BY James Kon

Two short films by local indie film director Abdul Zainidi’s, Vanishing Children Triangle and Cloud Jacket, received positive response from the audience in the recently concluded Ngilngig Fantastic Film Festival at Davao city, Philippines.

Ngilngig Fantastic Film Festival is dedicated to the genre cinema that showcases horror and fantasy films from across Southeast Asia.

According to Abdul Zainidi, Vanishing Children Triangle received praise from the Davaoeños (residents of Davao) in Mindanao which drew the largest audience and was praised for its depiction of Brunei during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, Cloud Jacket shared a similar theme about ‘vanishing’ and its lead actor, a Bruneian-born Filipino resident with special needs, Ralph Joshua Aguas, stars in the leading role. The film did not win, but was commended for its low budget and effective storytelling visuals and horror imagery.

The local film director said, “I am proud to be able to showcase these films and share a surreal image of Brunei through films. Some viewers shared that some of our local folktales bear some similarity with the Philippines’ folktales.”

-- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin