The Making of AAGFF trailers

An event trailer is the bridge that connects the audience with the content, determining our first impression of the programme. Artist and video editor Benny Woo collaborated with photographer-art director Wing Shya and graphic designer Tomson Chan to create the visually stimulating trailers for the ‘Asian Avant-Garde Film Festival’ (AAGFF). He envisions the AAGFF trailers giving the dynamic impression of M+ as an interactive public space that expands the limits of cinema and advocates the avant-garde in Asia.

As the trailers’ editor, Woo spent twenty hours reviewing footage extracted from films in the festival’s screening programmes, paired with the appropriate background music to create an immersive audio-visual experience. Among the many challenges he encountered in the editing process, Woo highlights the variety of materials, which include mediums such as art installations, 16 mm films, and digital animations. The works also span across decades, regions, and genres, requiring much sensible manipulation to weave into a cohesive discourse. Looking back, Woo is grateful for the stimulating interdisciplinary conversations with Shya and Chan, as well as the insightful feedback and degree to artistic freedom from the M+ team.