Filed under: The Life & Times of an Islamic Insurgency, broadcast, directing, documentary, film, journalism, new media, television, video blog | Tags: documentary, fat bidin, film, heading to the border, I'm Muslim Too!, islam, malaysia, muslim, ntv7, pattani, terrorism, thailand, The Life & Times of an Islamic Insurgency, zan azlee
It’s a matriarchal society in Pattani. The women do everything and the men just get whipped! Damn editing of the film has got my ass whooped!
Filed under: The Life & Times of an Islamic Insurgency, broadcast, directing, documentary, film, internet, journalism, new media, television, video blog | Tags: documentary, fat bidin, film, heading to the border, I'm Muslim Too!, islam, malaysia, muslim, ntv7, pattani, terrorism, thailand, The Life & Times of an Islamic Insurgency, zan azlee
The editing of ‘THE LIFE & TIMES…’ is almost done! Can you believe it? I can’t! This is the fastest edit I’ve done so far for a feature length film! Woohoo! I’ve got some bits & pieces to shoot (mainly of myself looking handsome and cool!)… but aside from that, everything is done.
The video above is still of me and Daniya. He tells me about the risk we have of getting shot or bombed. It’s really exotic and exciting for me to see tanks and soldiers all around town. Good thing I didn’t get shot at!
Filed under: The Life & Times of an Islamic Insurgency, broadcast, directing, documentary, film, internet, journalism, new media, television, video blog | Tags: malaysia, zan azlee, fat bidin, documentary, islam, I'm Muslim Too!, pattani, The Life & Times of an Islamic Insurgency, thailand, terrorism, muslim, film, ntv7, heading to the border
Before you start reading this entry… click and get the video above downloading first! Done so? That red line moving? Okay! Now start reading!
It’s been a while. Work and other crap has been intense! My film ‘THE LIFE & TIMES OF AN ISLAMIC INSURGENCY‘ has been taking a back seat for a while… but not anymore! I’ve started editing and its coming along sweet! Also got a deal with a local broadcaster. Where else but your feel good channel… ntv7! It’s going to have a new special TV title… ‘I’M MUSLIM TOO! HEADING TO THE BORDER’. They want to brand it based on my previous film ‘I’M MUSLIM TOO!’. Keep your fingers crossed… you all might get an annual dosage of FAT BIDIN (A.K.A. = ME!) in the years to come! Muahahahaha!
So… any sponsors or advertisers? National airtime is confirmed you know! Come on… you know you want to! Heheh! My line is always open! Contact me!
Okay… cut the crap! Check out the first video blog from the film and let me know what you think!
Filed under: The Malaysian Insider, directing, documentary, internet, journalism, new media, news, press, video blog
My video story for The Malaysian Insider this week is about DVD pirates. Understandably, it was kinda tough trying to get any of them to agree to be interviewed and I had to dish out RM75 on Mandarin DVDs to convince this guy!
Filed under: The Malaysian Insider, directing, documentary, internet, journalism, new media, news, politics, press, video blog | Tags: da huang pictures, johor bahru, liew seng tat, may 13 1969, saga, The Malaysian Insider
May 13th is today! I did a special video package for The Malaysian Insider. Check it out!
Props to my hometown’s (Johor Bahru) popular Warong Saga and my biatch Liew Seng Tat at Da Huang Pictures!
Filed under: broadcast, directing, documentary, internet, journalism, metropolis, new media, news, television
Yo bros and hoes! I know I know I know! It’s been a while and you all miss me to bits. I can explain though. I’ve been really busy. I’ve been working on some television programmes (of which you will see updates here soon!), on my film The Life & Times of an Islamic Insurgency (updates… including videos… will be up soon too!) and some other journalistic endeavours.
I also got a new gig… as foreign correspondent for a Dutch television station called VPRO TV. My first story for them is about feisty 90 year old Tok Maimun Yusof from Kuala Terengganu who ran for parliament in last year’s General Elections. Metropolis TV (that’s the name of the programme) airs every Sunday on Nederland 3 in The Netherlands. So if you’re there, do tune in! If you aren’t, God is great and you can watch the episodes on their website here. If you just want to watch my story, click here.
Oh… and I’ve also started Twittering! So make sure you get my Twitter updates! Haha!
Filed under: DVD, Feature Films, I'm Muslim Too!, broadcast, directing, documentary, e-store, film, journalism, television
Okay everyone! The time has come! The time has come! The time has come when I finally start selling my films as DVDs! Oh yeah babeyyy! I’ve set up the FAT BIDIN E-STORE!
First two titles are:
I’m Muslim Too!
and…
R.A.H.M.A.N. and other short films
So go to the FAT BIDIN E-STORE now and send me your dough!
Filed under: al jazeera, broadcast, directing, documentary, internet, journalism, new media, news, politics, television, video blog
I’ve been so busy you won’t even believe it! But I did get to put in some time producing a short vox pop package for Al Jazeera for their special coverage of Obama’s inauguration as the USA’s first black president. You can view those from other countries here.
Filed under: broadcast, directing, documentary, film, journalism, lecture, new media
I don’t talk about this much but… I am actually an academic (gasp! gasp!). I teach at HELP University-College and it’s quite a lot of fun! Above is an ad that appeared in The Star.
Anyway… I’ve been invited to speak at the International Conference On Youth Research organised by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The conference is on the 16th & 17th December 2008. But I’m sure all of you are only interested in my talk (title: Making Documentary Films About the Muslim World from an Autobiographical and Pop Culture Perspective) which is at 1pm on 17th December! Muahahahahahaha!!! Oh… and the venue is the Marriott Hotel, Putrajaya. Make sure you all show up to take a picture with me!!
Filed under: The Life & Times of an Islamic Insurgency, broadcast, directing, documentary, film, journalism, television
Photo by Thomas Fuller/IHT
My next film project is already underway! Am I prolific or what! Hahaha! It’s going to be called THE LIFE & TIMES OF AN ISLAMIC INSURGENCY.
I’ll be going to Patani in Southern Thailand to check out the situation there. As most of you already know, there’s a bit of violence going on there between the Muslim rebels and the Thai government. It’s been going on for a while and I heard that the Thai government suspect that the Kelantanese/Siamese Tom Yam Kung stalls in Malaysia are funding the rebels. Damn! I didn’t know what I spent on my meals have been contributing to the violence! And so I decide to make a film about it…
Filed under: I'm Muslim Too!, broadcast, directing, documentary, film, journalism, news, press, television
The Star - Cover (28 Sept 08)
The Star - page 2 (28 Sept 08)
The Star - page 3 (28 Sept 08)
Malay Mail (11 Sept 08)
And the fame continues! Hahaha! Got a cover story in The Star and also a profile in the Malay Mail. Click the pictures to read the articles.
Don’t forget… the full length version (73 minutes) of I’M MUSLIM TOO! will be going on air on NTV7 on 2nd October at 11:30am. So while in the process of getting indigestion during Raya… just tune in to the TV!
Just wanted to say… to all my bros and hoes (viewers, the NTV7 gang, all the editors and writers at the papers, friends, family)… thanks for all the support and kind words. Sniff! Sniff! Selamat Hari Raya!
Filed under: I'm Muslim Too!, broadcast, directing, documentary, film, journalism, news, press, television
Berita Harian (1 Sept 08)
New Straits Times (3 Sept 08)
So… the I’M MUSLIM TOO! month has begun! I did the mandatory publicity for the documentary… articles in the newspapers (click the images above to read) and also appeared on ntv7’s The Breakfast Show on 3 Sept 08 (visit ntv7’s website and watch the episode on CatchUp TV).
The price for my autograph has now gone up from RM5 to RM8! Damn right! Muahaha! But more importantly… don’t forget… Thursdays in September… 7:30pm… ntv7!
Filed under: I'm Muslim Too!, broadcast, directing, documentary, film, journalism, television, video blog
Okay! Keep your pants on! I know all of you have been chewing your fingernails in anticipation of Zan Azlee’s next brilliant piece of work! And here it finally is!
I’M MUSLIM TOO!
Thursdays, 7:30pm (thru Sept 08), ntv7
*shown in four 30-minute episodes
The full 73-minute version will be shown on Hari Raya. Tune in! Yeahhh babeyyyy!
(oh… the video clip above is the awesome trailer I just edited)
Filed under: I'm Muslim Too!, broadcast, directing, documentary, film, internet, journalism, television, video blog
It’s been a while… busy with work… and all that crap! But the crap has paid off baby!!! My latest feature length documentary I’m Muslim Too! now has a screening date (or dates… to be exact!). It has been picked up by my favourite TV channel… ntv7!!
It will be a Ramadhan special and has been broken up into four 30-minute episodes
that will run every week throughout the month of September
(fasting month… hunger and thirst!). Then, the full 73-minute version will be shown on Hari Raya.
The exact days and time will be announced very soon! So stay tuned! In the meantime… check out the short clip above taken from the film… those Palestinian kids got a raw deal!!
Filed under: I'm Muslim Too!, broadcast, directing, documentary, film, lecture, television
I’ve been invited to screen my film I’m Muslim Too! at UiTM, Shah Alam, this Thursday, 17 July 2008. It starts at 8pm and will be followed by a Q&A/talk session with me. This is kind of a proud moment for me personally since when I was studying in UiTM in 1998, I attended a similar screening and Q&A session by U-Wei Hj Saari of his film Jogho. I was so in awe of his film. And now… I’m being invited. How cool is that?!?!? Muahahaha!!
Here are the details:
Screening of I’m Muslim Too! followed by Q&A/talk session with director Zan Azlee
Thursday, 17th July 2008
Starts at 8pm
Faculty of Artistic and Creative Technology
Universiti Teknologi MARA
Kampus Puncak Perdana
Blok 6, Jalan Pulau Angsa U10/14
40150 Shah Alam
Selangor.
Filed under: awards, directing, documentary, film, internet, new media, press, video blog
This is the short film which the winners of Apostrophe produced while in Hanoi, Vietnam, under my brilliant mentorship! Muahaha! (not too shabby… and it’s all their own… I slept while they completed it in the wee hours of the night! hahaha!)
Above is an article in the New Straits Times written by Chai Mei Ling. You can click here or here to read it.
Filed under: broadcast, directing, documentary, film, internet, journalism, news, television
As you all probably already know, I was a mentor for the recent Apostrophe competition organised by DiGi. Seven winners were selected (you can see their works here) and they all won a chance to go on a filmmaking trip to Hanoi, Vietnam, with me as their all-knowledgeable and infinitely intellectual mentor!
The winners are:
Amir Rashid Othman
Fatul Ghazali
Johan Arif Mazlan
Nik Ahmad Faiz
Tan Zi Hao
Lesly Leon Lee
Azizan Abdul Rahim (DiGi internal winner)
The trip to Hanoi was great! Although documentary filmmakers and journalists would call it parachuting (they only had 3 days to make a film there!), the guys were gung-ho from the get-go! The picture above is of them being interviewed by ntv7.
Aside from filming, the organizers also arranged a slew of activities. We met up with a group of Vietnamese filmmakers at Red Bridge Productions. Getting their perspective on filmmaking was an eye-opener. The picture above is of me with Bui Kim Quy, a young Vietnamese documentary filmmaker.
We also met up with a a group of young Hanoi artists who shared with us stories of their struggle in creating art in their country. Respect goes out to them.
And staying true to the whole Apostrophe theme of ‘Makan’, we learnt how to cook traditional Vietnamese dishes from the beautiful Hanh An at Hidden Hanoi.
But nothing could beat the PHO BO (Vietnamese beef noodles) you get on the streets!!
So it really wasn’t that hard for the guys to come up with a film (I’ll try and post the final film they did… if I can get my hands on a copy… FATUL!!). A nice dinner screening was held for an audience which consisted of the Malaysian contingent and the Vietnamese filmmakers and artists.
There were a bunch of reporters (The Star, New Straits Times, ntv7 and China Press) who were following us around. So watch out for write-ups and TV coverage. In fact, ntv7’s The Breakfast Show is running a 3-part package on Apostrophe starting yesterday and will continue till Friday. You can tune in from 8am to 10am.
Filed under: I May Be Malaysian But I Carry A Big Stick, directing, documentary, film, journalism, new media, politics, video blog
I found a picture of myself in front of a line of riot police taken by my brother at the Sunway anti-toll hike protest in January 2007. I was filming for my ‘I May Be Malaysian, But I Carry A Big Stick’ documentary film (yeah… it’s been 2 years since I started working on the film).
This is a picture of one of my favourite documentary filmmakers, Sean Langan, who happens to be filming in front of a line of riot police too (in Argentina, I think). Somehow… he can pull off that ‘cool’ look way better than I can!
Here’s my video of the Sunway demonstration (I first posted it online on 8 January 2007). After the general elections last month, the guy who increased the toll rate is gone and some of the participants of the demonstration are now members of parliament! Wooo! This is the first time I’m working so long on a film and it’s pretty cool because you get to see things evolve and change.
Filed under: broadcast, directing, documentary, film, journalism, new media, television
I’m currently working on a ‘cari makan’ project (can’t blame a guy who has to support a high maintenance girlfriend who demands for designer handbags every month and also to feed his 39928 illegitimate kids, right?). It’s a 13-episode documentary series for ntv7 called ‘Malaysia My Second Home’. It’s about foreigners who make Malaysia their second home (didn’t expect that huh?? hahaha!). It will be on Sundays at 4pm. The series will start 6th April 2008.
Some of the people who will be featured include British photographer Tom Hayton, Iranian filmmaker Naeim Ghalili and former Indonesian badminton player Rexy Mainaky.
This is Nadzri the visual editor. He stays in till 3am every week just to finish the episodes in time.
This is Reem the assistant producer. She does nothing but boss me around (and I’m suppose to be the PRODUCER goddammit!) and demand for lollypops.
Filed under: I May Be Malaysian But I Carry A Big Stick, I'm Muslim Too!, broadcast, directing, documentary, film, film festival, new media, politics, television, video blog
Have you heard of APOSTROPHE? Its a yearly art project organised and sponsored by DiGi. Its been going on for two years now (the first focused on literature while the second was on photography). This year is the third installment and it will focus on filmmaking. I’ve been asked to be one of the mentors (the others are Azharr Rudin, Woo Ming Jin, Tan Chui Mui and Mussadique Suleiman). There was an article in The Star recently which you can read.
Recognising how my blog has such a massive cult following, the organisers kindly asked me if I could help promote the project. And being the humble superstar celebrity that I am, I obliged.
Basically, its a competition where all you need to do is to produce a film between 90sec and 160sec based on the theme ‘makan’. Winners will win prizes and a trip to some obscure country, I think. Just go visit the website at Apostrophegallery.com for more information. Once there, you’ll also get to see the works of the mentors which were done specifically for the project.
I cheated though… I cut out a short scene from my film ‘I’m Muslim Too!’ which I thought fit the ‘makan’ theme and could stand alone. The video above is of the original scene from my film. For the purpose of the Apostrophe project, I did make a slight adjustment (I’m not that much of a cheat!). So if you want to watch that version, check out the website, yeah?
(The 2008 General Election heat is still pretty intense. I have so much documented on video which would be great to release online right now, but I think I should hold on as the main purpose is to complete the feature length film, ‘I May Be Malaysian, But I Carry A Big Stick’, and not to have a newsflash blog. Woo!! Suspense wohh!!! Can’t wait for the film huh? Well… there’s still a little bit of shooting to do and then editing. So just hang on.)
