SANADTKUMAR Ganesan, a 21-year-old aspiring young director, recently received the silver for Best Feature Documentary at the Tokyo Film Awards in Japan.
His documentary, Wanted: Shades Of Life Episode 2, featured Indian classical dance teacher and performer, Agnesmary Selvaraj. She is a Bharatanatyam (an Indian classical dance) dancer who runs an academy for young girls to learn how to perform on stage.
"Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that anything that I ever produced would be recognised, let alone on a global stage.
"I was just a kid who loved movies. These are things that a kid like me can only dream of, but a lot of good-hearted people were patient with me and guided me to see that dreams can become a reality," said Sanadtkumar in a statement.
Sanadtkumar is currently producing documentaries as part of his education at the Toronto Film School in Yorkville University, Canada.
"I am still in awe and so overwhelmed that this film that had close to no budget, limited time and very limited resources to make, was recognised by many different countries.
"If young filmmakers like me had more support, funds, and resources, I am very sure we can cultivate great talents right here in Malaysia," he said.
In September, Wanted: Shades Of Life Episode 2 was also nominated as a semi-finalist in the Stockholm City Film Festival.
Wanted: Shades of Life is self-described as a “documentary series that tells the story of everyday Malaysians who take the road less traveled, followed their heart and are living their lives to the fullest.”
More information on the documentary series can be found here. – The Vibes, December 3, 2021
