Nov. 8, 2024
Two projects from Malaysia about legendary filmmaker P Ramlee also selected.
Purin Pictures, a non-profit film fund dedicated to
supporting independent cinema in Southeast Asia, has announced its autumn 2024
grant recipients. This season, a total of $170,000 has been awarded to six
projects, including new works by Daniel Hui and Martika Ramirez Escobar.
Daniel Hui’s project, “Other People’s Dreams,”
is a Singaporean drama about two runaway souls who become invisible thieves in
the chaos of the city. The film is produced by Tan Si En through Momo Film Co.
Martika Ramirez Escobar’s “Daughters of the Sea” is a Filipino drama
intertwining the lives of three women connected by water. The film is produced
by Monster Jimenez and Rajiv Idnani through Arkeo Films.
Additionally, two Malaysian projects inspired by
legendary filmmaker P. Ramlee received grants. Diffan Sina Norman’s “Sitora,”
a daylight horror film, and Megat Sharizal’s “Finding Ramlee,” a 1970s
dramedy about a P. Ramlee impersonator, were both selected.
The grant also supports two documentaries: “Black
River” by Tran Phuong Thao, exploring the lives of merchants in Vietnam,
and “When a Poet Goes to War” by Aung Naing Soe, following a Burmese
poet’s fight against a military junta.
Purin Pictures’ co-director Anocha Suwichakornpong
highlighted the increased number of submissions from Malaysia, reflecting a
growing interest in the region’s cinematic heritage.