“The pandemic has challenged us, but the show must go on and we as the film industry are forced to move forward and grow,” festival director Siti Kamaluddin said in her welcoming speech at the screening. Virtual Brunei Film Blitz 2021 Awards screened on OOPs! Youtube channel.

The event was a “one-run-and-done” premiere of 10 shortlisted films in three competitive Blitz categories – Open Category, Islamic Short Film and The 96 Hour Blitz.

This year, the awards gala saw many firsts – this virtual screening, international film submissions and the introduction of the Imagine Choice Award.

The festival director also expressed her gratitude to the juries who provided their expertise to judge this year’s nominations.

Judge Balaka Ghosh said, “There were many interesting topics explored in the film’s entries, and I enjoyed watching the varieties of new content. The films were modern, but highlighted the integrated culture and traditions reflecting the Southeast Asian region. “

Open category winner Gita Kinanthi Purnama Asri Adinda, an Indonesian filmmaker, received a trophy and 1,000 BND for her dance film Sea Threshold. The conceptual theme of the film is rich in culture and values, showing a deep respect for nature and the environment.

Meanwhile, Islamic category winner Amal Nazihah, a local filmmaker, also received a trophy and 1,000 BND with her film Censorship.

“It’s a cinematically important topic to explore, and it’s interesting to get a glimpse of the censorship process,” Judge Daniel Rudi said.

Amal Nazihah said the documentary was part of her assessment of the Malaysian Islamic Monarchy (MIB) and that she was grateful to the Brunei Film Blitz and the jury for this recognition.

The toughest category, the 96 Hour Blitz, was won by local filmmaker Alfath bin Sellahuddin with his film Teranah, earning him a cash prize of BND 1,500.

In this category, the filmmakers had to shoot and edit a quality film in four days. To ensure that participants will meet the specified production dates, a secret ingredient has been announced by the organizers of The Blitz that must be featured prominently in the story or visuals.

Alfath’s film used and performed the secret ingredient “Day for the Night” using soundscapes, lighting, and color grading to make the daytime shoot look like it was filmed at night.

“The secret ingredient was indeed a challenge, but not impossible once you broke down the technical elements of a night scene,” Alfath said. “I want to thank my family and my team for supporting me throughout my journey. I feel humbled by receiving the award.

This edition of the Brunei Film Blitz also introduced an Imagine Choice Award. This distinction was awarded to a local filmmaker who demonstrated creativity and imagination in the production. After careful consideration, the Imagine jury selected Donny Jerome for his film The Haunted; a film that explores mental illnesses and the perspective of a young man with schizophrenia.

The virtual event concluded with Master Editor Marya Ignacio congratulating all of the filmmakers on their submissions.

“As a professional editor, I have been impressed with many cuts and transitions.

Nonetheless, as a jury I have to warn filmmakers to avoid scoring too much in their films because visuals and sound have to go hand in hand, ”said Marya.

The Brunei Film Blitz will be back in December of next year.