Crossroads: One, Two, Jaga
Every year, the Malaysian Film Festival in Singapore showcases some of the best and well-travelled Malaysian feature films over the year at the Old Parliament House (the Arts House). This year, it will run from 29th August to 1st September 2019. The festival is organized by DMR Productions which produces CausewayExchange (CEX), a 10-year old exchange festival between Singapore and Malaysia that provides a platform for creative industries from both Singapore and Malaysia to share their work, network and explore new possibilities. Here is the film line-up:
Paskal
Naval unit Paskal is Malaysia’s special elite force. But all bets are off when one of its own stages a hijacking. Based on true events.
Crossroads: One, Two, Jaga
In Kuala Lumpur, an abused domestic worker Sumiati tries to escape to Indonesia, while an idealistic policeman Hassan insists on fighting corruption – at a heavy price.
Shun Pong O
In Nanyang fishing village, lives a girl who loves Korean culture. She then meets and falls in love with a South Korean man. He brings hope and joy to her imperfect reality, even as he faces his biggest fear. However, an incident at the village transformed him, turning him multilingual.
Rise: Ini Kalilah
Following the lives of everyday people, coming together for one common love – Malaysia – six interrelated tales set during the frantic days leading up to the nation’s most important election ever. Each story that unfolds shows what it means to be a true Malaysian – respect, hope, standing up for yourself, fighting for your rights, redemption, and building the future.
Vedigundu Pasangge
Village boy Theva is stuck in a huge twisted situation and comes into realisation that everything surrounding him is shrouded in a pool of mystery. Things take a bad turn for him thanks to his innocence and ignorance of the true colors of Boss.
å…‰ Guang
Guang is the inspirational story of Wen Guang, an autistic young man who struggles to integrate in a society that discriminates against him. Even with his brother’s help, Wen Guang finds it difficult to hold a decent job. One day, his prodigious talent for music emerges.
The festival will also feature a panel discussion titled 'Common Genes of a Genre: Malaysia and Singapore' and talks by the directors of some of the featured films.
Common Genes of a Genre: Malaysia and Singapore
A forum discussion
31 August 2019
10.30am – 12.00pm
Screening Room @ The Arts House, 1 Old Parliament Ln, Singapore
General Admission $5 (refundable)
There is buzz of shared markets, coproduction’s and creative collaborations in both Malaysia and Singapore, each teeming with filmmaking talent. Genre filmmaking, on the international stage has also seen some common interest and demand at festivals and markets. Are genre films a potential breakout opportunity for both Malaysia and Singapore? With ‘common genes’ such as shared folklore, colonial histories and market demographics, do opportunities present themselves for Malaysia and Singapore to take on genre filmmaking successfully? In chasing for the visceral and the sensational, are filmmakers then misrepresenting the cinemas of their respective cultures?
Visit the festival page for more information.