The "Invisible Chengdu" Trilogy
Three thematically connected short films set in Southwest China — exploring love, gender, and identity in a changing society. A poetic trilogy that captures the soul of Chengdu with visual intimacy and emotional depth.
Includes “Sunken Plum”, “Floating Melon”, and “Ni Jing: Thou Shalt Not Steal.”
Spoken in the Sichuan dialect and available with subtitles in English, French, Spanish, and Italian — with additional languages offered in individual titles. Each film can also be rented or purchased separately.
"Sunken Plum" (Chen Li)
"Sunken Plum" is the most acclaimed short film within the Invisible Chengdu Trilogy, screened at over 200 international film festivals and awarded numerous prizes worldwide.
A transgender woman working in Chengdu receives news of her mother’s death. To attend the funeral, she must return to her rural hometown — hiding her true identity from her family.
A deeply human story that has reached audiences in more than 50 countries, "Sunken Plum" is a landmark of poetic and independent LGBTQ+ cinema from Asia.
Spoken in the Sichuan dialect and available with subtitles in English, French, Spanish, and Italian.
The film is available for rental and purchase worldwide.
“Visions of Asturias” Collection
A poetic and genre-driven duology by Roberto F. Canuto & Xu Xiaoxi — “Advent (Ad-vientu)” and “Water Circles Under Cotton Clouds.”
“Visions of Asturias” unites two award-winning short films that transform the landscapes of Northern Spain into a cinematic space of mystery, faith, and rebellion. Through their blend of poetic realism, fantasy, and social allegory, the filmmakers explore identity, empathy, and resistance in times of uncertainty.
From the intimate spirituality of “Advent” to the dystopian tension of “Water Circles Under Cotton Clouds,” this duology connects emotion and symbolism, uniting realism with the power of genre cinema.
Spoken in Asturias language and Spanish, with subtitles in English, French, and Italian.
Available for rental and purchase worldwide, and also as individual titles.
“Water Circles Under Cotton Clouds”
“Water Circles Under Cotton Clouds” (2023) is a poetic and socially conscious short film, set in a dystopian future marked by fear and inequality.
Conceived as a narrative mosaic, the film weaves together multiple storylines exploring resistance, empathy, and the human need for justice.
The directors envisioned these intertwined narratives as the seed of a broader project, where each character could later evolve in their own emotional journey.
Shot entirely in Asturias, it blends realism and allegory to turn political tension into a reflection on identity, solidarity, and hope.
Spoken in Spanish, with subtitles in English, French, Italian, Chinese, and Spanish.
Available for rental and purchase worldwide.
"NYFA Years" – American Student Works
“The NYFA Years – American Student Works (2010–2011)” brings together some of the works directed by Roberto F. Canuto & Xu Xiaoxi during their studies at the New York Film Academy in Hollywood.
Shot on Super 16mm film, these films — the short films “Mei Mei” (2010) and “Toto Forever” (2010), and the feature graduation work “Desire Street” (2011) — explore identity, desire, and faith through a poetic queer gaze that bridges East and West.
An exclusive collection celebrating the origins of two filmmakers who would later travel to Asia and Europe to create multicultural and emotionally resonant cinema.
Spoken in English and Spanish, with optional subtitles.
Available for rental and purchase worldwide.
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Buy or Rent from Almost Red Productions - Arthouse & LGBTQ+ Cinema by Roberto F. Canuto & Xu Xiaoxi
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1 videoSunken Plum (2017)
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Sunken Plum (2017) is an award-winning Chinese-Spanish short film by Roberto F. Canuto and Xu Xiaoxi. This poetic LGBTQ+ drama explores gender identity, family, and human rights across modern and rural China.
This film is also available as part of the "Invisible Chengdu Trilogy" and "The Complet...
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1 videoFloating Melon (2015)
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“Floating Melon (2015)” (“Fu Guo”) is a Chinese-Spanish short film by award-winning filmmakers Roberto F. Canuto and Xu Xiaoxi, known for their poetic and socially engaged cinema. The film represents the second chapter of the trilogy “Invisible Chengdu,” a series of stories set in Sichuan and spo...
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Ni Jing: Thou Shalt Not Steal (2013)
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“Ni Jing: Thou Shalt Not Steal” is a Chinese–Spanish short film by award-winning filmmakers Roberto F. Canuto and Xu Xiaoxi, known for their poetic and socially engaged cinema. The film marks their first project shot in China after their previous collaborations in the United States and represents...
