PRESS
"A thought-provoking film that explores some dark recesses of the human experience."
Reviewed following the film's screening at the Thirteenth New York Japan CineFest, where it played the Queens program at the Thespis Theater. The review singles out Grace Nakazawa Santos's lead performance and reads the title as a double meaning — ume, the Japanese plum whose blossoms mark the arrival of spring, against the English "you and me."
Cinema Daily US — Short Films Screened at Thirteenth New York Japan CineFest
"Ume's obstacles are mostly internal."
Selected as one of ten recommended shorts from a festival of more than 100 films. UME screened in the "How to Live as an Asian Woman in NYC" program at AAIFF 47, where it won the Audience Award. A4 is a sponsor of the festival's Shorts program.
Asian American Arts Alliance — 10 Short Films Exploring the AAPI Experience
Selected for the inaugural Liu Shiming Art Foundation Screening Program. UME screened alongside work by Michelle Ma and Chris Zou in ASIAN? FEMALE? NOUVEAU FILM!, an October 2024 program in Midtown built around Asian women filmmakers, followed by a moderated discussion with art writer and curator Hindley Wang.
Liu Shiming Art Foundation — ASIAN? FEMALE? NOUVEAU FILM!, October 2024