THE fourth annual SeaShorts Film Festival 2021 is opening entries for directors across the Asean region to submit their short films under the theme “Reimagining Short Films, Reinventing Southeast Asia” before the deadline of Apr 30, 2021.
A total of 20 titles of all genres and forms under 30 minutes will be selected to run for the SeaShorts Award, with the Next New Wave Award reserved exclusively for Malaysian directors with 10 films in competition.
There will also be acknowledgement of outstanding achievements in direction, screenwriting, cinematography, editing, sound, and acting.
Among those in the jury for this year is Thai filmmaker Raymond Pathavirangoon, succeeding his predecessors such as Rithy Panh (Cambodia), Mira Lesmana (Indonesia), Lav Diaz (Philippines), Garin Nugroho (Indonesia) and Bianca Balbuena (Philippines).
To adapt to the current context, the Festival will be held online from Aug 25 to Sept 2, 2021. In addition to screening, it will host masterclasses, interviews, industry sessions as well as S-Express, a travelling showcase dedicated to the new wave of cinema in the region.
“With the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is exciting for us to be able to recreate a festival atmosphere. It is more important than ever to champion the links that get all of Southeast-Asia connected together. We can’t wait to share with you the fresh way the filmmakers have been looking at the current state of things,” said Festival co-director Nicholas Chee.
The SeaShorts Film Festival is the annual marquee event of the SeaShorts Film Society. The 2020 Festival gathered more than 21,000 total views for its first online edition showcasing contemporary takes on the narratives and issues pertinent to this corner of the world.
Malaysian drama Peon by Shaiful Yahya, June Wong and Syaz Zainal marked history by being the first film to be presented with both the SeaShorts Award and the Next New Wave Award. – Mar 5, 2021
