29 films make it into finals of 4th AIFFA
KUCHING: The jury has announced 29 films that have made it to the final soft he fourth edition of Asean International Film Festival and Awards (AIFFA).
The shortlisted films, cu rated from hundreds of submissions, embody the great interest and prestige that AIFFA has generated throughout the Asean film community. The nominations were announced during the AIFFA 2019 opening night held at Grand Margherita waterfront on Thursday evening (April 25).
Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah officiated at the event, which also wowed the crowd with thrilling stage performances by Naning Rhapsody and Majlis Seni Sarawak.
AIFFA 2019 is another highlight in the Visit Sarawak Year calendar, welcoming the Asean delegates to Kuching, Abd Karim said.
“Sarawak is a magnificent natural film setting and we look forward to seeing more of Sarawak being featured in international films,” he said during the event.
Meanwhile, the festival director Livan Tajang said AIFFA had grown to become a focal point of the Asean film industry.
“We have received hundreds of f i lm submissions and we can certainly see that Sarawak has grown in visibility among international fi lm makers.”
The film ‘ Nightmare In Bali: Kajeng Kliwon’ was premiered after the official launch. The film is a joint venture between Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.
There are awards in nine fi lm categories, which recognise the contributions of directors, directors of photography, actors, writers and editors.
The winners will be announced during the AIFFA 2019 Gala Night on April 27 at Pullman Hotel here.
Assistant Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Lee Kim Shin, the ministry permanent secretary Hii Chang Kee, and veteran Hollywood action star Steven Seagal were among those present at the event.