1 Apr – She had to wait over a decade before she could see her witch doctor character come to life on the big screen in "Dukun" but it was well worth the wait for Datin Seri Umie Aida, as she was recently awarded Best Actress for the role. The 46-year-old won the accolade at the 30th Malaysia Film Festival, or Filem Festival Malaysia ke-30 (FFM 30), that was held in Putrajaya last weekend. "I wasn't nervous when the nominees were announced," she said during an interview. "But on stage, I felt nervous." The actress, who revealed that she had just returned from vacation a few days prior and hadn't had time to even think of FFM, said that she wasn't hoping for any win. "There were 42 films competing. We didn't even know who were the Top 5 nominees, what criteria were the jury looking for, so I didn't want to put much hope," she said. The actress bested fellow nominees Maya Karin, Datin Diana Danielle, Sangeeta Krishnasamy and Emily Lim for the accolade.
This marks her second Best Actress win at FFM and her third win overall. She previously nabbed the same award at FFM 16 for "Embun" and Best Supporting Actress at FFM 26 for "Sembunyi: Amukan Azazil". Don't expect to see the actress reappearing on the big screen so soon though, as she is currently busy with her directorial debut, "Lelaki Melayu Terakhir" starring Remy Ishak. If the name sounds similar to her older sister Erma Fatima's "Perempuan Melayu Terakhir", the movie that won Erma Best Director at the 7th Pyongyang International Film Festival, it's because Erma is the one writing the script for her. Umie Aida said that she will begin production on "Lelaki Melayu Terakhir" this June, after the Hari Raya Aidilfitri holidays.