by FilmInk Staff
Dad vs Bees, an award-winning short documentary by Vietnamese-Chinese Australian filmmaker David Quach, will make its Chicago premiere at the Midwest Film Festival at Ramova Theatre on Friday, July 24.
Quach has been nominated for Best Director at the Best of the Midwest Awards. The film will screen at 11:00 a.m. as part of Fresh Cuts: Documentary Voices, followed by a filmmaker Q&A.
At first glance, Dad vs Bees follows Quach’s 79-year-old Vietnamese father, Hoa, as he tries to reclaim his garden from a bee infestation—a battle involving a hose, a stubborn dad and many uncooperative bees.
As the story unfolds, the bees become only one of the obstacles in his way. It opens into a more intimate story about aging, language barriers, family obligation and the effects of war and displacement.
“It feels especially meaningful to bring the film home to Chicago,” says Quach. “Chicago is where I learned to tell stories and found the confidence to make a film. To have my Chicago premiere here—and to be nominated for Best Director—is incredibly special.”
Filmed primarily at his family home in Sydney, Dad vs Bees is an intimate portrait of a family navigating the effects of aging, responsibility and war and displacement. Bringing it to Chicago allows Quach to share the world he grew up in with the community where he found his voice as a storyteller.
The Chicago premiere continues a strong festival run that began at the Montreal Asian International Film Festival, where Dad vs Bees won the Dancheong Award for Best Editing. It later screened to a sold-out audience on Opening Night of the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival, earning a Best Melbourne Short nomination, before making its United States premiere at the Wyoming International Film Festival.
Quach began the project after being separated from his parents for more than four years during the COVID-19 pandemic. What started as a funny story about his father’s battle with bees became a way to ask about his parents’ lives, their history as refugees from Vietnam and the sacrifices made within immigrant families.
“Making a documentary gave me an excuse to ask my parents questions that I would not normally be able to ask,” says Quach. “My mum was very prepared to talk.”
The film features Quach’s parents speaking Teochew and Vietnamese, bringing languages seldom heard in mainstream film to the screen. Blending humour, tenderness and family history, Dad vs Bees captures the absurdity of everyday life while revealing the emotional weight beneath it.
SCREENING DETAILS
Film: Dad vs Bees Runtime: 20 minutes Director: David Quach Festival: Midwest Film Festival — Midwest Royale Program: Fresh Cuts: Documentary Voices Premiere: Chicago Premiere Venue: Ramova Theatre Date: Friday, July 24, 2026 Time: 11:00 a.m. Filmmaker Q&A: Following the screening. Tickets: https://www.midwestfilm.com/midwest-royale
Website: dadvsbeesfilm.com Instagram: @dadvsbeesfilm
MIDWEST FILM FESTIVAL
Founded in 2005, the Midwest Film Festival is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and elevating independent filmmakers throughout the Midwest. Its landmark 21st annual festival is taking place July 22–26, 2026.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
David Quach is a Chicago-based Chinese-Vietnamese Australian filmmaker and data scientist. With no formal filmmaking background, he made Dad vs Bees largely on his own—directing, writing, filming, producing and editing the documentary. He came to filmmaking through storytelling and comedy and is a Moth StorySLAM winner and a graduate of The Second City and iO improvisational programs. His work explores everyday moments that reveal larger emotional truths.
