Sa b ahan Collecti v e Ar t i s t S t o r y 2 0 1 9 This special issue honours fresh individuals and a team of Sabahan artists who placed Borneo on the map and shined on the international stage. Read on to get a glimpse of their journey and experiences in becoming the success they are today.
Syahnur Asyikin Kee Charles
2019 BMW Shorties Grand Prix Winner
Filmmaker Nadira Ilana
"We directed children with no acting experience and shot a short film without any written lines; the story was told through their candid emotions and reactions to the directions we gave them. With "Pace", I set out to convey a message about gender, identity and the many conflicts with ourselves, no matter the age; and I am proud to have achieved that."
Born and raised in small village far from the city, she profess a young raw talent in filmmaking. Another of our Sabahan hidden gem that the local industry should take note. The concept of her visual story-telling has the international appeal. Ekin recently won the Malaysian most prestigious 13th edition of BMW shorties. "Pace" by Syahnur Asyikin Kee Charles, also known as Ekin Kee Charles, a fresh graduate of University Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) who majored in Cinematography.
Putri Purnama Sugua
Putri won multiple awards at the recent Malaysian Digital Film Awards, including the Best Young Filmmaker award, and is a participant in this year’s 2017 Asian Film Academy in Busan, Republic of Korea. She is also a panel member of Voices from the East, a discussion East Malaysians in Malaysian cinema at the recent Young Filmmakers Forum. There is indeed a strong worldview we see in her films, in the sense that the 11 |
ART & CULTURES
BORNEO 360 ALIVE
The winning short is a moving coming-of-age story which explores identity at a tender age through the perspective of Yaya, a young girl who – upon discovering a longing for something her group of friends have - is contemplating her identity for the first time in a small town in Sabah. Determined to be more than just the 'girl' in her group, she takes a leap of faith by pushing the boundaries of what it means to be feminine in a world that is seemingly built for the opposite gender. BMW Shorties 2019 Grand Prize Winner: PACE SCAN TO WATCH VIDEO
different lenses of these genres remain trained on that which she knows best and believes to be important. There is that adherence to a high level of quality, one that is not always seen in many films by someone still so young. There is also a fire that burns in her belly, a fierce determination means she’s not afraid to stand up to opponents, critics and university administrators in fighting for and telling her stories. What’s astounding is that they are not necessarily her stories, but the story of those who probably wouldn’t have a voice otherwise. The issue of stateless children is not a particular unknown, but to have someone explore them in a narrative context like this is more unheard of. what I have seen, heard and know of Putri also means that, even if I was undecided about her auteur status, she very much deserves to be in the discussion of who the best young filmmakers in Malaysia are. 2018 Aku Mau Skola SCAN TO WATCH VIDEO
Nadira Ilana is an award-winning film maker, activist, and writer based in Kuala Lumpur. Born and raised in Kota Kinabalu, her curiosity to understanding herself and the richness of her Dusun heritage has since profoundly inspired her in telling the stories of Sabah. Nadira was the first East Malaysian to win the Freedom Film Fest Award for Best Human Rights Documentary in 2012 for Silent Riot and has since been the voice for East Malaysian representation in the Borneo-Malaysian narrative. She obtained a BFA in Film and TV from Queensland University of Technology in 2009 before moving back to Malaysia to join the film industry. She placed Sabah on the international film map with her Big Stories Bongkud-Namaus documentary that details the heart-warming stories of the locals of Kampung Bongkud and sister-village Kampung Namaus, Ranau. Drawing inspiration from her Dusun heritage, Nadira founded her production company, TelanBulan Films with a focus of creating content dedicated to more holistic representations of the Malaysian identity. Besides making films, Nadira has organised film-related events such as Working Title Film Drinks meet-up, which was a monthly gathering for independent filmmakers and enthusiasts in Kuala Lumpur, and is now an active online group dedicated to Malaysia’s independent film scene. It was started with some friends in 2013 with the purpose of forming a network of filmmakers. She has also been invited to judge short film competitions like Pesta Film Kita in 2016, Petron Vision 2018 and the BMW Shorties. Nadira is currently a FINAS Panel Advisor representing Sabah and young filmmakers.
