*The festival is now over and the films are no longer available on our platforms. However, the Q&A sessions, forums, and workshops are still available on our Facebook page. We look forward to seeing you at the next edition of SeaShorts!
THIS PROGRAMME RAN FROM:
13 September 1:45PM – 20 September 11:59PM (GMT+8)
Handpicked to showcase films made by a new, emerging generation of directorial voices in Malaysia, these films manifest the liminary stage of life and its in-between-ness, i.e. when life meets death, being meets yet to be, virtue meets indecorousness, and inclusion meets exclusion. It is a stage of life that mesmerised the programmer the most.
Guest Programmer: Yow Chong Lee
Apart from programming for film festivals, Chong Lee is also a film lecturer in Universiti Malaysia Sarawak who makes documentaries and fictional shorts with his friends. He enjoys nature and had recently picked up scuba diving to explore a world less explored. He hopes he can gain a bit of weight and wisdom in life.
The Cloud Is Still There (藍藍天空) | Malaysia | 2020 | 19′
Dir. Mickey Lai Loke Yee
When her grandfather becomes terminally ill, Xiao Le, a young Christian woman, faces a critical decision over whether she should intervene with her family’s Taoist rituals. Driven by a desire to save his soul, she begins secretly praying by his bedside. When her mother discovers her deceit, she is devastated.
About The Director
Born in 1995, Malaysia, Mickey Lai is an emerging writer/Director. In 2020, she graduated with a Master of Fine Arts – Film and TV Production at Met Film School, London. She has actively involved in the Malaysian film and TV industry. ‘The Cloud Is Still There’ is her debut, semi-autobiographical short film.
Skate Off (毒道) | Malaysia | 2020 | 18′
Dir. Ho Shih Phin
When Jing regains consciousness after his drug use, he finds himself standing in front of the memorial tablet of his elder brother Kang with his crying mother. Faced with his brother’s death, the threat of Kang’s drug-dealing boss, his girlfriend’s overdose and his friends’ betrayal, Jing soon realises that drugs are bringing him to a point of no return, and that the father he hates might be his only form of support.
About The Director
Ho Shih Phin graduated from Diploma in Drama, Malaysian Institute of Art in 1991. He is continuously in creation for many years, and his stage play works have been nominated for Malaysia Asli Drama Awards (ADA) and won numerous awards. He is currently the Senior Lecturer in the Department of Drama & Visuals of New Era University College, Art Director of O Puppet Theatre, and Chairman of Angkatan Seni Lakon Interaksi (ASLI).
By The Southern Sea (南海的小镇) | Malaysia | 2019 | 20′
Dir. Vincent Kong Yentao
This is the story about a boy wishing to escape the ridiculous town which he has born into. He was confused about all the false things surrounding him, until one day he met a mysterious woman at the beach and eventually realised that all these piles of puzzles were just part of growing up.
About The Director
A young filmmaker who graduated from the Communication University of China in 2019, majoring in Film Directing. ‘By The Southern Sea’ is his debut work, which has won “The Best Picture” award of the 6th Silk Road International Film Festival held in China.
Blue Light (幻影机) | Malaysia | 2020 | 15′
Dir. Cheah Kah Sing
A cameraman mirrors himself through a director he despises.
About The Director
Kah Sing is an aspiring Malaysian filmmaker. His first short film was inspired by his life as a film crew and feature film writer, with a hint of satire. He is currently working on his second short film and welcomes job offers so that he can save up to fund it.
Peon | Malaysia | 2019 | 15′
Dir. June Wong, Shaiful Yahya, and Syaz Zainal
‘Peon’ is a true story told through a delivery rider’s phone screen. An order comes in to deliver passports. On his way, he receives a voice message offering him money to send it to a different address. He finds out that the passports belong to a group of Bangladeshi workers.
About The Directors
June Wong holds a Diploma in Performing Arts from Sunway University and a BA in Film and Digital Media from Deakin University, Australia. Her work ranges from branded content to web series. Her pitch to HOOQ Filmmakers Guild 2018 was selected as one of the top 5 in Southeast Asia.
Shaiful Yahya is a self-taught Director based in Kuala Lumpur with a Diploma in Audio Engineering. His short biographical documentary, ‘Everyday Humans: Anuar “Black” Mustapa’ won the 2017 Everyday Humans short film competition. His pitch for HOOQ Filmmakers Guild 2018 landed him the grant to make a TV series Pilot entitled: ‘Babi!’
Syaz Zainal is a Kuala Lumpur based filmmaker involved in notable projects like Netflix’s ‘Marco Polo Season 1 & 2’, ‘Crazy Rich Asians’, ‘Asia’s Got Talent Season 1’, ‘The Amazing Race Asia’, and ‘The Garden of Evening Mist’. He holds a BA in Communication and Media Management from Taylors University.
Here I Am (Di Sini Aku) | Malaysia | 2019 | 6′
Dir. Putri Purnama Sugua
Alternative Learning Centre of Kampung Lok Urai, Pulau Gaya, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah for the undocumented children is bustling with the celebration of Independence Day and Malaysia Day. While waiting for her turn to parade her independence costume, Raina is facing a dilemma to continue with the competition.
About The Director
Putri Purnama Sugua is a passionate Sabahan filmmaker. Growing up underprivileged herself, her dream is to become a filmmaker to highlight the voices of the powerless people through her films. In total she has directed 7 short films, 5 fiction and 2 documentaries; currently preparing for her debut narrative feature film, ‘Hidup Aku Curi’ and her feature documentary film ‘Aku’.
Rasa (叻思) | Malaysia | 2020 | 18′
Dir. Lim Wei Jie
‘Rasa’ is a portrait of a Malaysian restaurant in Manhattan and the varying chefs, cooks, and servers from different parts of the world who gather daily to prepare their hometown specialties, and an ethnographic vignette of the intimate ways in which they labor and play.
About The Director
Lim Wei Jie is a filmmaker based in Malaysia since early 2018. He graduated from Tisch, NYU with a double-major in Philosophy and Film Production. He’s an alumnus of the New York Film Festival’s Critics Academy and Tokyo International Film Festival’s Southeast Asia Programmer’s Workshop. He currently heads SeaShorts Film Festival as the Programme Director.