Kota Kinabalu: The 14th edition of the Kota Kinabalu International Film Festival (KKIFF) ends with the prestigious KKIFF Awards Night, at the Hilton Hotel, here, this evening (Sunday).
The Go10 Filmmakers Competition winners will also be announced at the event, where six films – two finalists for each category – will be vying for the coveted Golden Kinabalu Awards.
The Go10 Filmmakers’ Competition is a short film competition for filmmakers from Asean countries, South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.
The categories contested are Documentary, Narrative, and Indigenous Language.
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The finalists are “This is Not Late to Raya” for the Indigenous Language category, “Dragon” (Indigenous Language), “The Night is Drunk When We Suffer” (Documentary), “Kopitiam Rocker” (Documentary), “The Homework” (Narrative), and “Ocean Eyes” (Narrative).
“This is Not Late to Raya”, directed by Jefry Musa, tells the story of a Sea Gypsy child who wants to borrow a book from a library.
She wants to learn to read as she realises that the lack of documents she and her family face is the result of her father’s lack of knowledge.
Experienced Sabahan director of photography Timothy Stephen directed “Dragon”.
In “Dragon”, Jess is a “Pokikitonon” (a “bobolian” (ritual leader) who received a special gift at a young age) who experienced blindness during a solar eclipse during her childhood.
After several decades, Jess tries to undergo eye surgery, but she and her younger sister, Julia, cannot afford it as it is costly.
Jess is running out of time to avoid permanent blindness. However, an upcoming solar eclipse may cure her.
“The Night is Drunk When We Suffer” is directed by Rian Simon Cabatingan Magtaan from the Philippines.
In the film, a drunk mother of five expresses her frustrations, inhibitions, and aspirations while her poet son tells all the miseries and shared trauma that bonded them.
“Kopitiam Rocker”, directed by Carey Lee, tells the story of Chin Chong Lim, an artistic coffee shop operator.
A rock musician with a curious and mysterious identity, Chin’s life is anything but ordinary.
There is no rock cynicism, pessimism, or youth liberalism in him, instead, it is more about the love of life and the family’s responsibility.
Known as an artistic and musical talent, a motorcycle enthusiast, and for his pretty face (KK’s Ronald Cheng Chung Kei), Chin is also the young proprietor of Lido Loong Mui Kopitiam who makes Hainanese coffee with skilful hands.
Chin calls Lido a Chinese chess player’s paradise. At noon, just next to the Loong Mui Kopitiam, chess masters gather and line up for a decisive battle – the little dramas of joy and disputes also paint a charming landscape for Lido.
Towering among the old shops of Lido, Loong Mui Kopitiam has been in business for 50 years, with the secret for a perfect hand-brewed cup of Hainanese coffee passed down through three generations.
It has witnessed countless Kopitiam romantic love stories, and Chin believes true love begins with a cup of coffee with a bowl of its famous fish head rice noodles and fried chicken.
Accompanied by 4A.G. rock music, one can call it the perfect beginning of the day.
Yul Baek from Singapore directed “The Homework”. When a middle school student forgets her homework, panic sets in as the assignment is due that day.
To avoid getting into trouble, she impulsively steals her classmate’s homework.
However, the consequences of her actions prove to be more severe than she ever imagined, and she must confront the reality of her choices.
Another finalist in the Narrative category, “Ocean Eyes”, directed by Shi Fang Teo, tells a story of identification and a sense of belonging.
The Go10 Filmmakers’ Competition is judged by two experienced judges – Hassan Muthalib and Muzzamer Rahman.
Hassan is a writer, a Malaysian film historian and a film critic. A pioneer animator and filmmaker who has been in the industry for almost 60 years, he has directed animated shorts and commercials, documentaries, and Malaysia’s first animated feature film.
He has lectured part-time on film and animation at many prestigious universities in Malaysia and overseas.
He has been on numerous film festival juries in Malaysia and internationally and curated animation and film segments in Singapore, Germany, Hungary and locally.
This is his umpteenth year being on the jury for the KKIFF, and he is proud to see its influence and importance in the industry, especially in the promotion of young upcoming talents.
Muzzamer graduated from Mara University of Technology, Malaysia in 2013 in the Faculty of Film, Theatre and Animation.
He began his career as a writer for magazines, television, and short films.
In 2011, he received the Best Director Award at the 8th Malaysian Student Film Festival with his debut short film, Rona Maya. In 2012, he was selected to represent Malaysia in the 1st Fly-Rok Project Asean and Asian Film Academy 2013.
Muzzamer is also curator and programmer at Pesta Filem Kita and Temasya Wayang Budiman.
His debut feature, “Prebet Sapu”, screened in various film festivals and was selected as the Malaysian Submission for Oscars 2022. Currently, he is producing two debut feature films for two young filmmakers.
In the same event, the short films made during the Sabah Film Lab will also be screened.
The KKIFF Awards Night starts at 7.30pm and is free and open to everyone.
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