Four Universiti Brunei Darusalam (UBD) Design and Creative Industries (DCI) student short films will be screened at the 20th Mini Film Festival in Sarawak, Malaysia, in a special program: ‘Through Bruneian Eyes: Films that Speak Our Stories’, according to a press release from UBD.
For the first time, the 20th edition of the Mini Film Festival x Mini Arts Festival in Sarawak, Malaysia, the longest-running short film festival in the country, will feature its very own Borneo Film category. Under a meticulously curated special program – Through Bruneian Eyes: Films that Speak Our Stories – four short films made by UBD DCI students, among a total of seven Bruneian shorts, have been selected to be screened from 2 pm to 4 pm on July 18, 2024, at Space 2 (Film Screening Hall), La Promenade Mall, Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, during the upcoming 20th Mini Film Festival.
The lineup of the seven Bruneian short films is 9 Waqaf by Haziq Aniq; Iyaan Wears a Hat by Natasya Jazmeena; Jasa by Azhar Khir; Love’s Detour: From Crush to Crash by Dzul Iskandar; Menguyung Masa by Ridhwan Sabri; Nota by Adlina Tunggal and Withering by Afifah Ali.
Programmed by visionary Bruneian filmmaker Tara Esa, a senior DCI student currently studying abroad at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) during her Discovery Year, “this special session provides a unique peek into how we, as Bruneians, understand and engage with the world around us.”
“Furthermore, I aim to highlight the achievements of female directors who, despite the challenges, are able to create innovative and engaging stories,” said Tara.
Menguyung Masa (UBD) and Withering (UBD) premiered at the 5th UBD-FASS Term Screening in April 2023, while 9 Waqaf (UNISSA) and Love’s Detour: From Crush to Crash (UBD) premiered at the 6th PRISM UBD Short Film Festival in November 2023.
Mini Film Festival director Yow Chong Lee (UNIMAS) said the Borneo Film category will connect some of the filmmakers with creative people in Sarawak, Sabah, Brunei Darussalam, and Kalimantan, according to the local newspaper New Sarawak Tribune.
Sponsored by the MFF organizer, DCI students Dzul Iskandar and Ridhwan Sabri will fly to Kuching, Malaysia, to meet local and Kalimantan filmmakers and share their creative experiences with them and local audiences in Sarawak.
The theme ‘SEarcH’ reflects MFF’s unwavering commitment to continuously exploring the most impactful ways of uniting filmmakers, artists, films, and audiences. Since its inception, the festival has worked hard to spotlight up-and-coming filmmakers and artists.
