Flims & Directors

Asian Independent Film Festival

FANTASIA Sing-Ma-Thai
12/8 Thailand


3 Friends
Director: Mingmongkol Sonakul/Aditya Assarat/Pumin Chinaradee 75min 2005 Thai language with Chinese/English Subtitles

3 Friends is an experimental fiction/documentary film conceived and directed by 3 friends, Aditya Assarat, Pumin Chinaradee, and Mingmongkol Sonakul. They come up with the idea to make a film that comments on the “movie star exploitation” films that are currently being made for the Thai market today. These films, which are mass-produced by large entertainment companies, aim to exploit the current hot movie stars of the moment by purporting to make a “lifestyle” documentary about them at the beach, or hanging out with friends, or going about their everyday life, but done with the express purpose of showing a lot of skin. Thinking this was an interesting starting point, the three friends then contacted the movie star Nakaprapah Nakprasit (nicknamed Mamee), who is herself typecast as sex symbol from her films Mae Bia and Butterfly Man, and proposed this project to her. Tired from her busy schedule as an actress and model, Mamee wanted to take a vacation anyway…

The film world premier at the Toronto International (Oct 2005) d. It is the first Thai independent doc/fiction that was invited there


Mingmongkol Sonakul

Mingmongkol Sonakul’s name is synonymous with the birth of Thai Independent cinema having produced the seminal 2000 film, Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s first feature film :Mysterious Object at Noon. In 2001 she was chosen by the French Embassy to participate in the Young Producers from the Three Continents training program held for the first time in Nantes, France. Since then she has produced many other important works including Pimpaka Towira’s 2001 PPP selected ‘s One Night Husband and Aditya Assarat’s award wining short films. She also wrote, directed, and independently financed and distributed her first feature film, I-San Special, which was awarded the NETPAC-FIPRESCI Critics prize at the 2002 Singapore Film Festival. Sonakul has served on the committee of the Thai Film Foundation, the organizing body for independent film in this country, since it’s inception seven years ago.

Aditya Assarat

Aditya Assarat has made several short films and documentaries that have garnered fifteen awards and been invited to screen at over seventy film festivals worldwide including the Sundance, New York, Pusan and Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festivals. In June of 2004, Aditya was also chosen to become the first Rolex Film Protégé, giving him the opportunity to work for one year with the renowned independent director, Mira Nair.

Pumin Chinaradee

Pumin Chinaradee is an independent multimedia artist working in Bangkok. He met Assarat and the two have collaborated on many music videos together. Through his work as the behind-the-scenes director of the Sonakul-produced One Night Husband (Berlin Forum 2003), Chinaradee was inspired by the German cinematographer Christoph Janetzko, and is now making short films himself. His latest project Friendship about several volunteers during the Asian tsunami disaster who became friends working in the face of adversity.

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Isan Special
Director : Mingmongkol Sonakul
112min/2002 Thai language with Chinese/ English subtitles

A group of passengers leave Bangkok for an overnight journey to a small town in northeastern Thailand (I-San). However, once the journey gets underway the passengers, as if possessed, begin enacting a real Thai soap opera, speaking to each other with borrowed voices (dubbed by the actual soap stars). However, when the bus comes to a stop-to refuel or to repair a flat tire-the passengers step out of the story and regain their own voices, revealing a harsh reality that shares some surprising elements with the 'fictional' melodrama. Blurring the border between fiction and reality y, I-San Special showcases Thailand's new cinematic creative energy in a wildly imaginative and enjoyable journey

2002 Singapore Film Festival, NETPAC-FIPRESCI Critics prize


12/9 Thailand


Ordinary Romance
Director: Teekhadet Vucharadhanin
90min/2005 Thai language with Chinese/English Subtitles

Ordinary Romance is a story about relationship between two people. Ratchannee always be the love Khomsan has in his mind. He is sure they both know and understand each other well. Rather than pushing their relation forward, Khomsan prefer just waiting patiently. He want to let her has plenty of time, as long as she needs to take, to feel stable and find peace with life and hopefully she is going to lesson the space between them and respond his true when she is really ready.

.Teekhadet Vucharadhanin

An architect by profession, Teekhadet Vucharadhanin gave up his career in order to pursue the love of his life, movies. Since then, Teekhadet has worked with Apichatpong as Sound Recorder in the film Mysterious Object At Noon(2000), Blissfully Yours(2002), and as Director in the Documentary Malady Diary(2004). He also recorded sound for many independent films. Teekhadet is considered a prominent figure in Thai Independent film industry. Sound often plays an important role in Teekhadet’s films.



Innocence
Director: Nisa Kongsri/ Areeya Chumsai
100 min 2005 Thai language with Chinese/English Subtitles

In the mountains north of Chiang Mai is a school. And in that school is a community of teachers and students from different tribes, speaking different tribal languages, all living together.
tthe founder of this school, their respected patriarch, is the one who understands these children and knows their dream.
Every mountain child, born and raised in the north with the mountain stream running down the side of their village wants to know where the river ends. As a reward for the students who complete their education, the teachers will take the graduating class to the water’s end. All are poor; some are orphaned, others struggle to learn Thai, their second language, to pass their exams and take their long awaited journey. Their journey isn’t just about going to the ocean, a world beyond their village, but also an internal journey to grow from childhood to adulthood and the choices they will have to make toward that transition.
The story follows three main characters: three children from different villages and how they face their life’s challenges.

Nisa Kongsri
After freelancing as a director and producer of numerous advertisements and music videos, in 2001, Nisa Kongsri worked as an assistant director for the Thai historical epic film “Renaissance” with Film Bangkok. In 2002 she was an assistant director for the Pusan official selected film “One Night Husband” with GMM Pictures. After Areeya asked her to join her to do research about the lives of hill tribe children in northern Chiang Mai, Nisa joined partnership with Areeya to make “Innocence” their first documentary film debut.

Areeya Chumsai
Born and raised in the U.S., Areeya Chumsai graduated with a degree in journalism and having worked with USA Today, The Oakland Tribune and The Lansing State Journal.She was a columnist for varies magazines while teaching a writing course at Bangkok University and Chulalongkorn University in ‘95 -‘97. In 1998, her first book, “PopSpeak”, was published.
In 1999, she became the first Thai female to win the Tokyo Creation Award, in recognition of her social service and leadership. In 2002 went to study screenwriting at NYU. In 2003 Nisa and Areeya were selected to present their screenplay at the Pusan Film Festival. “Innocence” World Premiere is presented at the 10th annual Pusan Film Festival on Nov. 2005.

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12/10 Malaysia


Director: Azharr Rudin

1. Dancing Kites
experimental/documentary 11min 2004
A Malaysian filmmaker’s search for his long lost Indonesian grandmother’s swirls
into a kaleidoscopic mini-odyseey.


2. Taman di dalam Sinkiku (garden in my sink)
narrative 14min 2004
A supposedly accidental recording of life / Tribute to Malaysian indie film scene.

3.Colorfool
music video / 4m / Malaysia / 2003 - An ambiguous visual rendition of Terry Callier’s “What Color is Love?” – as suggested by the song

4.The Amber Sexalogy
(narrative / 61m / Malaysia / 2006) (Special Sneak Preview) - Possibly, a love story pictured in six-part. *individual titles: Meeting, Loving, Raining, Forgetting Amber + Majidee + Desir

Azharr Rubin
Azharr Rubin made his ‘proper’ debut in the Malaysian indie-filmmaking scene in August 2004 when “Dancing Kites” screened at the Malaysian Shorts.Thru this film, Amir Muhammad approached him to cut an Indonesian/ Malaysian documentary, “The Year of Living Vicariously”.To date, he has edited two of his non-fiction films including “The Last Communist” which is slated for release in 2006.He was born on November 9, 1981 in Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia and he is probably still the youngest filmmaker in what some have termed as the Malaysian New Wave.
His latest project is “The Amber Sexalogy”.

Sanctuary
2004 80min Mandarin language with English Subtitle
Lai is a perpetual gambler who whiles away his days at a pool hall. See’s days are monotonously spent at a photocopy center with its endless duplication. The Old Man has found peace and comfort taking care of a sick partner in his old age home. See would like to mend a rift created long ago between her and the Old Man, and Lai consistently refuses See’s requests to put an end to his betting. Can these three people find a place where they can reconnect?

Awards:
International Film Festival Rotterdam ‘05 (NETPAC Award, Network for Promotion of Asian Cinema, and Honorary Mention);
Pusan International Film Fest ’04 (Special Mention);
Fribourg International Film Fest ’05 (Special Mention);


Visits 2005

A four-part film that resulted from inventive cooperation between a commercial client and several young independent film makers. The film was made to mark the advent of digital projection equipment in a multiplex cinema. It had to be shot on digital video and the theme had to fit in with the Chinese Hungry Ghosts Festival that took place around the time of the opening: ghosts are said to leave purgatory for a month to move among the living.This is the part by Ho Yuhang.

HO Yuhang
Originally trained as an engineer, HO Yuhang (1971, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia) learned film making in the television advertising industry. Ho has since directed several independent short films and documentaries that were received with international critical acclaim. His first tele-movie Min won the Special Jury Prize at the Nantes Fil


12/11 Malaysia

Rabun
Director: Yasmin Ahmad
87 min 2002 Malaysian language with English Subtitle

Pak Atan and Mak Inom, a retired couple in their 60's, were gettingtired of the city. Having inherited her late father's house in thevillage, Mak Inom jumps at the chance for them to live in the countryagain. Things seemed rosy for a while for the eccentric andopenly-affectionate couple - fresh air, lush greenery, kind countryfolks - but before long, events took an unexpected turn. Pak Atan andMak Inom were now forced to re-assess their perceptions of both thecountry, and the city.

-Best ASEAN Feature Film, 8th Malaysian Video Awards, 2003- In Competition, 21st Turin International Film Festival, 2003

Yasmin Ahmad
After 20 years in advertising, 10 years of writing and directing TVcommercials, and only 4 years of writing poetry, Yasmin mustered thecourage to write and direct her debut film "Rabun", at the age of 44.She claims that she's "...a woman without ambitions because life istoo short for that sort of thing". When asked if she planned to makemore films, Yasmin said, "I will only make a film if I feel I have astory worth telling, about people and events that I know and careabout." Her second film "Sepet" is about inter-racial love; it worldpremiered in Singapore on the 2nd of September, 2004. Her latest film"Gubra" is going through post-production and is scheduled to open inSingapore in February, 2006.




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Sepet
115min 2004 Malaysian language with English Subtitle

19-year old Ah Loong is a Chinese young man in charge of a streetstall selling pirated vcd's. Contrary to what you might expect someoneof his social standing to be, Ah Loong is an incurable romantic withan unlikely hobby - he loves to read and write poetry. Quite contentedto carry on being the Romeo of the slums, Ah Loong's life takes asudden turn one day when a 16-year old Malay schoolgirl arrives at hisstall in search of Wong Kar-Wai's films.

Best ASEAN Feature Film, 9th Malaysian Video Awards, 2004- Grand Prix du Jury, 27th Creteil International Women Directors Festival, 2005- Best Film, 18th Malaysian Film Festival, 2005- Best Asian Film, 18th Tokyo International Film Festival, 2005



12/12 Singapore

Director: Wee Li Lin SECTION

1. Another Guy
(11 mins) 1999 English language with Chinese Subtitle
A 20 something year old guy feels that what he wants out of life is often not what he gets

Winner of “ Special Achievement Award” at the 1999 Singapore International Film Festival

2. All My presents
(6 mins) 2002 English language with Chinese Subtitle
A girl who loves giving presents throws a party and realzies that most of her guests dont share the same sentiment
.
3. Homemaker
(6 mins) 2002 English language with Chinese Subtitle
A lonely tai tai writes to a foreign friend about her life at home.

Official Selection and Winner of “Special Jury, Best Comedy” Georgetown
Independent Film Festival, 2003

4. Holiday
(22 mins) 2002 English language with Chinese Subtitle
A meek man is coldy retrenched, will this event spell the beginning of the end or the start of a well deserved break and time of reflection?
5. Autograph book (11 mins) 2003 English language with Chinese Subtitle
friendship, it is also the cause of a rift between two 12 year old friends who must decide if theirs is one worth keeping.

Winner of “ Special Acheivement Award” 2003 Singapore International Film Festival

Wee Lilin

Li Lin is a freelance television producer/director. She has spent a semester in NYU doing “Sight and Sound”, an intensive filmmaking production course. She has done several short films in Singapore so far, three of which have been award winners at the Singapore International Film Festival and two have won awards at American Film Festivals. In January last year the Singapore Film Society organized a retrospective of all her work for members and the public. This event was a first ever SFC retrospective of a local short filmmaker.


Director Raja Gopal SECTION

1. I Can't Sleep Tonight
10min 1995
three illegal persons; a sri lankan boy who came to built his fortunes as an illegal worker, an indian woman who was promised a job as a nurse was forced to enter the flesh trade by her agent and a german drug addict bagpacker who has overstayed and short of cash meet by chance and spend the night together as they run from the law in Little India , a famous tourist destination in Singapore.

1995 Special Jury Prize, Singapore International Film Festival Short Films Competition


2. The Glare
14min 1996
A poor woman who is abused by her drunkard husband escapes into her own world by obssesively watching television.
1996 Special Jury Prize, Singapore International Film Festival Short Films Competition

3. Absence
19min 1997
explores the relationship between a recently widowed and overly religious mother and her son who befriends a priest who changes their lives.
1997 Special Jury Prize, Singapore International Film Festival Short Films Competition

4. Brother
22min 1997
explores the relationship and portrays the friendship between a middle class singaporean indian man and an illegal indian foreign worker.


Singapore Arts Festival 1997 (Film Produced in collaboration with The Stage Play: Work Horse Afloat by Ong Keng Sen)


K Rajagopal
> 40 years old> Singaporean> Short Film Maker / TV Director

12/13 Singapore

15
Director: Royston Tan
93 min 2003 Mandarin language with English Subtitle

a fascinating window to a world rarely depicted onscreen: the struggles of 5 real Singaporean's that don't fit the gum free and clean cut image of their Society. Tan shows us this cosmos from the inside out: employing urban music, montage, animation, fantasy, a multiple layering of video elements and a host of narrative styles to portray the frenetic, tortuous, but strangely beautiful world shared by a group of 15-year-olds whose only emotional connection to the world is through each other.

2003 16th Singapore international film festival.-Netpac Fipresci World critic award
Deauville Asian Film Festival-Special Jury Award
Buenos Aires VI Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente


Short Films of Royston Tan

1.Careless Whisperer
12min 2005
The Singapore Idol contestant famed for his inaudible rendition of theGeorge Michael hit is back. He's in love and bursting to express how he feels... in song.

2. NY Girl
15min (2005)
This feisty romp takes us from light-hearted swipes at fake accents to heartfelt melodrama about the dream of stardom and fame...

3. Monkey Love
9min (2005)
Shot in the winterland wonderland of Hokkaido, this rhapsody in white stars a love lorn monkey (ok, actually a boy in a monkey suit).

4. Cut
13min(2004)
A film buff (Jonathan Lim) harasses a censor (Neo Swee Lin) from supermarket to car park, where this film takes a surprising turn.
Panasonic Digital Filmmaker Awards 2004 First Prize

5. 24hrs
8min (2002)
In three wistful, poignant minutes, this film chronicles the bloom and doom of a transient love.

6. Mother
6min (2002)
This quietly moving film tells the story of a son's love-hate relationship with his mother.
2001 Singapore Short Film Festival—The Voice Award

7. 15
25min (2002)
An unflinching look at the lives of three teens in Singapore, "15" is
gritty yet fantastical, hilarious yet heartbreaking - from Para-Para routineswith Hokkien raps to gang fights framed in arcade game graphics.
2003 Hong Kong Independent Short Film & Video Awards-Asian New Force 2003
Critics Awards etc.

8. Hock Hiap Leong
7min (2001)
A boy's reverie at his favourite kopitiam takes us back in time to the 60s, with a flamboyant musical number performed in platforms, beehives and flares.

9. Sons
10min ( 2000)
This film seeks to give a pictorial view of a father’s predicament, after his passing from life, seeking to reach out to his son again, his desire for a new beginning in this millennium.
13th Singapore International Film Festival-Best Short Film/Special Achievement Award



Royston Tan

The 28-year-old Tan has been heralded as Singapore’s most promising young filmmaker and the latest film icon for Singapore. Known for his distinctive knack for cinematic narrative, original directorial style and an innate ability to connect with his audience. He has collected over 39 international and local film awards for his short films, documentaries and recently his feature film. In 2001, he was conferred ASEAN Director of the Year. In 2002, the Singapore National Arts Council named him Young Artist of the Year

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