Experiencing Interruptions?

Floating Melon

A journey of passion, a bitter night. A young Chinese guy (Xiao Cheng) ask for help to his friend Fiona and her lover Lola to resolve a big trouble, the guy with whom he spend the afternoon is death on his bed from the effect of a drug. He broken the law and nobody knows what to do… and nothing will turn out as they expect.

  • Roberto F. Canuto
    Director
    Ni Jing - Thou Shalt Not Steal, Desire Street, Toto Forever
  • Xiaoxi Xu
    Director
    Ni Jing - Thou Shalt Not Steal, Desire Street, Mei Mei
  • Roberto F. Canuto
    Writer
  • Xiaoxi Xu
    Writer
  • Zhiwen Leng
    Producer
  • Jose Manuel González-Fierro Santos
    Producer
  • Francisco Javier González-Fierro Santos
    Producer
  • Vincent Chen Xi
    Key Cast
  • Celia Yu Yinmeng
    Key Cast
  • Wen Sirui
    Key Cast
  • Xu Xu
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Independent, LGBT
  • Runtime:
    19 minutes 14 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 9, 2015
  • Country of Origin:
    China
  • Country of Filming:
    China
  • Language:
    Chinese
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • 53rd Gijon International Film Festival
    Gijón, Spain
    November 27, 2015
    World Premiere
  • 2nd Delhi Queer International Film and Theater Festival
    Delhi
    December 16, 2015
    Asian Premier
    non competitive
  • 13th Zinegoak Bilbao GLB Film Festival
    Bilbao, Spain
    February 26, 2016
  • 19th Roze Filmdagen Amsterdam LGBT Film Festival
    Amsterdam, Holland
    March 17, 2016
    Holland Premiere
  • 3rd Festival Copa Das Coutas, World Film Festival
    Brazil
    April 7, 2016
  • 20th "La Fila" Valladolid Short Film Festival
    Valladolid
    Spain
    April 11, 2016
  • III Asturias Film Festival of Proaza & Santo Adriano
    Asturias
    Spain
    April 23, 2016
    Audience Choice Best Film, Jury Price Best Cinematography
Director Biography - Roberto F. Canuto, Xiaoxi Xu

Xu Xiaoxi

Xu Xiaoxi is a Chinese filmmaker born in Chengdu. He graduated from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in South Africa, with a Fine Arts degree, specializing in the field of Video Art with his work “The Fluxes of ID”. Xiaoxi moved to Los Angeles in 2008 to study a Master in Fine Arts: Filmmaking at the New York Film Academy, Universal Studios in Hollywood, where he meet Roberto F. Canuto.
He directed few short films, like ‘Ni Jing: Thou Shalt Not Steal’, screened at international festivals in 2014, ‘Mei Mei’ (2009) or ‘The Fluxus of ID’, experimental. He collaborates with Roberto F. Canuto in all his works and together completed at the end of 2011 the graduation movie ‘Desire Street’, their first feature film, awarded in Mexico and Spain and screened in many film festivals. Co-Founder of the production company Almost Red Productions.
He has collaborated as a cinematographer, editor, and writer in many projects, including the award winning "Toto Forever", a short film directed by Roberto F. Canuto.
Currently Xiaoxi works in the field of advertisement and fiction films in Chengdu, China. In 2014 the A4 Modern Art Gallery of Chengdu (China) dedicate a successful retrospective with all his works in combination with Roberto F. Canuto.

Roberto F. Canuto

Roberto F. Canuto is a filmmaker from Gijon (Asturias), Spain.
He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Image and Sound at the Complutense University of Madrid in 1998. During his years of study, and after frequent sessions at the Spanish Cinematheque, he was influenced by many classic directors. In addition to his film experience, he has degrees in Music Studies from the Royal Conservatory of Music of Oviedo (Spain).
In 2008 Roberto moved to Los Angeles to complete a Master in Fine Arts (MFA) at the New York Film Academy (Universal Studios, Hollywood), where he directed different shorts (like the award winning “Toto Forever”).
His graduation film, “Desire Street”, co-directed with Xu Xiaoxi, received a Special Mention for Best Feature Film in Mix Mexico International Film Festival in 2011 among other
distinctions. He moved to China in 2011, where he work with Xu Xiaoxi in commercials and fiction films. Co-Founder of the production company Almost Red Productions. “Ni Jing: Thou Shalt Not Steal” was his first fiction short film in Chinese, screened and awarded in various
Film Festivals in 2013 and 2014. “Floating Melon” is his latest work.
In 2014 the A4 Modern Art Gallery of Chengdu (China) dedicate a successful retrospective with all his works in combination with Xu Xiaoxi.

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Director Statement

The film “Floating Melon” is a fiction film, but inspired by characters that are present in the Chinese contemporary society. It reflects, with a realistic perspective in stylistic and narrative terms, the story of a young guy that cannot react in a situation that is beyond his imagination. He needs to take a decision that risk his future for the consequences of the strict rules of the society. He is surrounded by the confusion present on some members of the young gay Chinese community, with no moral referents apart from the official doctrine.
The representation of the characters is very close to reality and their reactions towards the situations reflect the Chinese society of these days. Also it represents this invisible
community, the LGBT, that it is not as persecuted as in other countries, but for family pressures and the lack of protective laws, it need to be self protected. This lack of referents make for some people to take inusual and in occasion dangerous routes to build their relationships.