Makers of 'Batik Girl' dream of breaking into international markets

KUALA LUMPUR - The two-dimensional animated short film ‘Batik Girl’ made the country proud five years ago after it garnered international recognition and awards at over 20 film festivals worldwide.

Now, six years after its release, its makers are planning a sequel which they hope to release in 2027.

The original nine-minute flick tells the story of an orphan girl who falls in love with the art of batik painting.

The R&D Studio, which produced ‘Batik Girl’, chief creative officer Irwan Junaidy promised a more captivating storyline for the sequel which will be produced as a full-length animated film.

"In the sequel, the girl featured in ‘Batik Girl’ (2018) has grown up and become a mother. However, she struggles with the trauma she had experienced during her childhood, which affects her relationship with her child,” he said.

Hoping to see the sequel achieving the same success as the original film, Irwan told Bernama The R&D Studio has enlisted Renee Pillai as scriptwriter and co-director, considering she was the first Malaysian to win the Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting in 2019.

Commenting on the collaboration with Renee, Irwan said the award she won was not an ordinary one as it is administered by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences which is known for its annual Academy Awards or Oscars.

"Therefore, collaborating with the winner of a prestigious award is an opportunity we will not pass up, and we hope this partnership with Renee will yield international-quality results," he said.

The sequel to ‘Batik Girl’, which is currently in the preproduction stage, was also one of eight fictional film projects from around the world selected to participate in the Meet the Producer session at the Annecy International Animation Film Market (MIFA) in Annecy, France, on June 12.

MIFA is a platform to showcase animated film projects that are still in the production stage, while the Meet the Producer session is a special programme for projects that have secured at least 70 percent of their funding and are seeking gap financing from investors.

According to Irwan, it was the first time a Malaysian movie was invited and selected to participate in MIFA’s Meet the Producer session.

"Only eight films were chosen from thousands submitted worldwide,” he said, adding, "During the session, we presented our ‘Batik Girl’ sequel project to investors from around the world. One reason for seeking foreign investors is to make it easier for our animated film to penetrate international markets, but we are also open to receiving Malaysian investors.”

Inspired by the awards won by ‘Batik Girl’ (2018) at various international film festivals, the producers are planning to screen the sequel not only in Malaysian cinemas but also abroad.

"We also hope to submit the sequel for participation at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France,” he said.

Among the awards won by ‘Batik Girl’ were the Honorable Mention in Audience Favorites award at the Florida Animation Festival and the Gold Medal in the Regional category at the 20th Digicon6 Asia, Japan. - BERNAMA