Lim Kim Seng Elaine Leong (The Petrichor) Kelab Mambau Suria (万茂向阳社)
Chong See Ming Liew Suet Fun Joanne Goh
Lim Kean Hian Maggie Lee
Joey Lee Lorna Tee Kuma Uthaya Sankar SB Amir Muhammad Feisk Productions
Noor Azam Shairi Foo Fei Ling Tham Wai Fook Sia Meng Fei Carine Lau Kuek
We Jun Alan Foo Lai Yong Joshua Chin Jun Wah Ken Kin Yong Keenen Kent Tan
Tan Boon Ming Lim Kok Yoong Low Chia Ming Siring Siring Yee Heng Yeh
Leong Choon Hang Choe Chee Kong June Tan
Rai ntown Fi lm Festi val
雨城电影 节 will be held annually in Taiping Perak, a city recognized as the 'Best of Cities' for living in 2019. Our goal is to create a platform for Taiping residents and filmmakers to better understand the local culture and arts through film screenings, film talks, and film workshops. At the same time, take this opportunity to visit the beauty of Taiping Rain City.
Paragon Cinemas Taiping Mall
3400, Jalan Perusahaan Tupai, 34000 Taiping, Perak
Raintree Walk Car Park (Taiping Lake Garden)
Jalan Pekeliling, Taman Tasik Taiping, 34000 Taiping, Perak
Enjoy RM30 off using promo code
RFF 2024
Paragon Cinemas
Taiping Mall
Raintree Walk Car Park
Flemington Hotel
Taiping Zoo & Night Safari
Ride & Cruise Taiping, Boat Ride
Old Master Nanyang Coffee
Teochew People Cafe
Parliament Taiping
In conjunction with the 150th anniversary of Taiping City’s founding, we are pleased to present the very first film festival in TaipingRaintown Film Festival.
This festival features 4 feature films and 6 short films shot in Taiping, spanning across two decades. It provides a unique opportunity for the audience to witness the development and transformation of Taiping through both narrative and documentary films. Additionally, there will be a sharing session about “Inspiring Local Stories Through Documentaries” and a workshop titled “Everyone Can Be a Director!” to inspire local residents and emerging filmmakers to record local stories and step forward into the film industry. Last but not least, legendary filmmaker P. Ramlee’s movie Seniman Bujang Lapok will be screened at the iconic Taiping Lake Garden as Wayang Pacak.
The Raintown Film Festival celebrates Taiping’s rich cultural heritage and showcases the creativity and talent of its people. I am excited to see how this festival will inspire and motivate our youth to connect with their roots and contribute to Taiping’s vibrant future. Such initiatives are essential for fostering pride and belonging among the younger generation and ensuring the continued growth and dynamism of our beloved city.
I would like to congratulate the team behind Raintown Film Festival for their hard work in making this program happen. Moreover, the founder of this festival, Jacky Yeap, is a Taiping-born filmmaker, making the festival even more meaningful.
As the Member of Parliament for Taiping, I am committed to addressing the challenge of youth brain drain and Taiping being labeled
as a retirement city. I always encourage young people to return to their hometown, apply their creativity to develop their skills in their field, and contribute to the places where they were born and raised. Many Taiping-born are involved in and contributing to the Malaysian art scene, such as Jins Shamsuddin (director of Bukit Kepong), Ibrahim Pendek (actor in P. Ramlee’s movies), Bernard Chauly (director of Istanbul Aku Datang!), Jin Ong (director of Abang Adik), TV host Tan Ley Teng, musician Hanz Koay, Ng Leong Wei (Lead of Raintree Art Market), and Jacky Yeap (Founder of Raintown Film Festival).
Together with Malaysia Madani, we hope that with this direction, and the support and contributions from various government agencies, non-governmental organizations, the local community, and individuals, Taiping will not only remain the best city for retirement but also become the best city for living.
Taiping Parliament Service Centre extends our heartfelt gratitude to the sponsors and partners who supported this program. We wish the Raintown Film Festival great success. Enjoy the festival!
Malaysia MADANI
Wong Kah Woh (MP Taiping)
Founder Raintown Fi lm Festi val
Just the right timing to kickstart the Raintown Film Festival.
I was born in Taiping in 1992 and grew up in Aulong New Village. I attended SJK(C) Hua Lian 1 for primary school, SMK Darul Ridwan for secondary school, and St. George’s Institution for Form 6. After that, I left my hometown to pursue a filmmaking course at the University of Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS). After graduating, I worked as a scriptwriter and director in Kuala Lumpur for almost 10 years.
I used to visit my hometown monthly, but now it’s only once a quarter due to my busy workload. In 2023, during a sharing session for my first movie, organized by YB Wong Kah Woh (Member of Parliament for Taiping) and YB Ong Seng Guan (Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri Pokok Assam), I met my school friend and his parents, who came to watch my movie. Our conversation brought back many memories of my school days and the places where I grew up.
Like many, I left my hometown to chase my dreams or seek a better life elsewhere. Why did this happen? Perhaps it was due to the lack of suitable job opportunities? A desire for change? Or the common belief that to become someone, you need to leave your hometown?
I began to wonder if it was possible for me to return to Taiping and start my career as a filmmaker there. Besides work, I also wanted to spend more time with my father and believed Taiping would be a great place to slow down from the hectic pace in Kuala Lumpur and restructure my lifestyle.
Encouraged by YB Wong Kah Woh and inspired by the 150th anniversary of Taiping City’s founding, I felt it was the perfect time to give myself a chance to use my knowledge
and skills to contribute to my hometown. This is how the idea for the Raintown Film Festival was born.
I see this as an opportunity to return to Taiping often, not just for the festival but to explore the place where I was born and raised. Despite being born here, I have to admit that my knowledge about this place is limited. I believe there are countless rich stories within its 150-year history.
I would like to extend special thanks to all the filmmakers who have allowed us to showcase their films at this inaugural film festival in Taiping. Their work will enable Taiping’s residents, as well as people from other states or countries, to better understand the local history, culture, people, and environment through their lenses. And of course, thanks to all the sponsors, partners, and supporters who have generously offered their resources to make this festival a success.
I wish everyone who joins the Raintown Film Festival a great and memorable experience! Enjoy the movies, enjoy the festival, and enjoy Taiping Rain City!
Against the backdrop of idyllic Taiping, Lantern maker Choo, the head of his household, unrelentingly wields control over his three adult children, Isaac, Alex and Ruby, disregarding their dreams and happiness, all in the pursuit of his own desires and pride. When Aileen, wife to Choo, is struck by a tragedy, the family drifts further apart, embroiling them in a heartbreaking conflict. As the children start to explore their life’s paths, they are stopped short from putting their dreams in motion by a father who thinks he knows best. Each reeling from the despair their father has inflicted upon them by imposing his iron-hand decisions on their plans, his children struggle to find a place of solace in their own world, sometimes resulting in a life-threatening downward spiral instead. With each decision forcefully made against their wishes, Choo slowly tears apart the delicate fabric of his family. What would it take to unite their differences, and restore heart matters that are beyond reconciliation?
Director Tunku Mona Riza
Tunku Mona Riza is a multiple international award winning director with the flair of making a simple story extraordinary. Her asset is her passion for storytelling and a strong sense of creativity and technical knowledge. After graduating from New York Film Academy (TV Commercial Film), she decided to pursue the path of producing and directing feature films. Tunku Mona’s work is always based on detailed research material and insights into true stories. With every story she tells, she not only creates them through the lenses of film directing but also by bringing life itself into her film. This can been seen through her debut feature film, “Redha” which earned an outstanding 16 international and local award, making “Redha” a record holding feature of the most awarded Malaysian Film in Malaysia. Redha was also chosen as Malaysia’s contender at the 89th Academy Awards and 74th Golden Globe Awards.
Place of Shooting
Taiping Selangor Port Dickson
Production Company Current Pictures
Producer Haris Sulong
Main Actors Chew Kin Wah Susan Lankester Fabian Loo Wilson Lee
Pauline Tan
Ah Kew the Digger
film screening | shoot in Taiping
14.09.24 | saturday 11am – 1pm
Hall 3 | Paragon Cinemas
2004 | Hokkien, Mandarin, English | 72mins
Follow the efforts of one man - Lee Eng Kew, a.k.a. Ah Kew, freelance writer and field historian as he explores temples and grave yards to archive epitaphs, trace lineage and record oral history. For over ten years, this man in the street has carried out extensive research on the illustrious history of Taiping, a town of many firsts in Perak, Malaysia - focusing on the Chinese immigration and contributions to the town and state.
Director Khoo Eng Yow
Khoo Eng Yow is a Malaysian filmmaker and editor. Hailing from Taiping, Khoo originally trained as an engineer, but his interest in still photography led him to become a full-time professional film editor. He began making his own films in 2002 and completed his first feature-length narrative film, The Bird House, which he produced, co-wrote, directed, and edited. He is currently based in Kuala Lumpur.
Place of Shooting
Taiping
Producer Khoo Eng Yow
Narrator Lee Eng Kew
Rain Dogs
film screening | shoot in Taiping 14.09.24 | saturday 430pm – 630pm Hall 3 | Paragon Cinemas
2006 | Cantonese, Mandarin | 94mins
When 19-year old Tung - a young Malaysian living with his aging mother in a town so small it seems little more than a wide spot along a jungle-shrouded road to somewhere else - sets out to reconnect with his elder brother in the urban chaos of Kuala Lumpur, little does he realize that a journey of selfdiscovery into the conflicted realms of love, loyalty and loss lies directly up ahead. Guileless and overconfident, young Tung soon finds himself drawn ever-deeper into a world where deceit, treachery, sudden violence, and irrevocable loss are the only certainties - and where the only lesson to be to be gleaned from his sudden coming of age is just how difficult adulthood can make it for any of us to ever go home again.
Director
Ho Yuhang
Ho Yuhang was born in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. He studied engineering at Iowa State University in the US. His directing debut MIN (2003) won the Special Jury Prize at the Festival des 3 Continents in Nantes, France. His third film RAIN DOGS (2006) became the first Malaysian film to compete in the Venice Film Festival. AS I LAY DYING won the Tiger Awards for short film in the International Film Festival of Rotterdam and the Grand Prix in the Kurosawa Foundation competition in 2008. The next feature AT THE END OF DAYBREAK won the NETPAC Award at the Locarno Film Festival and garnered seven Best Actress Awards for the lead actress Kara Wai. He reunited with Kara Wai in 2016 for the feature-length film MRS K, a Malaysia-Hong Kong co-production. Between 2018 and 2019, he’s involved in the HBO anthology series FOLKLORE and FOOD LORE. A Netflix series THE GHOST BRIDE followed. MRS K is currently being remade by Universal Pictures.
Place of Shooting
Taiping Kuala Sepetang Tapah Kuala Lumpur
Production Company Focus Films Paperheart
Producer Daniel Yu Lorna Tee Ho Yuhang
Main Actors Kuan Choon Wai Liu Wai Hung Yasmin Ahmad
Cheong Wing Hong Chua Thien See Lai Fui Mun
Jagat
film screening | shoot in Taiping 15.09.24 | sunday 430pm – 630pm Hall 3 | Paragon Cinemas
| Tamil | 76mins
Jerantut Morib Sabak Bernam Kuala Selangor CLOSING
A surprise sleeper hit in Malaysia, first-time director Shanjhey Kumar Perumal channels the spirit of Satyajit Ray in this coming-of-age story about a boy growing up in a community of Tamil community in Malaysia during the 1990s. The film introduces us to Appoy (magnificently played by Harvind Raj), a spirited kid who would rather watch gangster flicks and make prank calls than memorize his multiplication tables. Desperately trying to keep his son on the straight path, Appoy's hard-working father becomes increasingly abusive as the boy is inexorably drawn to the criminal lifestyle of his uncle, a henchman for a local Malaysian gang. Like the best debut features (think Pickpocket or As Tears Go By), JAGAT has the tang and intensity of personal experience, is saturated with style and charm, and is a little rough around the edges. But those rough edges only heighten the panache and impact of the film, which signals the arrival of a major cinematic talent.
Director Sun-J Perumal
Sun-J Perumal is a Malaysian director and writer based in Kuala Lumpur. He joined the industry in 2004. He has done TV productions for a living and short film for passion. One of his short films ‘Thaipoosam’ was screened at the 36th International Film Festival Rotterdam,2006. Frustrated with the TV industry, he quit and formed his own production house Skyzen Studios to produce more rooted content. His debut film ‘Jagat’ (2015) which he has written, directed, and co-produced, won Best Malaysian Film in 2016, making history as the first minority language movie to be crowned as the best film in the 28 years of history of the Malaysian Film Festival (FFM). The movie has also been screened at multiple film festivals around the globe. He just completed his second movie "Neer Mel Neruppu" (Fire on the Water) and is currently working on his next film ‘Machai’.
Place
of Shooting
Kuala Sepetang Gerik Kuala Lumpur Baling Pajam
Production Company Skyzen Studios
Producer Sivanantham Perianan
Main Actors Harvin Raj Jibrail Rajhula Kuben Mahadevan
Walid has a big dream; he wants to make it to the prestigious Cannes Film Festival with his short magnum opus. But competition and pressure keep putting him down. Will he even make it to Cannes?
Director Isyraqi Yahya
Isyraqi Yahya is a UiTM postgraduate with Master of Culture and Creative Industry. He embraces the philosophy of "being unique, not the best" in his works. With such approach, he hopes his works will become a symbol of inspiration for selected people, instead of being admired as an image of fame.
Production Company Universiti Teknologi MARA (UITM)
Producer Muzzamer Rahman
Main Actors Taqim Zaki Fath Rodzi Khairul Mohamed
Zen Is Everywhere
Place of Shooting
Selama
2022 | Mandarin | 6mins
Zen is where the heart is.
Director Tham Wai Fook
Tham Wai Fook was graduated from The Saito Academy in Graphic Design. A self-taught filmmaker, he started his film making career as a director in 2003 and has now made more than 20 short films. One of his short films, “Filial Piety” has recorded over 6 million views on YouTube. Tham founded Xilang Productions and Hour Hand Pictures with Foo Mee Teng and is now working on his first feature film. He had been in charge of a film club called “Sense Club” and had written and published articles on film arts. He is also the founder and curator of “Beautiful Malaysia” short film roadshow.
Production Company Xilang Productions
Producer Tham Wai Fook
Main Actors Lau Ming Yeow Foo Mee Teng Tham Xin Yue
2020 | Malay | 7mins
The history of Malay culture is rich with colourful stories. Passed on from generation to generation, some are rooted in actual history whilst others remain a folklore. One commonly told childhood story is a tale from the oldest ruling house of Malaysia, the Sultanate of Kedah. ‘The tale of Raja Bersiong’ is a story of a cruel sultan who grew an appetite for human blood after tasting a dish that was cooked with an accidental blood drop. Whilst the story may be folklore, there exists a small town in Selama, Perak called ‘Kota Raja Bersiong’. This short animated film is inspired, and imagines a world where there is a real link between the small town of Selama and the bloodthirsty sultan.
Director Ahmed Iwaz
Iwaz is a visual and sound designer based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He utilises a multi-sensory approach, combining visuals, sounds, and lights to craft captivating artistic narratives. In 2019, he released his debut album entitled “SUSUR MASA” (the passage of time), and has since released singles and composed soundtracks for various collaborators in the music and performing art scenes. In the same year, he received a grant from Perak State Government for the development of a short animation entitled ‘Selama’, which received a Highest Commendation Laurel from Asia South East-Short Film Festival WINTER 2021. With a relentless drive to innovate and inspire, he remains committed to pushing the avenues of electronic music and digital arts, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural landscape of Malaysia and beyond.
Production Company Harum Kasturi Studio
Producer Ahmed Iwaz
Narrator Endee Ahmad
Place of The Story Happen
Selama Kedah
Taiping
Rojak Romance
Taiping Singapore
2019 | English | 22mins
Rojak Romance is a story about a young mixed-race couple as they interrogate differing religious and cultural backgrounds and attempt to gain approval from their family. Through their personal journey, Rojak Romance examines the history and identity of the Ceylonese Tamil community.
Director Christine Seow
Christine Seow’s short documentary series While You Sleep won Best Documentary at the Asia Web Awards 2018 and her short film Rojak Romance has been screened at various international film festivals. Christine was part of the Youth Jury & Critics Programme during the 2016 Singapore International Film Festival and has written for SINdie, a local film critic website. She also participated in the Creative Producing Lab at Docs by the Sea 2021. Christine is currently taking her Master's in Directing Documentary at the National Film and Television School in the UK.
Production Company Ohboy! Pictures Pte Ltd
Producer Jeremy Oh
Interviewee Tinesh s/o Indrarajah Jane Christine Zhang
The Time Machine of Taiping Laundry
Place of Shooting
Taiping
2022 | Cantonese, Mandarin | 6mins
This documentary delves into the life of an elderly man who has dedicated over 60 years to the traditional handwashing dhobi trade in Taiping, Malaysia. It contrasts his enduring commitment with the younger generation's shift towards mechanized laundry methods. The film also touches on the harrowing period of Japanese colonization, when Chinese residents were subjected to brutal conditions. Once a thriving hub of numerous dhobi lines, Taiping's laundry scene has dwindled to just 2-3 shops, with the old man remaining as the last handwasher. Through his story, the documentary captures the resilience and evolution of this vanishing trade.
Director Yang Chong Lee Fun Shing Wei
We are a couple living in Taiping, Malaysia. Life is unpredictable, and what began as a simple video interview that Fun and her friend (Yeoh Xin Pei) conducted while studying multimedia in Kuala Lumpur nine years ago has evolved into this documentary. Life is fruitful, with subtle yet constant changes. This documentary speaks for us, reflecting our journey and passion. From 2019 to 2022, we created several short films to earn a living through competitions.
Place of Shooting
Main Actors Mak Ah Fatt Mak Kin Onn
The Day That River Ran Red
Place of Shooting
Taiping Bukit Merah Parit Buntar
Sungai Kerian Bandar Baharu
Nibong Tebal Kuala Lumpur
2012 | English Text | 21mins
A historical tragic/Subaltern history event which took place in Parit Buntar, Perak 40 years ago made an ordinary man a decorated national hero overnight. Based on a Director/Writer Shanjey Kumar Perumal true account of his grandfather, this documentary is narrated via an interesting theatre performance and stunning visuals.
Director Sun-J Perumal
Sun-J Perumal is a Malaysian director and writer based in Kuala Lumpur. He joined the industry in 2004. He has done TV productions for a living and short film for passion. One of his short films ‘Thaipoosam’ was screened at the 36th International Film Festival Rotterdam,2006. Frustrated with the TV industry, he quit and formed his own production house Skyzen Studios to produce more rooted content. His debut film ‘Jagat’ (2015) which he has written, directed, and co-produced, won Best Malaysian Film in 2016, making history as the first minority language movie to be crowned as the best film in the 28 years of history of the Malaysian Film Festival (FFM). The movie has also been screened at multiple film festivals around the globe. He just completed his second movie "Neer Mel Neruppu" (Fire on the Water) and is currently working on his next film ‘Machai’.
Producer Sivanantham Perianan
Interviewees Wong Swe Hwa S.Ramasamy Govindasamy
Ewe Ki Chun Perumal S/O Annamalai
Dance Performers Uthayarajagopal Malar
Seniman Bujang Lapok
wayang pacak
15.09.24 | saturday 830pm – 11pm
Raintree Walk Car Park | Taiping Lake Garden
1961 | Malay | 120mins
The film tells the story of the happy-go-crazy trio Ramli, Aziz and Sudin, and their daily problems living in a crowded boarding house. Jobless and penniless, they decide to try their luck as movie stars. They are told by the studio manager that they will be given a break if they can prove their talent at a screen test. Sudin gets into his antics which catches the attention of the studio manager. Will show biz fame change them in any way?
P. Ramlee
P. Ramlee, the multi-talented icon of Malaysian pop culture, first received artistic exposure in his academics when he attended a school set up by the Japanese navy in Malaya (during the time of the Japanese Occupation), where he learned Japanese songs and watched Japanese films. His debut as a feature-film director started with Penarek Becha (“Trishaw Puller”), in 1955. Ever since then, throughout his filmography, he won several awards including Best Actor award for the film Anak-ku Sazali (1956) at the 4th Asian Film Festival, Tokyo (1957), and Best Comedy award at the Asia-Pacific Film Festival for his film Pendekar Bujang Lapok (1959). Many considered the golden age of his career was between 1955 and 1964, back when he was still working with the Malay Film Productions in Singapore, as his works won awards in festivals held in various countries. After that, he went to Kuala Lumpur to make films with Merdeka Film Productions, but sadly, his career started going downhill ever since, while facing constant sabotage from other Malaysian artists.
Sometimes, what we regard as ordinary in our everyday lives may turn out to be unique and not found anywhere else. Could storytelling reconnect the dots of local heritage and rediscover the soul of a city?
Filmmakers Ansell Tan & Gabrielle Lee shares their journey of producing “The Forgotten Railway of Kinta Valley” and how they hope to inspire people to tell local stories for the cultural and economical revival of their hometowns.
The Forgotten Railway of Kinta Valley:
Kinta Valley was once a prosperous region dubbed as the “Pioneer of Malaysia’s Modern Development”. Key to its prosperity was a railway branch that was almost entirely forgotten after the collapse of the tin industry in the 1980s.
Tracing the lost tracks of the FMSR Ipoh – Tronoh branch line, we pass through abandoned sites, dilapidated towns, and tin mining lakes, following locals from all walks of life through its 6 stations to connect the dots of a neglected past, and figure out what the future holds.
Speaker
Ansell
He is a Filipino - Chinese filmmaker with over 14 years of working experience across Singapore, China, and Taiwan. During his employment in Singapore, he was awarded a New York Film Festival Bronze World Medal for “Factory Towns” in 2014, and a Silver World Medal for “Futuropolis” in 2018. In 2019, he founded Story Tinkers. A small documentary studio based in Ipoh Malaysia that supports non-fiction TV and produces stories that spark ideas and discussion on sustainable development.
Gabrielle Lee
She graduated from the National Academy of Arts Culture and Heritage (ASWARA). Originally a city girl in PJ, she moved to Ipoh and founded Tapir Films in 2019 whilst being active in counselling and producing socially driven content. She believes that filmmakers provide an invaluable service to society by converting entertainment and educational values into memorable cinematic experiences.
Everyone Can Be a Director! film
workshop
15.09.24 | sunday 2pm – 330pm
Hall 3 | Paragon Cinemas
In this engaging workshop and interactive session, attendees will learn how to use a mobile phone to produce a budgetfriendly, technically straightforward short film. We'll explore a range of thematic possibilities inspired by audience participation to collaboratively draft a foundational script. The speaker will also share insights from his personal journey in short filmmaking, offering valuable experiences and lessons learned.
Speaker
Kent Tan
Since 1997, he has crafted scripts in multiple languages for a diverse array of mediums, including radio dramas, short films, feature films, TV series, and TikTok dramas. His recent acclaimed works include the films "Happy Birth Death," "A Journey of Happiness," and "My Dearest Dad." He was honored with a nomination for Best TV Drama at the prestigious 10th Seoul International TV Festival. His short film "Good Boy" garnered the Best Short Film award at the Brunei Film Festival, while "Everything Will Be Okay" received the Best Short Film accolade at the Penang State Anti-Depression Short Film Competition.
