Short Quickies

"I think the BMW Shorties is probably the best thing that's happened in this industry for a long time. A strong platform like this is important because it gives one the incentive to get out there and bare their soul through their story. That's what I really like about this competition,” enthuses Ida Nerina, who also joined its judging panel this year.

The BMW Shorties takes pride in nurturing and showcasing talented Malaysian filmmakers by hosting a competition, then selecting the winner who will then play recipient to a grand prize of RM75,000 in production assistance and guidance from the panel of judges to make a professional short film that will be fielded in international festivals through the BMW Group’s global network.

This year’s winner came in the form of 29-year-old Nazim Mohammed Esa who happily claimed the prize for his winning entry, For the Love of Drowning. The 10-minute film was a very surrealistic tale of love and its trials that managed to beat out 62 other entries. “The film is kind of like a metaphor about being cautious before taking the plunge into a relationship. I don’t think most audiences will understand it, but I wanted to explain the notion of the fear of drowning which would have been otherwise a hindrance within a linear narrative,” Esa explains. Esa also noted that his entry to the competition was initially a hope in vain of funding, which surprisingly paid off. Little Esa is beginning to realize that dreams do come true, and the reap is sweet.

TEXT Claudia Low