Voices of Malaysian Cinema (2)

Feature by: Hassan Muthalib

The Digital Filmmakers

Since the breakthrough by Amir Muhammad’s digital feature, Lips to Lips in the year 2000, others have come up with digital features or feature-length documentaries. Among them: Ho Yuhang, Ng Tian Hann, Ngai Low Yuen and James Lee collaborated on an anthology called Visits; Osman Ali: Bukak Api (Open Fire) and Malaikat Di Jendela (Angel By the Window); James Lee with Snipers, Ah Beng Returns, Room to Let and Beautiful Washing Machine; Eleanor Low and Linus Chung: Whispers My Heart; Ho Yuhang: Min and Sanctuary; Ng Tian Hann: First Take, Final Cut; Nam Ron: Gedebe (Gangsters); Deepak Kumaran Menon: Chemman Chaalai (The Gravel Road); Woo Ming Jin: Monday Morning Glory; Eng Yow: Ah Kew The Digger;Sandosh Kesavan: Aaandal and Naguib Razak: Glass Enclosure: Tokyo Invisible. Amir has since come up with The Big Durian (the first Malaysian entry to Sundance), Tokyo Magic Hour and The Year of Living Vicariously. He is currently shooting a documentary, The Last Male Communist and will soon be in production with Naeim Ghalili on a 35 mm cinema feature called Susuk (Amulet). Bernard Chauly’s first cinema feature, Gol dan Gincu (Goal and Lipstick) is currently playing the cinema circuits.

Digital shorts are now flooding the increasing number of venues that are showcasing the works of emerging talents. Keelab Seni Filem Malaysia, started in the 1970s, is the most popular, yearly having two crowded showings. The latest has been the Kontot Film Festival. The yearly Nokia Awards, Malaysia Video Awards, Freedom Fest and the Malaysian Film Festival see increasing number of young people submitting their works, either for exhibition or for competition. FINAS and the Multimedia Development Corporation offer monetary support while some of the filmmakers who have won awards garner grants from overseas. Two TV stations have been responsible for the rise of some of these talents. ASTRO, the satellite channel, supported Naguib Razak in his early attempts at making his documentary Anak Duyung(The Mermaid Child - later remade for Discovery Channel as The Boatmakers of Mermaid Island). The station has also screened many digital shorts. NTV7 employed Osman Ali, an able graduate of the Malaysia Film Academy, who in turn, was responsible for giving an opportunity to other digital filmmakers to make headway into the mainstream. Red Communications, a TV production company, is in the forefront, too, in giving opportunities for digital filmmakers to express themselves – and make some money in the process. They producedVisits, Gol dan Gincu (Goal and Lipstick) and a TV series, Shortcuts,that showcases short films Another TV series, Generasi Digital, was produced by Vision New Media and is a first for RTM, the government TV channel.

The support provided by Golden Screen Cinemas with their digital screenings has opened an avenue for digital filmmakers to showcase their works, thus bringing their works closer to the mainstream. Many of their works have participated and achieved recognition at prestigious festivals all over the world. In these young filmmakers’ hands, film is not just for entertainment. The outside world is finally beginning to see, consistently, Malaysian works that project the minds of these filmmakers and their thoughts about themselves, their country and the world.
Film in Malaysia was once dominated by Malay cinema, but now the Fifth Voice has gained momentum and – like it or not – is in the process of creating a new Malaysian Cinema, both independently and through the mainstream. And it is beginning to make its voice heard loud and clear.

http://www.criticine.com/feature_article.php?id=17