A Silver Leopard recipient at the 1996 Locarno International Film Festival, Hong Kong-raised, Australian-based director Clara Law crafts a pioneering exploration of Asian emigration.

Five years after moving to Melbourne, Law (Like A Dream, MIFF 2010; Letters to Ali, MIFF 2004) and her writer/producer husband Eddie Fong made the first feature focused on the contemporary Chinese experience in Australia.

In a fictional tale told by filmmakers keenly aware of the struggles of charting a different life down under, the Chan family arrives in Sydney with hope in their eyes. The year is 1997, and Hong Kong's handover is imminent; however, as they endeavour to leave their past behind for a fresh future, their new existence requires a significant period of adjustment.

Shot by Academy Award-winning cinematographer Dion Beebe, Floating Life's intimate and evocative look at clashing cultures, dreams and desires was nominated for three AFI Awards. Initially screening at MIFF in 1996, it made history as Australia's first-ever submission in the best foreign-language film category at the Academy Awards.

Director Clara Law will attend the session to introduce the film and take part in a post-screening Q&A.