2022 Iris Prize shorts

Forgiveness Day

Forgiveness Day is a portrait of love and trauma, where two brothers find themselves navigating the space between trust, faith and healing. Queer filmmaker Derek Ho journeys back to Singapore in the hope of revealing to Jeremiah a secret that has been deeply buried for the last thirty years.

DIRECTOR:

Derek Ho

PRODUCER:

Franco Di Chiera and Derek Ho

WRITER:

Derek Ho

RELEASE YEAR:

2020

Australia / USA, 15 Minutes

As a queer filmmaker of Asian background, Derek understands the nuances and the intersections of being a part of the LGBTQ+ community. He seeks to showcase diverse stories and his work has been described as brave, sensitive, considered and nuanced.

Stylistically, Derek likes pushing the boundaries of what defines a documentary. His hybrid mode of storytelling blurs the lines while striking the fine balance in crafting an authentic and compelling story.

Derek’s latest film, Forgiveness Day, commissioned by The New York Times’ Op-Docs, was awarded Best Australian Short Film and Best Short Documentary at the 31st Melbourne Queer Film Festival in 2021.
He was also nominated for Best Direction for Short Documentary at the Australia Directors Guild Award 2021.

His work has been showcased at numerous international film festivals, broadcasted on Australia’s ABC TV and even made it to the front page of The New York Times.

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