Writer-Director Michael Yu’s ‘Little Chef’ and ‘En Garde’ Earn Honors at Filmmaking Competition

Michael Yu, a filmmaker based in Los Angeles, recently led his team to snag seven awards at a global filmmaking competition.

The 48 Hour Film Project (48HFP) takes place in 130 cities worldwide every year, challenging filmmakers to create a short film in just 48 hours. The winners from each city compete at Filmapalooza for a chance to showcase their work at the Short Film Corner of the Cannes Film Festival.

Under his production label, Berkmont, Michael led two teams that participated in the Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay Area branches of the competition. They kicked things off by winning an Audience Award for their Los Angeles film, then followed up with a stunning six awards for their Bay Area project.

Discover hidden stories

Their first film, Little Chef, is a touching sci-fi drama about a young chef who tries to reconnect with his late mother by cooking one last dish for her. The story wraps up beautifully, emphasizing that it’s less about the cooking and more about cherishing memories together, bringing the chef back to his childhood.

Their second film, En Garde, takes a different turn as a fantasy drama. It tells the story of two estranged roommates who bond through a sword-fighting adventure in a magical realm. Donnie, played by Fernando Sebastian Monjaraz (Land’s End), finds a way to reconnect with his headstrong roommate, portrayed by Cristian Rodriguez.

Little Chef walked away with an Audience Award from the Los Angeles competition, but En Garde shone even brighter. Berkmont’s second film took home six awards at the Bay Area competition, including Best Director for Yu. Editors Cristian Rodriguez and Hayden Eick grabbed the Best Editing award, while composer Jarvis Nguyen (who also produced) won Best Score. Erica Coakley and Arjin Unlu earned the film Best Wardrobe.

Unveil the untold

En Garde also won the grand jury prize for Best Film, propelling it to continue its festival journey at Filmapalooza 2025. Although it was selected as the Bay Area’s bid to the Cannes Short Film Corner, its festival run concluded at Filmapalooza. “We’re so grateful to have made it to the final round,” Yu said.

Michael Yu, who wore the hats of writer, director, and producer for both films, credits his team’s collaborative spirit and determination as key to their success.

For Little Chef, they adopted a “TV writers-room” approach in the development process, encouraging every crew member to pitch ideas and vote on their favorites. In the end, production assistant Gabo Bendaña’s concept about a chef and his mother became the basis for the film. “The more everyone buys into an idea, the more fun we all have, and that makes for a stronger piece,” Michael noted. Bendaña, usually a writer-director, received a “Story By” credit for his essential contributions.

Unlock your imagination

When it came to En Garde, Yu initially felt uncertain about managing multiple locations, period-piece production design, and choreographed action scenes in just two days. Luckily, the team’s diverse skillset pulled through. Cristian Rodriguez not only edited the film but also played an on-screen supporting role. Co-writer Mateo Giovannini took on poster design. Fellow writers Erica Coakley, and Arjin Unlu guided art and wardrobe, earning the film its Best Wardrobe award. “Filmmaking is a team sport,” Yu emphasized.

Looking ahead, Yu and his collaborators at Berkmont are gearing up for the 48HFP competitions later this year. Yu is set to executive produce the team’s entry to the Los Angeles competition this August, with Abbie Oh Arroyo stepping up to direct. In September, Yu will take on the director role for the Bay Area offshoot, aiming to surpass local competitors and secure a Cannes spot in 2026.

Originally from Hong Kong and of both Chinese and British descent, Michael Yu is a writer, director and producer focusing on creating globally appealing film and television. Besides the upcoming Berkmont pieces, he’s currently in development for several feature length projects.

Discover the unknown

His winning teams from the Berkmont 2024 films included Abbie Oh Arroyo, Philycius Oey, Gabo Bendaña, Anna Beattie, Jarvis Nguyen, Cristian Rodriguez, Steven Zeng, William Khuu, Erica Coakley, Arjin Unlu, Fernando Sebastian Monjaraz, Mariel Barreda, Julian Vargas, Alex Chun, Sidney Tchanyoum, Brandon Isem Cáceres, Jason Nguyen, Andrey Kapustin, Hayden Eick, Erick Higareda, and Mateo Giovannini.