The Alternativa Film Project has announced the winners of its Alternativa Film Awards 2024 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. In the short film category, Malaysian filmmaker Mickey Lai won for her movie “WASHHH”, receiving a prize of USD $10,000.
A total of 25 films were selected, including 13 feature films and 12 short films, from 14 Asian countries and in 20 different languages. An independent international jury of filmmakers and social impact experts chose the winners. The total prize fund was $100,000, with $20,000 awarded to each of the four feature-length categories and $10,000 each for the two short film winners.
WASHHH, directed by Mickey Lai, tells the story of a Chinese trainee in a Malaysia National Service camp who must lead her multiracial female friends in washing stained sanitary pads at night. This short film was recognized for encouraging discussions on sensitive topics related to cultural beliefs.
Mickey Lai, director of “WASHHH” expressed her gratitude in accepting the award, “This film explores the trauma and conflict across different races and religions and is based on my own personal experience. Initially, we were hesitant to showcase this story to the audience because it highlights a vulnerable topic in our community. However, I am grateful for the overwhelming love and support shown by the audience and I hope that this movie inspires other filmmakers to continue to voice out in addressing critical social and cultural topics through the art of storytelling”.
Kamila Andini, one of the international jurors for this year’s awards shared the reasoning behind the film’s selection, “WASHHH sensitively questions many complex topics of muslim young girls in south east asia within one situation. The cinematography and the performances strongly captures every layer of pressure, anger, confusion, frustration that comes among those issues. The film shows how menstruation, a natural cycle in women’s bodies, could lay diverse perspectives in different cultures. An intimate reflection of one very particular voice that defines how important cinema is to us, today”.
Liza Surganova, Head of Alternativa Film Project, congratulated all the winners for this year’s awards, “We are proud to celebrate each of the winners of the 2024 Alternativa Film Awards, whose remarkable works embody the transformative power of cinema. These films not only push the boundaries of artistic expression but also shine a light on pressing social issues, sparking conversations that can inspire meaningful change. We believe in the potential of storytelling to unite communities and address systemic challenges, and the Alternativa Film Project is our way of championing the incredible talent that drives these narratives forward”.
The Alternativa Film Awards recognises films with artistic excellence that address significant social and cultural issues, aiming to positively impact local communities and challenge injustice in line with inDrive’s mission. This year in Indonesia marks the second edition of the awards, following its debut in Kazakhstan in 2023. Additionally, Latin America will be the focus region for the Alternativa Film Project in 2025, with the third Alternativa Film Ceremony scheduled for 2026.
For more information on the Alternativa Film Awards & Festival 2024 and full list of winners, please visit https://alternativa.film/awards-2024.html