by FilmInk Staff
Dad vs Bees, a short documentary by filmmaker David Quach, will make its Asia-Pacific premiere on Opening Night of the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival at Cinema Nova on 7 July 2026.
The screening follows the film’s world premiere at the Montreal Asian International Film Festival, where it won the Dancheong Award for Best Editing and was described in the festival program as “tender, humorous, and deeply human.” The film also recently received a Best Director nomination for Quach at the Midwest Film Festival.
At first glance, Dad vs Bees is about Quach’s 79-year-old father, Hoa, trying to reclaim his beloved garden from a bee infestation — a battle involving a hose, a stubborn dad, and several uncooperative bees.
But as the story unfolds, the bees become only one of the obstacles in his way. The film opens into a more intimate story about aging, language barriers, family obligation, and the lasting impact of war and displacement.
“It’s a real honour to be playing on Opening Night,” says Quach. “My parents will be there, which makes it especially meaningful.”
With no formal filmmaking background, Quach made Dad vs Bees largely on his own — directing, writing, filming, producing, and editing the documentary himself — as a way to reconnect with his family after not seeing them for over four years due to COVID-19.
What began as a funny film about his father’s battle with bees became a way to better understand his parents’ lives, their history as Vietnamese refugees, 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.” “It also gave my parents an opportunity to get things off their chest that they had been wanting to tell us. As children, we aren’t always the best at listening.”
The film features Quach’s parents speaking a mix of Teochew and Vietnamese, bringing to the screen a language rarely heard in mainstream film. Teochew, also known as Chaozhou or Chaoshan, is a Chinese language variety spoken by many Chinese communities across Southeast Asia, including families who migrated to Vietnam.
Blending humour, tenderness, and personal family history, Dad vs Bees captures the absurdity of everyday life while gently revealing the emotional weight beneath it.
Screening Details
Film: Dad vs Bees
Runtime: 20 min Director: David Quach Festival: Melbourne Documentary Film Festival Premiere: Asia-Pacific Premiere Venue: Cinema Nova, Carlton Date/Time: 8:45pm, 7 July 2026 Tickets: https://www.cinemanova.com.au/films/mdff26-opening-night-shorts
Website: dadvsbeesfilm.com
Instagram: @dadvsbeesfilm
About the Director David Quach is a Vietnamese-Chinese Australian filmmaker based in Chicago. A data scientist by profession and with no formal filmmaking background, Quach made his first documentary, Dad vs Bees, largely on his own–directing, writing, filming, producing, and editing the film himself. He came to documentary filmmaking through storytelling and comedy. He is a Moth StorySLAM winner and is a graduate of the improvisational programs at The Second City and iO in Chicago. His work explores the small everyday moments that reveal larger emotional truths.
