This Malaysian Director's Short Just Beat 45 Other Films From Around The World
The award was presented on 31 July 2016 at the SVA Theatre.
By Nandini Balakrishnan — 04 Aug 2016, 03:08 PM
Local director Dharius Zulkefli made the nation proud by bagging the "Best Editing" award at the United International Film Festival (UIFF) 2016 in New York, USA
Dharius' short film, Kun Fayakun beat 45 other films from around the world to win the triannual award that was presented at the SVA Theatre on 31 July 2016
Written, produced and directed by Dharius, Kun Fayakun is a psychological drama that tells the story of Henry, who is in a vegetative state and in order to recover, he has to battle his demons and find salvation.
Throughout his journey, he faces multiple obstacles as he finds the will to awaken from what could be his eternal slumber.
Held from 30th to 31st July 2016, the United International Film Festival takes place twice a year in Hollywood, California and once a year in New York City where it presents a program of new international cinema from filmmakers from across the globe.
kr8tifexpress.com
Kun Fayakun originates from the Arabic words Kun which means 'to be' and Fayakun which means 'it is'. Together, it translates into, "Be... and it is!". The term is said to refer to God's will and absolute power over his creations.
According to the 26-year-old budding director, the inspiration for the movie actually came in the form of a conversation with his parents about how 'choices' are the greatest gift of all
That conversation gave him the idea of a man being trapped in a realm that is neither heaven nor hell, where he does not remember how he got there but knows that he has to make the right choice in order to get out.
malaysiakini.com
Kun Fayakun was completed in just two months with a cast consisting of Ignacyo Matynia, Peyton Bristol, William Jousset, and Ross Pivec
According to creative newswire portal Kr8tif Express, this is not the first time the young director is working with Polish actor Ignacyo and Peyton. They both acted in another movie by Dharius titled Fadó.
When asked on what's next in store for him, Dharius had apparently mentioned that he plans to start screening both his movies at various film festivals in the United States.
"The film was created with dedication and passion. Even with minimal resources, I want to show that we can achieve recognition from the industry," said Dharius, as reported by Kr8tif Express.
"Although I am a Malaysian in a foreign country, which can be intimidating, I am a true believer in the term 'Malaysia Boleh', and hopefully with this belief the film will continue to succeed in other film festivals," added the aspiring director.
