16 Jun – The BMW Shorties, Malaysia's most prestigious and longest-running short film competition, in partnership with the Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest), yesterday announced the highly-anticipated Top 10 Finalists for 2023. Now in its 17th year, the BMW Shorties assembled a panel of experienced and critically-acclaimed figures from the film industry to shortlist the finalists who will be competing for the Grand Prize - an RM80,000 production grant. Sashi Ambi, Head of Corporate Communication and Sustainability at BMW Group Malaysia said, "The BMW Shorties has always strived to empower aspiring local filmmakers to drive innovation and push boundaries. With a record-breaking 133 submissions this year, we were thrilled to be able to see this journey of artistic evolution come through in this year's participants – very much in line with this year's theme of EVOLVE." "Through their captivating narratives, the finalists have demonstrated an impressive ability to embrace change, challenge conventions, and inspire us to evolve towards a more exciting future. I am thoroughly excited for us to premiere these remarkable works of filmmaking and crown our 16th Grand Prize Winner at the Malaysia International Film Festival next month."
The 16th BMW Shorties Grand Prize Winner will be awarded RM80,000 in production grant, while recognition for filmmaking talent will also be awarded in an extensive range of supporting categories, including Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Story, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Editing, Best Sound Design, Judges' Honourable Mention and the People's Choice Award, along with the Best Student Shorties Award. Short films by the BMW Shorties 2023's Top 10 Finalists are now available for public viewing on the BMW Shorties' website [www.bmwshorties.com.my] , where public voting for their favourite short films will be held soon. Stay tuned to the BMW Shorties' official social pages to learn when voting opens. This year, the BMW Shorties Awards Night will premiere at the Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest), in line with their shared commitment to celebrating Malaysian cinema art alongside international works. In addition, MIFFest has announced its upcoming festival, taking place from 23 - 28 July 2023, with a line-up of programmes throughout the week, including film screenings, masterclasses and networking opportunities. The BMW Shorties 2023 Finalists (in no particular order) are:
For further information and event updates, visit the official BMW Shorties website at www.bmwshorties.com.my or the official BMW Shorties Facebook page at www.facebook.com/bmwshorties and Instagram page at www.instagram.com/bmwshorties