Namewee's "Banglasia" heads to SGIFF
23 Oct – The movie may have been banned in Malaysia, but that's not stopping Namewee's "Banglasia" from being screened at the upcoming 26th Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF).
The action comedy is one of the two Malaysian movies selected for the festival this year, the other being Virginia Kennedy's short film, "Thread".
"Banglasia", which was banned in Malaysia for 31 reasons by the Malaysia Censorship Board, is set to be screened under the Asian Vision section at 9.30pm on 3 December at Shaw Theatres Lido, where the actor-director will also be in attendance.
Prior to SGIFF, the movie made its world premiere at Osaka Asian Film Festival 2015's Special Programs < New Action! Southeast Asia>, a section that features new action films from Southeast Asian countries. It then headed to the 14th New York Asian Film Festival last July.
Meanwhile, Virginia Kennedy, a Malaysia-based Australian-born commercial director, will be representing Malaysia in the Southeast Asian Short Film Competition Programme 2 with her short film, "Thread".
Making its Singapore premiere, "Thread" tells the story of a lonely Chinese tailor who is taunted by a shadowy figure at her workplace. The Mandarin short previously made its North American premiere at the 32nd Miami International Film Festival back in March.
Kennedy recently made her feature directorial debut with "Girlfriend Kontrak", a romantic comedy starring Keith Foo and Nur Risteena, along with the likes of Bront Palarae, Farah Fauzana and more. She is now working on her sophomore directorial effort, which she says will be a complete departure from her saccharine first feature.
The 26th SGIFF will be held at various venues across Singapore from this 26 November to 6 December.
