LARRY FLYNT FOR PRESIDENT to Debut on Hulu

I notice the HEADLINE/SUBTITLE provided (about 'Larry Flynt for President') does not match the press release content at all (which is about 'The Vanishing Song' documentary). Since the actual source material is entirely about a different film, I'll produce the article grounded in the press release content provided, as that is the only factual source available.

The Vanishing Song, a documentary short from Academy Award-winning director Ruby Yang and Malaysian wildlife filmmaker Myles Storey, will open theatrically at IFC Center in New York from Friday, September 18 through Thursday, September 24.

The film follows Han, a wild lar gibbon living where he shouldn't be — trapped between highways and housing estates in a Malaysian city, swinging through power lines, his haunting calls answered by no one.

Han's story is a symbol of the global fight to preserve wildlife against the encroachment of urban development. It is also a single thread in the larger campaign to keep Malaysia's ecosystems from unraveling; all five of the country's gibbon species are now endangered. As residents, conservationists, and wildlife authorities unite to translocate him to a national park, one question remains: leave him, move him, or risk losing him altogether? Inspired by the late Dr. Jane Goodall, The Vanishing Song follows the race to get him home.

The Vanishing Song documents Malaysia's first attempt to translocate a wild gibbon from the city, an effort that brought together researchers, local communities, government agencies, and NGOs.

The future of gibbons and countless other species depends on immediate action and the filmmakers believe this documentary can inspire conservation efforts, new advocates for stronger environmental policies, and help protect the forests that these remarkable creatures call home.

'In 2015, I had the privilege of meeting Dr. Jane Goodall in Kuala Lumpur, an encounter that left a lasting impression on my understanding of our relationship with the natural world,' said director Ruby Yang. 'Years later, when producer TP Lim approached me with the story of a lone gibbon in Serdang, Selangor, I was immediately compelled to take on the project that turned into a broader reflection on coexistence, responsibility, and hope.'

'Every time I hear the haunting songs of gibbons echo through the forests of Malaysia, I'm reminded why I fell in love with these places,' said co-director Myles Storey. 'I spent countless mornings looking for Han, the gibbon, but his song was different... This film is dedicated to the gibbons: the forgotten apes, the singers of the forest.'

The Vanishing Song was produced by Peter Ong, Tiong Piow Lim, and Ruby Yang, edited by Sebastian Ng (M for Malaysia), and scored by Brian Keane (Against Wind and Tide: A Cuban Odyssey, The Battle Over Citizen Kane) and Christopher Lai (Back to the Past). The film runs 37 minutes and was shot on location in Malaysia, with dialogue in Chinese, English, and Malay.

The film is produced by Hylo Films and School of Future Media (The University of Hong Kong) in collaboration with Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots Malaysia.

'When I learned of Han — an endangered lar gibbon calling every morning across a dilapidated forest patch too small to hold him, with no mate and no way out over cleared ground — the question wasn't whether to move him, it was whether we would be able to and whether we would be fast enough,' said Peter Ong. 'Carrying on Jane's work has meant carrying her belief that people will act if they understand. Seeing so many of them come together for one gibbon gives me hope.'

About the Filmmakers

Ruby Yang is an Academy Award–winning filmmaker whose documentaries bring overlooked stories from China and across Asia into focus. Through intimate, character-driven films about AIDS-affected children, LGBTQ communities, youth, grassroots activism, and nomadic cultures, she uses cinema to deepen understanding and inspire meaningful social change. At the University of Hong Kong, she teaches and mentors emerging filmmakers.

Myles Storey is an award-winning Malaysian wildlife and documentary filmmaker raised in Brunei and Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. His work is shaped by witnessing the rapid ecological degradation of the Bornean rainforest. His previous credits include Finding Solo.

Event Details

The Vanishing Song, 37 minutes, filmed on location in Malaysia, with dialogue in English, Chinese, and Malay.

IFC Center, 323 Sixth Avenue, New York, NY

September 18–24, 2026

Photo Credit: Peter Ong