Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In the seedy back rooms of a Little Saigon convenience store, a young customer reanimates his dead father for one last conversation... awakening phantoms of unspoken grief.
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Long's Long Lost & Mini Mart by Julian Doan
https://bio.site/heyitsjulian
"I tend to gravitate to stories where closure and catharsis are elusive or unattainable, which I see as a product of the outsized expectations we place on final goodbyes. So I wanted to start this film with the Customer (Jackie Tran) under immense self-pressure: reciting the exact lines he plans to say to his father, only to feel robbed of how he hoped that interaction would unfold. I thought it’d be exciting and provocative for the film’s grammar and structure to also resist closure as much as possible: first by immediately denying the viewer from witnessing the conversation, then later by abandoning our protagonist before the end of the film. I hoped this would leave the viewer adrift, wanting, even a bit disappointed—much like the Customer himself."
🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of with our exclusive interview with writer/director Julian Doan
directorsnotes.com/2026/06/25/julian-doan-longs-long-lost-mini-mart
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// Credits //
The Clerk: Hồng Đào
The Customer: Jackie Tran
The Monk: Hoài Tâm
Hành: Long Nguyen
Writer/ Director: Julian Doan
Producers: Doménica Castro Constanza Castro Alex Nystrom Jenni Trang Lê
Cinematographer: Jay Swuen
Production Designer: Mengqing Yuan
Costume Designer: Brianna Murphy
Hair & Make-Up: OASIS
Casting Director: Christian Bustamante
1st Assistant Director: Michi Quế Đoàn
Script Supervisor: Sean D. Nguyen
Editor: Lynn Hong
Composer: René G. Boscio
Sound Designer: Kai Scheer
Production Companies
Indeed
Hillman Grad
271 Films
ABOUT DIRECTORS NOTES
Since 2006 Directors Notes has curated the world's best independent films alongside exclusive daily deep dive interviews which provide behind the scenes insights into the inspirations and production stories of the most talented filmmakers on the planet.
#scifi #shortfilm #raisethedead #fatherson
In the seedy back rooms of a Little Saigon convenience store, a young customer reanimates his dead father for one last conversation... awakening phantoms of unspoken grief.
🔔 Love indie films? SUBSCRIBE to Directors Notes for more trailblazing shorts: youtube.com/c/directorsnotes
🎥 Want to see your film here? Submit your work to Directors Notes: directorsnotes.com/submit
Long's Long Lost & Mini Mart by Julian Doan
https://bio.site/heyitsjulian
"I tend to gravitate to stories where closure and catharsis are elusive or unattainable, which I see as a product of the outsized expectations we place on final goodbyes. So I wanted to start this film with the Customer (Jackie Tran) under immense self-pressure: reciting the exact lines he plans to say to his father, only to feel robbed of how he hoped that interaction would unfold. I thought it’d be exciting and provocative for the film’s grammar and structure to also resist closure as much as possible: first by immediately denying the viewer from witnessing the conversation, then later by abandoning our protagonist before the end of the film. I hoped this would leave the viewer adrift, wanting, even a bit disappointed—much like the Customer himself."
🎙️ Dive deeper into the making of with our exclusive interview with writer/director Julian Doan
directorsnotes.com/2026/06/25/julian-doan-longs-long-lost-mini-mart
👉 Follow Us for More Short Film Greatness:
Newsletter: directorsnotes.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Instagram: instagram.com/directorsnotes
Podcast: pod.link/192507317
// Credits //
The Clerk: Hồng Đào
The Customer: Jackie Tran
The Monk: Hoài Tâm
Hành: Long Nguyen
Writer/ Director: Julian Doan
Producers: Doménica Castro Constanza Castro Alex Nystrom Jenni Trang Lê
Cinematographer: Jay Swuen
Production Designer: Mengqing Yuan
Costume Designer: Brianna Murphy
Hair & Make-Up: OASIS
Casting Director: Christian Bustamante
1st Assistant Director: Michi Quế Đoàn
Script Supervisor: Sean D. Nguyen
Editor: Lynn Hong
Composer: René G. Boscio
Sound Designer: Kai Scheer
Production Companies
Indeed
Hillman Grad
271 Films
ABOUT DIRECTORS NOTES
Since 2006 Directors Notes has curated the world's best independent films alongside exclusive daily deep dive interviews which provide behind the scenes insights into the inspirations and production stories of the most talented filmmakers on the planet.
#scifi #shortfilm #raisethedead #fatherson
