Bikini Words on the Lift-Off Global Circuit

My documentary BIKINI WORDS was selected by the Lift-Off Film Festival Global Network to screen at the 2016 Las Vegas edition. The invitation followed the film receiving Best Short Documentary at the Liverpool Lift-Off Film Festival 2016 earlier that year. Seeing the film continue its journey through the Lift-Off network has been both grounding and encouraging.

From Liverpool to Las Vegas

After its screening in Liverpool, BIKINI WORDS moved on to the Las Vegas Lift-Off Film Festival. This selection also marked the start of a wider international run, with further screenings planned in cities including Vancouver, Los Angeles, Amsterdam, Singapore, Sydney, and London. The Lift-Off network offers a rare opportunity for independent films to travel and find new audiences.

What Lift-Off Stands For

Lift-Off focuses on independent cinema that often sits outside the mainstream industry. Co-founder Ben Pohlman has consistently emphasized the importance of giving filmmakers practical exposure and real-world connections. That approach aligns closely with why I make documentary work in the first place.

The Film’s Focus

Bikini Words looks at how factory workers in South Korea developed a new, informal vocabulary during the rapid industrialization of the 1970s and 1980s. The language reflects changing working conditions, urban life, and social pressure. The film stays close to those words and the spaces they came from, allowing the audience to draw their own conclusions.

Las Vegas Screening Details

The Las Vegas screening took place on June 6, 2016, at the Brenden Theater – Palms Casino Resort. Showing the film in a city so far removed from its original context highlighted how specific local histories can still resonate internationally.

Continuing the Journey

Bikini Words continues to screen through the Lift-Off Global Network. Each festival brings a different audience and a different conversation. For a small documentary rooted in language and place, that ongoing exchange remains the most rewarding part of the process.