BMW Group Malaysia presents ‘Liar Land’ By Ananth Subramaniam, Grand Prize Winner
of BMW Shorties 2018. Ananth’s thought-provoking BMW-funded production explores themes of ‘nature versus nurture’ in a visually stunning short film.
True to his bold narratives interwoven with heart-wrenching and provocative storytelling techniques, ‘Liar Land’ is a gripping story of siblings from a broken family, pushed into a life of crime perpetuated by their rogue parents’ criminal activities. Having garnered national recognition for his short film ‘Colourless’ last year, Ananth’s creative use of visuals and lighting perfectly portrayed the hidden emotions of his characters once again.
“When I set out to write ‘Liar Land’, I had a vision and a message to tell. Social stigmas arise when we do not consider the flipside of things, when we do not stand in the other person’s shoes, to understand the root cause. Parenting is difficult and not everyone can succeed in it, but I needed to show people what happens when there is a blatant disregard for it and how that negligence affects a child indefinitely.” Ananth said.
The BMW-funded short film features up-and-coming talents like Mia Deen (who plays the daughter in ‘Liar Land’, Maya) and Syed Muhammad Baqir (Maya’s brother), along with acting veterans like Edgar Gary Quah (father) and Mandy Chen (mother). With ‘Liar Land’, Ananth gives his viewers a sordid glimpse into the livelihoods of these young siblings, the same magical way he gave viewers a tear-jerking insight of a troubled father-daughter relationship in ‘Colourless’.
This year’s line-up of judges comprises of award-winning filmmakers and veterans of the local film industry. They include Saw Teong Hin (Puteri Gunung Ledang and Rise: Ini Kalilah); Indrani Kopal (The Game Changer and Incarcerated Rhythm), Amanda Nell Eu (Lagi Senang Jaga Sekandang Lembu), as well as panel advisers for the National Film Development Corporation (FINAS) – Nadira Ilana (The Silent Riot) and Adrian Teh (Ice Kacang Puppy Love and PASKAL The Movie).
The BMW Shorties 2019 will award the grand prize winner a production grant of RM 80,000. Recognition for filmmaking talent will also be awarded in an extensive range of supporting categories, including Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Editing, Best Sound Design and the People’s Choice Award, along with this year’s new category for Best Student Award.
The BMW Shorties is open for entries from 8 th August 2019 and aspiring filmmakers, as well as digital content creators, will have until 11 th October 2019 at 6:00 PM to submit their entries.
For further information on the BMW Shorties and how to participate, visit the official BMW Shorties website at bmwshorties.com.my/.