The release schedule for the eight films Photo: Courtesy of Tencent Video

'The Cabinet'

Released on April 10 on Chinese streaming platform Tencent Video, the short film Guizi, or The Cabinet, tells a story of a man who longs to get rich overnight and his talking cabinet. 

The short film uses an exaggerated tone to portray the story of Song Bo, who has idled his life away and dragged his family into a deep irreversible abyss. Abandoned by all his friends and family members he only has his cabinet to speak to. 

The director Liu Zheng explained that the whole film revolves around the protagonist's affection, desire and greed. The tone of the film has been exaggerated in order to leave a deep impression on audiences within its short period of time.

The film is part of eight works filmed and released based on the Lit Light program by ­Daylight Entertainment, which aims to support young talented directors and boost their careers by airing them on Tencent Video. The works cover avant-garde topics, hot topics and personal growth, which were selected from a total of 684 submissions gathered from the public over the past three months.

'The Island'

Another short film that is due to be released on Friday, named Dao, or The Island, explores the intimate relationships in a traditional family in China, with a special focus on the gap in lifestyles and mind-sets between two generations in one family.

The story is set in a hotel in a quiet mountain village. The mother ran away from home and appears in the hotel where her daughter works. The mother and daughter are joined by a Japanese backpacker who came to get away from it all for a while.

The three of them get along for a short time and then they open their hearts at a certain moment and have a simple but profound conversation. 

"I created this story based on my own reflections concerning family relationships. There are not many characters in the story except the mother and daughter, while the appearance of the Japanese backpacker provides the chance for the mother and daughter to open their hearts and talk to each other," said the director.