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LIGHT DRIFTER

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This student film is extremely unique and a welcome breath of fresh air for someone who searches for something different in film. The strongest aspects of this film are the visuals and sound. The colors are lively and beautiful. The artistic style is quite imaginative with interesting and compelling characters. The music complements it quite well and moves the film forward. I believe anyone, especially younger kids who have active imaginations, will enjoy this film. It is completely non narrative so it is very open to interpretation. Some people might not enjoy this aspect of it, especially those who prefer something more realistic and less abstract.

I recommend this for film festivals because it's the kind of film you would only find in that type of environment. I found it very enjoyable and I think anyone who enjoys ambiguous topics and enjoys searching for deeper meaning in media will enjoy watching this. It is something different and something that is very unique that people will interpret in their own different ways.

The production values are high. The music is a very soothing. The artistic style and colors are very enjoyable to latch. The animation is well executed. I give a hats off to this student filmmaker and hope to see more of her work.

It feels very uplifting and imaginative and I enjoyed watching it. Recommended for ages 8 to 18.

Light Drifter by Yu-Ting Cheng is a 2D animation that uses a flowing pastel and watercolor style to tell a poetic visual narrative based on the filmmaker's childhood nighttime sleepwalks. Created at the intersection of dreams and reality, the audience is lead on an imaginary journey through mysterious spaces that are shaped by light.

Director's Bio: Yu Ting Cheng received an M.F.A. in Computer Art with a concentration in 2D animation from the School of Visual Art in New York (2016). Her creative and animation practice includes computer animation, concept design and storyboard design for visual concept development. She has worked as a 2D animation assistant at Bill Plympton Studios in New York (2015) and as an assistant instructor in stop motion, animation and watercolors at Taipei Contemporary Art Association, Taiwan (2013).

Director's Statement: I'm a dreamer. In my 2D animation Light Drifter, I invite the viewer into my dream world through a visual mélange of watercolor and illustration. As a child in rural Taiwan, I played and drew in my grandfather's garden. Surrounded by farms and animals, I recorded what I saw. Light Drifter is a visual narrative of my dreams realized in a surreal world populated by monsters, birds, fish and magical creatures. For me, reality and dreams can merge. In the imagination of a child, the boundaries between the known and unknown are fluid. Ever since I was young, I have sought to share this mysterious reality with others. Light Drifter, a story of an impish creature who ventures into the seemingly friendly mouth of a monster, invites a suspension of logic as the viewer enjoys a tour of the unknown. As a child, I remember being startled and disoriented by the darkness as I awoke from my frequent nighttime sleepwalks. Light Drifter is a visual response to lessen the fears associated with these early nightmares. Through a strong use of light, I transform unpredictable and intriguing shapes into candy that lures the viewer. Ku Yan-Ren, a Taiwanese watercolorist has remarked, "Each stroke and color in Yu Ting's work reveals her powerful imagination. Visual discoveries await her viewers." Through my inventive use of color, I convey a positive energy to the world.