Short Film AFIN 030
The Passport
Directed by 
Olivier Hero Dressen
AFIN 2019 Nominee
- 2019
- 15m
-
China - English
- Sci-fi
- Thriller
- Drama
Stills
1 frame Nominee
Best Visual Effects
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Credits
Written by
Produced by
Starring
Synopsis
Somewhere in a big city, a man wakes up in a dark alley with no memory of who he is or how he got there. On a mission to figure out his identity, he discovers truths that were better left forgotten.
Director's Statement
Michael and I met through a mutual friend several years ago. Our passion for film and film making led to a creative partnership still strong seven years later. Our first collaboration was “The Passport” which was produced and shot within three weeks of finalizing the script. "The Passport" addresses our idea of identity and memory. “We are what we remember” illustrates the fragile balance between our existence and the fear of loosing who we really are. This project is personal to myself in particular, as I experienced a degree of memory loss in the past, and realize the importance of how precious and fragile our memory really is. Regarding my cinematic inspirations and influences, Memento and Drive are two films who really set the tone for me. Memento because of the movie’s subject and his main character’s quest and Drive for the colors, mood, esthetics and music. The film score, as a music video director and part-time musician, I really wanted to express emotion through the music and aim to create a poignant connection between the character, the score and the audience. As I financed, produced and directed this movie myself, the post production process was quite a challenge. I spent a lot of time on a rough edit, both image, sound and visual effects using a variations of post production tools and techniques. From Adobe Creative Cloud Suite to Cinema 4D and Substance painter and even ADR for some sequences. I went back to some of the locations with a sound kit capturing water drips or ambiance noises in the streets of Shanghai etc to give it more depth and realism. I also learned a new 3D software for this project, Substance Painter was used for some of the 3d texturing process. I found it to be a very intuitive software which allowed me to paint and create a very 3 dimensional texturing. My idea was to create an advanced draft version as close as possible to my vision and seek help from experienced and high end specialists back in my country of birth, Belgium. And thanks to a talented group of people we managed to complete the film and get it to the level it is now. Our film is finally starting to hit festivals around the world and we hope that our audience will also be inspired and equally passionate for this film. Our next challenge is to produce a feature film together as we don’t want let Bryan Boise rest for too long. Michael and I are currently based in Shanghai, China. We continue to collaborate on film projects, which we hope will come to life across screens worldwide in the near future.
What makes this one special
- 16 awards at other festivalsGOLDEN STATE 2019 · LAFA, Los Angeles Film Award · Asian Film Festival and 13 more
- Programmed at 30 other festivalsAcross 14 countries
- Nominated for Best Visual Effects
Also selected at
16 awards, 2 finalist placings, 12 official selections across 30 other festivals
- WinnerGOLDEN STATE 2019
- WinnerLAFA, Los Angeles Film Award
- WinnerAsian Film Festival
- WinnerBeijing Indie Short Film Festival Award
- WinnerCannes Film Experience
- WinnerHollywood Forever Film Festival
- WinnerLA Feedback Film Festival
- WinnerLA Live Film Festival
- WinnerMacau Film Festival
- WinnerMINDFIELDS 2019
- WinnerNetease Media Film Festival
- WinnerNIAF
- WinnerPune Film Festival
- WinnerRome Film Awards
- WinnerStage 32 Short Film Contest
- WinnerTNLIFF
- FinalistOlympus Film Festival
- FinalistNANOCON 2019
- SelectionDADASAHEB PHALKE 2019
- SelectionFerfilm 2018
- SelectionIn-Short 2018
- SelectionRos Film Festival
- SelectionSose Festival 2018
- Selection6 ON NEBRASKA 2019
The remaining 6 festivals
- SelectionBIFFF 2019
- SelectionBrussels International Film Festival 2019
- SelectionDETECTIVEFEST 2019
- SelectionDUMBO 2019
- SelectionValletta Film Festival, - (Special Program)
- SelectionWorld of Film International Film Festival
Recorded by the filmmaker on their entry.
Director's Biography
Olivier Hero Dressen Director
Director. Cinematographer. Photographer. Storyteller. Belgian-born Olivier is an acclaimed creative professional with significant accomplishments in film direction, cinematography, photography, and creative direction. His unique style melds photography, drawing, graphic design, and video, emphasizing compelling storytelling and character development. With a robust presence in Asia and global reach, Olivier has built a solid reputation through collaborations with renowned talents such as Kobe Bryant, Sophie Marceau, and Ines de la Fressange, alongside partnerships with other European and Asian celebrities. His footprint is evident in both the film and photography sectors. His short film, "The Passport," stands as a testimony to his prowess, earning 70 nominations and 19 wins globally, including best short drama, best short film, best foreign director, best director, best actor, best thriller, best crime thriller, best editing (twice), best VFX, and best cinematography at the Macau Film Festival. Further recognition includes the best film award at the Stage 32 Film Festival and a screening at the Chinese Theater on Hollywood Boulevard. Olivier's portfolio also boasts many accolades, including the Cannes Lions Festival's silver award, a cover feature in Archive Magazine, and the Promaxbda bronze award in Los Angeles. He has teamed up with prominent brands like Converse, Nike, Porsche, Moncler, and Coach, and his animated films have graced eminent platforms like the Comics Con in San Diego and the Anima Film Festival in Brussels. As a cinematographer, Olivier contributed to "The Nightwalk," directed by Adriano Valerio, winning multiple awards, including the Prix Canal + and Clermont-Ferrand, and earning a nomination for the César Awards in France. Always at the cutting edge of new technology, Olivier has engaged in roles such as a beta tester for OpenAI's Dall-E2 technology, brand ambassador for YouPic, and member of the Xiaomi Creator program. His interests span AI, new technology, and collaboration with Zhiyun technology. Olivier is channeling his creative energy into two exciting feature films: a sci-fi piece and a thrilling road trip movie. Notably, in 2023, his film "The Black Box" won the grand prize at the 8th annual Stage 32 film festival. Olivier continues to push the envelope in his artistic endeavors, solidifying his position as a leading voice in the creative world.
Official laurels
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The Passport was an official Nominee for Best Visual Effects at the AFIN International Film Festival 2019, a Top 100 Best Reviewed and IMDb-qualifying festival.
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