The 5th Edition of PRISM UBD Short Film Festival Opening Screening kicked off on 15th November 2022 in the Pro Chancellor Arts Centre, Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) campus, in the afternoon.
The annual event is co-organised by Dr Yong Liu of the Design and Creative Industries (DCI) programme and Mayyer Ling of the English Department, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS), UBD. This year we see, for the first time, PRISM became one of the official events under the ASEAN University Network on Culture and the Arts (AUN-CA) umbrella. The theme for this year’s PRISM is Culture. Future. Openness. There are more short film submissions than the previous years and include submissions from UBD, Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA), Politeknik Brunei, National University of Singapore (NUS), and De LA Salle University- Manila from the Philippines.
A total 26 student short films, which is the highest number ever in a single edition in PRISM’s five-year history, were chosen as finalists to compete in four categories: the Best Fiction Short Film Award, the Best Documentary Short Film Award, the Best Animation Short Film Award, and the Best Smartphone-made Short Film Award. The judging process will be conducted by a jury panel chaired by FASS Dean Dr Kathrina Daud and comprised of industry professionals and academics from both Brunei and overseas. The winner in each competition category will receive B$500 cash prizes. This is the first time PRISM set up cash prizes for winning films.
The 5th PRISM‘s physical premiere kicked off by an opening film A Journal to Brasov, which documents a trio of DCI students going to Brasov, Romania and attending the final competition of Dracula Digital 2022, and the friendship built up between them and three Romanian peer students via their co-operation of filmmaking production. It was followed by a brief opening remark by Mayyer Ling recorded from Wellington, New Zealand, and the ensuing screening of the 26 finalist films in the order of documentary, animation, smartphone-made, and fiction genres.
As it did the previous year, the premiere screening is followed by a three-week online screening of all the selected finalists on Progresif Media – Brunei’s leading online streaming platform, while jury panel proceed with judging reviewing, deliberation, and decision-making. During the online screening period between 16th November to 5th December, the 26 short films may be viewed on Progresif Media’s online steaming website as free content and registered viewers may vote for their favourite short film to win the People’s Choice Award based on the most popular votes. Progresif Media will provide a B$300 cash prize for the People’s Choice Award winner.
Winners of all the five categories will be announced in an Award Ceremony schedule for Tuesday 6th December 2022 in the Pro Chancellor Arts Centre, UBD. Creators of selected short films will then have the opportunity to discuss with Progresif Media on how to commercialise their creative works based on a SVOD revenue-sharing agreement signed between the student filmmakers and Progresif Media.