A distant, culturally-mixed family attempts a ceremonial day together. Lifelong emotions surface through small gestures, while the world around them keeps changing and carries on.
AN OCCURRENCE is a moody, poetic, and meditative work about what is said and unspoken between four generations in a family. It’s a celebration of Art Cinema and mixed households. While the story is intentionally subtle, there’s tenderness and palpable tension beneath the surface – a play of quiet emotions. Although the family is the focus, the house they reside in, the lives of strangers, distant places, and nature are all equally part of the narrative. We’re connected to each other, space, and time, even if we don’t always notice. Shot mostly at dawn and dusk, it evokes feelings of transition, impermanence, and beginnings.
Produced in Western Massachusetts, NY State, and Atlanta.
Grace Lin
HP Wang
Dien Vo (Writer, Director, Producer)
Flonia Telegrafi (Lead Producer)
Ryan Monolopolus (Creative Producer)
Blake Studwell (Cinematographer)
Beck Selberg (Associate Producer)
Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation
Martha Boschen Porter Fund
Bard College at Simon’s Rock
Mount Holyoke College
New York State Writers Institute’s Albany Film Festival – April 2024
Queens World Film Festival – New York City, NY – April 2024
Made Here Film Festival (with Vermont Public Media and Vermont Int’l Film Festival) – April 2024
Arthouse Film Festival – Nominations for Best Expressionist Film, Best Social Commentary, Best Cinematography – January 2024
Blow-Up Arthouse Filmfest · Chicago – Third Place (shared) – January 2024
Shawna Shea Film Festival – Winner: Best Local Short – September 2023
LAVA Film Festival – Greenfield, MA – September 2023
Vienna Independent Film Festival – September 2023 – Winner: Best Art Direction
Massachusetts Independent Film Festival – Nomination: Outstanding Short – April 2023