M+ announces Asian Avant-Garde Film Festival 2025: Time Will Tell, exploring the theme of time through the lens of pivotal Asian artists and filmmakers
M+ announces Asian Avant-Garde Film Festival 2025: Time Will Tell, exploring the theme of time through the lens of pivotal Asian artists and filmmakers
M+, Asia’s global museum of contemporary visual culture in West Kowloon Cultural District (WestK) in Hong Kong, proudly presents the second edition of the Asian Avant-Garde Film Festival (AAGFF), supported by CHANEL. This dynamic three-day programme celebrates independent moving image practices and histories that have shaped Asia’s artistic landscape over the past six decades through the lens of visual culture. Held between Friday, 30 May to Sunday, 1 June 2025, the festival will host screenings, exhibitions, performances, talks, and workshops with Asian artists and filmmakers and showcase key works from the M+ Collections, offering audiences a comprehensive and engaging exploration of Asia’s historical and contemporary avant-garde.
Supported by CHANEL, the second edition of the AAGFF focuses on the theme of time, demonstrating the profound ways artists and filmmakers engage with this concept through a medium intrinsically linked to duration. Time, an unyielding force that shapes all of our lives, is materialised and conceptualised through screenings, performances, and installations that highlight its fluid, cyclical, measured, manufactured, and abstract qualities. These works range from historical re-enactments that interrogate notions of truth, nostalgia, and memory to speculative explorations of virtual and futuristic realms where time is artificially manipulated, as well as innovative uses of film as a physical medium for measuring time itself.
AAGFF 2025 invites a diverse array of artists and filmmakers who have shaped Asia’s moving image landscape over the past six decades, including May Fung, Ho Tzu Nyen, Tehching Hsieh, Amar Kanwar, Ali Wong Kit-yi, and Chikako Yamashiro. Ho will collaborate with independent singer-songwriter Wong Hin-yan on a new live cinema performance at the Grand Stair, M+, and all headline guests will participate in a full programme of screenings, workshops, and discussions across the three-day festival.
Highlights of the festival programme are as follows:
Grand Stair
In Ho Tzu Nyen and Wong Hin-yan’s live cinema performance Timepieces (2025), commissioned for the AAGFF, the artists present a multisensorial experience of time. Timepieces stages Ho’s forty-three channel installation on a single monumental screen. The visuals are synchronised to Wong’s original live score, combining music with spoken word and haikus delivered in English and Cantonese. This unique collaboration offers multiple concrete and elusive depictions of time, inviting audiences to contemplate their own experiences of temporality.
Festival Lounge Conversations
- Tehching Hsieh’s Lifeworks
Tehching Hsieh is renowned for a series of groundbreaking works that stretch the conceptual, physical, aesthetic, and temporal limits of performance art. His body of work includes six performances that the artist defines as his ‘lifeworks’, including Cage Piece (1978–1979), Time Clock Piece (1980–1981), Outdoor Piece (1981–1982), Rope Piece (1983–1984), No Art Piece (1985–1986), and Thirteen Year Plan (1986–1999), all of which are in the M+ Collection. For the AAGFF 2025, Hsieh will participate in three moderated discussions held at the same time on three consecutive days, each focusing on two of his ‘lifeworks’.
M+ Cinema House 1
This roundtable discussion will bring together special guests of the AAGFF 2025 to discuss their careers and commitment to time-based practices. Active in Singapore, New York, New Delhi, and Hong Kong respectively, Ho Tzu Nyen, Tehching Hsieh, Amar Kanwar, and Ali Wong Kit-yi offer distinctive perspectives, philosophies, and methodologies for interpreting time and related concepts of ephemerality, ritual, liveness, duration, history, and memory.
Moderated by Silke Schmickl, CHANEL Lead Curator, Moving Image, M+, the conversation will offer diverse perspectives regarding time-based art practices, illuminating both the connections and divergences among artists across various periods and geographies.
Japanese filmmaker Chikako Yamashiro treats the human body’s inarticulate expressions—its many utterances and pulses—as windows into repressed traumas, hidden histories, and other unseen dimensions of time. This screening programme brings together three films from different stages of Yamashiro’s career. They illuminate analogous experiences across different historical and geographical contexts, from a Japanese veteran’s recollections of the battle of Saipan in Your Voice Came Out Through My Throat (2009), the excavation of half-buried colonial histories shared between Okinawa and Jeju Island in Mud Man (2016), to an elderly Okinawan man’s inherited imaginations of Belau in Flowers of Belau (2023).
The programme will be followed by a conversation with Yamashiro moderated by Alan Yeung, Associate Curator, Ink Art, M+.
Generations of Hong Kong filmmakers have used moving images to express their thoughts and feelings about their times. This screening brings together four films: Dead Knot (1969) by Sek Kei, Routine (1968) and Begging (1970) by Law Kar, and Thought IV: The Edge of the World (1989) by May Fung. They were recently acquired by M+ for its Asian Avant-Garde Film Circulation Library, the first and only collection of its kind in Asia, which specifically preserves and promotes Asian experimental film and video art from the 1960s to the 1990s.
In a post-screening discussion, Sek Kei, Law Kar, and May Fung will delve into the creative environments that have shaped their work. The three independent filmmakers will also discuss the evolution of local film culture. The conversation will be moderated by Li Cheuk-to, Curator-at-large of Hong Kong Film and Media, M+.
Commissioned for the AAGFF 2025, Ali Wong Kit-yi’s Timebombs! is a karaoke performance and lecture that investigates multilayered interpretations of time from Western and Eastern philosophical and theological perspectives. The artist questions how temporal existence is confined by bodily conditions and how that informs choices and responses to various global urgencies—from climate change to the fertility crisis and beyond. Through a personal and feminist lens, Wong ponders whether women experience a unique relationship with time, and if liberation from timelines imposed upon women is possible. Festival visitors can also look forward to intimate encounters with the artist through her performative activation One-Hour Contract.
Amar Kanwar’s film Such a Morning (2017) is a modern parable about two people’s quiet engagement with the truth. It follows a renowned mathematics professor as he withdraws from his life to retreat into an abandoned train carriage to examine his sensorial and hallucinatory encounters, creating an almanac of the dark. Such a Morning unlocks a metaphysical response to contemporary reality as it navigates multiple hallucinations between speech and silence, fear and freedom, and democracy and fascism.
The screening will be followed by a conversation in English with Amar Kanwar and Chanel Kong, Curator, Moving Image, M+.
M+ Cinema House 2
Known for his critical and poetic engagement with the politics of power, truth, and evidence, Amar Kanwar has long utilised documentary and archival materials in his work. In this forty-five-minute talk, conducted in English, the artist will speak on his decades-long practice and his enduring interest in time. Accompanied by images and elements from films such as A Night of Prophecy (2002) and installations such as The Lightning Testimonies (2007), The Torn First Pages (2004–2008), The Sovereign Forest (2012), and Such a Morning (2017), Kanwar presents learnings from his experiments with time and image-making over the years.
M+ Cinema House 3
Children and families are invited to enjoy a free screening of seven short films by Asian artists in Playtime!, featuring Len Lye’s Color Cry (1952), Koki Tanaka’s Everything Is Everything (2006), stop-motion animations Taiwan Nature (2021) by Raito Low and The Charade (2014) by Tromarama, Zhu Jia’s Never Take Off (2002) and Zhang Qing’s Taxi Samba (2003), as well as Florence Yuk-ki Lee’s Park Voyage (2022). From flying colours, jumping seeds, and crayon-drawn parks to dancing taxis and spinning broomsticks, the joyful compilation explores the notion of time through rhythm, movement, and changing seasons on screen. Drop-ins are welcome.
AAGFF 2025 will feature free screenings of single-channel short films and videos created in Asia between the 1960s and the 1990s. Supported by CHANEL and kickstarted in 2024, the Asian Avant-Garde Film Circulation Library is a new collection-development initiative dedicated to preserving and promoting the legacy of Asian experimental film and video art. Focused on single-channel short films and videos, the project celebrates and safeguards this vital cultural heritage.
This year, M+ will launch its international touring programme for the Asian Avant-Garde Film Circulation Library in collaboration with film, art, and academic partners, bringing these remarkable works to audiences worldwide. Later this year, all films will also be made available in the Mediatheque, providing M+ audiences with free and on-demand access to this ever-growing collection.
Horizon Terrace
AAGFF 2025 will present The Sound of Skin: A Happening, a unique party experience featuring two specially commissioned live performances by Crip Art collective c.95d8—formed by Hong Kong artists Yeung Siu-fong, Thisby Cheng, and Bomb Lam—as well as Jakarta-based experimental sound artist Wahono, known for his electrifying mix of traditional and contemporary Indonesian music. Rounding out the night is beloved Hong Kong crate-digger DJ Woonjii. All AAGFF 2025 festival pass, day pass, and ticket holders aged 18 or above enjoy free access to The Sound of Skin: A Happening, on Saturday, 31 May 2025 at the Horizon Terrace of M+.
Festival Lounge
During the three-day celebration, the Moving Image Centre at M+ will be transformed into the Festival Lounge. Visitors are encouraged to make new friends, spend time with cinephiles and creatives, and have inspiring conversations about cutting-edge film and art practices in the space.
An extension of Ali Wong Kit-yi’s Timebombs! lecture performance, Wong invites audience members to join her for private and personalised one-on-one sessions with One-Hour Contract. This offers a safe space for creative exchange, allowing for diverse activities such as reviewing portfolios, musing on video art, or simply sharing silence. On-site registration is required.
Installations that contemplate time by artists Tehching Hsieh, Henry Chu, and Andy Li will be showcased in the Festival Lounge.
- Tehching Hsieh
Tehching Hsieh presents a poetic artist statement displayed next to the M+ Grand Stair, reflecting on human existence, creativity, and the passage of time, while blurring the lines between art and everyday life.
- Henry Chu: Canto Cocktail and TV Clock
Designer, programmer, and media artist Henry Chu’s work Canto Cocktail in the Interactive Media Room inside the M+ Mediatheque is a karaoke generator that uses computational algorithms to compose new medleys based on excerpts of 120 Cantopop songs. Drawing on shared cultural memories, it offers an affectionate commentary on this popular genre and reflects the increased use of machines for music-making. Displayed at the East Entrance of the M+ Moving Image Centre, TV Clock by Henry Chu is digital-clock video operating in real time. Back in 2005, while working on his art after his day job, Chu always left his TV on. He realised that he could tell the time based on the TV shows playing, even without actively watching them. This revelation led him to experiment with combining real-time television with a twenty-four-hour digital clock.
- Andy Li San-kit: Those Moments I Regret About Not Pressing the Shutter
In Those Moments I Regret About Not Pressing the Shutter, experimental filmmaker and photo-based artist Andy Li San-kit upends the idea of image-making by exploring the haunting nature of uncaptured moments. This ongoing work features a vintage slide projector from the 1990s that displays handwritten texts that serve as ghosts of regret.
In addition, a variety of free programmes, including guided tours by M+ curators, artist encounters, creative talks, screen-printing workshops, and calendar crafting, will be held.
Suhanya Raffel, Museum Director, M+, says, ‘M+ takes great pride in presenting the second edition of the AAGFF. Moving image is an essential part of Asian visual culture, encapsulating societal, cultural, and aesthetic conditions across the region. This festival is a celebration of the pioneering spirit of contemporary artists while honouring the rich heritage and transformative impact of moving image art in Asia. By bringing together diverse voices with a multifaceted approach, including screenings, workshops, and discussions, we aim to showcase the pluralistic identity of avant-garde film and its power to challenge traditional narratives. Through this effort, we aspire to deepen the understanding and appreciation of the dynamic and evolving landscape of Asian visual culture.’
Silke Schmickl, CHANEL Lead Curator, Moving Image, M+, says, ‘Building on last edition’s focus on the body, we are excited to explore the notion of time this year. The existential topic has become more critical since the massive transformation of our societies through globalisation and digitalisation exposed us to simultaneous time and constant acceleration. The festival will provide an interdisciplinary platform for artists whose uncompromising art and performance practices poignantly frame history within the present and offer powerful responses to these phenomena and their impact on our contemporary condition. Through a curated series of conversations, screenings, and performances, it will inspire meaningful dialogue and ignite exciting ideas that will drive the Asian moving image landscape forward.’
Ticketing information
Festival Pass
Festival Pass holders will have access to all ticketed AAGFF programmes and will be admitted ahead of individual ticket holders. M+ Members and Patrons can enjoy a 20% discount. Availability is limited.
Festival Pass: HKD 750
M+ Members and Patrons: HKD 600
Concessionary tickets*: HKD 600
Day Pass
Day Pass holders gain access to all ticketed AAGFF programmes on the chosen day and are invited to The Sound of Skin: A Happening, on Saturday, 31 May 2025. Day Passes do not include access to Ho Tzu Nyen x Wong Hin-yan: Timepieces (Live) on Friday, 30 May 2025, which requires a separate ticket for entry. Availability is limited.
Day Pass: HKD 250
M+ Members and Patrons: HKD 200
Concessions*: HKD 200
All Passes and ticket holders aged 18 or above enjoy free access to the AAGFF party, The Sound of Skin: A Happening, on Saturday, 31 May 2025 at the Horizon Terrace of M+.
*Concessionary tickets are available to full-time students aged 18 or above, senior citizens aged 60 or above, persons with disabilities and one companion, and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients.
For programme information, please visit the AAGFF website.
About M+
M+ is Asia’s global museum of contemporary visual culture. Located in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District (WestK), it is dedicated to collecting, exhibiting, and interpreting visual art, design and architecture, moving image, and Hong Kong visual culture of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The landmark M+ building on Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbourfront was designed by the world-renowned architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron in partnership with TFP Farrells and Arup. It spans a total floor area of 65,000 square metres, featuring thirty-three galleries alongside a Learning Hub, Moving Image Centre, Research Centre, and Roof Garden, among other event and programming spaces. The M+ Facade is one of the largest LED screens in the world, showcasing commissioned artworks on the Hong Kong skyline every evening. The museum stewards a multidisciplinary permanent collection that includes objects from regions across Asia and beyond. A highlight is the M+ Sigg Collection, one of the world’s most extensive collections of Chinese contemporary art. Today, M+ is a nexus for researching and presenting contemporary visual culture, inspiring thought and curiosity.
About the West Kowloon Cultural District (WestK)
WestK is one of the largest and most ambitious cultural hubs in the world and Hong Kong’s new cultural tourism landmark, spanning forty hectares alongside Victoria Harbour. WestK comprises a mix of landmark arts and cultural facilities, including world-class museums M+ and the Hong Kong Palace Museum, intricately designed performing arts venues the Xiqu Centre and Freespace, the eleven-hectare Art Park with a waterfront promenade, and the forthcoming WestK Performing Arts Centre, which is under development.
Hosting approximately 1,000 exhibitions, performances, programmes, and events each year, WestK provides a vital platform for both emerging and established artists. WestK welcomes more than ten million visitors each year, enriching the cultural influence of Hong Kong and strengthening the city’s strategic role as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.
About the CHANEL Culture Fund
The CHANEL Culture Fund fosters a vibrant network of creators and innovators to advance the ideas that shape culture worldwide. Core programmes include CHANEL’s Art Partners, institutions whose leaders are supported in the development of groundbreaking, long-term initiatives that bring transformation to the cultural landscape. The CHANEL Next Prize celebrates artists and accelerates their future success through access to resources and mentorship. The podcast CHANEL Connects amplifies the voices of thought leaders across disciplines, generations, and geographies tackling the defining issues of our time.
From emerging curators at the MCA Chicago to leading ecologists at the Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul, from game-changing artists at the Venice Biennale to the brightest directors at the British Film Institute, the CHANEL Culture Fund champions creative audacity for a better future and extends a century of commitment to the arts.