Boat People is a 2023 Canadian animated short film written and directed by Thao Lam[1] and Kjell Boersma[2]. The 9-minutes animated film about the Vietnamese refugees who fled Vietnam through the sea at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975[3], called Boat People, has been selected in various international film festivals[4], including the London BFI International Film Festival and the New Orleans Film Festival, where it won both the Jury and Audience Award for Best Animated Short[5].
| Boat People | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | |
| Written by | |
| Produced by |
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| Narrated by | Thao Lam |
Production company | |
Release date |
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Running time | 9 minutes |
| Country | |
| Language | |
Plot
editAs a child in Vietnam, Thao's mother would rescue ants from bowls of sugar water—a small act of compassion that later took on new meaning. Boat People is an animated documentary that uses this metaphor to explore one family's experience navigating the challenges of their historical journey.
Release
editSince its release, the film[6] has been selected in various festivals around the world:
| Festivals | Award/Category | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | New Orleans Film Festival | Jury Winner for Best Animated Short[7] | Won |
| Audience Award for Animated Short[8] | Won | ||
| London BFI International Film Festival | Best International Short[9] | Nominated | |
| Chicago International Children's Film Festival | Milos Stehlik Global Impact Award Winner[10] | Won | |
| Spark Animation Festival | Diversity Award[11] | Won | |
| Calgary International Film Festival[12] | Grand Jury Prize – Animated Short[13] | Won | |
| Manchester Animation Festival | Best Short Film[14] | Nominated |
References
edit- ^ Morfoot, Addie (2024-10-08). "Rashida Jones and Will McCormack's Short Doc 'A Swim Lesson' Part of 'POV Shorts' Season 7 Lineup (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2024-12-06.
- ^ Giraud, Kévin (2024-11-07). "2025 Oscars Short Film Contenders: 'Boat People' Directors Thao Lam And Kjell Boersma". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved 2024-12-06.
- ^ Smith, Charlie (2023-10-28). "National Film Board–produced "Boat People" takes a new approach in telling story of Vietnamese immigraton to Canada". Pancouver. Retrieved 2024-12-06.
- ^ Grondin, Francois (2023-05-11). "[Sommets du cinéma d'animation] Sélection de l'ONF". Le petit septième (in French). Retrieved 2024-12-06.
- ^ Milligan, Mercedes (2024-10-09). "Award-Winning NFB Animated Short 'Boat People' Coming to POV Shorts". Retrieved 2024-12-12.
- ^ Team, AnimationXpress (2024-11-26). "Thao Lam and Kjell Boersma's animated short 'Boat People' now available to stream worldwide". animationxpress.com. Retrieved 2024-12-06.
- ^ "NOFF2023 Jury Award Winners". New Orleans Film Society. Retrieved 2024-12-06.
- ^ Society, New Orleans Film (2023-11-17). "NOFF2023 Audience Awards". New Orleans Film Society. Retrieved 2024-12-06.
- ^ "Watch Boat People online - BFI Player". player.bfi.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-12-06.
- ^ Smith, Charlie (2024-11-27). "Thao Lam and Kjell Boersma's animated "Boat People" selected as Vimeo Staff Pick". Pancouver. Retrieved 2024-12-06.
- ^ Team, AnimationXpress (2023-10-27). "Spark Animation 2023 announces winners -". www.animationxpress.com. Retrieved 2024-12-06.
- ^ admin (2023-09-21). "The National Film Board: Shorts at CIFF 2023". Points of Review. Retrieved 2024-12-06.
- ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2024-12-06.
- ^ "Boat People". Manchester Animation Festival. Retrieved 2024-12-06.
External links
edit- Official Trailer on YouTube.
- Boat People at IMDb on IMDb.