2 Jul, 2025
Director Hung Tran on Horror, Doubt, and Doing It Anyway (Inhuman)
By Amadeus Yeo
Winner of both the Jury and Audience Choice awards at the 2023 CinemaSHORT Asian Short Film Competition, Inhuman, directed by Hung Tran, is an eerie horror short steeped in an atmosphere that never lets up.
Tran’s direction is both stylish and distinctive, drawing from inspirations such as the Coen Brothers’ The Man Who Wasn’t There and Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin. Inhuman tells the story of a home invasion with a ghost-like twist. Tran uses horror not just to thrill, but to create a deeply unsettling mood that lingers long after the final frame.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Tran as part of a spotlight on previous CinemaSHORT winners, where we discussed his inspirations, his journey through the editing process, and his experience with the competition.
The Beginnings of Inhuman
Amadeus: Starting off, what was your inspiration behind this? What made you decide to want to make this short film?
Tran: I firstly wanted to make a feature film, and I needed to begin with something, so a short was like the first step. The first question I asked myself was, “What do I want to make first?”, and I chose a genre film. I wanted to combine genre with my own personal tastes, and that was what made me want to make this. I wanted to make the robber feel like a ghost.
Amadeus: I’m quite curious because I saw your CinemaSHORT introduction video, and you mentioned in it that you were quite dissatisfied with the initial cut, and it took some time to find the best film that there was. What was it that made you go, “I’ve got it”?
Tran: I never had that. I could never have that moment because I’ve always felt like something was wrong with my films. Because we didn’t have a lot of time for this film, I storyboarded everything and shot it accordingly. Afterwards, I also edited the film as I had structured it in the storyboards, but it didn’t work at all. I came to realise that it wasn’t about how much footage I shot, but the duration of each shot and the arrangement of the shots. It’s about the sound, the music, the performances—all that makes up the film. It was only when I realised that this is what filmmaking is, that I finally “got it” with the film.
Style, Sound, and Story in Inhuman
Amadeus: A lot of horror short films face this challenge of building tension, atmosphere and ultimately scaring the audience, but of course with a short runtime, you have to do all that much quicker. From your experience with this film, what do you think are the essential elements to crafting an effective and memorable horror short?
Tran: I think it’s not about the elements. It’s all about the vision. I tried to make this film for the audience member that is myself; I had to satisfy myself first. Then I had to know what I wanted to do, and what I didn’t want to do. There were thousands of things I didn’t want to do, and there were two things I wanted to do in this film. I wanted to find the right music for the film, and I wanted to set the right mood and tone for it. I had a lot of options for the music, and every piece can frame your scene differently. I guess I have to know the reasons behind each choice first, before deciding on how to put everything on screen.
Amadeus: One of my favourite parts of the film was when you played around with the usage of black and white and colour. What inspired this choice? Tran: I chose black and white so that the final red shot would stand out. I wanted the entire film to be a build-up to that one moment. I think every film should have a frame that the audience remembers. After every screening of the film, the audience members would come up to me and say that they remembered that particular shot.
Tran: I think it’s not about the elements. It’s all about the vision. I tried to make this film for the audience member that is myself; I had to satisfy myself first. Then I had to know what I wanted to do, and what I didn’t want to do. There were thousands of things I didn’t want to do, and there were two things I wanted to do in this film. I wanted to find the right music for the film, and I wanted to set the right mood and tone for it. I had a lot of options for the music, and every piece can frame your scene differently. I guess I have to know the reasons behind each choice first, before deciding on how to put everything on screen.
Amadeus: One of my favourite parts of the film was when you played around with the usage of black and white and colour. What inspired this choice? Tran: I chose black and white so that the final red shot would stand out. I wanted the entire film to be a build-up to that one moment. I think every film should have a frame that the audience remembers. After every screening of the film, the audience members would come up to me and say that they remembered that particular shot.
On Facing Criticism as an Amateur Filmmaker
Amadeus: What were the reactions when you first showed the film to people?
Tran: It was terrible. I sent the assembly cut to another editor and she came back saying that it was terrible and that she didn’t know how to edit it. It made me feel, “What am I doing with this film? It’s garbage”, and I kind of gave up and spent a while off the short.
It was a rough start, but things eventually took a turn. I sent the film to [another filmmaker], who complimented many things about the film, and that gave me back my confidence. He said that I was ready to be a director. If he hated it the same way the editor did, I probably would have thrown it away.
Amadeus: It seems like a very lonely journey – there’s a need for people to tell you that your film is worth it; that your ideas have value. Is there a support network you can fall back on or certain people that you always go to when you feel like your film is not good enough?
Tran: The first thing I always go back to when things get tough is the cinema. It reminds me of what I fell in love with; the main reason why I’m making films. If I’m not making films, I don’t know what else to do. When I watch Inhuman now, I can find many faults, but at the same time it lets me know that I’m a better storyteller now that I’ve been able to see these faults.
Tran: It was terrible. I sent the assembly cut to another editor and she came back saying that it was terrible and that she didn’t know how to edit it. It made me feel, “What am I doing with this film? It’s garbage”, and I kind of gave up and spent a while off the short.
It was a rough start, but things eventually took a turn. I sent the film to [another filmmaker], who complimented many things about the film, and that gave me back my confidence. He said that I was ready to be a director. If he hated it the same way the editor did, I probably would have thrown it away.
Amadeus: It seems like a very lonely journey – there’s a need for people to tell you that your film is worth it; that your ideas have value. Is there a support network you can fall back on or certain people that you always go to when you feel like your film is not good enough?
Tran: The first thing I always go back to when things get tough is the cinema. It reminds me of what I fell in love with; the main reason why I’m making films. If I’m not making films, I don’t know what else to do. When I watch Inhuman now, I can find many faults, but at the same time it lets me know that I’m a better storyteller now that I’ve been able to see these faults.
Looking Back at Hung Tran's 2023 Double Win
Amadeus: Looking back at your two wins at the very first CinemaSHORT competition in 2023—the Audience Choice Award and Jury Award—how would you describe your experience participating in the competition, and what’s something you learned about yourself or your work through the competition experience?
Tran: A lot of things. When I saw my film on the website, I felt so surprised that it was selected because to me, it was really bad. I feel really bad about my films, to the point where I want to abandon them, but the selection told me that maybe it wasn’t that bad. It gave me a lot of confidence. It made me feel alive again. The competition was such a big opportunity for me to show my short to a big audience in Asia. I’m really grateful for the selection.
Amadeus: How have things changed in your filmmaking journey from 2023 to now?
Tran: I’ve been a screenwriter on two feature films, and now I have a project where I’m both writer and director, that’s hopefully going to be shot later this year. I made Inhuman as a first step toward my feature, and now it’s happening. Everything’s moving really fast for me.
Tran: A lot of things. When I saw my film on the website, I felt so surprised that it was selected because to me, it was really bad. I feel really bad about my films, to the point where I want to abandon them, but the selection told me that maybe it wasn’t that bad. It gave me a lot of confidence. It made me feel alive again. The competition was such a big opportunity for me to show my short to a big audience in Asia. I’m really grateful for the selection.
Amadeus: How have things changed in your filmmaking journey from 2023 to now?
Tran: I’ve been a screenwriter on two feature films, and now I have a project where I’m both writer and director, that’s hopefully going to be shot later this year. I made Inhuman as a first step toward my feature, and now it’s happening. Everything’s moving really fast for me.
What Makes a Story Worth Telling?
Amadeus: With those other projects under your belt, I’m curious as to what makes a story worth telling or shooting—what is it that you’re drawn to in particular?
Tran: With screenwriting, I’ll write a script and if it comes back to me in three months, I’ll continue working on it. If it doesn’t come back to me, I’ll leave it forever. It’s all about the heart and personal touch to the story. If it comes back to you six months later, a year later, etc.—and not just once, but twice or three times—then that’s the film to make. I dreamt of the short film which I then made, and when it’s screening, a lot of the audience members feel the emotion of it. It makes me feel like I accomplished something, and that this is something I can do more of.
Amadeus: To end this off, what advice would you give to aspiring filmmakers?
Tran: Make what you want to make and show it to people. When you hear their feedback, you’ll be able to find out who your target audience is. Don’t show a horror film to a rom-com audience. After the feedback, go back and make something else again, having improved from the response. Five to ten films down the line, you’ll start to feel your growth. Rejection will come, but patience—and persistence—are what get you through.
Tran: With screenwriting, I’ll write a script and if it comes back to me in three months, I’ll continue working on it. If it doesn’t come back to me, I’ll leave it forever. It’s all about the heart and personal touch to the story. If it comes back to you six months later, a year later, etc.—and not just once, but twice or three times—then that’s the film to make. I dreamt of the short film which I then made, and when it’s screening, a lot of the audience members feel the emotion of it. It makes me feel like I accomplished something, and that this is something I can do more of.
Amadeus: To end this off, what advice would you give to aspiring filmmakers?
Tran: Make what you want to make and show it to people. When you hear their feedback, you’ll be able to find out who your target audience is. Don’t show a horror film to a rom-com audience. After the feedback, go back and make something else again, having improved from the response. Five to ten films down the line, you’ll start to feel your growth. Rejection will come, but patience—and persistence—are what get you through.
Watch the trailer of Inhuman here. If you’d like to enjoy our wide range of Asian short films for free, check out
CinemaWorld on mewatch (available in Singapore).
The CinemaSHORT Competition 2025 is currently open for submissions till 31 July 2025.
