HSFF Hope to Create a Safe Place for Storytellers in Malaysia
“We believe in the power of storytelling.”
By Mei Hui Kelly • Published: 12th Jan 2023
Established by the Youth in Wilayah Persekutuan and Selangor, the Horizon Short Film Festival is getting off to a good start. Jay Tan and YB Jamaliah Jamaluddin are set to co-chair the upcoming film festival and it’s clear that they’ve set their eyes on how to improve the existing structure we have in the country when it comes to telling a story.
“These things (storytelling) don’t come easily in Malaysia, that’s due to many reasons and every citizen should have the right to freedom of speech and expression,” Jay said. “We believe in the power of storytelling, brave stories require safe and supportive spaces for them to emerge into. For a storyteller, when you start creating something new, you are materializing a piece of yourself into your creation.”
The initiative is having its fair share of support from the Youth teams in Wilayah Persekutuan and Selangor. Edmund Teoh, Youth Chief of Wilayah, and Wayne Ong, Youth Chief of Selangor, are pulling strings behind the scenes.
Meanwhile, YB Jamaliah Jamaluddin, who is also ADUN for Bandar Utama, is coming off the back of a recent Karnival Rasa Sayang held in her constituency and in order to get it out there, YB Jamaliah played a central role on hosting a HSFF inquiry booth in the carnival, in hopes to build connections with the public and showcase the importance of having creative projects, whether it’s done individually or collectively.
Horizon Short Film Festival is now open for entries, you can submit your short films via https://filmfreeway.com/HorizonShortFilmFestival now.