Discover the reels beyond Hollywood with SeaShorts Film Festival. The brainchild of award-winning Malaysian filmmaker Tan Chui Mui began in 2017 as a one-stop-shop for cutting edge short films that span various genres, championing emerging film producers from Southeast Asia. Since then, it had gone on tour to Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Malacca where avid cinephiles and budding filmmakers flocked to its screenings, forums and masterclasses.
This year, the festival was initially planned to take place in Ipoh, but in light of the pandemic, it has shifted its entire programme online for the first time, so you can experience it without having to jet off to Malaysia. The digital debut is set to run from September 12 to 20, opening with the anthology film Mekong 2030. Directed by Kulikar Sotho (Cambodia), Anysay Keola (Laos), Sai Naw Kham (Myanmar), Anocha Suwichakornpong (Thailand), Pham Ngoc Lan (Vietnam), the film features five short stories that envision the Mekong River from different cultural lenses, ten years into the future.
Look forward to other bite-sized films including those nominated in the Singapore National Youth Film Awards by *Scape which chronicles the lives of Singaporeans who overcome the struggles life throws their way. Complete the experience by tuning into the post-screening dialogues, taking part in the workshops and masterclasses, and networking with film communities from across the border.
That's not all – the festival is also doing its bid to recognise achievements with various awards. Out of a total of 544 entries this year, 30 shortlisted films are in contention for the SeaShorts Award, while the Next New Wave Award selects the best Malaysian title among them. Furthermore, all films in the competition are in the running for prizes in direction, screenwriting, cinematography, editing, sound, and acting too.
Here's your chance to experience the SeaShorts Film Festival without having to book your flight to Malaysia. Champion Southeast Asian filmmakers by securing your festival pass from festival.seashorts.org. Tickets start from US$10. For more information, visit seashorts.org.