The arrest of Duane “Keefe D” Davis, a former Southside Crips gang leader, in the murder of Tupac Shakur on Sept. 29, over 27 years after the legendary rapper’s killing in Las Vegas, sent shockwaves across the world. For over a decade, Keefe D had confessed that he’d ordered the murder, was in the car that pulled up next to the BMW carrying Tupac, and that his nephew Orlando Anderson, a fellow Crip who’d gotten into a scrap with Tupac hours earlier at the MGM Grand Hotel, had fired...
- 10/5/2023
- by Marlow Stern
- Rollingstone.com
The festival aims to be a showcase for emerging Southeast Asian filmmaking talent.
The BaliMakarya Film Festival, which will run from October 16-21 in popular Indonesian tourist destination Bali, is set to expand into a regional event with a strong focus on Southeast Asian cinema.
It is one of four film festivals due to take place in Indonesia over the next two months, reflecting the vibrant film culture in the vast country.
Last year, the inaugural BaliMakarya festival was held online only with just a national competition for short films. This year, the second edition has added three competitions for Southeast Asian features,...
The BaliMakarya Film Festival, which will run from October 16-21 in popular Indonesian tourist destination Bali, is set to expand into a regional event with a strong focus on Southeast Asian cinema.
It is one of four film festivals due to take place in Indonesia over the next two months, reflecting the vibrant film culture in the vast country.
Last year, the inaugural BaliMakarya festival was held online only with just a national competition for short films. This year, the second edition has added three competitions for Southeast Asian features,...
- 9/21/2022
- by Silvia Wong
- ScreenDaily
As our tribute to the industry comes to an end, we have collected all the interviews that took place during its run, in a series of discussions we feel shed a rather interesting light to what happens behind and around the cameras of Asian cinema. In that fashion, we interviewed Ed Lejano, Earl Jackson, Matthieu Laclau and Yov Moor, Adam Torel, Kazutaka Watanabe, Amir Muhammad, Samuel Jamier, Joey Leung, Mark Schilling, Chiaki Yanagimoto, Tsogtbayar Namsrai, Wafa Ghermani and Huang Juxiang.
1. Ed Lejano – Director, producer, actor and QCinema artistic director 2. Earl Jackson – Asian cinema academic, writer and teacher 3. Matthieu Laclau – Editor 4. Adam Torel – Owner of Third Window Films 5. Kazutaka Watanabe – Producer 6. Amir Muhammad – Filmmaker, publisher, producer and owner of Kuman Pictures 7. Samuel Jamier – Executive producer of New York Asian Film Festival 8. Joey Leung – Owner of Terracotta Distribution 9. Mark Schilling – Film critic for the Tokyo Times, Variety, journalist, translator, and author 10. Chiaki...
1. Ed Lejano – Director, producer, actor and QCinema artistic director 2. Earl Jackson – Asian cinema academic, writer and teacher 3. Matthieu Laclau – Editor 4. Adam Torel – Owner of Third Window Films 5. Kazutaka Watanabe – Producer 6. Amir Muhammad – Filmmaker, publisher, producer and owner of Kuman Pictures 7. Samuel Jamier – Executive producer of New York Asian Film Festival 8. Joey Leung – Owner of Terracotta Distribution 9. Mark Schilling – Film critic for the Tokyo Times, Variety, journalist, translator, and author 10. Chiaki...
- 7/1/2022
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Ahead of its release to select theaters, Virtual Cinema, VOD & Digital on October 29 from Film Movement, we have an exclusive look at Roh:
"Cut off from civilization, a single mother puts her children on high alert when they bring home a strange young girl caked in clay. She tells of spirits and spirit hunters and after spending the night she delivers an ominous prophecy: the family will all soon die. As strangers begin to show up on her doorstep, and terrible events crop up around them, she quickly finds another reason to fear the forest. This eerily atmospheric folk horror tale marks the stunning directorial debut of seasoned visual effects artist, Emir Ezwan. From the ominous lighting, off-kilter tone, isolated locations and strange goings on, Roh is a visceral, spine-tingling revelation."
Written and Directed by: Emir Ezwan Cast: Farah Ahmad, Mhia Farhana, Harith Haziq, Nam Ron, Junainah M. Lojong,...
"Cut off from civilization, a single mother puts her children on high alert when they bring home a strange young girl caked in clay. She tells of spirits and spirit hunters and after spending the night she delivers an ominous prophecy: the family will all soon die. As strangers begin to show up on her doorstep, and terrible events crop up around them, she quickly finds another reason to fear the forest. This eerily atmospheric folk horror tale marks the stunning directorial debut of seasoned visual effects artist, Emir Ezwan. From the ominous lighting, off-kilter tone, isolated locations and strange goings on, Roh is a visceral, spine-tingling revelation."
Written and Directed by: Emir Ezwan Cast: Farah Ahmad, Mhia Farhana, Harith Haziq, Nam Ron, Junainah M. Lojong,...
- 10/28/2021
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Tan Chui Mui is a Malaysian film director who has been actively working in Malaysian independent film industry. She’s one of the pioneers of Malaysian New Wave Cinema in the early 2000s. Her short films have won numerous prizes and awards in European festivals and her first feature film “Love Conquers All” won the New Currents Awards and Fipresci Award at the 11th Busan International Film Festival in 2006 and the Tiger Award from the 36th International Film Festival Rotterdam. Her 2010 second feature film, “Year Without a Summer” was selected for the Asian Cinema Fund, receiving funding for both the script and post-production. She has been actively involved in the Malaysia independent film scene, working as a producer, editor, script writer, and occasionally an actress. In 2004, she set up Da Huang Pictures with Amir Muhammad, James Lee and Liew Seng Tat. In 2015, she inaugurated Young Filmmakers Workshop under Next New...
- 8/25/2021
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Fourth quarter release scheduled.
Film Movement has acquired North American rights to Malaysian Oscar submission and horror film Roh (Soul).
The distributor plans a theatrical and virtual cinema release in the fourth quarter of this year followed by home entertainment and digital roll-out.
Roh centres on a single mother cut off from civilisation whose children bring home a strange young girl caked in clay.
The newcomer tells of spirits and spirit-hunters and after spending the night she delivers an ominous prophecy: the family will all die soon.
Roh marks the feature directorial debut of visual effects artist Emir Ezwan, and stars Farah Ahmad,...
Film Movement has acquired North American rights to Malaysian Oscar submission and horror film Roh (Soul).
The distributor plans a theatrical and virtual cinema release in the fourth quarter of this year followed by home entertainment and digital roll-out.
Roh centres on a single mother cut off from civilisation whose children bring home a strange young girl caked in clay.
The newcomer tells of spirits and spirit-hunters and after spending the night she delivers an ominous prophecy: the family will all die soon.
Roh marks the feature directorial debut of visual effects artist Emir Ezwan, and stars Farah Ahmad,...
- 6/4/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Who shot Christopher Wallace, aka Biggie Smalls? It’s crazy to think that a Hollywood movie can solve a homicide the Los Angeles Police Department couldn’t crack. But conspiracy-minded “City of Lies” — which opens 24 years and 10 days after the rap legend’s murder on March 9, 1997 — suggests that the Notorious B.I.G.’s death isn’t unsolved at all, but a cover-up of epic proportions.
According to buck-the-system screenwriter Christian Contreras (who cooks up lines like “There’s no such thing as law. There’s never been one that can overcome man’s nature”), the LAPD had a pretty good idea of who did it and deliberately chose to let the case go cold. That’s a bombshell if true and downright irresponsible if not — and not this critic’s place to speculate as to which — although one thing is certain: Such claims should make for a far more...
According to buck-the-system screenwriter Christian Contreras (who cooks up lines like “There’s no such thing as law. There’s never been one that can overcome man’s nature”), the LAPD had a pretty good idea of who did it and deliberately chose to let the case go cold. That’s a bombshell if true and downright irresponsible if not — and not this critic’s place to speculate as to which — although one thing is certain: Such claims should make for a far more...
- 3/18/2021
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Malaysia has selected art-house horror film “Soul” (aka “Roh”) as its contender in the Academy Awards best international feature film section.
Set in an indeterminate period in the past, the film tells the story of the arrival a small girl who brings ominous predictions and strange incidents to a poor family living in a forest.
The selection was made by a special committee arranged by the National Film Development Corporation (Finas) and was announced on Wednesday. “The selection went through a detailed evaluation process based on filming criteria like direction, storyline, cinematography, screenplay, acting, music score, artistic elements and editing apart from adhering to the rules set by the organizers of the Oscars,” it said.
A first feature by Emir Ezwan, the film had its world premiere at the Singapore International Film Festival and then the Jogja-Netpac Asian Film Festival, both this time last year. In summer 2020, it also played...
Set in an indeterminate period in the past, the film tells the story of the arrival a small girl who brings ominous predictions and strange incidents to a poor family living in a forest.
The selection was made by a special committee arranged by the National Film Development Corporation (Finas) and was announced on Wednesday. “The selection went through a detailed evaluation process based on filming criteria like direction, storyline, cinematography, screenplay, acting, music score, artistic elements and editing apart from adhering to the rules set by the organizers of the Oscars,” it said.
A first feature by Emir Ezwan, the film had its world premiere at the Singapore International Film Festival and then the Jogja-Netpac Asian Film Festival, both this time last year. In summer 2020, it also played...
- 11/4/2020
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Film streaming service Mubi has announced that Emir Ezwan’s acclaimed horror film “Roh” will be available to watch exclusively on the platform starting October 2 2020. Following a successful theatrical release in August in Malaysia and Singapore, “Roh” will be exclusively presented on Mubi Sinema, the streaming service’s movie channel which features a hand-picked selection of local cinema and box office hits from Malaysia, Indonesia, and beyond. Written and directed by the award-winning Emir Ezwan, “Roh” received its world premiere at Singapore Film Festival and was produced by Amir Muhammad’s production company Kuman Pictures.
Synopsis
The Malay-language horror tells the story of two children who find a young girl (Putri Syahidah Nurqaseh) in the forest and take her into their family home in a remote jungle village. The following morning the girl makes a frightening prediction,and things get worse for the family as they begin to suffer from a series of strange misfortunes.
Synopsis
The Malay-language horror tells the story of two children who find a young girl (Putri Syahidah Nurqaseh) in the forest and take her into their family home in a remote jungle village. The following morning the girl makes a frightening prediction,and things get worse for the family as they begin to suffer from a series of strange misfortunes.
- 9/30/2020
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Amir Muhammad studied Law but devotes himself entirely to other activities, such as writing and filmmaking. Some of his films have been banned in Malaysia. A full retrospective of his work was screened at the Pesaro Film Festival in Italy in 2008. As a writer, Amir was very successful with his socially critical non-fictional work Malaysian Politicians Say the Darndest Things. The book proved to be a bestseller. Amir’s short film The Three is part of 15Malaysia (2009), an omnibus film that consists of 15 short films by 15 Malaysian filmmakers. Since 2007 he has been active as a publisher, which caused him to take a break from filmmaking. With Voyage to Terengganu (2016) he is back from his absence as a filmmaker.
Badrul Hisham Ismail (Malaysia) studied in New York, where he shot his short film A Tale of a Mannequin (2014) with the help of a Kickstarter campain. Together with Amir Muhammad, also from Malaysia,...
Badrul Hisham Ismail (Malaysia) studied in New York, where he shot his short film A Tale of a Mannequin (2014) with the help of a Kickstarter campain. Together with Amir Muhammad, also from Malaysia,...
- 1/9/2020
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Filmmaker/writer Amir Muhammad decided, together with his locally raised colleague Badrul Hisham Ismail, to shoot a film in Terengganu. As a basis for their documentary, they used the book “Voyage to Kelantan” (1838) by Munshi Abdullah (1796-1854), who wrote it after visiting the area for one day.
Voyage to Terengganu screened on International Film Festival Rotterdam (Iffr)
Following Abdullah’s path through his writings, the documentary functions like a tour guide to the area, as the two men roam in the streets, taking in as many, different images possible. Furthermore, they talk to the locals, most of which seem to be occupied with fishing and small commerce. The locals talk about a number of subjects, including religion, pop arts, the local martial art called Silat and other subjects. However, as the documentary progresses, we learn that this society is governed by superstition, women are considered secondary citizens, and the slave trade is not forbidden.
Voyage to Terengganu screened on International Film Festival Rotterdam (Iffr)
Following Abdullah’s path through his writings, the documentary functions like a tour guide to the area, as the two men roam in the streets, taking in as many, different images possible. Furthermore, they talk to the locals, most of which seem to be occupied with fishing and small commerce. The locals talk about a number of subjects, including religion, pop arts, the local martial art called Silat and other subjects. However, as the documentary progresses, we learn that this society is governed by superstition, women are considered secondary citizens, and the slave trade is not forbidden.
- 1/8/2020
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
The film is directed by Saudi Arabian filmmaker Shahad Ameen.
Saudi Arabian filmmaker Shahad Ameen’s Scales, about a young girl who defies chauvinistic traditions to prove her worth, took the best film prize at the Silver Screen Awards of the 30th Singapore International Film Festival.
It was a unanimous decision by the jury who found it “a very original and strong film from a first-time filmmaker who speaks about patriarchy with the simplicity of a fable”.
Indian filmmaker Anurag Kashyap served as jury head, with Malaysia’s Amir Muhammad, Hong Kong’s Pang Ho Cheung and Indonesia’s Nia...
Saudi Arabian filmmaker Shahad Ameen’s Scales, about a young girl who defies chauvinistic traditions to prove her worth, took the best film prize at the Silver Screen Awards of the 30th Singapore International Film Festival.
It was a unanimous decision by the jury who found it “a very original and strong film from a first-time filmmaker who speaks about patriarchy with the simplicity of a fable”.
Indian filmmaker Anurag Kashyap served as jury head, with Malaysia’s Amir Muhammad, Hong Kong’s Pang Ho Cheung and Indonesia’s Nia...
- 12/2/2019
- by 1100978¦Silvia Wong¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
“Scales” (aka “Sayidat Al Bahr”), directed by Saudi Arabian first-time filmmaker, Shahad Ameen, was named as the best film in the Asian feature competition at the 30th edition of the Singapore International Film Festival.
The tale of a young girl who defies her village’s harsh and chauvinistic traditions to prove her worth, collected the festival’s Silver Screen Award on Saturday at a ceremony held in the National Museum of Singapore.
The blue carpet event welcomed local figures Boo Junfeng, Royston Tan, and Tan Pin Pin, as well as film industry officials Joachim Ng, and Howie Lau. Chinese acting star Yao Chen and Japanese director Miike Takashi were also present to pick up special awards. Yao spiced up proceedings, with a throw-away comment: “recently I have been able to play several characters who found the strength to go after the love and sex that they wanted.”
Anthony Chen, whose...
The tale of a young girl who defies her village’s harsh and chauvinistic traditions to prove her worth, collected the festival’s Silver Screen Award on Saturday at a ceremony held in the National Museum of Singapore.
The blue carpet event welcomed local figures Boo Junfeng, Royston Tan, and Tan Pin Pin, as well as film industry officials Joachim Ng, and Howie Lau. Chinese acting star Yao Chen and Japanese director Miike Takashi were also present to pick up special awards. Yao spiced up proceedings, with a throw-away comment: “recently I have been able to play several characters who found the strength to go after the love and sex that they wanted.”
Anthony Chen, whose...
- 11/30/2019
- by Patrick Frater and Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The annual celebration of the short film provides a window on Southeast Asian cinema
Melaka, 25 September – The SeaShorts Film Festival 2019 kicked off its five-day run in Melaka on Wednesday with an opening night showing of Ten Years Thailand and an appearance by one of the film’s directors, Aditya Assarat.
The anthology features four stories by different Thai filmmakers, each envisioning their homeland a decade onwards from the military coup of 2014. Aditya joined in a question and answer session with his Malaysian counterpart, Amir Muhammad.
The event served as a taste of the Festival to come, which continues through to Sunday. Now in its third edition, the annual celebration of short films from Southeast Asia and beyond promises to be a diverse treat for movie buffs.
In the competition section, a shortlist of 26 entries from more than 350 submitted will be in the running for the top two prizes. Venice Film...
Melaka, 25 September – The SeaShorts Film Festival 2019 kicked off its five-day run in Melaka on Wednesday with an opening night showing of Ten Years Thailand and an appearance by one of the film’s directors, Aditya Assarat.
The anthology features four stories by different Thai filmmakers, each envisioning their homeland a decade onwards from the military coup of 2014. Aditya joined in a question and answer session with his Malaysian counterpart, Amir Muhammad.
The event served as a taste of the Festival to come, which continues through to Sunday. Now in its third edition, the annual celebration of short films from Southeast Asia and beyond promises to be a diverse treat for movie buffs.
In the competition section, a shortlist of 26 entries from more than 350 submitted will be in the running for the top two prizes. Venice Film...
- 9/27/2019
- by tyriter
- AsianMoviePulse
The success of American independent producer Roger Corman can be attributed to a variety of measures, mostly through the usual of cost-effective films with high-concept storylines and full-on promotion to sell his latest efforts. This business practice has crossed over to Malaysia with the first product from Kuman Pictures, a local genre studio started by entrepreneur Amir Muhammad, is directly influenced and modeled in that style.
Trying to move on with her life, burgeoning writer Mei Xi (Emily Lim) finds that she must return to her childhood home and be with her sister Mei Yue (Lim Mei Fan) in order to put the lingering effects of Yue’s psychosis to rest. Reconnecting with each other in their mother’s house, the time apart begins to heal their wounds until they each begin to notice strange happenings around the villa as shadows begin to play tricks on their minds and other odd occurrences begin popping up.
Trying to move on with her life, burgeoning writer Mei Xi (Emily Lim) finds that she must return to her childhood home and be with her sister Mei Yue (Lim Mei Fan) in order to put the lingering effects of Yue’s psychosis to rest. Reconnecting with each other in their mother’s house, the time apart begins to heal their wounds until they each begin to notice strange happenings around the villa as shadows begin to play tricks on their minds and other odd occurrences begin popping up.
- 7/8/2019
- by Don Anelli
- AsianMoviePulse
The Film Society of Lincoln Center has today announced the fourth edition of Art of the Real, their essential showcase for boundary-pushing nonfiction film, scheduled to take place April 20 – May 2. Billed as “a survey of the most vital and innovative voices in nonfiction and hybrid filmmaking,” this year’s showcase features an eclectic, globe-spanning host of discoveries, including seven North American premieres and eight U.S. premieres.
“In our fourth year we’ve put an emphasis on placing works by first-time and emerging filmmakers alongside established names, with the aim to highlight the experimentation happening across generations, and to trace a new trajectory of documentary art that points to its promising future,” said Film Society of Lincoln Center Programmer at Large Rachael Rakes, who organized the festival with Director of Programming Dennis Lim.
The Opening Night selection is the New York premiere of Theo Anthony’s “Rat Film,” which has...
“In our fourth year we’ve put an emphasis on placing works by first-time and emerging filmmakers alongside established names, with the aim to highlight the experimentation happening across generations, and to trace a new trajectory of documentary art that points to its promising future,” said Film Society of Lincoln Center Programmer at Large Rachael Rakes, who organized the festival with Director of Programming Dennis Lim.
The Opening Night selection is the New York premiere of Theo Anthony’s “Rat Film,” which has...
- 3/20/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Sexy Durga, Rey and Moonlight win top prizes.
The winners at the 46th International Film Festival Rotterdam (25 Jan-5 Feb) have been announced.
Sexy Durga (pictured) by Sanal Kumar Sasidharan won the Hivos Tiger competition, which comes with a $40,000 cash prize.
The jury report said of the film: “The particular use of camera and acting give a sense of immediacy and momentum, while providing an insight into multi-layered power dynamics of gender, class and authority.”
Rey director Niles Atallah won this year’s $10,000 special jury award for exceptional artistic achievement in the competition.
The jury was; Michael Almereyda, Diana Bustamante Escobar, Amir Muhammad, Fien Troch, Newsha Tavakolian.
The Oscar-nominated Moonlight won the Warsteiner audience award. The $10,000 prize is voted for buy Iffr visitors.
The Vpro big screen award went to Pop Aye by Kirsten Tan. The competition is judged by a five-person audience jury and awards a cash prize to one of the eight films having their international...
The winners at the 46th International Film Festival Rotterdam (25 Jan-5 Feb) have been announced.
Sexy Durga (pictured) by Sanal Kumar Sasidharan won the Hivos Tiger competition, which comes with a $40,000 cash prize.
The jury report said of the film: “The particular use of camera and acting give a sense of immediacy and momentum, while providing an insight into multi-layered power dynamics of gender, class and authority.”
Rey director Niles Atallah won this year’s $10,000 special jury award for exceptional artistic achievement in the competition.
The jury was; Michael Almereyda, Diana Bustamante Escobar, Amir Muhammad, Fien Troch, Newsha Tavakolian.
The Oscar-nominated Moonlight won the Warsteiner audience award. The $10,000 prize is voted for buy Iffr visitors.
The Vpro big screen award went to Pop Aye by Kirsten Tan. The competition is judged by a five-person audience jury and awards a cash prize to one of the eight films having their international...
- 2/5/2017
- ScreenDaily
The 27th annual Singapore International Film Festival (Sgiff) is set to be held on November 27 until December 6, 2016 with more than 160 films from over 50 countries. Of these features, 16 are world premieres, 9 are international, and 18 are Asian premieres. Sgiff is a part of the annual Singapore Media Festival (Smf) and aims to showcase and celebrate the rich history and talent of independent film directors. This year’s event has special Q&A segments with Darren Aronofsky, director of the acclaimed American horror movie, “Black Swan,” and Hong Kong actor, Simon Yam.
Still from “Interchange”
The lineup of this festival will start out strong with the Asian premiere of, “Interchange,” a noir thriller by Dain Iskandar Said, one of the top Malaysian filmmakers. Other exciting entries in the schedule include: the film from Chinese director Li Hongqi’s, “Hooly Bible II,” “Walking Street,” by Lee Sang-Woo, staring Korean it-boy, Baek Sung-hyun, “The...
Still from “Interchange”
The lineup of this festival will start out strong with the Asian premiere of, “Interchange,” a noir thriller by Dain Iskandar Said, one of the top Malaysian filmmakers. Other exciting entries in the schedule include: the film from Chinese director Li Hongqi’s, “Hooly Bible II,” “Walking Street,” by Lee Sang-Woo, staring Korean it-boy, Baek Sung-hyun, “The...
- 11/1/2016
- by Lydia Spanier
- AsianMoviePulse
Upcoming 27th edition to open with Asian premiere of Dain Iskandar Said’s Interchange on November 23.
The 27th Singapore International Film Festival (Sgiff) has unveiled its full line-up, comprising 161 titles from 52 countries across 13 sections.
The selection includes 16 world premieres, nine international premieres and 18 Asian premieres.
Among them are new features by masters such as Garin Nugroho, Lav Diaz, Tran Anh Hung, Naomi Kawase, Fruit Chan, Anurag Kashyap, Reha Erdem, Trinh Minh-ha, Kirill Serebrennikov, Kelly Reichardt and Ken Loach, many of whose earlier works were previously screened at the festival, according to programme director Zhang Wenjie.
In addition to the masters, Wenjie adds that a number of new filmmakers from Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Philippines, Mongolia, Japan, Nepal, Turkey, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, France, Latin America, Taiwan, Singapore and the Us are featured across various sections.
10 Asian films are vying for the Silver Screen Awards, including the world premieres of Abdulla Mohammed Saad’s Live From Dhaka and Wicaksono Wisnu Legowo...
The 27th Singapore International Film Festival (Sgiff) has unveiled its full line-up, comprising 161 titles from 52 countries across 13 sections.
The selection includes 16 world premieres, nine international premieres and 18 Asian premieres.
Among them are new features by masters such as Garin Nugroho, Lav Diaz, Tran Anh Hung, Naomi Kawase, Fruit Chan, Anurag Kashyap, Reha Erdem, Trinh Minh-ha, Kirill Serebrennikov, Kelly Reichardt and Ken Loach, many of whose earlier works were previously screened at the festival, according to programme director Zhang Wenjie.
In addition to the masters, Wenjie adds that a number of new filmmakers from Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Philippines, Mongolia, Japan, Nepal, Turkey, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, France, Latin America, Taiwan, Singapore and the Us are featured across various sections.
10 Asian films are vying for the Silver Screen Awards, including the world premieres of Abdulla Mohammed Saad’s Live From Dhaka and Wicaksono Wisnu Legowo...
- 10/27/2016
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Malaysia’s Sonneratia Capital has signed partial slate financing arrangements with two local production companies – Lina Tan’s Red Films and Adrian Teh’s Asia Tropical Films.
A division of Malaysia’s Rhizophora Ventures, Sonneratia will back slates of between four to six films from each company, investing up to 70% of a project’s budget, with a cap of $2.3m across each company’s slate.
Asia Tropical is using the funding for Chapman To’s directorial debut Let’s Eat – a co-production with Singapore’s Clover Films, which also has backing from Fox International Channels. The foodie comedy started shooting in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore on September 8.
Red Films, which produces both Malay and Chinese-language films, has worked with filmmakers including Amir Muhammad, Fariza Azlina and Effendee. “Lina is also a great supporter of new talents, starting with short films, and now wants to help them take their next steps,” said Rhizophora...
A division of Malaysia’s Rhizophora Ventures, Sonneratia will back slates of between four to six films from each company, investing up to 70% of a project’s budget, with a cap of $2.3m across each company’s slate.
Asia Tropical is using the funding for Chapman To’s directorial debut Let’s Eat – a co-production with Singapore’s Clover Films, which also has backing from Fox International Channels. The foodie comedy started shooting in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore on September 8.
Red Films, which produces both Malay and Chinese-language films, has worked with filmmakers including Amir Muhammad, Fariza Azlina and Effendee. “Lina is also a great supporter of new talents, starting with short films, and now wants to help them take their next steps,” said Rhizophora...
- 10/6/2015
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
Mentors at the new writers’ workshop will include Fran Borgia and Tan Chui Mui.
The 25th Singapore International Film Festival (Sgiff) is launching its first Southeast Asian Film Lab, which will run Dec 8-14.
Part of the Singapore Media Festival to be held at the end of the year, Sgiff aims to nurture regional culture and help build the Southeast Asian film industry with the new writers’ workshop for emerging talent.
Sgiff says the lab will “focus on stories capturing the collective experiences of the past, present and future Southeast Asia to be developed into feature length screenplays.”
Workshop mentors will include award-winning producer Fran Borgia and award-winning producer/director/actress Tan Chui Mui. Borgia’s credits include Boo Junfeng’s Cannes Critics’ Week film Sandcastle and Ho Tzu Nyen’s Cannes Directors’ Fortnight film Here - both of which were feature directorial debuts. More recently he has produced films including UK-Ireland-Singapore co-production Mister John which premiered...
The 25th Singapore International Film Festival (Sgiff) is launching its first Southeast Asian Film Lab, which will run Dec 8-14.
Part of the Singapore Media Festival to be held at the end of the year, Sgiff aims to nurture regional culture and help build the Southeast Asian film industry with the new writers’ workshop for emerging talent.
Sgiff says the lab will “focus on stories capturing the collective experiences of the past, present and future Southeast Asia to be developed into feature length screenplays.”
Workshop mentors will include award-winning producer Fran Borgia and award-winning producer/director/actress Tan Chui Mui. Borgia’s credits include Boo Junfeng’s Cannes Critics’ Week film Sandcastle and Ho Tzu Nyen’s Cannes Directors’ Fortnight film Here - both of which were feature directorial debuts. More recently he has produced films including UK-Ireland-Singapore co-production Mister John which premiered...
- 7/15/2014
- by hjnoh2007@gmail.com (Jean Noh)
- ScreenDaily
Mentors at the new writers’ workshop will include Fran Borgia and Tan Chui Mui.
The 25th Singapore International Film Festival (Sgiff) is launching its first Southeast Asian Film Lab, which will run Dec 8-14.
Part of the Singapore Media Festival to be held at the end of the year, Sgiff aims to nurture regional culture and help build the Southeast Asian film industry with the new writers’ workshop for emerging talent.
Sgiff says the lab will “focus on stories capturing the collective experiences of the past, present and future Southeast Asia to be developed into feature length screenplays.”
Workshop mentors will include award-winning producer Fran Borgia and award-winning producer/director/actress Tan Chui Mui. Borgia’s credits include Boo Junfeng’s Cannes Critics’ Week film Sandcastle and Ho Tzu Nyen’s Cannes Directors’ Fortnight film Here - both of which were feature directorial debuts. More recently he has produced films including UK-Ireland-Singapore co-production Mister John which premiered...
The 25th Singapore International Film Festival (Sgiff) is launching its first Southeast Asian Film Lab, which will run Dec 8-14.
Part of the Singapore Media Festival to be held at the end of the year, Sgiff aims to nurture regional culture and help build the Southeast Asian film industry with the new writers’ workshop for emerging talent.
Sgiff says the lab will “focus on stories capturing the collective experiences of the past, present and future Southeast Asia to be developed into feature length screenplays.”
Workshop mentors will include award-winning producer Fran Borgia and award-winning producer/director/actress Tan Chui Mui. Borgia’s credits include Boo Junfeng’s Cannes Critics’ Week film Sandcastle and Ho Tzu Nyen’s Cannes Directors’ Fortnight film Here - both of which were feature directorial debuts. More recently he has produced films including UK-Ireland-Singapore co-production Mister John which premiered...
- 7/15/2014
- by hjnoh2007@gmail.com (Jean Noh)
- ScreenDaily
"When I wrote 120 Malay Movies I tried to watch all of the 34 movies that P Ramlee directed. I almost succeeded." Amir Muhammad (The Last Communist, Malaysian Gods) would eventually see 33; Sitora Harimau Jadian (1964) seems to have been lost. He tells us the story of how he came upon what amounts to P Ramlee's own novelization of Sitora Harimau Jadian, "describing what happens in his movie, scene by scene. The book is slim, only 124 pages, and I'm glad it was also fleshed out with pictures from the movie (which might be the only chance we will ever get to 'see' it)." He gives us a sample and then announces that he's republishing the book, which will be out next month and already has a fan page.
Another book. Today's review of Geoff Dyer's Zona comes from Nathan Rogers-Hancock at Cinespect.
Reading. Alex Ross Perry (The Color Wheel) once managed a...
Another book. Today's review of Geoff Dyer's Zona comes from Nathan Rogers-Hancock at Cinespect.
Reading. Alex Ross Perry (The Color Wheel) once managed a...
- 3/30/2012
- MUBI
Clayton Hill, a former member of the Nation of Islam and currently incarcerated at a federal prison in Chicago, has come forward and told HipHopDX.com that he played an accessory to the murder of rapper Notorious Big after the fact, and knows who shot and killed the rapper.
Big, or Christopher Wallace, was killed while driving away from a party in Los Angeles on March 9, 1997. Hill claims that, acting under orders from a higher-up at Muhammad Mosque #15 in Atlanta, he met at a Greyhound station a man from Los Angeles who called himself Dawoud Muhammad and took from him possession of a firearm that he claimed he used to shoot the rapper.
"[Dawoud Muhammad] stated to me that he was on the run for the murder [of The Notorious B.I.G.]," Hill told HipHopDx.com. "He disclosed that he was the shooter of The Notorious B.I.G. because he (Dawoud) was a former Blood gang member and was paid to do so.
Big, or Christopher Wallace, was killed while driving away from a party in Los Angeles on March 9, 1997. Hill claims that, acting under orders from a higher-up at Muhammad Mosque #15 in Atlanta, he met at a Greyhound station a man from Los Angeles who called himself Dawoud Muhammad and took from him possession of a firearm that he claimed he used to shoot the rapper.
"[Dawoud Muhammad] stated to me that he was on the run for the murder [of The Notorious B.I.G.]," Hill told HipHopDx.com. "He disclosed that he was the shooter of The Notorious B.I.G. because he (Dawoud) was a former Blood gang member and was paid to do so.
- 7/5/2011
- by Jordan Zakarin
- Huffington Post
Biggie and 2Pac 'were two of the most influential figures in hip-hop, and you're not finding these people's murderers?' Junior M.A.F.I.A. member fumes.
By Jayson Rodriguez, with additional reporting by Sway Calloway
Notorious B.I.G.
Photo: Bad Boy
One week ago, seven days before what would have been the Notorious B.I.G.'s 38th birthday (May 21), former Los Angeles police officer David Mack, who many allege helped orchestrate the hit that killed one of hip-hop's most beloved MCs, was released from prison.
According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons' records, Mack became a free man on May 14.
Mack was known for his ties to Death Row Records and the Bloods gang; a detective investigating the Biggie murder case also discovered Mack owned a car similar to the one used on the hit against the Brooklyn Mc, though police did not follow the lead.
Many friends, family members and fans of Biggie...
By Jayson Rodriguez, with additional reporting by Sway Calloway
Notorious B.I.G.
Photo: Bad Boy
One week ago, seven days before what would have been the Notorious B.I.G.'s 38th birthday (May 21), former Los Angeles police officer David Mack, who many allege helped orchestrate the hit that killed one of hip-hop's most beloved MCs, was released from prison.
According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons' records, Mack became a free man on May 14.
Mack was known for his ties to Death Row Records and the Bloods gang; a detective investigating the Biggie murder case also discovered Mack owned a car similar to the one used on the hit against the Brooklyn Mc, though police did not follow the lead.
Many friends, family members and fans of Biggie...
- 5/21/2010
- MTV Music News
A wrongful death lawsuit filed by the mother of the late Notorious B.I.G. against the Los Angeles Police Department (Lapd) has been thrown out of court, eight years after the complaint was originally lodged.
The rap great, real name Christopher Wallace, was shot dead in Los Angeles in 1997, aged just 24. His murder has never been solved, despite witness reports and a plethora of conspiracy theories linking his death to the murder of rap rival Tupac Shakur, who was killed in September, 1996.
His mother Voletta Wallace blamed L.A. city officials and the Lapd for her son's tragic death and filed suit against them in 2002. In her legal papers, Voletta claimed Shakur's label boss, rap mogul Marion 'Suge' Knight, had conspired with alleged gunman Amir Muhammad and Lapd officers Rafael Perez and David Mack to kill B.I.G., although no one has ever been charged with his murder.
The Wallace...
The rap great, real name Christopher Wallace, was shot dead in Los Angeles in 1997, aged just 24. His murder has never been solved, despite witness reports and a plethora of conspiracy theories linking his death to the murder of rap rival Tupac Shakur, who was killed in September, 1996.
His mother Voletta Wallace blamed L.A. city officials and the Lapd for her son's tragic death and filed suit against them in 2002. In her legal papers, Voletta claimed Shakur's label boss, rap mogul Marion 'Suge' Knight, had conspired with alleged gunman Amir Muhammad and Lapd officers Rafael Perez and David Mack to kill B.I.G., although no one has ever been charged with his murder.
The Wallace...
- 4/17/2010
- by AceShowbiz.com
- Aceshowbiz
Kill them with kindness—a rare approach and quality for political cinema, usually so bristling and over-eager. Amir Muhammad’s Malaysian Gods takes an instructive and benign attitude. The video traces the outskirts of Malaysia’s tumultuous politics in the late 90s and early 00s, dense with demonstrations and police action, with an emphasis on the role Malaysian Tamils have had in the country. But the video does this all with a chuckling humor through playful explanative title cards (assuming most are deficient in their knowledge of the situation in Malaysia), and more thoroughly by inverting a principle and well-tired documentary convention. Rather than interviewing historically important people in generic talking-heads settings, abstract and without context, Muhammad shot his video at locations with rich history and featuring what might be called historically relevant people. That is, normal people, those who live, or work, or were passing through these places now,...
- 2/5/2010
- MUBI
Touted as “The First Muslim Lesbian Vampire Movie!” by co-director Amir Muhammad, “Susuk” was indeed an odd-one-out in the Hungry Ghosts segment of the International Film Festival Rotterdam.
For starters it didn’t feature any ghosts.
Instead, the film is more a morality tale about the use of black magic, and even wanders a bit into “Monster Movie” territory.
It is a very schizophrenic movie though, both intentional and unintentional. “Susuk” has been cleverly made, looks very glamorous and is mostly successful in entertaining its audience.
Yet it also strives to replicate the trashy exploitative horror films so abundant in South East Asia, which may be nice and funny but hurts any tension the movie tries to build, and ultimately makes it fail as a horror film.
More after the break…...
For starters it didn’t feature any ghosts.
Instead, the film is more a morality tale about the use of black magic, and even wanders a bit into “Monster Movie” territory.
It is a very schizophrenic movie though, both intentional and unintentional. “Susuk” has been cleverly made, looks very glamorous and is mostly successful in entertaining its audience.
Yet it also strives to replicate the trashy exploitative horror films so abundant in South East Asia, which may be nice and funny but hurts any tension the movie tries to build, and ultimately makes it fail as a horror film.
More after the break…...
- 4/30/2009
- by Ard Vijn
- Screen Anarchy
During the mini-seminar session, director Amir Muhammad mentioned that Malaysian Gods had been passed without cuts back home, but also not permitted to be publicly screened. It’s no surprise to this as he admitted, given the buzz the authorities had unwittingly created because of their banning of his earlier film The Last Communist. Strategy-wise, Malaysian Gods had adopted the same approach as Amir’s earlier documentaries, which consists of visiting the actual sites where the movement had began and demonstrations had occurred, and interviewing people in talking heads fashion in a more natural setting. There’s a slight departure here though, where interviews are not with figures directly involved in the events presented here.
- 4/25/2009
- by Stefan
- Screen Anarchy
By R. Emmet Sweeney
The Rotterdam Film Festival has had a history of promoting the weird, the obsessive and the cultish in cinema, and there's been little change as this year's edition reaches its close. They've programmed a survey of recent Asian horror films, complete with a "haunted house" installation, and they've maintained their loyalty to unfashionable provocateurs like Aleksei Balabanov, whose acerbic takes on Russian history have always made their way onto screens here. That's without even mentioning the festival's support of debut filmmakers, three of which just received a 15,000 euro ($22,500 U.S.) prize from the Vpro Tiger jury (Ramtin Lavafipour's "Be Calm and Count to Seven," Yang Ik-June's "Breathless" and Mahmut Fazil Coşkun's "Wrong Rosary" took home the loot).
I went into "Susuk," Amir Muhammad's Malaysian black magic boondoggle, with high hopes, not least because of his pre-screening description of the film as "the first Muslim lesbian vampire movie.
The Rotterdam Film Festival has had a history of promoting the weird, the obsessive and the cultish in cinema, and there's been little change as this year's edition reaches its close. They've programmed a survey of recent Asian horror films, complete with a "haunted house" installation, and they've maintained their loyalty to unfashionable provocateurs like Aleksei Balabanov, whose acerbic takes on Russian history have always made their way onto screens here. That's without even mentioning the festival's support of debut filmmakers, three of which just received a 15,000 euro ($22,500 U.S.) prize from the Vpro Tiger jury (Ramtin Lavafipour's "Be Calm and Count to Seven," Yang Ik-June's "Breathless" and Mahmut Fazil Coşkun's "Wrong Rosary" took home the loot).
I went into "Susuk," Amir Muhammad's Malaysian black magic boondoggle, with high hopes, not least because of his pre-screening description of the film as "the first Muslim lesbian vampire movie.
- 2/4/2009
- by R. Emmet Sweeney
- ifc.com
As promised here is some more info on the “Hungry Ghost” segment of coming year’s International Film Festival Rotterdam. And although there are some nice titles playing in this segment, the coolest event might actually not be a film.
As part of “Hungry Ghost”, The Iffr plans to transform the old photography museum into a ghost house of sorts, with each room designed by a different Asian horror director. Described as “neither a carnival ride nor a static picture gallery” this looks to be fun because of the talent involved.
Who, you ask?
Well, people like Wisit Sasanatieng ("Tears of the Black Tiger”, “The Unseeable"), Amir Muhammad ("Susuk"), Lav Diaz ("Death in the Land of the Encantos") , Nguyen Vihn Son ("The Moon at the Bottom of the Well"), Garin Nugroho ("Opera Jawa") and Riri Riza ("Eliana, Eliana").
While most of these directors are not primarily known for horror, they...
As part of “Hungry Ghost”, The Iffr plans to transform the old photography museum into a ghost house of sorts, with each room designed by a different Asian horror director. Described as “neither a carnival ride nor a static picture gallery” this looks to be fun because of the talent involved.
Who, you ask?
Well, people like Wisit Sasanatieng ("Tears of the Black Tiger”, “The Unseeable"), Amir Muhammad ("Susuk"), Lav Diaz ("Death in the Land of the Encantos") , Nguyen Vihn Son ("The Moon at the Bottom of the Well"), Garin Nugroho ("Opera Jawa") and Riri Riza ("Eliana, Eliana").
While most of these directors are not primarily known for horror, they...
- 12/15/2008
- by Ard Vijn
- Screen Anarchy
The winners were announced at the awards ceremony last night, and Mamat Khalid’s Kala Malam Bulan Mengambang walked away as Best Film. Mamat himself picked up the Best Director award.
Best Actor went to Rosyam Nor for his lead performance as the quirky investigative reporter who finds himself in a strange village in Kala Malam. Best Actress was Maya Karin for her role in Osman Ali’s Anak Halal. Despite leading with the most nominations, Anak Halal went home with only two awards - Best Actress and Best Original Story.
Kala Malam and 1957 Hati Malaya were tied at the top with 5 awards each.
Personally, I thought Flower In The Pocket was the best film of the past year. But word has it that it wasn’t submitted for the digital film category.
Meanwhile, independent filmmaker Amir Muhammad, who was on the jury this year, was rather pissed off that...
Best Actor went to Rosyam Nor for his lead performance as the quirky investigative reporter who finds himself in a strange village in Kala Malam. Best Actress was Maya Karin for her role in Osman Ali’s Anak Halal. Despite leading with the most nominations, Anak Halal went home with only two awards - Best Actress and Best Original Story.
Kala Malam and 1957 Hati Malaya were tied at the top with 5 awards each.
Personally, I thought Flower In The Pocket was the best film of the past year. But word has it that it wasn’t submitted for the digital film category.
Meanwhile, independent filmmaker Amir Muhammad, who was on the jury this year, was rather pissed off that...
- 8/10/2008
- by The Visitor
- Screen Anarchy
Why are most mainstream film awards crap? I don’t know; don’t ask me.
The Festival Filem Malaysia (Malaysian film awards) continues to be a baffling, mind-boggling affair year after year. They once snubbed one of the most important Malaysian filmmakers, Yasmin Ahmad, with the excuse that her films continue to show nothing new or different. Like many other awards events, the decisions can sometimes be rather weird. For example, for this year’s awards, probably the worst film released this year, the laughable horror film Congkak, picked up four nominations, including, gulp, Best Director. That itself, is a horror story. It also got one for Best Sound, when the direction for the sound seemed to be to make everything as loud as possible.
But among the jury this year is independent filmmaker Amir Muhammad, whose mainstream film, Susuk, co-directed with Naeim Ghalili, picked up 8 nominations, including Best Cinematography (by Devan R.
The Festival Filem Malaysia (Malaysian film awards) continues to be a baffling, mind-boggling affair year after year. They once snubbed one of the most important Malaysian filmmakers, Yasmin Ahmad, with the excuse that her films continue to show nothing new or different. Like many other awards events, the decisions can sometimes be rather weird. For example, for this year’s awards, probably the worst film released this year, the laughable horror film Congkak, picked up four nominations, including, gulp, Best Director. That itself, is a horror story. It also got one for Best Sound, when the direction for the sound seemed to be to make everything as loud as possible.
But among the jury this year is independent filmmaker Amir Muhammad, whose mainstream film, Susuk, co-directed with Naeim Ghalili, picked up 8 nominations, including Best Cinematography (by Devan R.
- 8/5/2008
- by The Visitor
- Screen Anarchy
My repeated reliance on Hou Hsiao-hsien’s Rouge seminar address “In Search of New Genres and Directions for Asian Cinema” belies not so much laziness on my part as the fact that Hsiao-hsien’s suggestion of the potential values (and pitfalls) of using “local elements … firmly rooted in local culture"—specifically when creating horror genre films—remains not only salient advice for East Asian and Southeast Asian filmmakers but a great handle for understanding genre films emerging from these foreign territories. If said genre films can draw upon the culturally-specific wealth of their respective countries in combination with an expression of national anxieties, then you have the makings of an authentic piece of horror genre that might meet an effective U.S. reception.
This is the precarious challenge successfully endeavored by Malaysian filmmaker Amir Muhammad with his long-awaited “horror musical” Susuk (co-directed with Naeim Ghalili, from an original story...
This is the precarious challenge successfully endeavored by Malaysian filmmaker Amir Muhammad with his long-awaited “horror musical” Susuk (co-directed with Naeim Ghalili, from an original story...
- 7/17/2008
- by Michael Guillen
- Screen Anarchy
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