A hilarious detective film is the winner in the second 48-Hour Film Project, writes Dennis Chua
Film-maker Farah Draim of Kuching and her production team almost did not make it to the winners’ list of the 48-Hour Film Project’s second season on Oct 28.
“We had a computer malfunction half an hour before the 48 hours were up. As soon as things got right, we rushed from our office in Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya, to the “start and finish” in Berjaya Times Square, Kuala Lumpur,” she says.
Luck was on the side of Farah’s team which was christened Tenqous Loumous (Tungkus-Lumus) meaning “toilers”. Their first film, The Case Of Adi Aziz The Footballer, was named Best Film of the festival, earning them two tickets to the Filmapalooza 2012 international film festival in the United States, a RM30,000 grant from the National Film Development Corporation (Finas) and a Movie Magic Screenwriter Software 6.
This means Tenqous Loumous, or TL for short, will represent the country in Filmapalooza 2012 in Taos, New Mexico next year. They will compete with 100 winning teams of the 48-Hour Film Project from various countries.
Farah says: “All teams had three elements to include in their films, and films had to be about seven minutes. The elements were a character named Adi who is a footballer, a mirror, and a line that goes Saya betul-betul hendak tolong (I really want to help).”
TL’s short film is about Adi, who is killed with a durian.
“Our team member, Richard Augustine, played Adi. Detectives Bob and Burn, played by team members Charan Pirabu and Hafeezal Izwan respectively, investigated his murder, with crazy and funny results,” says Farah.
The film won four awards including for Best Script, Best Editing and one of two Viewers’ Choices.
Farah, a writer, says the 18-member TL joined the contest because they wanted to challenge themselves in making good films in the shortest possible time.
“All of us are film enthusiasts and we want to make films that are entertaining and out of the ordinary. Winning this contest is a big incentive for us to create more entertaining films, including feature-length ones in future,” she says.
The second biggest winner was team Orang Utan or OU, whose film, Daddy’s Girl, won Best Direction, Best Acting and Best Dialogue. It lead actress, Eva Emmanyna, says Daddy’s Girl is a “mockumentary” about a call girl who is fired by the agency she works for.
“She is forced to go freelance and markets herself in crazy ways, such as spraying an advertisement for herself on walls,” she says.
The seven-member OU are documentary makers. The director and producer is Ikhwan Rivai.
The other winners were Giri Studios And Checkered Past (Best Cinematography — Last Day), H&A Studio (Best Music — Kami Kan BFF), No Idea Production (Best Usage Of Character — Escape), and Kino-I (Best Usage Of Props — Reflect). The other Viewers’ Choice film was Sunat The Musical by David Sparkle.
The contest’s co-producer Elly Marlina Zainalabiden says 450 entries were received this year, from 41 teams.
“The 48-hour period was from 9pm on Oct 28 to 9pm on Oct 30. Each team picked a genre at random from a hat outside Berjaya Times Square shortly before the start of the contest,” she says.
Elly says 35 teams made it to the finishing line on time, and while six did not make it, all 41 entries were screened in TGV Cineplex, KLCC, Kuala Lumpur on Nov 1 and 2, and were in for the Viewers’ Choice award.
The judges were filmmakers Woo Ming Jin, Amir Muhammad and Eddy Lim. Elly says she and co-producer Shahril Fahazmi Musa expected a greater participation next year.
“We expect it to become a major national event over the next few years. We see it as a training ground for the country’s next big names in filmmaking, because it tests filmmakers’ teamwork, resourcefulness and talents,” says Elly.
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