$30 to Antarctica, which is screening as a finalist at the inaugural Indy Shorts Film Festival in Indianapolis from July 26-29, 2018, tells the story of Ka Foon Chau, who grew up an impoverished child and retired a renowned doctor. 

Chau was raised in the 1960s in Hong Kong, an area where her elders sought to discourage her enthusiastic interest in the world of academia. It was a small gesture of support from a teacher that encouraged Chau to rise beyond her circumstances and to move past her parents' generation. $30 to Antarctica follows Chau as she prepares to achieve one of her life dreams - visiting Antarctica. 

$30 to Antarctica has already picked up a handful of awards on the film festival circuit including being a finalist in the Social Media Impact Awards, picking up 3rd place in the Short Doc category at the Anchorage International Film Festival, and picking up additional prizes in the L.A. Film Awards, at the Around International Film Festival - Amsterdam, the LA Shorts Awards, and the Hollywood International Independent Documentary Awards. 

Written and directed by Joey Chu, $30 to Antarctica is a strong short doc with excellent lensing by Dumaine Babcock and also benefits greatly from Adam Traister's original music for the film. 

$30 to Antarctica will screen twice during Indy Shorts as part of the Finalist Shorts 1 collection of films. The film will screen on:

• Friday, July 27th at 7pm inside DeBoest Lecture Hall at Newfields
• Saturday, July 28th at 12:45pm inside The Toby at Newfields

For more information on Indy Shorts, visit the Indy Shorts website. 

Critic's Note: $30 to Antarctica picked up the prize for Best Student Short Film at Indy Shorts. 

© Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic