We welcome our Brother, Rafaat Haji Hamzah to our studio to talk about his controversial new LGBTQ+ Malay/Muslim Movie “Salam Gembira”.

Is the backlash against Salam Gembira warranted? Was it really as ‘liberal’ and full of ‘LGBT agenda’ as some writers and podcasters online claim it to be?

I would argue that the LGBTQ+ aspect – the theme of sexuality and reconciliation of one’s identity as both a Muslim and a member of the LGBTQ+ community — is not the main theme of the movie.

Upon closer analysis, which one can only do after actually viewing the movie, the overarching theme of the movie is the nature of identity, how it intersects and can be a source of conflict. The complexity of diverse identities and cultures may even require one to perform multiple versions of themselves to please different people in their lives.

Salam Gembira has been slammed by online users as haram, or forbidden in Arabic, even though it was passed uncut with an R21 rating.

A Singapore film with gay elements in a Malay-Muslim context has come under fire, showing how taboo the topic is among Muslim communities even as the LGBTQ movement gains traction in the region.

Online users have questioned how Salam Gembira was allowed to be screened, labelling it haram, or forbidden in Arabic, and even “sodomite influenced”.

We speak with Remi M Sali, producer for Salam Gembira, and Mohd Khair, a family advocate, about the movie that sparked controversy in the community for touching on the themes of Islam, LGBT, and family.

The film, played by veteran actors, opened a conversation that's been bubbling under the surface, especially within the Muslim community.

Where will these conversations lead?

We speak with Remi M Sali, producer for Salam Gembira, and Mohd Khair, a family advocate, about the movie that sparked controversy in the community for touching on the themes of Islam, LGBT, and family.

The film, played by veteran actors, opened a conversation that's been bubbling under the surface, especially within the Muslim community.

Where will these conversations lead?

With its LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) themes, Salam Gembira (Happy Greetings), a Malay feature film set in the city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands, may have raised a few eyebrows since its theatrical release in Singapore on July 4.

But the home-grown film-makers behind the Singapore comedy-drama – director and co-writer Dzul Sungit, co-producer and co-writer Remi M. Sali and co-producer Ho Pak Kin – say it celebrates acceptance and inclusivity.

Salam Gembira is a Malay film. In addition to Malay dialogue, the film also contains English, Dutch and Mandarin.

The character Daud played by veteran actor Vincent Tee is a Chinese Muslim. He married a Malay wife and converted to Islam. Daud had to change his lifestyle, which included changing from loving to eat Bak Kut Teh (pork rib soup) to eating halal food.

Salam Gembira serves as a catalyst for conversation, challenging viewers to confront their prejudices and empathise with those navigating complex intersections of identity. Through a narrative infused with humour, heartache, and hope, the film invites audiences to reflect on societal norms shaping our lives and relationships.

Overall, Salam Gembira is a great film that we highly encourage everyone to watch. The themes of the film are quite universal and extend beyond LGBT issues, making it appealing to a broad audience.

After becoming a Muslim, Vincent Tee, a veteran local entertainer, misses Bak Kut Teh.

Vincent Tee plays the role of a Chinese who converted to Islam in the movie Salam Gembira, which started filming on Friday (May 26), but he cannot forget the delicious Bak Kut Teh (pork rib soup). Vincent revealed in a telephone interview with Lianhe Zaobao: "In the film, I remarried and married a Malay wife and became a Muslim, but I just can't forget Bak Kut Teh, so there are many problems, and it is a very challenging role."

When the Singapore government announced the abolition of Section 377A of the Penal Code, colleagues in the entertainment industry posted nasty anti-repeal posts on social media. Well-known local Malay director Remi M Sali was disturbed after reading these posts and decided to serve as the producer of “𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗺 𝗚𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗿𝗮” (English title is Happy Greetings, Chinese title《愿你幸福》translated as "Wishing you Happiness") to support the production of the film.

Remi revealed in an interview with Lianhe Zaobao: “When the government announced the repeal of Section 377A in 2022, Pak Kin and I were disturbed when we saw many nasty postings on social media from our industry friends, who are against the repeal.” Both feel even though it is alright to have differences in opinions, “it is wrong to belittle and dehumanize the LGBTQ+ community just to express disapproval.”

The premiere of the 6th "2022 Far and Near-Southeast Asian Film Festival" of the Gaoshi Social Education Center opened today, and the Singaporean family comedy "Not My Mother's Baking" took the lead and was exhibited for 4 consecutive Sundays. Films from different countries use multiculturalism to narrow the distance between new residents and Taiwanese people.

Movies can not only entertain the audience but can be the beginning of dialogue and discussion about socio-religious issues that affect the daily life of the community. The Singapore film starring Chef Siti Mastura Alwi and Chef Sarah Ariffin, Not My Mother's Baking, for example, as screened as part of Harmony Centre's (HA) Tick Talks series yesterday.

HA's Tick Talks series brings together representatives of each religion and experts to discuss contemporary socio-religious issues that affect the daily lives of local communities. After the screening of the film at Filmgarde @ Leisure Park Kallang, around 120 people who attended also participated in a discussion session with a panel.

"Delivering difficult issues in a romantic comedy film makes it more accessible, which is also a good starting point for dialogue and conversation," said the executive producer of the film 'Not My Mother's Baking'.

Harmony Centre pioneered cross-faith dialogue through film, which is the first initiative of its kind in the country. As part of 'HA Tick Talks' 2022, Harmony Centre will screen the award-winning film, 'Not My Mother's Baking', before holding a panel discussion on issues of race, religion and relationships.

Interreligious is dedicated to the knowledge and comparison between the different religions present in the area. The theme of this edition, "Religions and the economic challenges for the future", proposes a reflection on the meanings and implications that economic models assume in the different traditions and on the repercussions that these have on the well-being of individuals. The program includes face-to-face and online appointments, with film screenings , round tables and music. Not My Mother's Baking screens as part of the Buddhism and philosophies of China - table of interreligious dialogue.

The rainforest-inspired Singapore Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai launched the first of its monthly film nights on October 12 with award-winning feature 'Not My Mother’s Baking'. Staring father-and-son acting duo Zack and Benjamin Zainal, the film uses comedy to expose the ignorance and cultural insensitivities that are often swept under the carpet in Singapore.

SINGAPORE FILM starring mother-daughter duo Chef Siti Mastura Alwi and Chef Sarah Ariffin, Not My Mother's Baking stole the hearts of the jury at the Religion Today Film Festival in Trento, Italy. The film won the inter-religious special jury ❞𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻❜𝘀 𝗘𝘆𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱.❞ Produced by Studio59 Concepts, the film was also nominated for the special jury ❞𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗚𝗮𝘇𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱❞.

Chef Siti Mastura, when contacted by Berita Harian said: "I am very proud that this film won with commendation and we are like representing the voices of Singaporean women in making positive life choices and fulfilling dreams."

Local film "Not My Mother's Baking" won the "Religion Through Women's Eyes Award" at the 24th Religion Today Film Festival in Italy.

Director Remi M Sali happily told Lianhe Zaobao, “The movie deals with interracial and interfaith issues in Singapore in a light-hearted manner, which makes it palatable and relatable for a general audience." He added, “We can have a laugh at ourselves which is a great starting point for dialogue and understanding.”

Local film Not My Mother’s Baking continues to make waves overseas with its win at Italy’s 24th Religion Today Film Festival’s Religions Through Women’s Eyes Award, and with its nomination for the special jury New Gazes Award. The festival is dedicated to promoting a culture of peace and dialogue between faiths through cinema.

Bold in its challenge of religious, cultural and racial sensitivities in Singapore, Not My Mother’s Baking also holds the accolade for being the first Singaporean film to feature a Malay lead speaking English for most of the film.

Local film "Not My Mother's Baking" won the "Religion Through Women's Eyes Award" at the 24th Religion Today Film Festival in Italy.

Director Remi M Sali revealed that "Not My Mother’s Baking" is the first Singapore feature film to be officially selected and competing in the festival. This year, there are 83 films from 36 countries competing for multiple awards. The films are selected from more than 1400 entries received.

The local film "Not My Mother's Baking" was nominated for two awards at the 24th Religion Today Film Festival in Italy - a special jury "𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗚𝗮𝘇𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱" and an inter-religious special jury "𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻❜𝘀 𝗘𝘆𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱".

The movie Konpaku is based on the real life experience of film director, Remi M. Sali. In the movie we see a powerful scene in which the Ustaz tries to dispel the entity from the victim while his two friends watched on. In real life, Remi and his brother were the ones holding down the relative. This is his confession.

No, it's not a race-swapped version of a Pontianak film. In Konpaku, Midori as an entity is something new, and yet to be identified. She is not bound by any preconceived rules attached to familiar Malay ghosts, like the Pontianak, Penanggal or even Hantu Kum Kum. Just like what my relative Hirzi experienced, I want the audience to learn the entity's characteristics as the movie unfolds.

Movie Review by Sanim Saleh of Berita Harian

Konpaku is inspired by an actual exorcism that the Director, Remi M Sali, participated in together with his 3 siblings. The experience changed their lives forever, where they teamed up to make the movie.

From the team behind local film Not My Mother's Baking (2020), which made its world premiere at last year’s Singapore International Film Festival - SGIFF, comes their 2019 indie film Konpaku. The 2020 comedy was praised as an unapologetic effort in normalising interreligious and intercultural relationships. In many ways, Konpaku goes further in its challenge of similarly sensitive themes and topics as a Malay-centric local film. While it is a sharp tonal contrast to Not My Mother's Baking, director Remi M Sali’s eye for fascinating stories found amidst intercultural and interreligious dialogue remains ever apparent even while tackling the horror genre.

Participating in a relative's exorcism turns the world upside down for local director Remi M. Sali, who made the film Konpaku!

In an interview with Lianhe Zaobao, Remi revealed that when he was 36 years old in 2011, a relative who was 10 years younger than him appeared to be "disorderly in behavior". His relatives and friends exorcised the male relative, and he also participated. He said: "I am not passionate about religion. When I get involved in something like this, I step out of my comfort zone and am not afraid in the process. Because this relative has a bad relationship with his mother, I once felt that he was just 'acting'. Remi added that before going, "he strongly believed that this relative should see a psychiatrist, but the exorcism process made me realize that he was not only mentally ill. His Malay is not good, but strangely, he can speak Indonesian fluently." According to Remi, relatives and friends suspected that he was possessed by Indonesian spirits.

Review by CTS News, Taiwan

Review by ET Today, Taiwan

Local Malay director Remi M Sali's "Not My Mother's Baking" was praised by film critics in Taiwan. He expressed his happiness in an interview with "Lianhe Zaobao" and said: "I hope the Taiwanese audiences will like it too!"

"Not My Mother's Baking" opened on the box office in Taiwan's Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung.

Movie Review by M.I.L. in Taiwan

Movie review by TVBS Focus, Taiwan

Becoming the first local Malay director to have a film released in Taiwan, Remi M Sali said in an interview with Lianhe WanBao: "I'm so nervous, I don't know how Taiwanese movie audiences will react."

"Not My Mother's Baking" has a mixed of local language, including Chinese, English, Malay and other dialogues. The film will open at the box office in Taiwan today. Remi said: "In Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung. I am curious about the Taiwanese audience's views on this Singaporean film."

《媽哩媽哩烘》is much better than expected. It seems to touch on ordinary and monotonous issues but actually incorporates a huge amount of information. Through a relaxed and humorous tone, it tells this love story under a huge cultural barrier. The film is 112 minutes long, with a brisk rhythm and no sloppiness. The director likes to put two extreme values together, presenting a "contradictory showdown" one after another, which brings out wonderful sparks again and again. Enjoyed and satisfied!”

Thank you TVBS 新聞 and 林佳妮 for highlighting quotable quotes from Not My Mother's Baking and using them to tell the essence of the story.

The whole film cleverly highlights the love and affection between two Singaporean families of different races, one Malay and one Chinese. Due to the differences in race, cultural etiquette, religious beliefs and food, a series of misunderstandings are derived. As long as you are honest and call for true love in your heart, you must try your best to eliminate the voices of fear and opposition from others. From the first acquaintances that cause disputes and frictions which then leads to mutual affection and laughter, the film explodes into a series of lively and witty dialogue. The festive marriage makes people laugh and cry, and it is also full of joy!

Movie Review by 電影情報讚 Movie Information Like, Taiwan

Movie review by 壹電影 NextTV Movie, Taiwan

Singapore-based investment, production and licensing firm 108 Media picked up two Singaporean indie projects produced in late 2020: feature documentary “The Last Artisan” about an ageing master craftsman who must past his tools to the next generation, directed by Craig McTurk; and social comedy “Not My Mother’s Baking,” about religious and cultural misunderstandings in the age of social media, by veteran director Remi M Sali.

I find film making gleefully exciting, but absolutely nerve-wracking at the same time. Ho Pak Kin (co-founder of Studio59 Concepts) and I challenge ourselves to create local-centric content that everyone loves to watch, but nobody dares to make. With Malay content, there are so many subject matters that have yet to be explored and showcased, which can be universally accepted and appreciated.

Not My Mother’s Baking is a rare film that presents the faultlines in inter-ethnic and inter-faith Singapore in a point-blank yet light-hearted way. We have the opportunity to interview director Remi M Sali, a Ngee Ann Poly graduate and Chef Sarah Ariffin, who plays the female lead in the film. Here’s what they have to say about the controversial portrayals in their film.

Eye-opening. That was the first word that came to mind when I was leaving the theatre after watching local film Not My Mother’s Baking. More than just a romance comedy and culinary drama, this local film explores the complex interracial and interfaith relations that are ever so present and not so talked about in Singapore.

"BABI! Babi! Babi!" That was one of the dialogues of the narrator of a romantic comedy film screening recently by Studio59 Concepts, Not My Mother's Baking. The 112-minute film tells the story of an extraordinary encounter between the son of a roasted pork rice seller, Edwin, and a Muslim pastry chef, Sarah. Personally, the film can be a trigger for honest, open and relaxed discussions on religious and racial issues. However, this column will discuss in particular the word 'babi' following the hilarious dialogue from the language perspective and its relationship with the community.

Sekiranya korang ternampak trailer filem Not My Mother’s Baking ni, pasti korang dapat agak bahawa filem ini pasal another kisah cinta antara Melayu dan Cina yang dilarang dek perbezaan budaya dan agama, tapi akhirnya dapat dileraikan. Tapi, apa yang membuat perjalanan cinta watak Sarah dan Edwin lebih menarik adalah personaliti keluarga masing-masing yang menambahkan flavour kepada kisah cinta ala Romeo dan Juliet ini.

Is it a headache for the son of a roast pork hawker to fall in love with a Malay girl? The local movie Not My Mother's Baking tells such a story, director Remi M Sali dares to accept the challenge. In an interview with Lianhe Zaobao 联合早报, he candidly said that the film explores the cultural and religious beliefs of different races. The plot and bold dialogue in the film made the cast and crew nervous for him.

Local movie Not My Mother's Baking caught the favour of Taiwanese distributor Cineplex Development Co. and is slated for a theatrical release there. The Taiwanese film distribution company has previously picked up Eric Khoo's 'My Magic' and Yeo Siew Hua’s Golden Horse award-winning film 'A Land Imagined'.

I believe I am not alone in my love for cinema. In particular, movies about food. There is nothing that gets my cravings going more than seeing a dish on the big screen—think ramen from Tampopo (1985), or ratatouille from, well, Ratatouille (2007). Imagine my excitement when Not My Mother’s Baking (2020), Studio59 Concept’s latest work, was announced in September of 2019. Over a year later, I am pleased to report that the film is finally hitting the cinemas.

Local romantic comedy Not My Mother’s Baking reimagines Romeo and Juliet for modern Singapore. The film is bold in its challenge of religious, cultural and racial sensitivities in the country, holding the accolades for being the first Singaporean film to feature a Malay lead speaking English for most of the film, and for being the first film in the world to showcase the Islamic conversion of a man led by a woman religious leader.

Q&A with director Remi M. Sali and producer Ho Pak Kin on Not My Mother's Baking for SGIFF 2020.

“Not My Mother’s Baking” by Remi M Sali, similarly to “Konpaku” (2019), the debut feature of this Singapore-based director, explores the territory of intercultural and interfaith relations. However, while “Konpaku” was using the elements of horror, this time the mood is entirely different. We get a rom-com combined with a light-weighted family drama and… lots of mouth-watering delicacies. Remi M Sali made use of his experience gained during working on TV culinary shows like “Cinta Kek” or “Delicatessen” to implement some tasty content and a thread of video productions dedicated to foodies and gormandizers.

During his childhood, film director Remi M Sali felt as a Malay-Muslim, he is "purer" than the Chinese - as "Malays do not eat pork, and do not touch dogs." In fact, he admitted that he was angry with a school friend who put a piece of non-halal dumpling into his plate. Who would have thought, that past experience inspired the production of his latest film, which addresses the halal and non-halal aspects of living in harmony between races, both in relationships, lifestyle and food.

True love conquers all in Remi M Sali’s warmhearted Singaporean rom-com Not My Mother’s Baking (不是我妈妈的烘焙). Spinning a Romeo and Juliet romance between an aspiring Malay Muslim cook and the heir to a roast pork hawker stall, Not My Mother’s Baking is as much about cross-cultural connection as it is about two young people finding their own directions and the strength to pursue them free of parental expectation as they figure out what it is that will really make them happy.

Just in case you were wondering what the film title means, it’s a millennial daughter spiting her celebrity mother’s bakery-driven fame by starting a YouTube channel named as such, featuring her own baking exploits. Pretty cool isn’t it? This ‘family values’ vehicle packs a few instances of rebellion and impropriety to keep the film crunchy without being too haram.

Live interview with mother-daughter leads Chef Siti Mastura, Chef Sarah Ariffin, director Remi M Sali and producer Ho Pak Kin.

The film has an authentic blend of Singapore flavours with dialogues in Chinese, Malay and English. Shin Min Daily News interviewed the protagonist, Vincent Tee. He revealed that his role as a roast pork seller was initially just as a guest star. As he is effectively bilingual, he became the narrator in the movie, coupled with his on set impromptu dialogue improvisation. “As a result, my role increased from being a guest star to 50%!”

Director Remi M Sali and Executive Producer Ho Pak Kin of Studio59 Concepts share their vision for their movie with TheHomeGround.Asia ahead of its World Premiere at the 31st Singapore International Film Festival.

Radio Interview with actresses Chef Siti Mastura, Chef Sarah Ariffin & director Remi M Sali.

At first glance, Not My Mother’s Baking, seems like your typical romance flick of star-crossed lovers set in modern day Singapore. That is until you start unpeeling the layers to this film by Studio59 Concepts, their second full-length feature and their first film to be showcased at the 31st Singapore International Film Festival.

For this year’s Singapore Panorama, we doubled the short film programme to provide a richer experience of local films. The diverse showcase ranges from works with wider appeal to those of hybrid and unconventional forms. Together, they present a crossection of the state of independent filmmaking in Singapore. Through their varied portayals, they capture a slice of eclectic Singapore that we hope will spark discussion and reflection.

The culinary section of the 14th Five Flavours is a sense-stimulating survey of film delicacies from across Asia. And if the steaming-hot soups, dishes sprinkled with colorful seasonings, and glossy chocolate-glazed cakes make your mouth water, you can join us for a home feast accompanying the screenings!

Food, religion and culture clashes occur in the romantic comedy Not My Mother's Baking, which relates what happens when the daughter of a Malay-Muslim celebrity chef falls in love with the son of a Chinese roast pork seller.

Local movie Not My Mother’s Baking is rated NC16 as it touches on interracial marriage and religiously-sensitive content.

This persistence of vision is also apparent in a number of self-funded independent films. Most intriguing of all is Konpaku (Soul) by Remi M Sali, a young filmmaker who began with short films in 1995 (after Sandi Tan). Still with his filmmaking partner, Dzulkifli Sungit, who helms cinematography, Sali’s film is an in-your-face politically incorrect film about the Malay minority in Singapore.

We present a list of twenty films you shouldn’t miss at the 10th Cambodia International Film Festival which will take place from March 13th – 22nd (2020) at Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Zack Zainal, Chef Siti Mastura and their respective children star in the movie "Not My Mother's Baking" which will meet the audience in theatres next year.

Bagi Encik Remi M Sali dari Studio 59 Concepts, meskipun sudah berkecimpung dalam industri ini selama 20 tahun, beliau berkongsi beberapa cabaran yang dihadapi para pembuat filem di sini. Antaranya adalah untuk meningkatkan lagi jumlah penonton melalui tayangan aliran utama. Filem terbaru Encik Remi misalnya, ditonton oleh para penduduk di Brunei melalui tayangan terhad dan di sini pula, hanya boleh ditayangkan secara privet. Ini meskipun filem 'Konpaku' arahannya itu dicalonkan bagi Pesta Filem Timur Jauh di Itali baru-baru ini. "Saya rasa lebih banyak sokongan yang perlu daripada syarikat pengedar sebabnya tidak banyak pihak pengedar yang minat mempromosikan filem Melayu kita. Sebabnya ia boleh dikatakan menjejaskan keuntungan. Mereka kata 'Filem Melayu, siapa yang akan tonton? Boleh dimainkan untuk masyarakat Melayu saja? Bagaimana cara pemasarannya?'."

Low-budget horror explores the contradictions of religion and sex from the perspective of a Muslim-Malay … In director Remi M Sali’s film Haqim (Junaidi M Sali), the awkward Muslim-Malay main character meets the seductive Midori (Lizzie V), also a Japanese succubus spirit, and he is consumed by their ensuing relationship. Midori takes control of Haqim and puts his family and friends in danger. Eventually, Haqim’s mother resolves to exorcism to save her son.

I heard that the idea for the movie is based on a real experience, can you elaborate on that? (Remi, director): Yes it is an experience which me and my family had, a relative of us got possessed. The exorcism totally blew my mind. I needed to capture some of those moments on screen, as that is the best way I have to express myself.

Truth is always stranger than fiction and Remi M Sali’s Konpaku is thrilling in its bid to get you frighteningly close to the social reality of being Malay in $ingapore. Not only that, Konpaku refuses the established genre of the Malay pontianak (female vampire) films that have permeated our horrified dreams since 1957. Instead, the film brings you to millennial $ingapore where history isn’t baggage but only a state-sponsored enterprise. Here, young Malays enter the global village and fall in love. And it’s just your luck if you end up with a foreign ghost.

The Udine Far East Film Festival returns for its 21st edition on April 26! As usual, the festival has brought together some of the most highly anticipated East Asian cinema releases with 76 films included in this year’s programme including a retrospective strand dedicated to classic Korean cinema and sidebar on Korean indie comedy. This year’s guests of honour are veteran Hong Kong star Anthony Wong who will be receiving the festival’s Golden Mulberry Award, and Chinese superstar Yao Chen. .......... Singapore: Konpaku – A young man upset after his girlfriend leaves him ends up in a relationship with the sensuous Midori but is disturbed when strange things start happening to those close to him.

The film is a rare example of modern Singapore Malay cinema in two other ways. One is the liberal use of everyday spoken Malay, which is considered coarse and uncouth. Perhaps for this and the raunchy scenes, the censors rated Konpaku NC16 (No Children under 16). The other is the obsessive (and honestly quite hilarious) dialogue when Haqim keeps trying to persuade Midori to convert to Islam to sanction their marriage. To get married, all Midori needs to do is embrace Islam by pretence, not by practice. Even when Haqim is delirious, he never loses sight that she must convert. This obsessive emphasis anchors the film in the ordinary world of Singapore Malays. (Oh well, anything for a succulent Japanese succubus I suppose.)

Most intriguing of all is Konpaku (Soul) by Remi M Sali, a young filmmaker who began with short films in 1995 (after Sandi Tan). Still with his filmmaking partner, Dzulkifli Sungit, a cinematographer, Sali’s film is an in-your-face politically incorrect film about the Malay minority in Singapore. Based on a real-life Islamic exorcism, the film is a love story between a man and a female spirit. You can call it an update of the Pontianak (female vampire) films from the 1950s, as Konpaku engages the social phenomenon of mixed-race marriages today. In this case, the female spirit happens to be Japanese, and she happens to be a very raunchy spirit (and if you ever wanted to know, iku iku in Japanese means “I’m coming”). Unlike other Singapore horror films, Konpaku wears its cultural badge proudly. Can you imagine that much of the dialogue is a debate with the ghost about marriage and the necessity for Islamic conversion?

Something that went under the radar of festival films and fanfare is a film called Konpaku – directed by filmmaker Remi Sali. Writer-director Remi, to those who know, should also be considered a returning pioneer, for he directed a feature screen adaptation of The Necessary Stage play Off Centre way back in the 1990s. Konpaku or ‘soul’ in Japanese is a modern heartland creep on spiritual harassment and is market ready for a new cinema run in 2019.

CONGRATULATIONS to local production company Studio59 Concepts, crew and actors who have successfully produced a sensual horror film, a genre which local Malay productions may not dare to venture.

Segala penat lelah dan juga proses di sebalik menghasilkan filem akan dipaparkan dalam program realiti terbaru 'AKSI!' terbitan saluran televisyen Suria dari Singapura dan Radio Televisyen Brunei (RTB). .............................. Mujur, para peserta turut menerima bimbingan khas daripada tiga mentor berpengalaman iaitu Remi M Sali dan Raihan Halim dari Singapura serta Harlif Mohamad dari Brunei.

A joint collaboration between RTB and Mediacorp Singapore, AKSI involves youth aged 17-24 from both countries, in the production of creative short videos in various genres. .............................. The Red Team comprises Haji Md Afiq bin Haji Ghani from Brunei as producer, Wan Murni Wan Iskandar from Singapore as director, Md Zulkifli bin Md Salleh as scriptwriter and Remi M Sali as their mentor.

Brunei and Singapore continue to strengthen media cooperation through a new joint production, AKSI! (or Action!), between broadcasters Mediacorp and Radio Televisyen Brunei (RTB). AKSI! engages high school and tertiary students from both countries in the creative challenge of video making. .............................. The Singapore mentors and jury members involved in AKSI! include M Raihan Halim, Remi M Sali, Sanif Olek and Eric Ong.

Saya amat gumbira apabila Ole-ole Temasya kembali buat musim kedua! Saya mengikuti Mastura Ahmad dan Seri Wahyuni Jaes di Instagram dan kerap melihat gambar-gambar percutian mereka! Saya benar-benar tidak sabar ingin menonton Ole-ole Temasya 2! .............................. Saya amat suka rancangan ini kerana ia mengajak penonton melihat pesta ataupun sambutan yang luar biasa di luar negara. Pada masa yang sama, Mastura dan Seri juga memberitahu kita informasi yang relevan dan padat. Bukan itu sahaja, mereka tidak memerlukan dua abang sado (aka sex appeal) untuk naikkan jumlah tontonan kerana mereka tahu mereka tidak perlu pertolongan! Secara peribadi, rancangan ini tops semua siri Zoom combined.