How Justin Franz made award-winning film "LIFE" in Malaysia for under RM1,000

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How Justin Franz made award-winning film "LIFE" in Malaysia for under RM1,000

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Writer: Ann Tan

"LIFE" has since won awards across several countries

4 Sep - When Justin Franz sat down to write the script for "LIFE", he had a full-length feature in mind. What he ended up making instead - a short film shot on two iPhones with a budget of less than RM1,000 - would go on to win recognition at film festivals around the world and inspire a new generation of Malaysian filmmakers to stop waiting and start creating.

The idea behind "LIFE"
LIFE is a film about love - not romantic love alone, but love in all its forms. It is based on real events, the kind that happen every day around us but often go unnoticed. The title itself carries a deeper meaning: L-I-F-E stands for Living In Fear Every Day.

"We as humans tend to practice selective kindness, love and empathy," Justin explains. "We deem certain lives more valuable than others. We invite the audience to question themselves - when giving something as universal as love, it should be unconditional for everyone."

When pitching fails, you do it yourself
The path to making "LIFE" was not straightforward. Justin spent months pitching the full-length script to producers with no success. Rather than give up, he and his Director of Photography Suran Hassan (DOP) made a decision: they would fund it and shoot it themselves.

"We had to believe in our dream before someone else would," he says. "So we went all out. We put in all our equipment and realised - we have two iPhones, a personal drone, and this much budget. Let's start with that."

For post-production, the team spent six to eight months editing using only free software, working out of a converted squash court that doubled as their studio. They went through more than 30 versions of the edit before finalising the film.

The hardest part, Justin admits, was not the budget or the equipment - it was the people. "Getting the right actors and retaining them till the end of the shoot. We had actors who left halfway and we had to recast and reshoot. That was the hardest part."

Justin Franz and Director of Photography Suran Hassan

From visual pitch to festival circuit
"LIFE" was never meant for film festivals. Justin and his DOP made it as a visual pitch, something tangible to show producers instead of just a script. That changed after a meeting with then-FINAS chairman Dato' Kamil Othman, who spent hours understanding the project and encouraged them to submit internationally.

"He told us this project would be very impactful at film festivals. Taking his advice, we started submitting to the most impactful ones - the ones that mattered."

"LIFE - Living In Fear Everyday" at the Golden Lion International Film Festival (GLIFF) in Kolkata, India

The wins - and why the film still isn't public
When the first international selection came in, Justin called his DOP right away - who was driving and had to pull over. That moment says everything about how unexpected the recognition felt for a first film made with zero expectations.

"LIFE" has since landed at several prestigious festivals, including the Lift-Off First Time Filmmakers Sessions (UK), the NanoCon International Film Festival (US), the Southeast Asia International Film Festival (Thailand), the Toronto Global Film Festival (Canada), and the Golden Lion International Film Festival (India) - where it picked up Best Debut Filmmaker (Short Film), plus Best Dramatic and Outstanding Performance honours in Thailand.

But fans hoping to watch it will have to wait, for two reasons. First, many festivals require films to be unscreened publicly, so releasing it now would disqualify future entries. Second - and more importantly - there's a twist ending Justin is determined to protect. The short was always meant to be the foundation for a feature, and giving that away now would undermine everything.

"Passion does not need permission," Justin says, a line he returns to more than once. "You guys got to wait for the feature-length movie."

Malaysian filmmaker Justin Franz is not done yet

What comes next
The recognition didn't just bring trophies. It has opened doors: industry events, meetings with producers, introductions to established directors, collaborations that wouldn't have happened otherwise.

Justin has since completed a second short film with a production house, which has already earned three international selections of its own. His main focus now is raising funding to bring "LIFE" back as a full-length theatrical feature, targeting a release by end of 2026 or early 2027.

A message to the next generation
For young Malaysians who want to make films but feel held back by budget or resources, Justin's message is simple: your smartphone is enough to start.

"Be resourceful. Go out, shoot, and tell us your story. And when you achieve the success you're looking for, be willing to share it with upcoming filmmakers. That's the only way our film industry can go global."

Cinema Online, 04 September 2026

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