FESTIVAL TEAM CONTENTS 2 Why I Joined SeaShorts 2019 Festival Director Hospitality Manager 4 Words from JFKL Tan Chui Mui Sharifah Aryana Opening Film Festival Manager Publicity Manager 5 Ten Years Thailand Lim Han Loong Tristan Toh 8 Selection Committee Programme Director Technical Manager Jacky Yeap Jacky Yeap 9 SeaShorts Competition 10 Awards & Sponsors Head of Forum Venue Manager 12 Jury Megan Wonowidjoyo Lim Han Loong 13 Competition Films Masterclass Assistant 23 Next New Wave Competition Pass Registration Manager 24 Awards & Sponsors Ghazi Alqudcy Molly Ho 26 Jury Technical Support 27 Competition Films Eddy Tan Jia Cheng Transportation Manager Swee Tze Heng Special Programme Operation Manager 32 S-Express 2019 Nikki Tok Suh Ying Graphic Designer 33 Malaysia Yap Jia Ern 34 Indonesia Partnerships and Engagement Leroux Yap 35 Thailand Director 36 Philippines Nicholas Chee SeaShorts 2019 would not be 37 Myanmar possible without the support of 38 Vietnam Partnership and Engagement our volunteers. We thank each 39 Laos Assistants of you and hope to see you Goh Shao Wei again next year! 40 Brunei Chng Ying Tong 42 Cambodia Miranda Cardenas 43 Singapore 44 Distant Observers 46 What Do You See? 48 Ongoing Life and Animation Special Focus 50 Sorayos Minimal Prapapan 52 Animated Short Films by Roxlee Closing Film 54 15Malaysia SeaShorts Forum 59 Masterclasses 60 Workshops 61 Panel Discussion 64 Exhibition 65 Hidden Programme 66 Festival Venues 67 Pass Holder Privileges 68 Acknowledgements 4 5 WHY I JOINED SEASHORTS 2019 TAN CHUI MUI Now that I have a chance to run the SeaShorts MOLLY HO get to know about each other, and soon I was FESTIVAL DIRECTOR Film Festival, I hope that many younger filmmakers PASS REGISTRATION MANAGER assigned to this job. A big thank you to my will learn about films especially those from our partner, Leroux, who advised me and helped “To watch films together, to talk about films, “As a film student, I’ve always wished to have neighbouring countries. I think Southeast Asian out in reducing the workload. or to talk about something else other than the chance to watch short films from across the short films can represent this goal of mine. films, to meet, and then to go back to continue world. This is because the different environments making films…” This is a film festival that is a carefully curated and cultures make for films that are each unique TRISTAN TOH and organized by a bunch of young filmmakers. in their stories and emotions. Joining the event PUBLICITY MANAGER Like many other festivals, we celebrate, we cheer - is also a good opportunity for me to work with “I’ve always believed that I had a keen interest for the Southeast Asian short film.” JACKY YEAP Malaysian filmmakers and experience things in cinema, though in reality did not venture PROGRAMME DIRECTOR I’ve never had during my school days. I am so any further than a comfort zone moulded by “In 2017, I requested 2 months unpaid leave NICHOLAS CHEE grateful to meet all these wonderful people.” conventional cineplex fare and Rotten Tomatoes from the company in order to have time to rest. PARTNERSHIPS AND ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR scores. That changed during my stint at an arts I believed that 2 months is rather reasonable centric non-profit. As cliché as it is, a new world “Why I work for SeaShorts? Because I want to SHARIFAH ARYANA and sufficient for me to recover from physical of film opened up for me, one that included help grow our ASEAN storytellers.” HOSPITALITY MANAGER and mental tiredness. However, I started to feel movies serving to not just entertain but to also lost despite the holiday, just after 1 week. I was “This will be my second time working with challenge, provoke, resonate, and perhaps, reform. wanting the holiday to finish soon! I missed Next New Wave as a Hospitality Manager and These deserve a wider audience, and SeaShorts MEGAN WONOWIDJOYO the time when I had so much work to do. My body I honestly do it because we make a good team. is a fantastic platform for doing just that.” HEAD OF FORUM was burning with all the passion for filmmaking. SeaShorts is a very good platform not only as a filmmaker but as a budding student fresh SeaShorts provided this element to me! The team “I am really inspired by Chui Mui’s vision of NIKKI TOK SUH YING is small but the festival looks big. The preparation building the Malaysian New Wave and bringing out of college, to find a community that will OPERATION MANAGER job is hectic whereby every team member needs together a film community in Malaysia. I joined support and teach them a thing or two about to handle several tasks at the same time. I love SeaShorts 2018 in Penang, and loved the friendly filmmaking in general. SeaShorts is a safe space “My first encounter with film festivals was when having things to do, I love when we come up with atmosphere where filmmakers, programmers for people from all walks of life to come and speak I was working at Da Huang Pictures back in something to make film world better.” and critics, all gather as one big family because as filmmakers.” 2007. Since then, I’ve been interested to work on we love film. I wished there were more film one and find out how it is run. This is my first students at the festival last year. So I hope in YAP JIA ERN time being involved in the SeaShorts festival, LIM HAN LOONG whatever capacity I have as a film lecturer to and hopefully for many more editions to come. GRAPHIC DESIGNER FESTIVAL MANAGER immerse the young generation into this lovely Sustainability is the main concern as funders “When I was studying in university, there wasn’t family Chui Mui is building. I believe however “I did not plan to join SeaShorts, in fact I never typically do not cover wages, so we are participating a film festival nearby that allowed me to watch small the Malaysia New Wave may be now, it knew about it before I started this event design on a pro bono basis. can always get bigger when we come together. “ job. My first encounter with Da Huang Pictures short films that were eye-opening. Even if there When I’m stressed, rather than saying “I love my began by ordering a movie magazine that is was, traveling would’ve been a barrier as it may job!”, I instead say “I love film!”. ” have required long-distance flights. published by the company’s staff - I met up with the editors to collect my order. Eventually 6 7 WORDS FROM JFKL Thank you for being on board with “SeaShorts”. Southeast Asia is vibrant, colorful, powerful, yet kind. And SeaShorts Film Festival has been successfully portraying the rich cultures, diversity and the issues people are facing while showcasing the talents of the filmmakers in this region. The Japan Foundation Asia Center which was established within the Japan Foundation in 2014 to promote mutual understandings between ASEAN countries and Japan, has been collaborating with SeaShorts Film Festival since its start in 2017. SeaShorts may look like a humble small festival on the surface, but its programs have so much to offer. From screenings to forums and networking in between, SeaShorts, as an emerging pivotal platform, provides a lot of opportunities especially for young filmmakers as well as members of public to directly communicate with prominent OPENING FILM directors, producers and programmers. I believe that this year’s SeaShorts will again become something very special for many of you, TEN YEARS THAILAND and we are very proud to be part of the journey. Four Thai filmmakers envisage their Thailand. Since 2014, the country has homeland a decade onwards in this been ruled by a military dictatorship second installment of the Ten Years that curbs dissent, public expression, project, following the first Hong Kong- as well as creativity and diversity of based anthology in 2015. Aditya thought. A new form of nationalism SHIMADA SEIYA Assarat, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, is on the rise, one with rigid rules of DIRECTOR, Chulayarnnon Siriphol, and Wisit state-sanctioned logic and action. THE JAPAN FOUNDATION, Sasanatieng each contribute a segment Left unchecked, what will the decade KUALA LUMPUR that taken together sound a warning ahead look like? about the current political climate in 8 OPENING FILM: Ten Years Thailand OPENING FILM: Ten Years Thailand 9 Sunset Planetarium ADITYA ASSARAT CHULAYARNNON SIRIPHOL Investigating a routine complaint, several soldiers visit an art gallery A youth organisation is trained by the state to find and arrest as part of checks on exhibitions around town to ensure there are citizens who diverge from the established norms. Offenders are no images that may cause conflict and misunderstanding. Young brought to the Ministry of VHS, where they undergo correctional and naive conscript Kaen has a romantic encounter with Ann, the discipline by way of a special light treatment. Through this, the gallery’s cleaning girl, but does not have the courage to speak up. authorities maintain a peaceful society of permanently happy faces. Catopia Song of the City WISIT SASANATIENG APICHATPONG WEERASETHAKUL A young man leads an otherwise average life except for one In Rathchadanussorn Park in Khon Kaen, people gather to enjoy difference: he is the sole human remaining in a world of cats that the breeze and chit chat under the watchful eyes of Field Marshal walk, dress, act, and talk the way people do. Some are even his Sarit Thanarat’s statue. Construction abounds in the surroundings friends.