Sinema Showoff! “The Balik Kampung Collection”5 min read
Reading Time: 4 minutesSinema Showoff! returns this month with “The Balik Kampung Collection”, a selection of short films by Malay directors or with Malay / Indonesian themes, carefully curated by Singapore Polytechnic in consultation with Singapore Malay Film Society (SMFS).
This month’s Sinema Showoff! will be on the 27th of April, 7.30pm at Sinema Old School (11B Mount Sophia, B1-12, Singapore 228466). Admission is free!
All filmmakers will be in attendance for a Q&A and photo taking session. For more enquiries or interview requests with the directors, feel free to drop me an email at sueanne[at]sinema[dot]sg.
1. LOVE, DIFFERENCES
Alvin Chia | English | 10 mins | PG
Nominee, Best Art Direction – Singapore Short Film Awards 2010.
A love story, between a Malay madrasah student, Ahmad, and a convent girl, Rebecca.
Director’s Bio:
Alvin Chia graduated with a Diploma in Multimedia Technology from Singapore Polytechnic.??He is currently doing his undergraduate studies at National University of Singapore (NUS).
2. FIGHTING FIT
Sulaiman Salamon | English & Malay | 4 mins | PG
Nominee ““ Best Fiction, Singapore Short Film Awards 2010
In the film a young man wants to inflict personal injury on himself in order to avoid being assigned to infantry unit for his two years of National Service. He convinces a friend to assist him in his plot. However, both of them get into a verbal fight over the issue and he faces a moment of truth before the act is committed. The film touches on the psychology of wanting something so badly that one is willing to inflict pain upon oneself to achieve his goal.
Director’s Bio:
Sulaiman Salamon graduated from Ngee Ann Polytechnic in 2004 with a Diploma in Film, Sound and Video. Upon completing his National Service, Sulaiman started working as a video editor with various production houses, doing mostly programs for MediaCorp’s Suria TV Channel. He is currently pursuing a degree at Chapman University, Singapore.
3. POTONG ANDAM
Hidayah Amin | English & Malay | 7 mins | PG
Potong Andam is an old Malay ritual which brides undergo to determine their virginity. The film gives a glimpse of the forgotten ritual and the life of Nur, a modern woman who struggles with her personal beliefs and that of her elders.
Director’s Bio:
Hidayah Amin is a member in Media Development Authority(MDA)’s Film Consultative Panel. Hidayah works full-time as a media producer in Ministry of Education (MOE) developing educational videos, audio programmes and interactive resources.
A political science graduate, Hidayah was educated in Singapore (NUS), France and the US where she was a Fulbright scholar at Lehigh University. At year end, Hidayah will be pursuing her post-graduate studies at Cambridge University.
4. SANTAN (COCONUT MILK)
Farhan Zulkifli | Malay | 8 mins | G
Official Selection ““ Singapore International Film Festival 2010
Adam walks home from school with a new girl he met. When he was trying to run away from the madman who lives near his home, his file fell out of his bag. At home, he realizes he has lost his file but was asked by his mother to buy coconut milk. Instead of buying the coconut milk, he met up with the new girl and went in search of his lost file.
Director’s Bio:
Completed a diploma in Film, Media & TV from Ngee Ann Polytechnic and currently serving his National Service.
5. TAK DONG CHENG
Suffian Zainuddin | English & Malay | 36 mins | PG
Nominee ““ Best of First Take 2008 (Moving Images, The Substation), Singapore
Official Selection ““ International Social Action Film Festival, Singapore
Best Friends Jas and Farid are interested to join a lion dance competition. However, they face many obstacles and challenges while trying to learn an art form from a different culture. In a multi-cultural country such as Singapore, will they be able to realize their dreams?
Director’s Bio:
Suffian Zainuddin graduated from Curtin University of Technology with a Bachelor of Commerce. He works full-time at Reuters Singapore and is one of the two co-founders of Singapore Malay Film Society (SMFS).
6. WEDLOCK
Haidar Afandi | Dialogue-Less | 4 mins | PG (Scene of Intimacy)
Official Selection ““ Singapore International Film Festival 2010
An exposition to an interracial relationship, where fairytale endings are often not ‘happily ever after’.
Director’s Bio:
Haidar holds a Diploma in Digital Media Design from Nanyang Polytechnic and currently pursuing a Degree in Digital Filmmaking from Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
7. RARE FISH (IKAN LANGKA) (Curator’s Pick)
Basil Mironer | Bahasa Indonesia | 11 mins | PG
Sonje Award ““ Pusan International Film Festival 2009
First Prize ““ Tisch Asia Category, First Run Film Festival 2010
Winner ““ Best Art Direction, Singapore Short Film Awards 2010
Nominee ““ Best Director, Singapore Short Film Awards 2010
Nominee ““ Best Fiction, Singapore Short Film Awards 2010
The measure of life in a small, remote fishing village is tested when a young boy strives to catch up to the adults. Filmed in Bintan, Indonesia.
Director’s Bio:
Born in Moscow, Russia, Basil Mironer immigrated to America in the late 1980s. ??After witnessing a fellow student’s seizure from a flickering screen, he redirected his passion to storytelling through film and video. Basil has lived worked and studied in Italy, Spain & the US. In 2007, Basil was invited to study at NYU Tisch School of the Arts Asia as one of thirty-three MFA students.
Since living in Singapore, he has honed his directing and cinematography skills on various global productions. From coastal Indonesian fishing villages, chaotic Indian streets, and cosmopolitan Southeast Asian cities; Basil continues to grow as an international filmmaker and hopes to set up base in Singapore.
All directors will be in attendance for a Q&A session following the screening of the films. The session will be moderated by Isa Seow, Managing Director, Centre for Content Protection (CCP).
Moderator’s Bio:
Isa Seow is a spokesperson for the content distribution and protection industry in Asia. As CCP Managing Director, Seow is responsible for developing its memberships, activities, and leading strategic content protection initiatives in Asia-Pacific. Institutional and Advisory members of the CCP are HBO, Astro, Thomson, Nagravision, Verimatrix, Disney, NDS, Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), Centre for Media Law (University of Melbourne) and the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA).
Seow has a Bachelor of Liberal Arts from Harvard University and a Master of Philosophy from Cambridge University. He has lectured at the Department of Communications and New Media at the National University of Singapore.
Seow has a healthy respect for original content, arising out of his teenage career in the 1990s when he was a signed major label recording artist.
