Presence
2025
Short Film
Director, Cinematographer, Editor, Sound Designer
Presence is a short film I created in collaboration with Fitzwilliam College and St Edmund’s College, Cambridge, for the 48-hour film contest hosted by Jesus College (24–26 October 2025). The theme, revealed at the start of the contest, was “Out of the blue”. Despite the intense time limit, it was one of the most enjoyable projects I’ve worked on.
The story follows a girl who spends an afternoon sitting in a cemetery, quietly singing to herself. Her song awakens a nearby spirit, who, out of curiosity, approaches to understand why she’s there alone. The girl carries an evil eye stone that she believes protects her from harm, but the spirit is instead drawn to the color of the stone and begins to follow her.
As she walks her usual route home, the girl starts to feel unfamiliar emotions and impulses, without knowing where they come from. It is as if the spirit is planting new ideas in her mind. These feelings lead her to stray from her ordinary path and experience the surrounding nature in a new way. Through this encounter, she gains a fresh perspective on existence—as if color is quietly returning to her world.
Starring Muyang Duan (the girl), Can Kazan (the ghost), and John Colie (ghost’s voice).
Writer: John Colie
Assistant Director: Zach Denton
I contributed as director, cinematographer, sound designer, and editor on the project.