Malaysian film gets nine Golden Horse nominations

Compiled by C. ARUNO, JUSTIN ZACK and R. ARAVINTHAN

MALAYSIAN filmmaker Chong Keat Aun’s (pic) latest film, Snow in Midsummer, has been nominated in nine categories of the prestigious Golden Horse Awards, reported Sin Chew Daily.

The film, which depicts the aftermath of the country’s May 13 racial riots, has been nominated for several awards, including best director, best feature film, best screenplay, best supporting actress, best cinematography, best makeup and costume, best original soundtrack, best original film song and best sound effects.

Thanking the organisers, the award-winning director said the film is the culmination of the work of colleagues across Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan.

“It took us 14 years to complete the filming of Snow in Midsummer, and it is dedicated to those who perished on May 13 and those who survived,” he wrote on Facebook.

Elaine Ng, one of the nominees, had previously been nominated for a Golden Horse Award in the same category for her work on Ola Bola in 2016.

When Snow in Midsummer premiered at the Venice International Film Festival recently, audiences were moved to tears.

Due to its sensitive subject, Chong later stated that he was not sure if the Malaysian Film Censorship Board would approve the film.

The 45-year-old Kedahan – formerly a deejay at Ai FM under RTM – won best new director at the 2020 Golden Horse Awards for The Story of the Southern Islet.

The movie about a woman’s quest for a cure to break what is thought to be a curse on her husband was inspired by Chong’s experiences growing up as well as local beliefs.

> Andy Lau says he too will be willing to sacrifice his life for his country if he were to become a cop one day, reported China Press.

In promoting his new film, Moscow Mission, the 62-year-old highlighted the dangers that law enforcement officers face while serving their country.

Speaking about the movie, a retelling of the infamous trans-Siberian train robberies of 1993, the Hong Kong superstar noted the challenges faced then when there were no extradition treaties between China and Russia.

“If I were to become a police officer one day, I would do the same thing; I would be willing to give my life to serve my country.

“I believe they will risk their lives to save others if they have a unique identity, such as a police officer or a firefighter,” he said.

The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.