Short Films
Andai (Johan John, Feature Film Preview, 10mins)
Synopsis: A snatch thief (Khir Rahman) who has fallen in love with his victim (Melissa Maureen Rizal) attempts to come clean about what he has done to her. This is a special preview of rising filmmaker Johan John's feature-length debut.
Director’s bio: Johan John first broke into the local film scene with Tajuk Cerita, an indie short that received an Anugerah Skrin 2006 nomination for "Best Alternative Film." He has since directed more short films such as Semalam and Kita, episodes of Niche Films' Dark City series, and mini-documentaries for Astro's Crime & Investigation Network. An emerging presence in the local independent film scene, writer/director Johan John is the one to watch (along with his upcoming Andai).
back to top
Style in Progess (Andrew Yeoh, Animation, 3:35 mins)
Synopsis: What if graffiti art came from alien type creatures that were born from spray paint, and they live, grow and survive by doing graffiti on city walls?
Director’s bio: Drew discovered his passion for graffiti art in 1992 on a graffiti-tagged train ride in Sydney. In 2001, Drew joined Lim Kok Wing Institute of Creative Technology, and was inspired to develop designs and animation with graffiti style influences. He formed “ Sembur With Style” (SWS) in 2004 with VDS212 & Suga52. Currently based in Melbourne, Drew is in the process of developing what he calls an “Oriental Funk Industry” www.drewfunk.com
back to top
Cure to Catastrophe( Nadiak Hamzah, Short Film, 7:27 mins)
Synopsis: Liz's work is constantly inspired by the intricate details of the human anatomy. As her latest pièce de résistance slowly begins to take its final form, her relationship with Jeremy starts to crumble and fall apart. On the night that Jeremy decides to completely cut severed ties, a twist of events occur to the turn the tables around – ending in a tragic, but bittersweet aftermath for a woman scorned.
Director’s bio: Nadiah Hamzah has been dabbling in filmmaking since her undergraduate days in MMU, Cyberjaya. Her MVA award-winning documentary; An Afternoon with the Hijjabed (2005) was not only screened locally but traveled the international festival circuit, including those in Brazil and the Philippines. After leaving a promising career in advertising to pursue narrative filmmaking in New York, she is currently back for the summer to source funding for her next NYU short film. She also most recently worked on the set of Motherhood, an independent feature film starring Uma Thurman and Minnie Driver.
back to top
The Value of My Sanity ( Idzwan Junaidi, teaser trailer, 1min)
Synopsis: "The Value of My Sanity is one man's unfortunate fall from grace; a tumultuous unasked journey into the comforting and inviting abyss of insanity. It is an amusing and lighthearted glimpse into the trials and tribulations of modern life, and a reminder of how easy one may fall into the cracks."
Director’s Bio: The first thing you notice about Idzwan Junaidi is how unassuming and quiet his personality is. He is the strong and silent personality of Goat Films, and the captain of the team, so to speak. Patient, open and easy to work with, Idzwan Junaidi is an award nominated director. Apart from directing, he is also an avid photographer. Visual art interest him to no ends.
back to top
Five Chairs (Ajin Azali, Short Film, 7 mins)
Synopsis: Five gang member are at an edge of deception when one of them was reported dead. After Thorough investigation, the suspect narrows down to no one but one of themselves. Led by the BOSS, they agreed to meet in one isolated place and begin interrogating each other.Tension heats up and discussion turns to violence when one of the members with limited patience resorts to let emotions control his brain.One by one gets killed wih TOM and the BOSS being the final survivors, before they found out that they are deceived by their own boggled minds.
Director’s bio: Anajin is a multimedia wizard. He has been recognized by the local digital arts scene for his digital art installation series, namely the Chakra and Silat series. He also freely volunteers his talent for charity and has been involved in other art exhibitions, graffiti mural design and various collaborations. He is also known as a "sifoo of flash" in the community called sifoo.com. He is now an Arts & Design consultan for the private and government sector.
back to top
I Have to Go (Sebastian Ng, Short Film, 15 mins)
Synopsis: We see William and Hannah lead a seemingly idyllic life, in a perfect world where nothing seems to go wrong. Suddenly, he is pulled out of the world by a furious Hannah who chastises him for spending all their money on the 'machine' ...
Director’s bio: Sebastian Ng has travelled all over the world to hone his skills in film. He's soaked up plenty of knowledge from the UK and has even worked with studios in Hollywood. I HAVE TO GO is his short film debut. Returning to Malaysia in March 2008, he is currently serving as a sound recordist in the feature films 5:13 and THE JOSHUA TAPES, both directed by Arivind Abraham and produced by Perantauan Pictures (S'kali). Sebastian was one of 50 students in the US selected to participate in the 34th Telluride Film Festival Student Symposium. He also volunteered for the 2007 Los Angeles Film Festival and the 2007 AFI FEST Hollywood. On top of that, he was nominated for Best Student Editing at the 2008 American Cinema Editors' Eddie Awards.
back to top
Little Boy Buys Bread in Syria (Zan Azlee, Documentary, 1:30 mins)
Synopsis: A little boy buys bread in Syria.
Searching for Sheila (Zan Azlee, Documentary, 16:30 mins)
Synopsis: When the filmmakers went to Jogjakarta in Indonesia, they were hoping to find the popular Indon rock band 'Sheila on 7'. They searched high and low throughout the city...
Director’s bio: Zan Azlee graduated with a degree in accounting, but later on pursued a Masters in Broadcast Journalism. He has worked for several years as a journalist both in print and broadcast. His experience in journalism led to an interest in non-fiction filmmaking. Zan is currently a freelance writer, lecturer, TV/Film director/producer and videographer.
back to top
Love for Dogs (Woo Ming Jin, Short Films, 24 minutes)
Synopsis: Love for Dogs tells two parallel stories; a construction worker returns to his hometown and tries to reconnect with his daughter after abandoning his family to work in Cambodia. The second story follows Lily, an overweight girl living with her aunt and dealing with the absence of her immediate family.
It is Possible Your Heart Cannot Be Broken (Woo Ming Jin, Short Films, 16:20 mins)
Synopsis: “It is Possible Your Heart Cannot Be Broken” is a short film about the innocence and disintegration of love. It tells the story between two people, Apple and Ah Tat, told in two different perspectives. Ah Tat, a dreamy simpleton romantic meets the jaded but equally insecure Apple. Can these two people- obviously completely different yet yearning for the same thing- sustain their relationship?
“This is a big city, but sometimes it’s the loneliest place.”
Blue Roof (Woo Ming Jin, Short Films, 13 mins)
Synopsis: Albert, a security guard in an apartment complex, is a middle aged man who walks with a limp, and is obsessed with collecting news articles on car accidents. Each morning, during his rounds, he goes up to the rooftop, and contemplates suicide. Will he ever jump?
Catching the Sea (Woo Ming Jin, Short Films, 13 mins)
Synopsis: Catching the Sea is a short film about the lives of several people in a village after a mysterious disease strikes and kills their loved ones. Set in a dilapidating fishing island, the film is about reconciling death and moving on with life.
Director’s Bio: Woo Ming Jin was Born on 5 August 1976 in the Malaysian town of Ipoh, Woo Ming Jin received a scholarship from San Diego State University to study film and television production in 1999. Ming Jin’s debut feature film Monday Morning Glory premiered at the San Francisco International Film Festival, and was invited to the Pusan International Film Festival, Tokyo International Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival (Forum), and Locarno International Film Festival, among others. Ming Jin’s second film, The Elephant and The Sea, hailed by Variety magazine as a “Brilliant, striking new voice on the East Asian scene…”, has won several awards and been selected to screen in more than 15 film festivals worldwide, including the Rotterdam, Los Angeles, Seattle, Hong Kong, Vancouver, Torino, and Karlovy Vary Film Festivals.
back to top |