GRACE YT TAN

We head behind the scenes with writer and director @graceytt , based in Sydney/Gadigal, and a part of District’s global creative neighbourhood. An award-winning filmmaker whose shorts have screened at festivals worldwide, Grace’s work is intuitive, poetic, and explorative – deeply attentive to the interplay of image, sound, memory, and emotion. In this conversation, Grace discusses finding inspiration across art forms, short film as a space for creative experimentation, honing her craft and instinct, and the community that makes a filmmaking career both meaningful and sustainable. Read the full interview – link in bio.

"I found myself in a trance, in complete awe of the dancers—admiring their athleticism, power and strength." In 'Spiders On My Lashline', @lashes_film , filmmaker @graceytt transforms a story of violence and trauma into one of visceral reclamation and rage through the radical power of queer pole dance helmed by performer @linhqu . // Credits // Spiders On My Lashline @lashes_film Writer & Director: Grace Tan @graceytt Producers: Debbie Zhou @deb_zhou Chidiebube Uba @chi.thecreative Grace Tan Associate Producers: Louise Todd-Smith @louser.lts Linh Nguyen @linhqu Inspired by the Poem “Spiders On My Lashline” from their memoir Dress Rehearsals By Madison Godfrey Cinematographer: Jaclyn Paterson @jaclynpatersondp Production Designer: Abbey Ling Thorley @abbeylings Editor: James A. Thomas @jarthurthomas William Suen @suen.will Composer: Freya Berkhout @freya.berkhout Sound Designer & Mix: Stuart Melvey @stuartmelvey Sound Recordist: Luke Fuller @lukeafuller Costume Designer & Stylist: Marisa Suen @marisasuen Stills Photographer: Sherry Zheng @dontcallmeshellyeither VFX Artists: Paul Courtney and Gary Yeung Title Designer: Chris Yee @yeetheeast Linhqu @linhqu Elodie Fong Loretta Kung @loretta_kung Tony Goh Von Le @_catb0y Dion Mcgovern @whatsmcgood Risako Katsumata @risa.kats 1st AD: Lindsay Mcdonald @lindsayhamiltonm 2nd Assistant Director: Jack Colwell Additional 1st Assistant Director: Richard Divapiriam and Lucy Gale @luc_yunit On Set Art Director & Standby Props: Ella Drinkwater @pet_naturella Prop Maker & Art Assist: Sian Pannach @_sianpan Buyer/Dresser & Standby Props: Corah Fortune Buyer/Dresser & Graphic Artist: Indigo Ryan Buyer/Dresser: Elena Hale Hair and Makeup Artist: Layla Naidoo @laylajoannamakeup_ Hair and Makeup Artist (SFX): Briana Garbutt @brianaleemakeup Makeup Artist: Carly Lim @carlylim_makeup Nail Design: Liminail Studio @liminail_studio 1st AC: James Bartlett @riffraffgaffing 2nd AC: Jonathan Adrian Gaffer: Marcel Breed @marcelbreed Additional Gaffer: Tahira Donohoe-Bales Best Person: Jacob Laser @laserstudiosau

Announcing the six films that are part of our curation for the Sydney Cinematheque at @artgalleryofnsw - New Perspectives in Asian-Australian cinema! The selection features a variety of 6 diverse shorts by Sydney-based filmmakers of different diasporas. The line-up includes: THE DANCING GIRL & THE BALLOON MAN - dir. David Ma (@davidmaa ) TO FLY A KITE - dir. Berni Jiang (@berni.jiang ) ASIAN GIRLS - dir. Hyun Lee (@hyunleeee ) MARROW - dir. Diamond Tat (@diamond_tat ) CHINATOWN’S LAST EMPEROR dir. Tyler Kang (@tks.studio ) LUCKY PEACH - dir. Grace Tan (@graceytt ) These filmmakers and their films have been featured at SXSW, MIFF, Clermont-Ferrand, BFI London and more. The films cross genres (including a documentary, horror and experimental short) and range between experienced filmmakers to young up-and-coming directors exploring their unique cinematic voices. All of these shorts have a completely unique perspective on the place of their perspective diasporas in modern Australia. Sydney Cinematheque, AGNSW, Sydney Wednesday, April 15th, 6pm Curated by Celeste. With support of Ruby Arrowsmith-Todd (AGNSW) Tickets now available via the link in bio!

Channeling the new lunar year ❤️‍🔥💫 excited to share ‘Spiders On My Lashline’ will have its premiere at the @britishfilminstitute 40th anniversary edition of BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival as part of the Immodest Acts Shorts Programme 🌈🎥 Screening Dates: Sunday 22 March 2026 16:00 Friday 27 March 2026 21:00 BFI Southbank A big thank you to a very special team 🌠 everyone brought all their talent & love towards making this film!~ 🩵🫀 And thank you to @britishfilminstitute for bringing @lashes_film to an international, queer audience 🥹🫶🏽 #bfiflare Credits: Inspired by the Poem “Spiders On My Lashline” from their memoir Dress Rehearsals By Madison Godfrey Writer & Director: Grace Tan @graceytt Producers: Debbie Zhou @deb_zhou Chidiebube Uba @chi.thecreative Associate Producers: Louise Todd-Smith @louser.lts Linh Nguyen @linhqu Cinematographer: Jaclyn Paterson @jaclynpatersondp Production Designer: Abbey Ling Thorley @abbeylings Editor: James A. Thomas @jarthurthomas William Suen @suen.will Composer: Freya Berkhout @freya.berkhout Sound Designer & Mix: Stuart Melvey @stuartmelvey Sound Recordist: Luke Fuller @lukeafuller Costume Designer & Stylist: Marisa Suen @marisasuen Stills Photographer: Sherry Zheng @dontcallmeshellyeither VFX Artists: Paul Courtney and Gary Yeung Title Designer: Chris Yee @yeetheeast CAST Linhqu @linhqu Elodie Fong Loretta Kung @loretta_kung Tony Goh Von Le @_catb0y Dion Mcgovern @whatsmcgood Risako Katsumata @risa.kats Special thanks to @panavisionofficial @constellationcreatives @pridefoundationaustralia @ausculturalfund and all of our wonderful ACF donators 💕 Additional Credits in comments below

FILM NIGHT // Step into a summer night of dreams and strange encounters ✨ Join us on Friday 12 December at 4A for an evening screening of short films, presented by @4a_aus in partnership @platformasia . This curated program brings together films by Australian and UK based filmmakers from the Asian diaspora. 4A x Platform Asia: Summer Shorts presents five films by River Yuhao Cao 曹宇豪 (UK) (@riverrcao ), Allison Chhorn (AUS) (@ac_aota ), Elizabeth Gabrielle Lee (UK/SGP) (@elizabethgabriellelee ), Roxy Rezvany (UK) (@roxyrezvany )and Grace Tan (AUS) (@graceytt ). Ranging from experimental fiction to documentary, these films explore queerness, grassroots resistance, intergenerational care, environmental memory and heritage, bound through an atmosphere of languid tropical heat. They unfold in the haze of slow afternoons and warm summer nights, taking us into karaoke rooms with spirits, a DIY fashion house in Jordan and dreamlike journeys into tropical heat. 🌴🌙 🎬Screening order: Elizabeth Gabrielle Lee, Tropic Temper (2024), 16m Roxy Rezvany, Wifi Rider (2020), 12m Allison Chhorn, Blind Body (2021), 15m River Yuhao Cao 曹宇豪, The Glass Essays (2025), 16m Grace Tan, A Daydream with Fini (2024), 7m 👉 Book your spot and follow @4a_aus today! 🗓 Friday 12 December, 6pm 📍 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, Haymarket 🎟️ Tickets: $10 (trybooking.com/DHTRN) ⚠️ Lift temporarily out of service. Please use the stairs. Image credit: River Yuhao Cao 曹宇豪, The Glass Essays (still), 2025 #4ACentreForContemporaryAsianArt #PlatformAsia #SummerShorts #AsianDiasporaFilm #ContemporaryAsianArt #ShortFilmScreening #ArtistFilm #ArtFilm #DocumentaryFilm #SummerNights #SydneyArts #SydneyEvents #SydneyFilm #AustralianArtists #Friday

🙌LAB SHORTS ON TOUR🚀⁠ ⁠ Join us in celebrating our Creators Lab shorts success! 🎬✨⁠ ⁠ Our talented filmmakers’ short films are making waves across festivals and screenings worldwide. We’re thrilled to see these incredible stories reaching even wider audiences!⁠ ⁠ Swipe to discover where you can catch these amazing shorts and support our emerging creators. 👉⁠ ⁠ #CreatorsLab2023 #CreatorsLab #PlaylabFilms #ApichatpongWeerasethakul #Api #Apichatpong #Filmmakers #ImmersiveExperience #Learning #HowNotToMakeAFilm #CreativeDirectors #FilminginYucatan

📣 WORLD PREMIERE 📣⁠ ⁠ The short film A day with Fini directed by Grace Tan @graceytt will have its World Premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) @melbfilmfest !!!⁠ ⁠ This short film was made during the Creators Lab 2023 guided by Apichatpong Weerasethakul in Yucatán, Mexico.⁠ ⁠ More info at the link in the bio 👉 ⁠ ⁠ @jarthurthomas ⁠ andy__walker__⁠ @lachie_ea ⁠ @suen_will ⁠ @playlab_films ⁠ @bonnettestephania ⁠ @apichatpong_weerasethakul ⁠ @kickthemachine ⁠ ⁠ #CreatorsLab2023 #CreatorsLab #PlaylabFilms #ApichatpongWeerasethakul #Api #Apichatpong #Filmmakers #ImmersiveExperience #Learning #HowNotToMakeAFilm #CreativeDirectors #FilminginYucatan

So very happy to share the World Premiere of A DAYDREAM WITH FINI at this year’s Melbourne International Film Festival @melbfilmfest as part of the Accelerator Lab Program. Am still processing being able to make this film under the guidance of Apichatpong Weerasethakul in Mexico and the support of the amazing Playlab team. Well and truly entered a dream-state making this.☁️💛💛💛 Special thanks @playlab_films @bonnettestephania @kickthemachine @la.otalora @_laarma @ary.marrufo @gabrielgonzalezacosta @diego_medriv @lailakurimanzutto @jarthurthomas @lachie_ea @suen_will @andy__walker__ Jonathan Mendolicchio & especially Josefina & Candelaria ✨

❤️‍🔥Our Crowdfund Campaign is now LIVE!❤️‍🔥 ~ Link in BIO Making a film requires significant resources, and your donation (donations over $2 are tax-deductible) will be crucial to covering production costs, including cast and crew, production design, locations and camera equipment. It will also support the careers of emerging and early career filmmakers, many who are queer and from culturally diverse backgrounds, to give them the platform to push the boundaries on the types of stories told on the domestic and international stage. The team are a mix of exciting emerging Australian filmmakers, dedicated to telling bold, moving and invigorating stories. Alongside Grace, Debbie and Ebube, is award-winning cinematographer Jaclyn Paterson, production designer Abbey Ling-Thorley and associate producer Louise Todd-Smith. Their credits span across international and domestic festivals, including Raindance, Canneseries, Melbourne International Film Festival, The New York Times, with accolades including multiple AACTA, ADG and AWGIE nominations. Thank you for your support 🪽💓✨

Did a little interview with @acmionline for their upcoming “New Voices in Australian Cinema” Screening. Spoke a bit about unearthing some family memories for this short🙃🪷🏡 ~Lucky Peach will be playing alongside a few other special shorts on Tuesday 12th March 7:30pm at ACMI.✨🙏🏽Stills by @dontcallmeshellyeither Article: .au/stories-and-ideas/new-australian-voices-grace-tan-lucky-peach/

12 Days in Yucatán, Mexico🌴with @playlab_films surrounded by the brilliant minds of 50+ filmmakers. A light is burning brighter because of the people I met and the magical places I visited🩵🌀💚Grateful to be able to learn and be supported by the wisdom and guidance of Api @apichatpong_weerasethakul 🌱the bright light and maestro that is Epi @bonnettestephania ☄️and the biggest love to her ridiculously talented and supportive team Laura @la.otalora , Ary @wild_ary , Laila @lailakurimanzutto , Diego, Gabriel, Giulia @_laarma and Alicia @aliciacorpas , everyone at Shambalante and the beautiful people of Yucatán 💕🫂🐸🦋✨🌱

Dreamin’ ~ ✨🤯 Heading to the Yucatán Jungle in Mexico next week to make a film under the mentorship of the master Apichatpong Weerasethakul🌴🫶🌠 Previous years have seen filmmakers led by Abbas Kiarostami and Werner Herzog. Thanking @playlab_films for the opportunity! 🙏🏽Excited for what’s to come and to meet all the other filmmakers💞🎥🥹🛌