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Logline

In a bar in Beijing, a man and woman share an unexpected connection that reveals a deeper, hidden bond between them.

Synopsis

The Third Party follows a seemingly chance encounter in a Beijing bar between two strangers, an older woman and younger man. As their conversation unfolds, it becomes clear that their connection runs deeper than meets the eye. Set against a backdrop of mutual nostalgia and lost identities, this intimate drama explores the complexities of relationships, longing, and unspoken bonds.

Meet the Filmmakers

Stephanie Cheng — Director/Writer
Stephanie is a filmmaker, photographer and actor based between New York and Beijing. Her work often examines cross-cultural dimensions within feminism, sexuality, power, and race, with a particular focus on the disillusionment one often encounters through the slow and non-linear transitions of life.

Stephanie received her B.F.A. in Film and Television from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and completed her Master’s in Visual, Museum, and Material Anthropology at the University of Oxford.

Petrus van Staden — Producer
Petrus is a South African filmmaker based in New York City. His work has screened at Locarno, SXSW, New Directors New Films, and New York Film Festival, being distributed to spaces such as Mubi, Topic, and Canal + Poland. He has worked between South Africa, Tanzania and the USA — producing independent work as well as an episode for Netflix’s African Folktales Reimagined Anthology series. He has been part of productions selected for Sundance, IFFR, Oberhausen, and Durban and work supported by the SFFILM, the Atlas Workshops and the Red Sea Souk. He was selected to take part in the 4th edition of “DEENTAL at CANNES” in 2024.

Clarissa Zhang — Co-Producer
Clarissa Zhang is a Shanghai-based independent producer and an alumna of Berlinale Talents and Talents Tokyo.

She began her career as a producer over a decade ago, focusing on co-productions. Her producing credits include Dead Pigs (dir. Cathy Yan, EP Jia Zhangke, Special Jury Award at Sundance), Nothing Stranger (dir. Pedro Collantes, International Film Festival Rotterdam), and National Geographic Channel’s epic documentary series Route Awakening (dir. Sohkiak Chang, Asian Television Award).

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Contact

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