20 Short film you shouldn’t miss at the SeaShorts Film Festival 2020 (Part 1)

By Asian Film Festival on September 13, 2020 • ( Leave a comment )

These are twenty short films you shouldn’t miss at the SeaShorts Film Festival (Malaysia), which is taking place Online from September 12th – 20th (2020).

About the festival:
The SeaShorts Film Festival was originally founded by award-winning filmmaker Tan Chui Mui in 2017 as an event to screen Southeast Asian short films and it has since grown into a notable regional film event. In its past three editions, it has been held in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, and Malacca, in Malaysia. With a programme of handpicked and curated short films, as well as forums and masterclasses, it showcases Southeast Asia’s stories and emerging filmmaking talents by bringing together the arts and cultural community from the region. It is also a platform for regional exchange and learning, talent recognition, networking and collaboration.

You can get your festival pass for only $ 10 USD here: http://festival.seashorts.org

Selected Films:

**A Closed Mouth Catches No Flies** by Destian Rendra Pratama – Indonesia | 2020 – 18 minutes
**Section**: SeaShorts Competition 3

Mrs. Endah’s shop is a frequent gathering place for women in the village. One day, her son loses his expensive toys. The women there suspect Tekor, Mrs. Murti’s son, to be the culprit and in turn, talk about Mrs. Murti’s family.

Available:
From September 14th (Monday) 8:00 pm until September 15th (Tuesday) 8:00 pm (GTM+8)
From September 19th (Saturday) 12:00 am until September 19th (Saturday) 11:59 pm (GMT +8)

**Aishah** by Sayyid Hannan Bin Rusli – Malaysia | 2020 – 15 minutes
**Section**: SeaShorts Competition 7

Two siblings deal with the death of their mother while hosting her mourning ceremony.

Available:
September 18th (Friday) 8:00 pm until September 19th (Saturday) 11:59 pm (GMT +8)

**Chiyo** by Shimada Chiemi – Japan, UK | 2019 – 12 minutes
**Section**: Space In Between

The filmmaker, who is living in the UK, comes home to Japan with a 16mm camera to visit her grandmother whom she has not seen in a long time.

Available:
September 12th (Saturday) 9:45 pm until September 20th (Sunday) 11:59 pm (GMT +8)

**Elsa** by Lim Jen Nee – Singapore | 2019 – 8 minutes
**Section**: SeaShorts Competition 5

6-year old Stanley has a year left to be Disney’s Queen Elsa to his heart’s content, before formal education starts.

Available:
September 16th (Wednesday) 8:00 pm until September 17th (Thursday) 8:00 pm (GMT +8)
September 19th (Friday) 12:00 am until September 19th (Friday) 11:59 pm (GMT +8)

**Fire at Forest** by Myo Aung – Taiwan | 2019 – 25 minutes
**Section**: Best of Golden Harvest

This is a story on human desire and acrid smoke. When Myanmar opened its borders in 2010, there was an incursion of foreign capital into these unclaimed lands, with China the most aggressive of them all. Determined to also stake their claim within this fever rush of Chinese cash, Yung-heung and his comrades have set ablaze large swathes of forest alongside northern Myanmar to be turned into farmland.

Available:
September 13th (Sunday) 4:15 pm until September 20th (Sunday) 11:59 pm (GMT +8)

**Gimbal: A Bet Between Tradition and Pride** by Sidiq Ariyadi – Indonesia | 2020 – 16 minutes
**Section**: SeaShorts Competition 4

A farmer named Sutrisno has a daughter named Alya who has dreadlocks. The dreads were never made but given away. People believe that the dreadlocked child was given by a supernatural ancestor. People also believe there is a supernatural spirit that follows the child along with the hair. To free the child, it is necessary to hold dreadlocks rituals.

Available:
September 15th (Tuesday) 8:00 pm until September 16th (Wednesday) 8:00 pm (GMT +8)
September 19th (Saturday) 12:00 am until September 19th (Saturday) 11:59 pm (GMT +8)

**Here, Here** by Joanne Marian B. Cesario – Philippines | 2019 – 19 minutes
**Section**: SeaShorts Competition 7

‘Here, Here’ reimagines a once rugged and undisturbed town years after mining operations began. Koi and his mother Tonet await Koi’s father, both of them clueless as to whether he could make it home alive after an accident in the extraction tunnel.

Available:
September 18th (Friday) 8:00 pm until September 19th (Saturday) 11:59 pm (GMT +8)

**Hush, tonight the dead are dreaming loudly** by Kong Pahurak – Thailand | 2019 – 16 minutes
**Section**: SeaShorts Competition 1

On the anniversary of a political massacre, the survivors are gathering together to mourn for their loved ones. Unexpectedly, one of the dead shows up and tries to sabotage the ceremony.

Available:
September 13th (Sunday) 10:00 am until September 14th (Monday) 10:00 am (GMT +8)
September 19th (Saturday) 12:00 am until September 19th (Saturday) 11:59 pm (GMT +8)

**Kampung Gajah** by Yoeng Kuok Hong – Malaysia | 2019 – 13 minutes
**Section**: SeaShorts Competition 5

With Wei Hong’s dreams and memories complicatedly mixed, he chooses to head back to Kampung Gajah to look for his ex-girlfriend. However, he finds himself estranged. This leads him to rely on vague memories to explore his roots, but finds that there is no trace of anything.

Available:
September 16th (Wednesday) 8:00 pm until September 17th (Thursday) 8:00 pm (GMT +8)
September 19th (Saturday) 12:00 am until September 19th (Saturday) 11:50 pm (GMT +8)

**Ladies’ Choice** by Celina Peñaflorida – Philippines | 2020 – 11 minutes
**Section**: SeaShortS Competition 3

While grieving the loss of a long-term relationship, Miriam confides in her mother leading to a tense argument about motherhood.

Available:
September 14th (Monday) 8:00 pm until September 15th (Tuesday) 8:00 pm (GMT +8)
September 19th (Saturday) 12:00 am until September 19th (Saturday) 11:59 pm (GMT +8)

To see the second part of this article please go here: PART 2

To know more about the festival and the programme please visit the official website: https://seashorts.org/