Press Release
Silver A' Design Award in Movie, Video and Animation Design Goes to Chowmein Holiday Short Live Action Film by Lanhua Ma
The international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition recognizes Lanhua Ma for movie, video and animation design
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 28, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ Chowmein Holiday Short Live Action Film by Lanhua Ma, designed for Iris Lanhua Ma, has been granted the Silver A' Design Award in the Movie, Video and Animation Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The award was conferred within the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who scored anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
About the Silver A' Design Award
The Silver A' Design Award celebrates top-tier designs that embody excellence and innovation. This award acknowledges creations that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional, reflecting the designer's deep understanding and skill. Silver A' Design Award recipients are recognized for their contribution to raising industry standards and advancing the practice of design. Their work often incorporates original innovations and elicits a strong emotional response, making a notable impact on the improvement of everyday life.
Regarding Chowmein Holiday Short Live Action Film
Chowmein Holiday is a short dark comedy film about two Asian American grandmothers, Li Ling and May, on a road trip across California. The two characters begin a crime spree during the journey. One grandmother finds a new purpose in life, while the other keeps a secret from her partner in crime. The film was made to question common cinematic stereotypes of elderly women. Asian American grandmothers are shown not as quiet or docile figures, but as rebellious people seeking freedom, thrill and new meaning in later life. The running time is twenty one minutes.
About Lanhua Ma
Lanhua Ma is an emerging international award-winning filmmaker and one of China's most notable young female directors. Her short film, There is Honor among Thieves, won the best experimental film at the Chinese First International Film Festival and the Official Selection International Film Festival Rotterdam in 2019 and went to Tokyo Image Forum Film Festival (Japan) and the Seashorts Festival (Malaysia) in 2020.
Award Record
Lanhua Ma is a winner of 2 A' Design Awards, including this recognition. The awards span the editions from 2024 - 2025 to 2025 - 2026 of the A' Design Award & Competition.
About the A' Movie, Video and Animation Design Award
The A' Movie Design Award is an international movie design competition recognizing outstanding movie designs by best movie designers and directors worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to movie designers, animation artists, directors and film producers from all countries. Entries typically include feature films, short films, documentaries, animations, music videos and experimental films. Awarded movie designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/movie
About A' Design Award & Competition
A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission to advance society through good design by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, the upload of a work and the preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/183087
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/183087
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!183087
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/368952
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://www.malanhuafilm.com/work-in-progress
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Chowmein Holiday Short Live Action Film
- Function
- Short Live Action Film
- Category
- Movie, Video and Animation Design
- Discipline
- Communication Design
- Industry
- Entertainment and Arts
- Colors
- Black, Sienna, Dim Gray, Saddle Brown and Dark Slate Gray
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Iris Lanhua Ma
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Lanhua Ma
- Country
- China
- Recognition
- Silver A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #183087
Credits
- Image Credits
- Images courtesy of Iris Lanhua Ma
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Chowmein Holiday is a dark comedy following two Asian American grandmas, Li Ling and May, on a wild road trip. They embark on an exhilarating crime spree across California. During this journey, one discovers a new purpose in life, while the other harbors a hidden secret from her partner in crime.
- Inspiration
- The film is inspired by the desire to subvert traditional cinematic stereotypes of elderly women. It reimagines Asian American grandmas not as quiet or docile figures, but as complex, rebellious individuals seeking liberation, thrill, and new meaning in their later years through an unconventional adventure.
- Research
- The foundational research for this project deeply examined the intersection of aging, cultural identity, and the psychology of female rebellion. The creator conducted qualitative observations regarding the lived experiences and unspoken frustrations of elderly Asian American women, exploring how societal invisibility can act as a catalyst for radical behavior. Additionally, the research encompassed a structural analysis of successful dark comedies and buddy road movies, studying how to effectively blend absurd criminal situations with authentic, grounded emotional arcs to create a culturally resonant and highly entertaining narrative.
- Challenge
- The primary creative challenge lay in mastering the delicate tonal balance between absurd dark comedy and genuine emotional depth. It was crucial to ensure that the criminal actions of the two grandmas felt believable and rooted in their desperate search for purpose, rather than coming across as mere caricature. Furthermore, executing a dynamic road trip narrative within the constraints of an independent short film format required rigorous logistical planning. The team had to overcome the challenges of shooting across multiple California locations while maintaining visual consistency and keeping the emotional core of the two protagonists at the forefront of every single scene.
- Realization and Technology
- The project was realized entirely through high definition digital cinema technology. The production utilized advanced digital cinema cameras and professional grade lenses to capture the vibrant, sun drenched aesthetics of the California landscape. The realization process involved sophisticated on location sound recording, dynamic lighting setups to enhance the dark comedic tone, and comprehensive post production workflows. This included precise color grading to reflect the shifting moods of the journey, digital sound mixing, and seamless editing techniques to maintain the energetic pacing of a crime spree narrative.
- Operation and Interaction
- The audience is immediately thrust into a fast paced, visually engaging twenty one minute cinematic experience. The narrative flow is meticulously structured to balance moments of high stakes criminal activity with quiet, character driven interactions. Viewers interact with the film emotionally, experiencing a rollercoaster of dark humor, shock, and profound empathy. The pacing accelerates as the road trip progresses, mirroring the escalating tension of the hidden secret, ultimately guiding the audience toward a thought provoking and emotionally resonant climax.
- Project Duration and Location
- Principal photography and production took place across various scenic and urban locations throughout Southern California, United States, using the diverse landscapes to visually represent the characters' physical and emotional journey. The final digital film is slated for its official premiere and festival circuit run in the year 2025, screened at LA Shorts.
- Specifications
- Medium: Digital Video 4K. Genre: Dark Comedy Short Film. Total Running Time: 21 minutes. Visuals: Full Color. Aspect Ratio: 2.85:1. Audio: Stereo and Surround Sound Mix. Release Year: 2025. Country of Origin: United States. Language: English.
- Keywords
- Dark Comedy, Short Film, Asian American Cinema, Elderly Protagonists, Grandmas, Road Trip Movie, Crime Spree, California Landscapes, Female Empowerment, Rebellion, Aging and Identity, Iris Lanhua Ma, Independent Filmmaking, Cinematic Storytelling
