Pitt Hanif’s “Coast Guard Malaysia: Ops Helang” and Jin Ong’s “Abang Adik” have been officially selected for competition at the 25th Udine Far East Film Festival (FEFF) in Italy. “Coast Guard Malaysia: Ops Helang” making it the first time that it will be screened at an international festival, to be held from April 21 to April 29, 2023.
Jin Ong’s first feature film, “Abang Adik” won two awards at the recently held 37th Fribourg International Film Festival (FIFF). “I feel very honoured to receive the awards and I’m so glad I could bring a Malaysian film to share with them,” said Jin Ong.
Image via Abang Adik
“Coast Guard Malaysia: Ops Helang” directed by the late Pitt Haniff in collaboration with Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency was a box office success hitting RM5 million within two weeks of screening and was selected at FEFF. Producers of this film, Arie Zaharie, Muhammad Hady Yusry Makmor, Rozita Mat Isa and Azlan Zaharie were overjoyed for “Coast Guard Malaysia: Ops Helang” to be selected in FEFF.
"On behalf of all Malaysian filmmakers, we are so proud and honored to represent Malaysia in this 25th edition. Wish us all the best!" said producers of the movie.
Image via Coast Guard Malaysia: Ops Helang
Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest) as the festival partner of Udine FEFF, the founder of MIFFest Joanne Goh stated, “We are honoured to have these two films to be selected in FEFF. These films have received huge success and can represent Malaysia well. It is truly a privilege for Malaysian films to receive recognition by FEFF. After these two years of partnership with FEFF, we hope to continue to build a long time relationship between Malaysia and Italy.”
MIFFest and FEFF have once again delivered positive news this year. They have organised special screenings of Malaysian films and facilitated interactions among filmmakers, all with the aim of promoting the concept of "From East To West”. Furthermore, MIFFest has pledged to support local films to ensure that more people from across the globe can appreciate the beauty and significance of Malaysian cinema.
According to Sabrina Baracetti, the festival director of FEFF, the first year of collaboration with MIFFest was a resounding success. FEFF had the opportunity to visit Malaysia through MIFFest last year, thereby gaining valuable insight into the country's culture and film industry. This year their goal is to establish a cultural bridge between Malaysia and Europe, using culture as a tool to gain a deeper understanding of the world.