Last year we were fortunate to present a program of short films from Hong Kong's burgeoning independent scene. Despite a dearth of governmental or private funding, a strong creative community still exists in the region; and this year we feature one of the most unique and ambitious films. DREAMTRIPS weaves science fiction and diasporic existentialism into a sophisticated narrative of two people who attempt to reclaim the purity of purpose embodied by their youth but lost to the march of progress.

Jennifer (Chan) is desperately looking for her fiancée, Charles (Kwok). Missing for over a month, he has been searching for his childhood innocence in Dreamtrips, a virtual world which enables the user to visit any destination and realize any wish. While looking for Charles, Jennifer stumbles across a portal to Dreamtrips and becomes enmeshed in the chaos he has caused. Charles' failure to fulfill his dreams causes him to commit suicide, forming a malfunction in the system and trapping a number of Dreamtrippers, including Jennifer. However, if she can go deep into Charles' memory file and alter the course of his actions, she may not only free herself and the other travelers, but also find the dream that she and Charles were looking for.