William Hong-xiao Wei
Thesis title: Contemporary Poetic Cinema through the Lens of Traditional Chinese Poetics

PhD supervisors:
Address
- Street
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50 George Square
School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures - City
- Edinburgh
- Post code
- EH8 9LH
Background
William Hong-xiao Wei is a PhD Candidate and Tutor in Film Studies at the University of Edinburgh. He studied Chemical Engineering and Technology in Southeast University until 2014. He then switched to cinema and received a postgraduate degree with distinction in Film Studies from the University of Edinburgh in 2018. Under the supervision of Dr. David Sorfa and Dr. Xuelei Huang, he is currently working on a thesis entitled “Contemporary Poetic Cinema through the Lens of Traditional Chinese Poetics”, which attempts to apply traditional Chinese lyric theories and aesthetic concepts to contemporary arthouse cinema. His debut short film Green Thoughts (2020) had its world premiere at FIDMarseille (Compétition Premier Film & Compétition Flash). His latest film, distributed by Collectif Jeune Cinéma, premiered in Festival des Cinémas Différents et Expérimentaux de Paris in 2022. His works have been screened in film festivals globally.
Qualifications
MSc Film Studies - Distinction - The University of Edinburgh
BEng (Hons) - Chemical Engineering and Technology - Southeast University
Undergraduate teaching
Introduction to European Cinema — Course Tutor
Current research interests
Experimental Film, Art House Cinema, Philosophy and Film, Cinematic Aesthetics , Film Phenomenology, Film and other Arts, Traditional Chinese Aesthetics of Poetry and PaintingConference details
“Candlelight, Shadows and Mist: Human Suffering and Meditations on the Physical World’s Illusions and Impermanency in Oriental Elegy.” 2022 International Conference on Religion and Film, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 10 June 2022.
“The Poetics of Affections and Intricate Patterns: Passion, Sensuality and Haptics in Wong Kang-wai’s The Hand (2004).” Chinese Film Aesthetics Conference, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, 6 May 2022.
“The Aesthetics of Landscape in Alexander Sokurov’s Cinema and Traditional Chinese Painting.” Chinese Audio-Visual Cultures: The Interaction between China and the Rest of the World Symposium, The Centre for International Film Research/The Film department at the University of Southampton, 7 May 2021.
Embers from Yesterday, Aflame. (2022)
Experimental · 10:40 · 2.35:1 · Colour and Black & White
35mm & 8mm · Stereo · no dialogue · 4K DCP
- World Premiere: 24th Festival des Cinémas Différents et Expérimentaux de Paris (Compétition) · France (Paris) · 12 — 16 October 2022 · https://cjcinema.org/centre-de-documentation/fcdep/2022/competition/embers-from-yesterday-aflame/
- UK Premiere: 16th Glasgow Short Film Festival (Scottish Competition) · United Kingdom (Glasgow) · 22 — 26 March 2023 · https://glasgowshort.org/shows/embers-from-yesterday-aflame
- 13th Alchemy Film And Moving Image Festival (Except for Caresses) · United Kingdom (Hawick) · 27 April — 30 April 2023
Green Thoughts (2020)
Fiction · 27:53/19:55/4:50 · 1.89:1 · Colour and Black & White
Cellular Phone & 35mm · Stereo · English & French & Chinese · 4K DCP
- World Premiere: 31st Festival International de Cinéma de Marseille (Compétition Flash/Compétition Premier Film) · France (Marseille) · 22 — 26 July 2020 · https://fidmarseille.org/film/green-thougts
- UK Premiere: 4th Slow Film Festival (Countryside Encounters) · United Kingdom (Mayfield, East Sussex) · 31 October — 1 November 2020 · https://slowfilmfestival.com/new-page-2
- 26th Aye Aye VO Festival International du Film de Nancy (Sélection Labo) · France (Nancy) · 28 August — 6 September 2020
- 14th Glasgow Short Film Festival (Scottish Competition, won: SPECIAL MENTION) · United Kingdom (Glasgow) · 22 — 28 March 2021 · https://glasgowshort.org/latest/news/announcing-glasgow-short-film-festivals-2021-award-winners
- 17th Akbank Short Film Festival (International Competition) · Turkey (İstanbul) · 22 March — 1 April 2021 · https://www.akbanksanat.com/kisa-film/yesil-dusunceler
- 11th Alchemy Film And Moving Image Festival (A Counterchange of Satires) · United Kingdom (Hawick) · 29 April — 1 May 2021 · https://alchemyfilmandarts.org.uk/festival-2021-shorts-a-counterchange-of-saltires/
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2nd image+nation. Festival Courts Queer Short Film Festival (Experiment/Ations) · Canada (Montréal) · 15 — 18 July 2021 · https://fcqsff.image-nation.org/film_green-thoughts_en/
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7th Internationale Festival Zeichen der Nacht (Cinema in Transgression Competition, won: SIGNS AWARD) · Germany (Berlin) · 4 — 8 August 2021 · http://www.zeichendernacht.com/2021/Awards_T.htm
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8th SHORT/AGE - Shortfilms for a New Age · Portugal (Viseu) · 13 August 2021 · https://shortage.online/sessao06/
- 6th Moscow International Experimental Film Festival (International Competition: In the Sand of Time) · Russia (Moscow) · 11 — 16 August 2021 · https://mieff.com/events/qZTudzsHj
- 7th Bali International Short Film Festival (International Competition: Boundaries) · Indonesia (Bali) · 3 — 11 September 2021 · https://minikino.org/filmweek/2021-official-selections/
- 7th International Festival Signs of the Night (Cinema in Transgression Competition) · Thailand (Bangkok) · 15 — 19 September 2021 · http://www.signsofthenight.com/2021/t_2.htm
- 26th Filmový festival Zlatý Voči · Czech Republic (Prague) · 16 — 17 September 2021
- 19th Festival international Signes de Nuit (International Competition Cinema in Transgression) · France (Paris) · 1 — 10 October 2021 · http://www.signesdenuit.com/paris/2021/t_5.htm
- 17th Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente de La Plata FestiFreak (Selección Cortometrajes Internacionales) · Argentina (Buenos Aires) · 1 — 17 October 2021 · https://festifreak.com/ff/green-thoughts/
- 15th TiSFF Thessaloniki International Short Film Festival · Greece (Thessaloniki) · 9 — 20 October 2021 · https://e-dimitria.gr/ekdhlwseis/tisff-day-6/
- 3rd Istanbul International Experimental Film Festival (First Experiments) · Turkey (İstanbul) · 12 — 21 November 2021 · https://istanbulexperimental.com/movies/green-remembrance-2/
- 11th Fringe! Queer Film & Arts Fest (Shorts: Hearts and Crafts) · United Kingdom (London) · 9 — 14 November 2021 · https://www.fringefilmfest.com/shorts-hearts-and-crafts.html
- 23rd Thessaloniki International G.L.A.D. Film Festival · Greece (Thessaloniki) · 18 — 21 November 2021
- 7th Festival internacional Signos da Noite (International Competition Cinema in Transgression) · Portugal (Lisbon) · 26 — 31 December 2021 · http://www.signosdanoite.com/2021/t_3.htm
- 17th L'Europe Autour de l'Europe Film Festival (Compétition Prix Sauvage Corto) · France (Paris) · 17 — 31 March 2022 · https://www.evropafilmakt.com/movie/2022-corto/green-thoughts/
- 5th REAKTOR International Film Festival · Austria (Vienna) · 5 — 8 October 2022 · https://www.reaktor.art/green-thoughts