The FilmLAB Shorts program was CinemAsia FilmLAB’s first program. Ever since the first edition of CinemAsia FilmLAB, FilmLAB has given talented and beginning filmmakers the opportunity to realise their story or idea and make it into a short film. FilmLAB has supported these filmmakers throughout the years with an evolution in guidance, services and equipment sponsorships to guarantee the quality of these short films. 

The FilmLAB Shorts program also embodies the core of CinemAsia FilmLAB’s mission to give talented filmmakers with and Asian background the opportunity to get to know the film industry and to connect to its professionals. This is done organically throughout the production process by bringing the participants into contact with experts in the field who share feedback, services or lectures to improve the participants productions. 

These productions are selected and created on basis of CinemAsia FilmLAB’s core values: to help stimulate the creation of more diverse and inclusive media content that centre on themes such as identity, migration, citizenship and otherness and so improving and diversifying the representation of Asians and Asian Dutch.

Early Editions

In its first few editions CinemAsia FilmLAB was a program that gave participants the opportunity to make a short within a few weeks. With a small financial donation and under guidance of three film industry professionals and support from institutes like Binger FilmLAB and the Dutch Film Academy the productions went into production. The final result experienced its premiere during the CinemAsia Film Festival and was screened during CinemAsia on Tour events. 

Current Editions

In later years the programme has been developed further.

  • The duration of the program has increased with every edition.  The FilmLAB edition of 2019 was 8 months long. 
  • More workshops and lectures by different professionals from the film industry were organised.
  • More sponsors have come on board  to provide camera equipment, lighting equipment, color correction, soundwork and subtitling. To learn more about our sponsorships check out our sponsor page. 
  • The program has been extended to also include the distribution of the produced short films. 
  • From the 2018 edition FilmLAB has widened the Call for Submission to include more filmtalent. In 2018 it was also possible for starting cinematographers and writers to join the fiction program. In 2019 it was possible for starting producers and researchers to join the documentary program.
  • From the FilmLAB edition of 2018 it has also become possible for FilmLAB Alumni to submit for a new edition. The new edition could consist of Alumni up to 30%. This was done to stimulate alumni to share their knowledge and network with new participants.

The Next Edition 

For the 2020 edition of the FilmLAB Shorts Program the programme is constructed as a continuation of the Writersroom. It will give the best three to four participants that have participated in the writers room the opportunity to realise their short film within the FilmLAB Shorts Program.