15Malaysia: Rojak!

We’ve come to the end of the 15Malaysia series of short films and the last one is called Rojak! The entire short is made to look like vector graphics and is quite nice to watch. Feels something like A Scanner Darkly, which I love.

A Rojak seller’s take on Malaysia’s multi-faceted social political tapestry. Made entirely with CGI special effects. Visually stunning.

Of course if you want to revisit the other 14 films and watch them over, you can hit up 15Malaysia.com or watch them right here on Doctor Popcorn.

Potong Saga (recommended)

Chocolate (recommended)

The Tree

House (recommended)

Halal (recommended)

The Son (recommended)

Lumpur

One Future

Slovak Sling (recommended)

Gerhana

Meter (recommended)

Duit Kecil

Healthy Paranoia (recommended)

Lollipop

15Malaysia: Lollipop

The penultimate short film of the 15Malaysia project is called Lollipop and is another one I didn’t seem to like. Directed by Nam Rom and starring Bront Palare it is a haunting portrayal of a pedophile preparing to hunt, interspersed with metaphors on the state of Malaysian politics.

You can watch the short below.

15Malaysia: Healthy Paranoia

One thing I really love about 15Malaysia is how it’s introduced me to the talent that is Baki Zainal. Prior to this project I barely knew of him but now I’m definitely a fan. He was brilliant in Meter and is again excellent in Healthy Paranoia. Incredibly funny. Check him out along with Dato’ Sri Liow Tiong Lai and Nick Dorian below.

An over-zealous public relations consultant advises the current minister of health how to discourage unhealthy lifestyles in Malaysia.

“We should inform the rakyat, sir. We should inform dum.” Hahahaha.

Next up: Lollipop

15Malaysia: Duit Kecil

There have been a couple of short from 15Malaysia that I didn’t like quite as much as the others. Duit Kecil is one of them and I really didn’t enjoy this at all. Maybe you would, though. Check it out below.

A man finds himself without small change in a cheap brothel. Many arguments ensue and problems faced by the Malaysian common man are discussed humorously.

Next up: Healthy Paranoia

15Malaysia: Meter by Benji and Bahir

As we come to the end of the 15 short films there are quite a few that will really stand out and be remembered. One of those will definitely be Meter. Meter is by far and wide the most enjoyable short so far and I must say features some great acting from politician Khairy Jamaluddin. And big props has got to be given to Baki Zainal. I am a new fan. Others well known names in this short include model Amber Chia, the controversial Namewee and local artist Jason Lo. This is a must watch. So watch now! Must! Haha.

The controversial head of UMNO Youth plays a taxi driver who is asked his views on some current Malaysian talking points. He ends up offering a keris to a Chinese boy as a gift.

Next up: Duit Kecil

15Malaysia: Gerhana by James Lee

The 15Malaysia project will be coming to an end on Wednesday so let’s speed up a little bit, shall we? Here is Gerhana starring Daphne Iking and Azman Hassan. Check it out below.

Two secret lovers rendezvous in a plush hotel room while TV news is read in the background. A dark take on apathy in Malaysia.

Next up: Meter

15Malaysia: Slovak Sling by Woo Ming Jin

Here is one of my favorite 15Malaysia shorts so far and I think is better than Potong Saga as a comedy piece.

Featuring Malaysian funny-men Harith Iskandar and Patrick Teoh, Slovak Sling is directed by Woo Ming Jin and is an absolute riot. Watch it for yourself below.

A comedic re-enactment of how one politician tries to entice another to switch party allegiance as DVD pirates look on.

Next up: Gerhana

15Malaysia: One Future by Tan Chui Mui

The eighth short of the 15Malaysia project is quite different from seven before it. One Future directed by Tan Chui Mui is simply a slideshow of photos of politician Tian Chua and actress Ida Nerina with narration from 15Malaysia producer Pete Teo. It may be simple but it speaks volumes. Watch it for yourself.

An edgy and powerful science fiction story of a society where everything is perfect, except no one is allowed to speak.

Next up: Gerhana

15Malaysia: Lumpur by Kamal Sabran

Been awhile since I posted a 15Malaysia short. So here’s the one that premiered on Merdeka day last week. It’s called Lumpur and is directed by Kamal Sabran. Why is it called Lumpur, you ask? You find out at the end of the film so watch below.

A modern, poetic and beautifully constructed ode to Malaysia – its common people, places and enduring spirit.

Next up: One Future

15Malaysia: The Son by Desmond Ng

First off, Happy Independence Day, Malaysia! Appropriately, here is the next short film in the 15Malaysia project which is in conjunction with Merdeka. This is The Son directed by Desmond Koh and addresses an important issue, I think. You can watch it below.

A teenage Chinese witness to a racially motivated assault is being driven to the police station. A quiet reminder of the dangers of inter-communal suspicion and conflict.

Next up: Lumpur which, incidentally, is being released in about an hour as of this post.

Once again, Selamat Hari Merdeka to all Malaysians.

15Malaysia: Halal by Liew Seng Tat

What up people! Here is another little 15Malaysia update again. This short film is slapstick comedy called Halal and is the fifth to come out of the project. It’s directed by Liew Seng Tat and has Adibah Noor in the lead role. Let me just say this- it’s absolutely hilarious and gives Potong Saga a run for it’s money. Watch it for yourself below.

A very silly slapstick comedy demonstrating the proper Islamic way to slaughter chicken.

Next up: The Son

15Malaysia: House by Linus Chung

The 4th short to have come out of the 15Malaysia initiative is titled House. Directed by Linus Chung, the short is heartfelt and will definitely hit home with many Malaysians who might have experienced what is illustrated in House. Watch the short film below to understand what I’m talking about.

An Indian boy is asked to build a model of his house at school. A tale on the social economic plight faced by many Malaysians.

Next up: Halal

15Malaysia: The Tree by Amir Muhammad

The short to be released on the 15Malaysia site was The Tree, directed by local director Amir Muhammad known for his works like The Big Durian, The Last Communist and his most recent work, Malaysian Gods. Check out The Tree below.

Malaysia’s most influential spiritual leader Nik Aziz offers commentary on the virtuous and Islamic way to conduct ethical commerce in his inimitable style.

Chocolate by Yasmin Ahmad

Here’s the 2nd short off the 15Malaysia project produced by Pete Teo. This one is titled Chocolate and was directed by the late Yasmin Ahmad. It’s a beautiful 2-scene short. Check it out below.

A quiet tale that reminds us that, despite the multifaceted contradiction of Malaysia, life goes on – even if not all of it is sweet.

Potong Saga by Ho Yuhang

Since all the short films on 15Malaysia.com are available for viewing, download and embedding, I thought I’d embed all the films on Doctor Popcorn. But please don’t let that stop you from visiting the website.

Potong Saga is a comedy that stars Namewee. Yes, Namewee the Negarakuku guy.

A laugh-out-loud film about a Chinese boy’s misguided attempts at opening an Islamic bank account.

Incredible Animated Short Film: Alarm

I found this on /Film earlier today but I just watched it. It is an animated short made by MESAI, a Korean animation team. Directed by Moo-hyun Jang, the short is called Alarm. It is so cool and witty I just had to share this with you guys. Its in HD so make sure you watch it full screen. If its takes too long to load, and you want to watch it in regular quality, just click the HD button. Enjoy!



This is one sleepy dude huh? Awesome stuff. Did you think it was awesome? Tell me what you think.

Reach

Here’s a short film called Reach that’s showing at the Cannes Film Festival right now. Very interesting animated short film. Enjoy!

The National Film Board of Canada, in association with the Cannes Short Film Corner and partner YouTube, welcomes you to this NFB competition, now in its fifth year. Its your turn to choose. Internet votes will decide the best film, and the winner will be announced at Cannes on May 21. The prize: an HD MINI-DV camera and a mobile studio including laptop and editing suite.

Director: Luke Randall
Running Time: 3 mins 50 secs
Country: Australia
Category: Comedy

A tiny robot is given the gift of life with only one limitation, the length of his power cable. When a curious bird appears at the workshop window, the robot feels a lust to live outside of his reach that may be his demise.

Originally from the island of Tasmania, Luke Randall is a director/animator currently based in Melbourne, Australia. Luke has been fortunate enough to work on CG TV series, video game cinematic and animated feature films over the past couple of years and has received several awards for his work.

Signs

Not much to talk about this today so I'm gonna show a short film called Signs that had tons of buzz on YouTube awhile back. I Tweeted about this some time ago but I feel that more people needs to see this brilliant short film which is why I'm posting it up here.

Directed by an Australian commercial and short film director, Patrick Hughes, this film is incredibly well shot and connects with people on so many different levels. About non-verbal communication and what it can do for us, Signs is a must-checkout. So, check it out right here.



What did you think of it? Please do drop your comments. Hope you liked it! Maybe I'll post more short films in the future.