MALAYSIA FESTIVAL SELECTIONS
The Malaysia International Film Festival (Miffest), which runs July 21-28, will open with horror film “Indera” by local director Woo Ming Jin and starring Shaheizy Sam and Azira Shafinaz. The festival will conclude with the double feature of “Love Lies” by Ho Miu Ki and “Peg O’ My Heart” by Nick Cheung.
The festival’s nine films in competition include: “Abang Adik” by Jin Ong; “Betania” by Marcelo Botta; “Every You Every Me” by Michael Fetter Nathansky, a critical exploration of personal identity and a highlight of German cinema; Afghan refugee tale “In the Land of Brothers” by Alireza Ghasemi and Raha Amirfazli; “Rapture” by Dominic Sangma, set in a mystically charged village and exploring oppressive themes through a child’s perspective; “Sujo” by Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez, a gritty tale of youth amidst cartel violence; “The Editorial Office” by Roman Bondarchuk, a satirical take on media influence; and “The Great Phuket” by China’s Liu Yaonan examines the impacts of industrialization on community dynamics.
The competition also includes the world premiere of “Within a Budding Grove,” by Hoby Zhang, a film that delves into intricate family dynamics and the uncovering of hidden histories.
Lifetime achievement awards will be presented to Japanese director Kore-eda Hirokazu and Indonesian screen icon Christine Hakim. Hong Kong’s Nick Cheung will receive an award for excellent achievement in film.
Nominations for the related Malaysia Golden Global Awards have been unveiled. Four films have seven nominations each: “Abang Adik,” “Every You Every Me,” “In the Land of Brothers” and “Betania.” The awards will be presented on July 27.
SALES APPOINTMENT
EST N8, the international finance, production and sales company established through a partnership between EST Studios and Bangkok-based N8 Studios, has appointed Cathy Ni as its new sales executive, reporting to Tenten Wei, head of studios.
Ni has previous experience from working with Chinese director Han Han, at Chinese film group Dadi Cinema and at Blue Box Financing in the U.S. She has brokered film adaptation rights deals exceeding RMB1 million ($150,000) and contributed to big-budget feature films like Han Han’s “Only Fools Rush In,” U.S. & China co-production “Tiger Mom,” R.T. Thorne’s “40 Acres,” and Nick Zigler’s “Kill or Be Killed.”
“Cathy Ni’s deep understanding of the global film sales landscape will significantly enhance our efforts in Asia and beyond,” said Jaeson Ma, chairman of EST Studios.
THEATRICAL SERIES
Japanese animation series, “Dan Da Dan” will release in North American theaters through distributor Gkids on Sept. 13. The theatrical package “Dan Da Dan: First Encounter” will comprise the first three episodes of the series and n interview with manga author Tatsu Yukinobu, editor Lin Shihei and series director Yamashiro Fuga.
Ahead of the series’ theatrical debut, the first episode of “Dan Da Dan” will premiere on July 6 at this year’s Anime Expo in Los Angeles.
The series is a television adaptation of author Tatsu’s manga of the same name, which is currently serialized in “Shonen Jump Plus” by Shueisha, under the Shonen Jump imprint. Tatsu previously worked as an assistant to Fujimoto Tatsuki on his global hit series “Chainsaw Man” and “Fire Punch,” and with Kaku Yuji on “Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku.”