Sinema Showoff! “The Balik Kampung Collection 2”6 min read
Reading Time: 6 minutesSinema Showoff! The Balik Kampung Collection 2 will feature a selection of short films, focusing on Malay – Muslim culture. The screening held to commemorate the Hari Raya Puasa festivities is hosted by Sinema Old School and curated by Singapore Polytechnic in consultation with Singapore Malay Film Society (SMFS).
This month’s Sinema Showoff! will be on the 28 of September, 7.30pm at Sinema Old School (11B Mount Sophia, B1-12, Singapore 228466). Admission is free!
The programme is hosted by Sinema Old School and curated by academic staff and students from Singapore Polytechnic, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (Diploma in Integrated Events & Project Management).
All filmmakers will be in attendance for an interactive Q&A and photo taking session. The session will be moderated by Tony Chow, Managing Director – Off The Fence.
Tickets are available at the door or online on tix.sinema.sg.
1. MY FATHER SAZALI
Sazali Bin Masraji | Malay | 17 mins | PG
My Father Sazali depicts a barber’s unfulfilled aspirations and his quest to prevent his son from following in his footsteps. Ironically, the father’s failure in achieving his dream serves as a motivation for his son to pursue his own ambition, much to the dismay of the father.
Director’s Bio:
Sazali worked as a freelance camera operator for six years for various production and event companies. he also taught Malay drama part-time for two years in Secondary schools before joining the Prison School as a support officer.
Sazali now works as a multimedia officer in Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) producing corporate videos.
My Father Sazali is Sazali’s first official short film that he wrote and directed.
Sazali holds a Diploma in Film, Sound & Video from Ngee Ann Polytechnic.
2. DEATH FOR A LIVING (WORLD PREMIERE)
Sulaiman Salamon, Khairul Amin & Anant Siva | English | 12mins | PG
Death for a Living explores the life of Madam Awah Bee Zakkariya who has the unique occupation of being a female Muslim embalmer. She shares personal experiences and thoughts of being an embalmer and how she deals with facing death on a daily basis.
SCREENINGS
BRONZE AWARD ““ DOCUMENTARY FILM CATEGORY, THE CROWBAR AWARDS 2003
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.
Anant Shiva is a recent graduate of Chapman University Singapore’s Creative Producing Programme. He has written and produced various programmes for local television channels. He is currently working as a producer at Moving Visuals a production house.
Muhammad Khairul Anuar Amin graduated from Ngee Ann Polytechnic in 2004 with a diploma in Film, Sound and Video. He is currently working as a cameraman with Marina Bay Sands.
3. LEAVING HOME
Heikal Shafrudin | English | 12 mins | PG
Abandoned, orphaned and neglected. The lives of the children residing at the Darul Ma’wa Children’s Home have been far from perfect. While the home opens its doors to any child, it only supports them until they turn 18. Now, two residents turning 18 find themselves faced with the harsh reality, of leaving the family they have made and the place they have called home. With no direction, no financial support and no idea about the future, both teens are painfully aware that there is no room for error.
SCREENINGS
OFFICIAL SELECTION, FIRST TAKE (MAY) 2010
Director’s Bio:
Heikal has worked on various short films and commercials, some successful and others that can only be appreciated by his mother. He graduated from Ngee Ann Polytechnic with a Diploma in Mass Communication, before moving on to join a good friend at a production house, where they suffered in the name of passion. He is currently serving the nation.
4. PERGI (WORLD PREMIERE)
Isfarina Ismail | Malay | 12mins | PG
Tok Saidi is an old middle-aged man who is in denial of his wife’s death and treats his lonely life as though she is still around.
However he is slowly awaken to reality when he meets a little girl.
Director’s Bio:
Isfarina recently graduated from Temasek Polytechnic with a Diploma in Moving Images. She is currently working as a freelance art instructor at various primary schools.
PERGI is her first official short film apart from other schools projects.
5. AMEEN (CURATOR’S PICK) (SINGAPORE PREMIERE)
Sanif Olek | Malay | 14mins | NC16
Johan is infatuated with Yati and Sharifa, two girls from the Islamic Madrasah school. What exactly does Johan have up his sleeves in order to get the girls’ attention?”
SCREENINGS
OFFICIAL SELECTION – LOS ANGELES ASIAN PACIFIC FILM FESTIVAL 2010 (WORLD PREMIERE), USA
OFFICIAL SELECTION – HAWAII INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2010, USA
OFFICIAL SELECTION – MONTREAL WORLD FILM FESTIVAL 2010, CANADA
Director’s Bio:
Sanif Olek is one of the island’s finest TV director and independent filmmaker.
Sanif’s strenth lies with merging commercial expectations with arthouse sensibilities for a mainstream audience.
In a career spanning 15 years Sanif has produced numerous award-winning TV programmes, music videos and commercials. Sanif himself has won the “˜Best Director’ award twice at MediaCorp’s Pesta Perdana that honours the best in the Malay television industry in Singapore.
His LOVE trilogy comprising of the short films LOST SOLE, A LA FOLIE and AMEEN have won numerous awards and screened at numerous international film festivals.
After A-Levels Sanif completed his National Service, where he was enlisted as a Commando. He then went on to do a Diploma in Film & Media Studies from Ngee Ann Polytechnic and a Bachelor of Arts (Media & Communications) from Murdoch University.
Sanif currently juggles between full-time television work, completing his debut feature film, RAMUAN RAHASIA (THE MISSING INGREDIENT).
Director’s Statement:
As a child, I attended six years of Islamic madrasah school while concurrently attending secular education at a public primary school. Subsequently, I attended secondary education at a Methodist missionary school.
With this diverse education, I feel blessed that I had the privilege not many boys at that age could experience. I remember that in all these institutions, a consistent education persisted ““ to love a fellow human being and accept one another unconditionally.
Nevertheless I often pondered if sexuality and spiritually can co-exist while watching the lovely Ustazahs (female Islamic teacher) preach from the Quran and listening to the melodic hymns during weekly chapel services.
About the Moderator: TONY CHOW
MANAGING DIRECTOR, OFF THE FENCE
Tony Chow leads the local office of Dutch Independent production and distribution company, Off The Fence. As its MD Tony manages the strategic development of the company’s activity in Asia, working closely with local as well as regional production companies and broadcasters to produce and co-produce programming.
Tony was the former President of Association of Independent Producers (AIPRO) Singapore. He has previously worked in advertising with clients such as Canon, Starhub, Levi’s and in the corporate areas of film, video and TV production.
Tony holds a degree in political science from National University of Singapore (NUS). He was also a pioneer graduate of the Economic Development Board’s Broadcasting and Media Production Special Conversion Programme at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
About SINGAPORE MALAY FILM SOCIETY (SMFS)
The Singapore Malay Film Society, (SMFS) is a newly minted not-for-profit group. Started out as a Facebook group formed in May 2008 by Volunteers ranging from Professionals to Hobbyists not restricting to any race or culture to support and develop the rapidly growing film industry in Singapore.
Ticketing.
Admission is FREE, but tickets will be issued to prevent overcrowding and adhere to building and fire safety guidelines.
Tickets can be booked prior online (Processing Charge of 25cents each transaction. Limited to 10 tickets each transaction).
Tickets booked online will have to be collected by 7.10pm. After 7.10pm the tickets will be made available to walk-in patrons.
