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It's All a Game

It's All a Game.

A couple meets in the evening to play a game of chess that turns into a different ball game.

"It's All a Game" was selected and produced by Lia Wu, it is a five-minute short romantic drama that talks about a couple Lawrence and Monique meet in the afternoon to enjoy a game of chess until the atmosphere veers away from a playful direction and the two start talking about matters of more personal import. “It’s All a Game” takes a static, single room setting throughout the duration of the whole film, and yet manages to make it dynamic. The film uses décor and lighting to shift the tonal halfway through the film to modifies the ambiance.

The game of chess and its ever-changing set of circumstances, shifts in power serve as an allegory of the couple's relationship. "It's All a Game" layers its narrative slickly and smoothly via a game metaphor.

The film was developed during the lockdown. Director Joan Kabugu and Executive Producer Lia Wu were in different countries at that moment. The crew worked remotely and safely that made everything happened.

  • Joan Kabugu
    Director and Writer
  • Yusuke Sato
    Co-Director
  • Lia Wu
    Executive Producer
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    5 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    April 15, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    8,300 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Oniros Film Awards - New York
    New York
    United States
    Best Drama, Best Romance, Best Indie Short, Best Under 5 Minute Film, Best Acting Duo, Grand Jury Awards
  • Independent Shorts Awards
    Los Angeles
    United States
    Bronze Award for Best Romantic Short
  • Hollywood Gold Awards
    Hollywood
    United States
    Gold Award Super Short Film, Silver Award Director Super Short Film
  • New York Movie Awards
    New York
    United States
    Honorable mention
  • Tokyo International Short Film Festival
    Tokyo
    Japan
    Honorable Mention
  • Top Indie Film Awards
    Tokyo
    Japan
    Best Cinematography, Best Music
  • AltFF Alternative Film Festival
    Toronto
    Canada
    Best Cast
  • AIMAFF
    Athens
    Greece
    Best Short Film
Distribution Information
  • GoldBlink Pictures
    Distributor
    Country: Australia
    Rights: All Rights
Director