Yasmin Ahmad’s latest movie, Talentime, is already making its way to the international level with its recent selection by Hong Kong International Film Festival for the SIGNIS award. Talentime, which will premiere on March 26 nationwide, will be competing against movies from Taiwan, Iran, Japan, Korea, Brazil, Czech Republic, Indonesia and Italy. Yasmin Ahmad said the award is a salute to films that fully express social and humanitarian concerns, as well as spiritual and artistic values.
“I am thankful and grateful just to be nominated. I’m hoping that this would be a good start for Talentime.”
“I realised that getting into the international level is easy for us now since festivals have started to recognise local talent. We don’t have to fly abroad now, they will come to find us and that’s very overwhelming,” said Yasmin.
“I am not putting too much hope on winning as other nominees are really good and I must say it’s tough competition.”
“What’s more important is that the work and the messages in our work are be able to reach our audiences,” said Yasmin.
Talentime is Yasmin Ahmad fifth movie, after Rabun, Sepet, Gubra and Mukhsin which had won various awards and accolades locally and internationally. Like Yasmin’s previous works, Talentime evolves around the innocent love between a Malay girl (Melur) played by newcomer Pamela Chong, and a hearing impaired Indian boy (Mahesh) played by Mahesh Jugal Kishor. Introduced at a talentime competition, differences in their beliefs threaten their love which seems fated to be unspoken and unheard.
