ORGANISING film festivals is an intense labor of love. The SeaShorts Film Festival, is no different, and has come close to shuttering many times over the years due to financial constraints, among the many other challenges that comes with the territory. The festival made its debut in 2017, and has since gained a strong reputation regionally as a space to meet among the brightest emerging filmmakers. The strength of the festival is due to in large part to its founder and artistic director, Tan Chui Mui.
As part of the cohort of the 'Malaysian New Wave' filmmakers, she has produced multiple short films and directed three features to date; her latest being ‘Barbarian Invasion’ which won the Jury Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Film Festival, and is set to release in Malaysian cinemas nationwide on November 24. She brings over a decade of experience working in the industry, as well as a mentor and jury member in a number of international festivals.
The SeaShorts Film Festival, while operating at a relatively smaller scale compared to the major festivals in the region, boasts some of the strongest programs and curations. Specifically, its two leading competitive categories: the SeaShorts Competition (this year’s edition featured 20 short films from around Southeast Asia) and the Next New Wave Competition which highlights the strongest directorial voices from within Malaysia.
As the sixth edition of the festival closed it curtains, festival manager Goh Lee Kwang and festival coordinator Eddy Tan talked to The Vibes on curating a festival in the midst of a pandemic and the many challenges that comes with organising physical events like this.
The Vibes (TV): What is new at the festival this year? What changes were made in this edition?
Goh Lee Kwang (GLK): This edition is about the future (of cinema), in which we are trying to redefine what cinema is. What happens if the filmmaker stops telling the story? Or what happens if everyone becomes a filmmaker? Will cinema be vertical (as opposed to the traditional aspect ratios)? Will VR become the new norm? It’s very exciting when we see, in increasing numbers, the appearance of non-filmmakers in the traditional sense who emerge from different fields and backgrounds; even from science and engineering, who simply want to write a script or make a film – in their own ways.
There are many new elements in this year’s edition. From our side, we have made changes to the Malaysian Student Film competition. Now winners are given an award. We also have sponsors on board for two new categories: the Best Chinese Film Award, and AI (Artificial Intelligence) Script Writing Award. On top of that, we have Beyond Mirage, a specially curated VR exhibition.
In this edition, there isn’t an opening or closing film. However, from my observations of previous editions, the opening film, much like an opening shot of a film, seeks to set the tone for the rest of the program, and the closing film sets out to summarise and conclude the program. Whether thematically, or by the external factors which the film was made around.
Motion pictures is an artform where all different artforms come together. We are moving towards bringing in more workshops and masterclasses on different departments of moviemaking to audiences. On the other hand, a movie does not end after a handful of screenings, or after a certain lifespan. We wanted to look back and bring back some movies from the past.
TV: What were the biggest challenges in curating this year’s festival?
Eddy Tan (ET): After two years of online festivals, we really had to find our footing again as a physical festival. Re-learning the logistics of a physical festival, but also adapting to the endemic environment we’re in. In some ways, the online edition perhaps shown a more polished side to SeaShorts, since it was easier to achieve without constraints like venues and live audiences. Returning to a physical festival format, compelled our core team to reacquaint themselves with regional cinema.
GLK: Uncertainty was the biggest challenge in this year’s festival. We decided the dates and location of the festival without even knowing what might actually happen. The borders were still shut down, and Covid cases were still at a worrying figure.
TV: I was a volunteer during the first edition of the festival. It’s been a thrill to see it grow, despite financial constraints. How would you define (what needs to happen) to consider the festival a success? Do you think there is a future for more film festivals in Malaysia?
GLK: A successful festival is always about audience satisfaction. This does not mean that we should offer entertaining content to make them happy or to cheer them up. Audience satisfaction comes from them getting what they've been looking for, but also to have them feeling inspired by the programs.
In his foreword, SeaShorts festival director, Dain Said, “the sea, that waved in traditions, cultures and lives, has always tied us with stories, in Asia and South-East Asia, since time immemorial. SeaShorts continues to celebrate these dialogues between us when it puts up sails in 2017, braving various challenges, including the doldrums of the Covid years.”
The new bridges have been built and the networks are established. I am optimistic that there will be more film festivals coming. Movies that open up interpretations from different perspectives, will in turn give birth to a new, fresh point of view that will eventually lead to people organising newer festivals.
ET: As the festival coordinator, it’s always the spirit of community among the attendees' post-screening sessions. You can feel the heartbeat of Southeast Asian cinema alive and kicking when people come together to talk about film in a regional festival like SeaShorts. To me a successful festival is also about sustainability. The ability to retain resources to fuel the team and the festival for another year after it, is just as important as the current festival itself. SeaShorts have proved itself to run yearly for six years, without fail. It must go on.
I have been teaching film studies over the past few years. There was a time in the early 2010s where all Malaysian film students wanted to be were directors. These days however, prospective students approach me asking about curation, running cinemas, and the many other facets of filmmaking. Some of the students directly attribute this change to SeaShorts and other local film festivals they have visited in the past. So yes, the future of Malaysian film festivals and cinema is bright in the hands of our youth. – The Vibes, October 7, 2022
