PETALING JAYA: Malaysian film director Tan Chui Muiâs movie Barbarian Invasion has been shortlisted for the Golden Goblet Awards at the 24th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF).The announcement was made by SIFF on Tuesday.
Tan, who directed the movie, also took on the role of Moon Lee, the female lead.
âThere will be many old friends attending SIFF. I feel like a mischievous kid. I had put a frog in a box, now I am just anxiously waiting, anticipating, trying to envision their faces when they open the box,â Tan said in a statement.
This is the third feature film directed by Tan after a decade. Her previous directorial efforts were Love Conquers All in 2006 and Year Without A Summer in 2010.
Tan has been touted as being at the forefront of a new wave of Malaysian filmmakers who deal with social issues.
The 24th SIFF received 4,443 films from 113 countries and regions. SIFF is Chinaâs first A-category international film festival. It continues to showcase and encourage excellent cinematic works.
The festivalâs theme this year is âThe Film Art of Centennial Glory on a Ceaseless Journeyâ.
Barbarian Invasion is one of the films under a new initiative, âBack to Basic (B2B): A Love Supremeâ, established by Chinaâs Heaven Pictures and the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society.
The initiative brought together six notable Asian filmmakers to direct feature films under a limited budget and Tan was one of them. Barbarian Invasion is an art house action movie by Da Chuang Production.
Woo Ming Jin and Bianca Balbuena (Philippines) produced the film, which sees Pete Teo, Bront Palarae, James Lee and Zhiny Ooi in prominent roles.
The plot revolves around well-known award-winning actress Moon Lee, a full-time mother and divorcee who is retired. She leaps at the chance to work with her long-time colleague, filmmaker Roger Woo, desperate to reclaim her sense of self.
This time, she is cast as the female lead in a martial arts film but it is a do-your-own stunts lead. Although Moon is at first hesitant, she works hard and commits herself to back-breaking training.
The plot takes a turn when Woo announces that the only way the film can move forward is for her ex-husband, Julliard, to play the male protagonist.
Chua Jing Xuan, Da Huang Pictures assistant producer said that it was a challenge to shoot the movie last year during the pandemic.
âWe were supposed to start shooting in April 2020 but due to the movement control order, we postponed it to July.âIt took us two months to shoot the whole film in Terengganu and Kuala Lumpur,â she added. SIFF is scheduled to take place from June 11 to June 19.
For more info, visit: https://www.siff.com. –Bernama
