Albert’s film Welcome to the World will have its African premiere at the Durban Gay & Lesbian Film Festival on Saturday, September 22, 2018, 12:30pm, in Durban, South Africa, in the session Queer Drama Short Film Mix. The session will repeat on Tuesday, September 25, 2018, 5:30pm. Previously, Albert’s film The Commitment screened at Durban Gay & Lesbian Film Festival in 2013.
Welcome to the World is a daring film about a troubled man who records a video message for his pregnant sister. Drawing its power and immediacy from its first-person, confessional style, the film presents, in one continuous shot, the journey of one man’s awakening from isolation back to humanity. The film stars Albert and is directed by Albert and Anthony Grasso.
Richard Propes (The Independent Critic) gives it four stars and writes, “RIVETING… CHAN’S PERFORMANCE IS DEEPLY MOVING… LINGERS IN YOUR BRAIN LONG AFTER THE CLOSING CREDITS”. Kirk Fernwood (One Film Fan) praises the film as “INTELLIGENT, INVENTIVE, AND INSPIRED… CHAN DOES A FANTASTIC JOB… DRAWING YOU IN WITH EVERY WORD… THE FINALE IS A STROKE OF CREATIVE BRILLIANCE AND ARTISTRY”. Max White (OC Movie Reviews) raves, “CHAN GIVES A GRIPPING, HEARTFELT AND SINCERE PERFORMANCE WHICH PLUNGES YOU INTO THE MURKY WATERS OF MODERN HUMANITY AND MASCULINITY… SQUEEZES SO MUCH RAW EMOTION INTO A SINGLE SHOT”. And Rachel Pullen (UK Film Review) writes, “LEADING MAN ALBERT M. CHAN… PLAYS AN EMOTIONALLY RAW MAN WITH A GRACE AND EASE THAT IS OFTEN ONLY SEEN WITHIN SOME OF THE MOST HIGH END ACTORS… PACKS A HUGE PUNCH… TO CREATE SUCH AN IMPACT ON A VIEWER IN ONLY SEVEN MINUTES WITH JUST ONE MAN, A SCRIPT AND A CAMERA CERTAINLY SPEAKS VOLUMES OF THE SKILLS THAT CHAN HAS AS A DIRECTOR, WRITER AND PERFORMER”.
As an independent platform for filmmakers from South Africa and across the world to specifically deal with issues relating to the LGBTI community, the DGLFF will showcase new and innovative motion pictures, documentaries, shorts and related productions whilst conducting workshops, debates and talks on past LGBTI movies, productions processes, film writing and how the visual medium affects and is affected by the pink community across the world. Special emphasis is placed on Durban and KwaZulu-Natal filmmakers, especially those that deal with human rights and issues of human sexuality in their work. Proceeds from the festival will benefit both the KZNSA and the KwaZulu-Natal Gay & Lesbian Tourism Association (KZNGALTA).