LONDON — MOFILM today announced that the award winning filmmakers Kongdej Jaturanrasamee, Pimpaka Towira, Sheila Timothy and Mouly Surya have joined the academic team who will deliver the inaugural sessions of the Academy of Southeast Asian Filmmakers (ASAF) as presented by Chevrolet and MOFILM. The fee-free academy is a three-day course, created and delivered by experts from the local and international filmmaking industry. It will cover several aspects of filmmaker theory and practice, with a focus on developing the storytelling skills. The Academy will take place in Jakarta on the 11th to 13th of May, and in Bangkok on the 15th, 16th and 18th of May 2015. Filmmakers who are citizens of Southeast Asia and are over the age of 18 can apply at www.MOFILM.com/ASAF, the deadline is the 7th April 2015. All entrants will also have the opportunity to enter a competition to produce short format film content for Chevrolet.
“The aim of the Academy is to help young filmmakers, who are just starting out, to develop skills to build the career they want. To be able to hear from such successful local filmmakers will be invaluable,” said Jeffrey Merrihue, CEO & Founder of MOFILM.
“Partnering with MOFILM gives us the best of both worlds – we’re able to open new possibilities for up-and-coming filmmakers by giving them a platform to share their craft, and it provides us with tremendous content for our brand to utilize,” added Mark Harland, Director of Marketing at General Motors International.
Writer and Director Mouly Surya is regarded as one of Indonesia’s most promising film talents with her work receiving recognition from both Indonesian and International Film Festivals, including Sundance and Rotterdam International Film Festival. Sheila Timothy is a well-known Indonesian producer, who started her career in advertising and the music industry before moving to feature films. Her work has been recognised by several film festivals and her third feature Tabula Rasa won four awards at the Indonesian Film Festival 2014.
Pimpaka Towira is a Thai independent filmmaker who writes, directs and produces all of her films. Pimpaka is a pioneer for female film directors in Thailand and as a result, she won the Silpathorn Award in 2009, distributed by the Ministry of Culture in Thailand. Best known for his romantic comedies, Kongdej Jaturanrasamee received a Silpathorn award in 2014; a national award in honour for living Thai contemporary artists who have made notable contributions to Thai fine arts and culture, presented annually by the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, Ministry of Culture of Thailand.
More tutors from the Thai and Indonesian film and TV industries will be announced shortly.
