Showing posts with label EVENTS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label EVENTS. Show all posts

Wednesday, 4 August 2010

MALAYSIA'S GREATEST HITS 2 - a YouTube video festival

YouTube is only 5 years old but it's changed the way we view things so much that you feel like using the words that politicians (or their speech-writers) use: sea-change, future, limitless. You don't have to be Susan Boyle to appreciate its impact.

For example, take the case of Raja Bersiong (1968). When it was released, it was the most expensive Malay film to date. Due no doubt to religious sensitivities (another politician word), it is now not available on legitimate video or shown on TV. This despite the fact that it was written by our first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman. But now, the whole thing can be viewed on YouTube, starting here!

In fact, I am sure at least 20 of the 120 Malay Movies are available there, if you don't mind the sometimes dire quality, or the experience of watching them in 10 parts. (Then again, legitimate VCDs are sometimes dire, too, AND you need to watch them in 2 parts.)

With this in mind (politician again!), I'd like to invite you to this event on Saturday, in which I present a hour-hour's worth of Malaysia-centric YouTube material. (No, I won't be showing Raja Bersiong). This project was initiated by Mark Teh and there are 3 other curators, so expect 2 hours of fun. The revolution may not be televised, but it will be embedded.


The venue is CHAI, 6 Jalan 6/3, off Jalan Templer, Petaling Jaya.  

You may confirm on Facebook here

Tuesday, 11 November 2008

Flea market time!

We will be spending this Sunday at the Amcorp Mall flea-market, peddling our books :-)

'We' means Danny Lim (The Malaysian Book of The Undead), Ruhayat X (Kayangan), Sufian Abas (Pasca Manusia) and perhaps a few others. The last four autographed copies of Buku Untuk Filem: KAMI will also be there.

So do join us! 10am-5pm. It is very close to the Taman Jaya LRT. This link explains a bit more about the mall (and "the best flea market in Malaysia") -- although I am not sure that Amcorp Mall actually exudes much "exotic, decadent elegance"; methinks the copywriter must have been smoking something, erm, exotic at the time.

I must thank Lennard Gui for suggesting the idea to me sometime last year, when we were pushing the first book. I have, since then, taken part several times and met some interesting folks along the way, including loquacious priests, long-lost classmates and Special Branch officers on their day off.

Friday, 17 October 2008

Ghosts, Threesomes & Taxis


There will be a Halloween multi-book launch of:

The Malaysian Book of The Undead by Danny Lim (Matahari Books)
Taxi by Khaled al-Khamissi (ZI Publications)

together with three mini-books (collectively known as Tiga) published by Oxygen:

Lost in KL by Bernice Chauly
Kayangan by Ruhayat X
Pasca Manusia by Sufian Abas

Venue: Rahsia Restaurant (click for a map to the location).

31 October, 8-10pm.

Dress: Ghosts or Egyptians. Or come as you are lah.

There will be food and entertainment.

To confirm your attendance and for further enquiries, do contact ooi.yingnee@gmail.com . Space is limited, so priority will be given to those who RSVP :-)

Poster by Ruhayat X.

Tuesday, 17 June 2008

Recommended event: ASWARA shorts

(The government-funded ASWARA continues to make some of the more interesting and even radical Malaysian student short films. What do you expect when the lecturers include the likes of Hishamuddin Rais and Yee I-Lann? I am particularly looking forward to the adaptations of two shorts stories I like mucho: Saharil's very violent one and Usman's very charming one).

TAYANGAN DAN SEMINAR FILEM PELAJAR DIPLOMA TAHUN AKHIR ASWARA
(Sempena Festival Seni ASWARA dan Penilaian Tahun Akhir (PeTA 2008)

*This event does have a poster but it's damn ugly; but if you insist you can view it at the end of this page.


Tempat:
Dewan Kuliah Utama (DKU),
Akademi Seni Budaya dan Warisan Kebangsaan (ASWARA),
464 Jalan Tun Ismail, 50480 Kuala Lumpur

PETA ASWARA di sini.

Tarikh dan masa:
19 Jun 2008 (Khamis), 8.30 malam - Sesi Tayangan Filem
20 Jun 2008 (Jumaat), 8.30 malam - Ulang Tayang Filem

Senarai filem pendek pelajar tahun akhir:
"Satu" (10 min) - penerbit: Zulman Zeki & Sharavanan
"Semangat Padi" (5 min) - penerbit: Fathin Alliza, Che Mohd Kahairol Azizi, Hazmir Hassan.
"Burp" (10 min) - penerbit:Tayanithi & Suhaili
"Aman" (10 min) - penerbit: Ahmad Firdaus & Anis
"Saira" (10 min) - penerbit: Norfadila, Rafizah & Mohd Tarmizi.
"Bila Punggok Rindukan Bulan?" (10 min) - penerbit: Bennylita Nasuty
"1963" (10 min) - penerbit: Harry Frederick Diglin.

Tayangan ekstra (projek filem pelajar Tahun 2):
"Anak-anak Bumi Tercinta" (15 min) (adaptasi cerpen Saharil Hasrin Sanin)
"Peristiwa Bunga Telur" (15 min) (adaptasi cerpen Usman Awang)

Friday, 23 May 2008

Recommended this weekend: VERTIGO

The latest theatre show by Namron is on tonight and tomorrow (8:30pm) and Sunday (3pm) at ASWARA.

You know who Namron is, of course!

I know literally nothing about this show except for the title, but the poster seems to invoke Hitchcock's masterpiece of the same name. As it's one of my favourite movies, I am now doubly chuffed to see what it's all about.

RM10 je. If you are dating a student, the student gets in for RM5. Jom!

Monday, 3 December 2007

Where I will be this Sunday



Do join us!

I doubt if I will be well enough to, you know, march, but I will be there for the second half of the programme at CM.

Thursday, 15 November 2007

Pelancaran Buku dan Forum Diskusi

Sumbangan Gerakan Kiri untuk Kemerdekaan dan Pembinaan Negara

Memang tidak dapat dinafikan bahawa sumbangan gerakan kiri dalam perjuangan mencapai kemerdekaan dan membina negara bangsa Malaysia adalah besar dan penting sekali walaupun dicatatkan atau tidak dicatatkan dalam sejarah tanah air kita.

Golongan kiri terdiri daripada golongan-golongan nasionalis kiri dan golongan-golongan sosialis daripada KMM, PKMM, AWAS, API, BATAS, MDU, GLU, PMGLU, AMCJA dan PKM sebelum merdeka hingga PRM, Parti Buruh, Sosialis Front, Sosialis Club Universiti Malaya dan Kesatuan-kesatuan Sekerja selepas kemerdekaan. Mereka mewujudkan gerakan kiri untuk memperjuangkan kemerdekaan demi masyarakat yang adil dan demokratik.

Walaupun golongan kiri sudah membawa sumbangan dan berkorban besar untuk tanahair dan rakyat kita tetapi mereka dipinggirkan dan dikeluar dari arus perdana selama ini akibat daripada tekanan penjajah sebelum merdeka dan kuasa pemerintah kanan selepas merdeka. Sejarah dan jasa-jasa mereka sengaja dikikiskan daripada catatan-catatan dan tulisan-tulisan sejarah negara kita selama ini.

Sampailah masanya kita membicarakan sumbangan dan jasa gerakan kiri secara terbuka dan kembalikan kedudukan sebenar mereka dalam sejarah negara kita. Oleh itu, Strategic Information and Research Development (SIRD) akan menganjurkan satu forum diskusi tentang sumbangan gerakan kiri untuk kemerdekaan dan pembinaan negera. Buku-buku memoir tokoh gerakan kiri akan dilancarkan; buku-buku gerakan kiri and progresif juga akan dipamerkan serta dijual pada hari tersebut dengan harga yang istimewa.

Kita berasa bangga dan amat bersyukur kerana seorang tetamu yang terhormat SHAMSIAH FAKEH, pejuang nasionalis kiri yang disegani oleh penjajah British akan bersama-sama dengan kita dalam perbicaraan dan pelancaran buku ini.

Butir dan Aturcara Pelancaran Buku dan Forum Diskusi:

Tarikh : 18 November 2007 ( Hari Ahad)

Masa : 9.30 am – 1.30 pm

Tempat : Dewan Perhimpunan Cina Kuala Lumpur & Selangor

1, Jalan Maharajalela, Kuala Lumpur

Atucara:

9.30am Kehadiran Tetamu

10.00am Tayangan Filem “ 10 Tahun Sebelum dan Selepas Kemerdekaan”

10.30am Kehadiran Tetamu Terhormat : Shamsiah Fakeh dan Ahli-ahli Panel

10.35am Upacara Pelancaran Buku:

· Memoir Shamsiah Fakeh– Dari AWAS ke Rejimen 10

· Memoir Abdullah C.D (Bahagian Kedua ) – Penaja dan Pemimpin Rejimen ke-10

11.00am Jamuan Ringan

11.30am Forum Diskusi:

“Sumbangan Gerakan Kiri untuk Kemerdekaan dan Pembinaan Negara”

Ahli-ahli Panel:

· En. Rustam Sani (Ahli cendekiawan awam, Ahli akademik, Penulis kolum dan Penyair terkenal di Malaysia)

· Dr Rohana Ariffin (Bekas Pensyarah University Sains Malaysia)

· En. Yong Kai Ping ( Chinese Editor, Malaysiakini)

1.30 pm Bersurai

Datanglah Beramai-ramai bersama kami membicara sumbangan gerakan kiri sebelum dan selepas kemerdekaan dengan lebih mendalam.

Kemasukan – Percuma

Sebarang pertanyaan sila hubungi Ms Choong atau Zul 03-79578343 / 79578342

Friday, 28 September 2007

In four weeks' time

Yes this is ample notice, but in Singapore one must plan ahead!



Poster by the ever-talented SN.

You can even RSVP on Facebook, a site which sucks up much of my time.

Wednesday, 29 August 2007

Reading!

(I am neither a poet nor a singer-songwriter so I am unsure how I got roped into this, but how can one refuse Bernice anything? I will be working with, erm, found texts).

No Black Tie Merdeka Showcase

featuring local poets and singer-songwriters:

Amir Muhammad
Pang Khee Teik
Bernice Chauly
Izzy
Zalila Lee
Isaac Entry
Reza Salleh
Mia Palencia
Pete Teo
Azmyl Yunor

Date: Friday, 31 August 2007
Time: 930PM

Venue: No Black Tie, Lorong Mesui, Jalan Nagasari, Off Jln Raja Chulan, Kuala Lumpur.
(Call 03-21423737 if you want to book a table)
Admission: RM20
E-mail: noblacktie@gmail.com

This event is organised by Reza Salleh and Bernice Chauly.

Saturday, 18 August 2007

7th Asian Film Symposium


I have been curating the Malaysian section of this event in Singapore for seven years!

Three of us (Yuni Hadi, then of The Substation of Singapore, Chalida Uabumrungjit of The Thai Film Foundation, Thailand, and myself) started S-Express in 2001. We wanted to share the shorts made by each of our countries.

It's a testament to the efficiency of The Substation, a venue started by the late playwright Kuo Pau Kun, that The Asian Film Symposium has developed so well, and now we have many other countries joining in.

The Malaysian programme (4 shorts) is on the night of 9 September, but if you are in town, come for the whole thing lah.

Wednesday, 8 August 2007

Malaysian Shorts (13 Aug)

(I have been curating this since 2002 and this is my last edition).

Kelab Seni Filem Malaysia
presents
MALAYSIAN SHORTS
Aug 13, 2007

HELP University College
auditorium, Pusat Bandar Damansara, KL.
8pm.
Admission: FREE!

9 shorts (out of 21 entries).
Curated & hosted by Amir Muhammad
Total running time: 1 hour 48 min.


1. BATTHOSAI (Amir Sallehuddin/22 min/Malaysia/In Japanese)- ASWARA


2. NOT HOME (Allan Koay/Malaysia/10 min/In Cantonese)


3. QALAM (Hadi Koh/10min/Malaysia/In Malay)- ASWARA


4. EYE CANNOT SEE (Idora Alhabshi/12 min/ Malaysia-Australia/In English)


5. COMOLOT (Mohd Ikram Ismail/8 min/Malaysia/In Malay)- ASWARA


6. OBSTACLES (T. Sathiyavarmaan/14 min/Malaysia/In Tamil) - ASWARA


7. A (Foo Wei Xiang/9 min/Malaysia/In Mandarin)


8. VERTICAL DISTANCE (Edmund Yeo/6 min/Australia-Malaysia/In English)


9. SEHARI DALAM KEHIDUPAN (Syed Omar/12 min/Malaysia/In Malay) - ASWARA


We will also re-screen Akashdeep Singh's PINTU (5 min/Malaysia/In Malay) to celebrate its win at Festival Filem Malaysia ke-20 as Best Short Film.

See yawl there!

Saturday, 7 July 2007

Now showing: Chalanggai

A mainly Tamil movie in which I have (ahem!) a small acting role.




Now showing at GSC MidValley, I Utama and Gurney Plaza.

Here's a tip: When buying tickets for this or any other International Screen movies, you can use the Gold Class counter rather than line up with the unwashed masses in the queue for Transformers.

Sunday, 24 June 2007

Come lah :-)


TAYANGI KUALA LUMPUR

A screening in conjunction with "Processing The City" exhibition
by Valentine Willie Fine Art and The Annexe, Central Market

Curated by Amir Muhammad and Pang Khee Teik

Venue: Gallery I, The Annexe, Central Market [ Map ]


Friday, 29 June, 8pm:


28 Hours Later
by Ng Ken Kin
Low-budget Malaysian DV meets big-budget British DV in this cheeky intertextual ride. A party-goer wakes up after a night of disco fun, only to find himself alone in the city. (14min)

18? by Danny Lim
Who's spraying the number 18 around the city? What are they trying to say? Are Malaysians running out of spaces to express themselves? (18min)

Feature
Ciplak by Kharil M Bahar (83min)
A Malaysian student in UK makes extra cash by smuggling pirated Hollywood films back to England. Unfortunately, the day he's supposed to deliver his supply happens to be the day of the biggest raid in the city.


Saturday 30 June, 8pm:


Welcome to Kuala Lumpur by Eleanor Low
The city speaks. But is anyone listening? (3min)

Al-Baqarah
by Saiful Razman
Enigmatic urban odyssey where people literally never say what they seem to. Named after a part of the Quran. (7min)

Majidee by Azharr Rudin
Two strangers at Puduraya struck up a conversation while walking to Klang Bus Station. What do you know – they are from the same hometown! (15 min)

Feature
The Big Durian by Amir Muhammad
In 1987, a soldier ran amok with an M16 in Chow Kit. It triggered rumours of racial riots. Suddenly, over 100 political dissenters were arrested under the Internal Security Act. The film speaks to real and fictional Malaysians to uncover the facts and myths surrounding this event. (75min)


Sunday 1 July, 8pm:

Detour by Jassim Alsaady
How safe is KL for backpackers? No, not from snatch-thiefs, but from weirdos. (27min)

A Day in the Life of by Syed Omar
A perfectionist civil servant in a "jabatan khas" escapes his reality only in his dreams. (10min)

Feature
Bukak Api by Osman Ali
A classic! A safe sex educational video turns into a drama about the trials and tribulations of the sex workers in Chow Kit. (80min)

~ ~ ~

Don't forget, we also have a FREE talk:

Saturday 30 June, 4.30pm:

Urban Originals

The Dogma of Economics
by Kevin Mark Low (designer, writer)

Democratic Spaces
by Nani Kahar (architect, curator)
& Hishammudin Rais (filmmaker, cafe operator)

Performing on Site
by Anne James (actor, arts activist)