Full house at KOMAS FFF07

Writer: Ezekiel Lee Zhiang Yang

17 Sep – While movie lovers mostly go to cinemas to watch their blockbusters and whatnot, a very different sort of film was showcased at Central Market Annexe, Kuala Lumpur, last weekend from 14-16 September, 2007, when guests and members of the public thronged the hall to watch 'social films' under the banner of the Freedom Film Festival 2007.

The event, now in its fourth year, is an annual affair that is organised by KOMAS (Pusat Komuniti Masyarakat), aimed to promote the use of video and film as means for creating awareness towards social issues such as human rights. This year, 32 films were featured throughout the three-day event in Kuala Lumpur, to the delight of participating members of the public who came. Tan Jo Hann, one of the directors of KOMAS said "We are trying to reach the general public on two levels – first, for viewers to watch and get affected enough by the films to become pro-active in doing something about the various social issues in Malaysia and second, to instil in film-makers that social films are important and have great value to human life and society." Indeed the fare at the Freedom Film Festival ranged from documentaries on the WTO (World Trade Organization) and ex-communist exiles to transgendered people and gangsterism.

Local artiste Shanon Shah, also Executive Director Of Amnesty International Malaysia, offering his views on Royston Tan's "15", a film depicting school gangsterism in Singapore.	This year's winners assembling an event signage on stage

This year, the three winning films were Indrani Kopal's "She's My Son", a documentary on the life of a transgendered Malaysian through the eyes of her mother, Fahmi Reza's "Sepuluh Tahun Sebelum Merdeka", about the history behind the political independence of then Malaya, and Ong Boon Keong's "Forgotten", a look at the clan jetty settlers in Weld Quay, Penang.

After each session of film, the microphone is open to the floor, where members of the public took turns to offer their views on the issues that were discussed in the film. The screenings at night were most popular and many visitors had to be turned away because it was already a full house, with guests sitting on the floor even.

The various exhibits put up to increase public awareness

The KOMAS Freedom Film Festival is an annual event which aims to promote 'social' films and films about human rights. It will move on this weekend to The Actors Studio Greenhall in Penang from 21-23 September and then JOTIC Auditorium in Johor Bahru from 28-30 September.

Related News:
Freedom Film Festival Offers 32 Movies Cinema Online, 17 September 2007

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