#SHOWBIZ: Malaysian student's film selected for San Sebastián Film Festival

SEPANG: For the first time, a Malaysian filmmaker has been selected for NEST, the highly competitive student film section of the 73rd San Sebastián International Film Festival (SSIFF) in Spain, taking place from Sept 19 to 27.

The short film “NDHUK” (Daughter), directed by Cammy Koo Hui Yin, will compete among 14 films chosen from 473 submissions representing 220 schools across 57 countries.

Produced as part of her Final Year Project at the Faculty of Cinematic Arts, Multimedia University (MMU) in Cyberjaya here, the film’s selection marks a historic breakthrough for Malaysia.

This achievement represents not only the first-ever Malaysian entry into the competition but also the first from Southeast Asia.

MMU Faculty of Cinematic Arts dean Shahfeeq Jibin said in a statement yesterday: “This is a proud moment not only for MMU but for Malaysia as a whole. Having a Malaysian student compete on this global stage reflects the world-class quality of our young filmmakers, and it affirms our vision of nurturing talents who can tell authentic stories with international impact.”

Koo will compete for a few major awards, such as the Nest – The Mediapro Studio Award, the Movistar Plus+ Award, and the Tabakalera Award, which offers a three-week residency in Spain.

Founded in 1953, SSIFF is one of Europe’s most important cultural events and a leading global platform for cinema.

Over its 73 editions, it has hosted premieres from legendary directors such as Alfred Hitchcock, Pedro Almodóvar, and Wong Kar Wai.

NDHUK, a 16-minute film, is about Ika, a domestic worker in Malaysia, who finds a sense of peace caring for her employer’s child, Jane.

Her world is shaken when a pocket dial from her daughter back in Indonesia reveals a painful secret: her child is terrified about a possible pregnancy.

Koo’s works centre around the love-hate relationship that mothers and daughters share.

Through her stories, she strives to encapsulate the multifaceted role of women in society.

© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd

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