Malaysia’s most prestigious short film competition returns in the new decade under new normal circumstances with latest theme and judging panel.

Kuala Lumpur, 11th September 2020 – BMW Group Malaysia today announced the 14th Year of the BMW Shorties, Malaysia’s most prestigious and longest running short film competition.

“In the 13 successful years of the BMW Shorties, BMW Group Malaysia is proud to have discovered and supported over 1,000 filmmakers and digital content creators nationwide – whose talent span across a wide variety of genres and styles. Despite these challenging times in the new normal, the BMW Shorties continues to be resilient especially in its 14th year as a creative platform for emerging talents.” said Sashi Ambi, Head of Corporate Communications of BMW Group Malaysia.

BMW Shorties 2020 presents “CHARGE”, the theme befitting of the new normal as it challenges Malaysians to not only embrace change but to be resilient and to thrive in it; charging boldly towards greater possibilities.

“The key differentiator for the BMW Shorties in this particularly challenging time in the world is that we remain resilient and hopeful in facing the circumstances that 2020 has presented so far. This year is no doubt a year of thriving through adversity and facing obstacles head on, no matter the industry we are in. CHARGE perfectly represents our approach for the rest of the year, and we are confident that it will not only resonate but empower the filmmakers and digital content creators of Malaysia as well,” added Ambi.

The 14th BMW Shorties welcomes three new additions to the esteemed line-up of award-winning judges. 2020 sees the return of judges Saw Teong Hin (Puteri Gunung Ledang and You Mean The World To Me) and Indrani Kopal (The Game Changer and Incarcerated Rhythm), along with new judges comprising of award-winning director Tony Pietra Arjuna (Train Station and Shadowplay), internationally-acclaimed director Nadiah Hamzah (Motif), and former BMW Shorties judge, Ho Yuhang (Rain Dogs and The Ghost Bride).

Indrani said, “This is an unprecedented year for all of us. As a returning judge, I am looking forward to watching films created by those who have grit and are driven by passion. I can only wonder what kind of films they will create, given what we have braved as a nation this year.”

“Many spend their time waiting to make that one film that will define their filmmaking path. Imagine if all that time waiting was spent on creating and perfecting their craft instead. I would always advise filmmakers and digital content creators to pick up their camera, and just shoot something! Story is king, so it is important to make films as honestly and truthfully as possible,” said Nadiah.

“The most important part of the BMW Shorties to me is the learning process for the participants – learning to tell stories, to create impact with subtlety, to inject passion into the mundane. Being back on the judging panel gives me much to look forward to; I don’t only have plenty of confidence in our local talents’ ability to present great stories – but I also have hope that the industry will come to appreciate it as much as I do,” said Ho Yuhang.

“With the BMW Shorties, I hope to see more enriching Malaysian stories that can captivate the locals, as well as charm the international audience. The goal is to get these homegrown stories as far away from home as possible. That is how you set the stage for other budding local talents to shine as well,” said Tony.

Saw added that he would like to see more diversity in the stories and voices presented this year, after the BMW Shorties recently crowned Ekin Kee Charles as the competition’s first female East Malaysian grand prize winner in 2019. “I believe the playing field is beginning to level for all Malaysians, and support for inclusivity and diversity in story-telling is much needed now – more than ever,” he said.

BMW Shorties 2020 will once again be awarding the grand prize winner with a production grant of RM 80,000. Recognition for filmmaking talent will also be awarded in an extensive range of supporting categories, including Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Editing, Best Sound Design, Best Student, along with the crowd-favourite People’s Choice Award.

Entries are open from now until 6:00PM on 1st November 2020. For further information on the BMW Shorties and how to participate, visit the official BMW Shorties website at www.bmwshorties.com.my or the official BMW Shorties Facebook page at www.facebook.com/bmwshorties and Instagram page at www.instagram.com/bmwshorties.