Welcome to the World will screen Thursday, March 28th, 2019, at qFLIX Philadelphia. Welcome to the World will play at 7:30pm in the session of LGBTQ+ short films by local Philly filmmakers and adopted qFLIX Philly filmmakers, called Philly Phamily Philms, in Connelly Auditorium at The University of the Arts. Albert, who co-directed and acted in the film, is scheduled to be in attendance for a talkback.
Last October, Welcome to the World won the Audience Award for Favorite Short Film at sister festival qFLIX Worcester. Albert’s interracial gay adoption film The Commitment also screened at qFLIX Philadelphia last year.
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.”
qFLIX Philadelphia is a production of qFLIX USA, Inc., a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit corporation, and is rooted in 24 years of LGBTQ+ film festival leadership. Film as an international language allows qFLIX USA to foster, support, and give access to independent filmmakers and to encourage and nurture younger ones in the art of filmmaking.