"Love. Forgive. Forget?"
Forgiveness Day has been nominated for the final shortlist of the 2022 Iris Prize, the largest short film prize in the world. The winner will receive £30,000 to make their next LGBTQ+ short film.
The film has won a number of top awards, including Best Australian Short Film and Best Short Documentary at the 31st Melbourne Queer Film Festival, and Best In Show and Audience Award for Queer Asian Shorts at the Wicked Queer Film Festival 2022 in Boston.
Director Derek Ho was also nominated for Best Direction for a Short Documentary at the Australia Directors Guild Awards 2021.
Official selections at the Antenna Documentary Film Festival, Hong Kong Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, Taiwan Film Festival in Australia, Bendigo Queer Film Festival and Worldfest-Houston International Film Festival.
Forgiveness Day, commissioned by the New York Times Op-Docs, is a portrait of love and trauma, where two brothers find themselves navigating the space between trust, faith and healing.
Queer filmmaker Derek Ho journeys back to Singapore in the hope of revealing to Jeremiah a secret that has been deeply buried for the last thirty years.
Series Producer Lindsay Crouse, speaks highly of Derek’s work:
“The film is a breathtaking combination of exactly what we’re looking for: a relevant and high-stakes story, intimately told, with a creative stylistic approach. It was a perfect short documentary to present to our global audience.”
Listen to the podcast interview with Derek Ho and Gina Lamb from Out Takes on JOY FM 94.9 on some of his thoughts behind the making of this film (starts around 38 mins).
A Thousand Words Unspoken is the extended version broadcasted on ABC Compass.
Winner of Best Screenplay at Shanghai Queer Film Festival. Offical Selection of Beijing Queer Film Festival,
Melbourne Documentary Film Festival and American Documentary and Animation Film Festival (AMDOCS).
A Thousand Words Unspoken is also available at ATOM as a Study Guide.
Listen to the podcast interview with Derek Ho and Annie Mcloughlin from Showreel on 3CR.
Writer, Producer, Director & Editor: Derek Ho
Executive Producer: Franco Di Chiera
Director of Photography: Poonpat Don Vadhanasindhu
Co-writer, Asst Director & Sound: Albert Ong
Animators: Derrick Duan & Jenn Tran
Original Music: Hung-Tao Lin
Sound Design: Ben Yap & Ant Bohun
Additional Camera: Ran Li
Themes: LGBTQIA+, Religion, Human Rights, Chinese Culture, Family
