Sunday, February 22, 2009

Screening Mar 1st : `Fast Food Nation'



Halo friends,

The last screening `Clay Bird' was attended by about 10 members who enjoyed the Bangladesh made film significantly. It was nice to see old faces after about 2 months lapse of screening. Some shorts from my Bangladesh trip were screened before the main feature's screening. For a number of reasons the next screenings will be done 3 weeks from the last one ie on Mar 1st-apologies for inconveniences.

Next screening: `Fast Food Nation'(2006, USA/UK)


Date; Mar 1st (Sunday)
Time: 8.00pm
Venue: 62 Weld Quay, Penang
Intro: The film started by raising the dramatic question: are we eating some real bull shit in the burgers from the fast food joints? The ensuing drama led us through heart wrenching stories of the Mexican foreign workers who work in American slaughter house, and funny episodes, including one which involved a students group who tried in vain to liberate the cows from their sheds.

All welcome!

Ong BK
013-5900339

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Next screening: Clay Bird(Bangladesh)



Halo folks!

It seems a long time since the last screening last year! We have been slow to start the screenings due to a number of unexpected happenings-my apologies to all who called in to inquire. Your wait for the 1st screening is not in vain: the 1st screening will be as follow:

Title: Clay Bird(2004)
Introduction: The title `Clay Bird' seems to provide a strong metaphor of a people's yearning for freedom-which got weighed down by earthy puills! An international award winning film from Bangladesh -which took a dramatised look at the evolution of Bangladesh as a nation of majority muslims and minority hindus. The tension between the religions is played out in the background of Bangladeshis' nationalism which brought it independence from `islamic' /dictatorial (depend on your perception) Pakistan in 1971, after a bloody 9 month war costing 3 million lives. Where the very populous country will head will have an impact on world's perception of islam and intercultural understanding.
Language: Bangla, with English sub-titles.
Director: Tareque Masud
Date : Feb 8th (Sunday)
Time: 8.00pm
Venue: 62 Weld Quay, Penang
Enq.013-5900339(Ong)
Entrance: FREE!

Note on locating the film: This is a film which I found in Bangladesh when I was serving as an international election observer in the recent Bangladesh general election. I was looking for a film which can help me to understand the psychi of the nation-but I almost gave up as most of the local prolifically produced films are in Bangla only! This film is one which has English subtitles and backgrounded in the critical time when Bangladesh fought for its independence. A fellow observer from US told me that she actually use the film in her intercultural understanding classes. Come to find out what a gem that I'd found just 2 days before my departure from the country with a new government now! I'll shopw some Bangladesh short videos and photos for early arrivals./Ong BK

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Penang Film Club's screenings to stop for end of year holidays




Halo friends!

The screenings of Penang Film Club will stop for the end of year holidays and resume on the 1st Sunday of 2009.

Happy holidays and an early Happy X-mas, Happy New Year!

See you folks again next year!

Ong BK

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Celebrating win of Eco-film Fest Best Environment (Pro-category) award







The crews and friends of `6 Days' had a reunion last night at Northam Cafe to celebrate the winning of the Eco-Film Fest Best Environment (Pro-catefory) Award. Everyone was satisfied that our work has finally been given some recognition! The positive energy was flowing again-and Johny Goh agreed to help do some additional shooting to spruce up another new film sent to the same festival but did not win any prize ie `Zero Waste Home'. The new film was filmed and editted too hastily(Shot only on Sept 9th -10 days ahead of deadline on Sept 20th!)-so we will spruce it up! We will resend the film to other festivals-and who knows if it will shine in other fests in due time!

Keep up the enthusiasm!

Ong K

Monday, November 3, 2008

`6 Days' wins `Best Environmental' film award at Eco-film Fest(Pro category)




This is a good news which happened this afternoon(Nov 2nd) at Aswara College, KL. Penang Film Club sent 2 films for the competition with a theme on climate change. The 2 films are -`6 days' (11min) and `Zero Waste Home'(14min). The 2 films were selected as the finalist films-and `6 Days' won the only prize given under the Professional Category. Audrey Yeoh's film won many awards for the ameteur category -including best environment film, best film through online voting, best director and so on. She is the president of the Aswara college's film club.

`6 Days' was scripted by Ong BK, directed and shot by Johny Goh, produced by Lim Chuin Nian & Ong BK, starring Chris Gan, Christine, Naweed, Nirvan, Lim Chuin Nian, Johny Goh &Joseph. Thanks to all and others not mentioned here! The story is about a very insular middle class man who discovered that switching his air conditioner's switch can gravely affect the global weather. The realisation caused him to junk most of his power-grabber gadgets from his home-which until then was full of them!

The non-cash prize given include a 1-footer trophy, a t-shirt and a a mysterious box of goodies presumably contributed by the film fest's many sponsors. When the news was broken to all the major participants of the film all were very excited and replied to me(the only one at the Award ceremony!) that they wanted to organise a celebration! Watch out for more details from them!

I'll be back to Penang on Tuesday with the trophy and goodies-please drop by-say Tuesday evening to check out the mysterious box under seal.

Ong BK
KL

P/S There will be a small celebration at Northam Cafe 8.30pm, Tuesday(Nov 4th) evening. All friends are welcome-may be a piece of the non-cash prizes will be given to a non-crew attendant by drawing lots!

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

UPDATE: Date changed to Nov 8th : banned film on Indonesia & how to steal votes in US elections

UPDATE: Please take note that due to unforseen clash between functions on the previously advertised date the next screening will be held on Nov 8th (THIS SATURDAY) instead. It will start at 7.30pm, at D' Space (62 Weld Quay). The 2 titles to be screened are `Promised Paradise' (7.30pm), and `Cheating American elections' (8.30pm). See you! Bring all your friends!

Ong BK


Halo folks,
Screening of recycling films attraced more audience

The screening last Sunday attracted about 20 audiences -consisting mainly the crowd who became the actors/extras for the film shooting itself. Well done ! See if we could make any splash at the 1st Eco-Film Fest to start from Nov 1-2nd, at Aswara College , KL. We will update you on that at next screening on Nov 9th.

Next screenings: Double titles!

There will be 2 films to be screened on our next screening according to these details:
Titles:

1. Promised Paradise (52.10min) An outstanding film featuring a special theaterist's enquiry into terrorism post 9-11 and post-Bali bombing in Indonesia. The theaterist utilised his unique sense of humour to convey an anti-terror message which appeal to multi-target audiences ie both children as well as adults can get something out of it. Banned in Indonesia due to its portrayal of an interview of one of the Bali bombers -who are to be executed next week. Start screening : 7.30pm

2. Stealing votes-the American way (50min) -an enquiry into how votes can be `stolen' via `legal means' in US. The means to do it feature what is termed as `voters' suppression' where many blacks and minorities are purged from the voters' registers in key battle states. It has been noticed since at least 3 elections back-and is still continuing. Election watchers will find this film to be of extra interests-and you are most welcome to join the screening! Screening time : 8.30pm

Date : Nov 8th(Saturday)
Venue: D' Space (3rd floor, 62 Weld Quay, above Damacai shop. Map here)
Enq.013-5900339
Entrance: FREE!

See you there!

Ong BK

Friday, October 24, 2008

Premier show: `Zero Waste Home' this Sunday!



Halo friends,

Screening this Sunday(Oct 26th) :
`Zero Waste Home'

(85min) 8.00pm, D' Space (3rd floor, 62 Weld Quay, above Damacai shop)

Introduction to film:

The film to be screened is a home made film on a decade long recycling campaign by the well known Penang couple Don Thesiera & Mylene Ooi of Bkt Mertajam. The film shows the seldom seen faces of the 30-year-old Jelutong Landfill -which has grown up to over 3-storey high, and if left to push into the sea, may well create a 2nd Penang-Prai Bridge at no financial cost to the tax payers! (But the environmental cost may send some shivers up your back!) To stop such garbage mountain from crowding out Penangites' (and Malaysia'ns') living spaces the committed couple have been making their recycling presentation to almost anyone who requested it in the country. The film was made as a way to document the presentation after some 200 times that Don & Mylene have done it on face-to-face encounters with residents groups, schools, clubs, corporations and even government officials! The film will help extend their green message, especially considering that they will get too tired one day. Come to meet the tireless couple and give them a pat on the back! You are also welcome to check out their web site through the link above.

Background to the film making:

The idea of making the film has started at least a year ago after the film maker(BK Ong) won a Freedom Film Fest award in 2007. Don & Mylene had been resisting the idea of filming their presentation because they prefer face-to-face talks which they rightly consider to be more effective. But they then saw that making a film and sending it to festival is also a very effective way to push their green message at well attended festivals. So they appraoched the film maker to make a film about their presentation and to look for a suitable film festival to send the future film to. When a suitable film festival was found ie the Eco-film Fest the film making was set into motion. But there was some unexpected twist: the film fest only offer financial support to film proposals from first time film makers. That information did not come to the film maker until after the proposal was sent out-which meant it was at quite late stage. To salvage the film project some calls were made around to locate alternate sponsors.

Luckily and quickly USM RCE (Regional Centre for Expertise) program offered RM3000.00 to sponsor the film's making! By the time the finances came through and Don & Mylene found time for the filming it was quite late before the submission deadline on Sept 20th (later extended).But thankfully some 50 people turned up for the shooting to play the live audience!

On top of that the film fest limit the films submissions to less than 15 min, which mean that the film maker need to make another shorter version of the presentation for submission. With the help of another few more volunteers and Don's neighbours the 15-min version film was successfully shot and express-edited by editor Johny Goh before the deadline.

So the screening will be joined by a number of the original audience of the shootings of the 2 versions of the film. For all others who had not seen the presentation before the film is definitely a recommendation! So cancell all appointments this Sunday evening and bring your family and friends to the FREE premier screening!

`Zero Waste Home'(85 min)
Producer & Director : Ong BK
Editor: Johny Goh
Language: English
Camera: Ronnie Yeoh, Lim Chuin Nian, Ong BK, Johny Goh


Penang Film Club