Ahma & Alan is out now! 阿嬤與阿倫短片公開了

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A young man is thrown in jail in Taiwan. Now his rural grandma must bail him out.

From Omeleto, the website that is showcasing the film [2026 Update - Omeleto has taken the film down, so I have uploaded it on my personal channel, see video above]:

Alan is an American-born grandson teaching in Taipei. But when it's discovered he's teaching illegally, he's thrown into jail. Now he awaits deportation and deals with the mockery and shame from the vindictive police officers who jailed him.

His only hope is his Taiwanese grandma -- his "ahma" -- who must travel from a rural town to Taipei to rescue her grandson. The journey and wait force both grandmother and grandson to reflect on their relationship, though their bond offers the only hope for Alan to remain with his grandmother in Taiwan.

Written and directed by James Y. Shih, this perceptive short drama explores the identity issues that Asian Americans face, who often don't quite belong to Asia or America. But it's also a universal story about unconditional family love, and how it forms a bond that transcends age, generations and language.

The film is shot in an observational, almost documentary style, one that holds long and often wider shots as action and characters come in and out of the frame. The style requires some patience, but it's rewarded by a strong sense of place and character that feels lived-in and authentic.

We see Alan, played by actor Gregory Yuan, flustered with the language barrier and grasping the contempt of the police officers who throw him into custody, disdainful as they are of American-born Taiwanese. The storytelling takes particular care to chart Alan's evolution with language, from the shame he felt speaking Taiwanese (Hokkien) and Mandarin as a child in his ahma's care to his loss of those languages as an adult, which has major ramifications on his current situation.

We also witness the charm and fortitude of his ahma, played by actor Mei-Hou Wu. Small and seemingly fragile, she reveals great strength and intrepid endurance as she makes the journey to Taipei. Watching her take on the police when she finally arrives is both joyful and inspiring, as well as a testament to fierce family love and loyalty.

In the end, "Ahma and Alan" rewards viewers with an immersion into Taiwan and its foundational touchstones of family and culture. It also offers insight into the unique generational gaps that open up with globalization and immigration, particularly around language, which affects their relationships. Alan and his ahma often found those differences opening up a chasm between the young boy and the hopeful, doting grandmother. But in the end, they find a bridge, and perhaps a deeper appreciation for the love that was always there between them.

source: http://omeleto.com/258287/

Ahma & Alan release date: May 9th, 2022 - 阿嬤與阿倫公開日期五月九日

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Ahma & Alan,” a short film I wrote and directed about a Taiwanese grandmother that travels across Taiwan to pull her Taiwanese American grandson out of jail, will be released publicly early tomorrow morning (PST), May 9th, 2022. It’s been a long time coming.

Will post again tomorrow. In the meantime, enjoy this 1 minute trailer for the film.

我自編自導的短片“阿嬤與阿倫”，關於一位台灣阿嬤橫越台灣為了救她被逮捕的美國華裔孫子，明天晚上（台灣時間）會公開。長久以來的事。

明天會再分享，先請看這一分鐘的預告片。

Yin & Young Podcast and James is in Japan

Happy Lunar New Year and Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! Our latest podcast, Yin & Young episode 59, is up with Michael Newman (TV writer) and my co-host Dan. For the audio, please go here. It can also be viewed on Youtube:

As the title suggests, I’m currently living in Japan! Been taking a break from filmmaking, and am now here in Japan for a teaching program. However, I always have some creative outlet that I’m enjoying/working on; you can check out some photography I’ve been doing on my Instagram. I hope to be back soon making films and still plan to fulfill the backer rewards for all of those great people that helped support my Kickstarter for Ahma & Alan.

A recent video I made is a 5 minute film/documentary filmed in Taiwan last year, processing some of my thoughts about getting out of the US during the rise in anti-Asian hate crime and going to Taiwan. You can watch it below.

Thanks again to everyone for their support. Please stay safe and be kind to each other, and most importantly, also be kind to yourself.

Ahma & Alan (short film) Finishes it's Festival Run

If you've been keeping track of "Ahma & Alan" instagram here, you know that a lot has happened since the last October update. We've been honored to be a part of these festivals:

October 2020

November 2020

December 2020

  • Asian Web Awards our lead actress Mei-Hou Wu won the Best Actress Award for a short film. Here's the acceptance speech:

...And we were considered for these festivals:

August 2020

March 2021

As of April 2021, we're officially wrapped for our festival run! Thank you so much to everyone that has supported us thus far.

If you’re a backer of the film, you should’ve received a link to watch the whole film by now.

We're eventually planning to do a public online release in the near future, check our Instagram and/or Facebook to keep updated!


Much love and we hope you can see the film soon.

- James Y. Shih