KUALA LUMPUR: Nam Ron’s gritty expose of police corruption, Crossroads: One Two Jaga will be presented to Polish audiences by the filmmaker himself in November.
Together with producer Bront Palarae, they will represent Malaysia at the 12th Five Flavours Asian Film Festival in Warsaw, Poland from Nov 14 to 21, where One Two Jaga will also be competing with 10 other outstanding Asian films for the Grand Prix title.
“It’s yet another triumph for our films. We’ve also been nominated for the New York Asian Film Festival and others in Italy and Shanghai. It’s great news that international audiences appreciate our creative works and it’s a good opportunity for us to be competing with world class productions,” said Nam Ron in a statement yesterday.
Five Flavours Asian Film Festival is an annual survey of cinema from South Asia and Southeast Asia. For the last 11 years, it has brought screenings of the newest films from the region to Polish cinema-goers.
Nam Ron said that Bront and him would be speaking to audiences and journalists in Poland in a question-and-answer session.
“Five Flavours has been placing Malaysian cinema in the spotlight for some years now. It hosted Dain Said’s Bunohan in 2011 and Interchange in 2015, Effendee Mazlan’s Songlap in 2011, U-Wei Saari’s Hanyut in 2012, and Shanjhey Kumar Perumal’s Jagat in 2015,” he said.
“And in 2012, the festival dedicated one separate section solely for Malaysian cinema - Focus: Malaysia.”
Nam Ron also said that the festival would also be screening Dain’s Dukun, which also stars Bront and himself.
“It’s going to be the European premiere of Dukun, too.”
He added that the nominated films will be discussed and evaluated by the People’s Jury, a group of 11 film critics from different backgrounds who share a passion for Asian cinema.
The Grand Prix title is presented by the People’s Jury during the festival’s closing ceremony.
The Five Flavours Asian Film Festival is organised by the Arteria Art Foundation with the support of the Warsaw City Council, Polish Film Institute, Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, Japan Foundation, Hong Kong Economic Trade Office, Hong Kong Film Development Fund and Asia-Europe Foundation.
One Two Jaga focuses on a courageous police officer Hussein (Zahiril Adzim) who exposes his corrupt superiors.
It is also about Indonesian workers who face a lot of hardship as a result of bribe-taking by the authorities.
The film which opened last Thursday stars Bront, Chew Kin Wah, Amerul Affendi, Filipino actor Timothy Castillo and Indonesian actors Ario Bayu and Asmara Abigail.
It was nominated for Best Feature Film at the 17th Asian Film Festival in New York (NYAFF) on June 29.
Last April, the film was screened at the 20th Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy.