past five thousand of years
Around Chinese villages
There have been so many single men
Generation by generation
Nobody ever inquiries about it
Nobody concerns it
And there isn’t any record about it

Here is a story about some old single men living in a mountainous village

In half a century
The animated lives
Their persevering life
Their misery and happiness
Their harmony and conflicts
Are imprinted on the track of life
The story is originated in Gujiagou Village, 150km from Beijing, the Capital of China.

The characters in the drama are all elders and folks of the director
They are playing the roles of themselves

ABOUT INDIE WORKSHOP
Beijing Indie Workshop has been devoted to promoting, collecting and popularizing Chinese independent films. Mr.Zhang Xianmin founded Indie Workshop in 2005.Indie Workshop has sound cooperation with many Chinese independent directors. It has successfully produced and distributed a number of independent films. Indie Workshop also has been organizing screening events or festivals. It has organized special events of Chinese independent films in other countries. Furthermore, Indie workshop also provides facilities and consulting to the curators, programmers and academics.

A big weekend in Beijing for the Short Stays creators – besides our screening and talk at UCCA on Sunday June 6, Saturday June 5 will see the opening of “Wild Gathering,” a photography exhibition featuring Madi Ju alongside indie photography stalwart Peter Sutherland and Japanese fashion designer Hiro Sawatari.

Wild Gathering
Date: 2010.06.05－06.12
Venue: Beijing Angle Modern Art
Address: 4/F, Tower 1, Zhongguo Hongjie (China View), Jia 2 Gongti Dong Lu, Chaoyang District, Beijing
Opening Time: 11:00 am – 6:00 pm

Read more here, on Madi’s Douban, and in the press release below:

Photographers Madi Ju (Beijing) and Peter Sutherland (New York) along with clothing designer Hiro Sawatari (Tokyo) are pleased to announce Wild Gathering, an exceptional global exhibit where photography and fashion come together showcasing modern youth culture.

Their focus on youth culture naturally connected the three. Peter Sutherland and Madi Ju exchanged photos in a variety of environments: expressing strong emotions and kids in their natural environments. After shooting in cities all over the world, they send the photos to fashion designer Hiro Sawatari who will create T-shirts using their images in his collage forms. Meanwhile, Peter & Madi will shoot 6 looks from Hiro’s collections respectively.

Beijing based HHD_FUN will participate to design the exhibition space.

Organized by Shao Foundation

Media Partners: The Outlook Magazine, Modern Weekly

Date: 2010.06.05－06.12

Opening Reception: 2010.06.05 18:00-22:00 (Invitation Only)

Venue: Beijing Angle Modern Art

Address: 4/F, Tower 1, Zhongguo Hongjie (China View), Jia 2 Gongti Dong Lu, Chaoyang District, Beijing

Opening Time: 11:00 am – 6:00 pm

For information, please contact

Shanshan Quan

E-mail: sanpigquan@gmail.com

“Enjoy Your Stay”: Screening and discussion of Short Stays
6:30pm, Sunday June 6 / Ullens Center for the Arts (UCCA) Beijing

Come see a special screening and discussion of Short Stays along with select early shorts by the filmmakers.
“Producer Zhang Xianmin and Samantha Culp, filmmaker Liu Jiayin and Peng Lei will share the shooting experience with us, along with the production stills presented by young photographer Madi Ju and 223(Lin Zhipeng).”
More information here.

感谢Apple 和 Bose 对瑜舍短片电影的支持。从即日起至2010年7月20日可在瑜舍中庭观看这三部短片电影。