“Mei Mei” is a Chinese-American short film directed by Xu Xiaoxi and written by Roberto F. Canuto & Xu Xiaoxi during their MFA studies at the New York Film Academy in Hollywood.

This film is also available as part of the "The NYFA Years – American Student Works (2010–2011)" and "The Complete Works: Roberto F. Canuto & Xu Xiaoxi".

Sinopsis: Lulu, a high-class prostitute living in Los Angeles, receives constant visits from her neighbor Julian, who insists she is his missing ex-girlfriend, Mei Mei. Convinced he is only inventing stories to seduce her, Lulu rejects him again and again — until loneliness softens her heart. Their fragile connection soon blurs the line between illusion and truth, revealing two souls trapped between love, loss, and mistaken identity.

🎬 Year of Production: 2010 | Premiere: Slow Film International Film Festival (Hungary, 2010)

Shot on 16 mm film with the support of Kodak and CCI, the film blends Chinese sensitivity and American indie style to create a visually poetic meditation on desire, loneliness, and self-perception.

Exploring the inner life of an abused woman who reclaims control through her work, the story also mirrors the theme of duality: two women who look alike but whose contrasting experiences define their confidence and destiny. Subtle homoerotic undertones between Lulu and her “special friend” Coco have led to the film’s inclusion in some LGBT events.

Premiering at the Slow Film International Film Festival (Hungary, 2010), “Mei Mei” also earned a nomination for Best Cinematography at the Kodak Scholarship Awards 2009, representing NYFA Hollywood.

🎥 Genre: Drama / Romance / LGBTIQ+
🕒 Runtime: 14 min
🌍 Language: English (with optional subtitles in Spanish, French, Italian and other languages)
📽️ Format: 16 mm Film / HD / DCP
🎵 Music: Andrea Centazzo
👥 Cast: Janet Chiarabaglio, Alex Best, Alexandra Smothers, Kjord Davis, Alexander Aguila, Gudmundur Luovik Porvaldsson, Miles Wood

🔗 Official Website: https://almostred.com/mei-mei/
🎞️ IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1401185
🎬 TMDb: https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/283674-mei-mei
⭐ Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/film/mei-mei/
🎥 FilmAffinity: https://www.filmaffinity.com/es/film996476.html
▶️ Trailer: https://youtu.be/gtBA_i5sujY

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🗂️ Tags: Mei Mei, LGBTQ+ Film, Queer Cinema, Chinese American Film, Independent Short Film, Female Protagonist, Symbolic Drama, Art House, 16mm Film, NYFA, Women in Film, Erotic Drama, Poetic Cinema, Identity, Loneliness, Desire, Duality, Xu Xiaoxi, Roberto F. Canuto, LGBTQ+ Short Film, Asian Cinema, Cross-Cultural Story, Romance Drama