KUCHING: A total of 120 film entries have been received from 10 countries for the 6th Asean International Film Festival and Awards (AIFFA) which will be held from Aug 2-4 here.
The festival will see filmmakers, screenings and workshops throughout the three-day period and culminate in a gala night where the coveted AIFFA trophies will be awarded to the best Asean films.
Deputy Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Datuk Sebastian Ting said the 120 films will go through three stages of judging.
“This year, again our chief juror will be the experienced U-Wei Shaari who will lead the Asean and international juries,” he told reporters after chairing the first AIFFA meeting at Grand Margherita Hotel on Monday (June 12).
Festival director, Livan Tajang who was also present at the press conference said that ‘Anwar: The Untold Story’ would not be among the entries because only the films produced and screened from 2020 to 2022 would be selected for consideration.
“Currently, there are over 20 Malaysian films, however the majority of the films that have been submitted are from Indonesia and the Philippines which are well known for their quality films,” she said.
She said that on July 20 , AIFFA will be screening ‘Sumpahan Jerunei’, where an announcement would be made on the special celebrity who would be attending the AIFFA event.
In the past, celebrities who had attended the AIFFA events were Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh, Jackie Chan, Donnie Yen and Steven Seagal.
Meanwhile, various events will be held at the Old Courthouse including shortlisted film screenings and movie talks which are open to the public.
“A special one and a half day workshop on documentary films and screenings will also take place at the Old Courthouse.
“This special programme is organised to provide an opportunity for locals to know more about the production of documentaries,” Livan added.
Following that, the AIFFA 2023 Gala Night at Pullman Hotel on Aug 4 promises to be an exciting night.
Among the award categories are Best Director, Best Director Of Photography, Best Actor, Best Film Editing, Best Actress, Best Picture-Action, Best Picture-Comedy, Best Picture-Drama, Best Screenplay, Special Jury Award, Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Special Honour, Asean Spirit Award, Asean Inspiration Award, and Lifetime Achievement Award.
Present at the press conference were Deputy Minister of Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Datuk Snowdan Lawan, executive director for AIFFA and managing director for World Communications Network, Jaffri Amin and Malaysian actress, Sangeeta Krishnasamy.
