WHAT A DAY, 5min., Thailand
Directed by Allen Cheng
Our world is busy, lonely, and exhausting. It is so common for us to go through a rough day, come home and lay on our bed with tears and sweats, then simply complain to ourselves, “ugh, what a day”.

https://www.instagram.com/allenuknowwhatimsaying/

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

The topic is something I can resonate with, and I'm sure most people do too. Just the idea of finding purpose(s) in a mundane life, because if everyday ends up being a "what a day", then it eventually stacks up to "what a life". I don't like the sound of that, so I figured I would make something that portrays that.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

I worked on it for around 4 months while doing all my schoolwork, since I'm doing all the animation/production/editing/sound design/scoring work all on my own, it was extremely time consuming.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?

Zeitgeist, introspective. Since this concept is something I personally struggle with sometimes too.

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

Constantly losing motivation/inspiration is something that I had to struggle with, since the process of creating for me has always been a lonely road. Luckily I am surrounded by friends and family that are always supportive and constantly inspirational, and are willing to listen to my crazy ass rants when I need a person to vent to. Although they don't directly contribute to the production, the mental support they have been providing is something that I wouldn't trade for the entire world!

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

It all felt a little too good to be true. I am extremely glad and grateful that people are not only supporting my art, but also drawing inspirations and developing their own interpretations, which has always been fulfilling for me to see as an artist. I really like the fact that quite a few people draw parallels between my art style and children's books. I think people, especially adults these days, overlook how powerful and awesome a children's book can be.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

Filmmaking was never the Plan A for me, if anything it's probably the Plan E or F for me. My dream has always been trying to be a visual artist, an illustrator of some sorts. But as an artist you always ought to look for different ways to express yourself, in this case, through motion pictures, and this is also the reason I handled the scoring of the film on my own as well, because I feel like it.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

This might sound really corny, but Rocky.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?

I guess some funds provided for my future projects(?)... I'm probably asking for too much but this festival has been solid, there's nothing much I can ask for, I did learn a lot from the feedback as a filmmaker.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

As someone who's super lazy when it comes to reading/filling all kinds of nerdy shit, Filmfreeway has been absolutely wonderful to me.

10. What is your favorite meal?

When I finished the making of What a Day, I showed it to most of my friends. It was around 6pm on a December evening & my friends gave me all kinds of praises. After that I just went out to a mall nearby while playing some Bon Iver songs in my headphones. I had a bowl of ramen there, it wasn't anything special or expensive, but it was warm, and it just felt all so rewarding at that very moment.

11. What is next for you? A new film?

I'm only 17 years old at the moment and I want to cherish my adolescence as much as I can. As much as I love this art form, it just makes more sense in my head for me to socialize more, and take care of myself more, instead of staying up all night doing this. Nobody I know at my age is willing to actively sacrifice their social life just to become some loser who never gets out of their bedroom and touches grass. Human connections are important, we as humans are social animals, so to find a good balance is crucial to me, even if that means having to take a step back on my artistic development.