BUDDING filmmaker Cammy Koo Hui Yin (pic) has an exciting week ahead as she takes Malaysian filmmaking to new heights.
From Sept 19 to 27, her short film NDHUK (Daughter) will be among the 14 entries contesting in Nest, the student film section of the 73rd San Sebastián International Film Festival (SSIFF) in Spain.
Her film – not only the first-ever Malaysian entry into the competition but also the first from South-East Asia – was selected from 473 submissions representing 220 schools across 57 countries.
Beyond the screening, Koo will compete for major awards such as the Nest – The Mediapro Studio Award (€10,000 or RM49,292), the Movistar Plus+ Award, and the Tabakalera Award, which offers a three-week residency in Spain.
Produced as part of her final-year project at the Multimedia University (MMU) Faculty of Cinematic Arts, NDHUK explores a mother-daughter relationship, in which Ika, a domestic worker in Malaysia, is shaken when a pocket dial from her daughter in Indonesia reveals a painful secret.
Koo’s selection in Nest places Malaysia alongside the world’s most respected film schools, including La Fémis (France), the National Film and Television School (UK), the New York University Tisch School of the Arts (US), Columbia University (US), and the Łódź Film School (Poland).
“This is a proud moment not only for MMU but also for Malaysia as a whole.
“Having a Malaysian student compete on this global stage reflects the world-class quality of our young filmmakers, and it affirms our vision of nurturing talents who can tell authentic stories with international impact,” said MMU Faculty of Cinematic Arts dean Shahfeeq Jibin.
Founded in 1953, SSIFF is one of Europe’s most prestigious cultural events and a leading global platform for cinema. Over its 73 editions, it has hosted films from legendary directors such as Alfred Hitchcock, Pedro Almodóvar and Wong Kar-wai.
