17th Annual BMW Shorties Partners With MIFFest

The annual edition of the BMW Shorties short film competition returned for its 17th edition earlier this week. For this year’s edition, the series sees itself making a landmark partnership with the Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest).

The new partnership sees both sharing the same commitment in celebrating Malaysian cinema artists alongside International works. For the upcoming 2023 edition of MIFFest taking place from March 23 to March 29, a line-up of programmes will be organised in partnership with BMW Group Malaysia and its BMW Shorties platform such as film screenings, masterclass workshops, and networking.

Included too will be specially-organised and exclusive ‘experiences’ through a fleet of BMW i7 - the Bavarian marque’s all-electric flagship saloon. Though not officially launched yet, the Mercedes-Benz EQS rival has garnered stellar reception amongst local prospects, with its order books reported filled-up through 2024.

“As creativity and ideas continue to evolve with changing times, so too does the BMW Shorties as a platform. This partnership between the BMW Shorties and MIFFest is the natural next step that will open up new frontiers for local talents to discover new experiences on the international stage that will shape their storytelling – in turn, their talents too will be discovered as well,” said BMW Group Malaysia MD Hans De Visser.

“With this partnership, aspiring filmmakers and digital content creators stand to gain not only valuable exposure, but also new connections within the industry, allowing them to further spread their wings in their creative endeavours,” adds Joanne Goh, founder and president of MIFFest.

For its 2023 edition, the BMW Shorties competition will reward its winner with an RM80,000 Production grant to produce their BMW Shorties-funded film. There will also be an awards ceremony that sees to recognise talent across a range of categories including Best Director, Best Actor and Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Editing, Best Sound Design, as well as the both a People’s Choice Award and a Best Student Shorties Award.

Submissions for the competition starts next month on April 1 and closes on May 21. Submissions can be made via the MIFFest website, mega.com.my, or via the dedicated BMW Shorties website, BMWShorties.com.my.