Filed under: The Malaysian Insider, internet, journalism, lecture, new media, writing | Tags: malaysia, zan azlee, fat bidin, The Malaysian Insider, media, journalism
Ahhh… objectivity is so passe! Read my column this week at The Malaysian Insider.
Objective journalism is so yesterday!
By Zan Azlee
JULY 30 — We always complain in Malaysia that journalism is never objective. Apparently, the government keeps a tight rein on the information that goes out to the public. So all the news outlets (or shall I say the mainstream news outlets?) have a slant towards the ruling party, especially when it comes to political news. I, for one, used to complain all the time. I felt that, as a profession, journalism wasn’t going to develop, and neither would Malaysia as a nation because of it. Even in the lectures that I give, I would constantly harp on about the importance of being objective as journalists. Give both sides of the story and let the people decide. I felt that there was no place for personal opinions and bias when it came to reporting the news. Leave that to the public relations practitioners! But I think I’ve slowly come around… [Click to read the rest of the article]
Filed under: I'M MUSLIM TOO! Heading to the border, I'm Muslim Too!, broadcast, directing, documentary, film, lecture | Tags: documentary, economic, fat bidin, film, forum, heading to the border, I'M MUSLIM TOO! Heading to the border, islamic, solo journalism, The Life & Times of an Islamic Insurgency, video journalism, web video, world, zan azlee
Come one! Come all! I have been invited to speak at the 6th World Islamic Economic Forum 2010 under the Marketplace of Creative Arts! I’ll be talking and screening clips from my films ‘I’M MUSLIM TOO!‘ and ‘THE LIFE & TIMES OF AN ISLAMIC INSURGENCY‘. Come and you might even get the chance to touch me!
Date & Time: 18th May (12:30pm), 19th May 2010 (2pm)
Venue: Conference Hall 2, Level 3, KL Convention Centre
(Click on the images below for more details)
Marketplace Schedule
Marketplace Speakers
Filed under: I'M MUSLIM TOO! Heading to the border, I'm Muslim Too!, The Malaysian Insider, directing, documentary, film, film festival, lecture, writing | Tags: zan azlee, documentary, The Malaysian Insider, I'm Muslim Too!, The Life & Times of an Islamic Insurgency, film, heading to the border, I'M MUSLIM TOO! Heading to the border, berkeley, jajang noer
(Left-Right) Zan Azlee, Dr Marshall Clark, Elyna Shukri, Jajang C. Noer and Dr Sarah Maxim, director of Centre of Southeast Asia Sudies
So I’m still in California for the Islam Today Arts & Culture Festival at UC Berkeley and I recently was part of a panel discussion which consisted of the late Yasmin Ahmad’s producer, Elyna Shukri, veteran Indonesian actress, Jajang C. Noer, and moderated by Dr Marshall Clark from Deakin University in Australia.
It was a great discussion of course! So great that I had to write about it in my latest column at The Malaysian Insider!
Malaysia and Indonesia — how we make films
By Zan Azlee
APRIL 23 — I’m still suffering from the cold winds of the San Francisco Bay area. Most recently, after the screening of my films and lecture at University of California, Berkeley, I was part of a panel discussion entitled ‘Making movies in Indonesia and Malaysia”.
Aside from me, the other panellists included the late Yasmin Ahmad’s producer, Elyna Shukri, and veteran Indonesian actress, Jajang C. Noer. It was moderated by Dr Marshall Clark from Deakin University in Australia.
First of all, I was a little intimidated being in the presence of such experienced industry professionals. Elyna had produced some of Malaysia’s most thought-provoking films in recent history, while Jajang has starred in more films than the years I have been alive! [Click to read the rest of the article]
Filed under: I'M MUSLIM TOO! Heading to the border, I'm Muslim Too!, The Malaysian Insider, directing, documentary, film, film festival, lecture | Tags: zan azlee, documentary, The Malaysian Insider, I'm Muslim Too!, The Life & Times of an Islamic Insurgency, film, heading to the border, I'M MUSLIM TOO! Heading to the border, berkeley
Rainbow greetings from San Francisco! I’m attending the Islam Today Arts & Culture Festival at UC Berkeley. My films have screened and I also gave a lecture there. Everything’s good and thank god for good lobster!
Outside the screening venue in Berkeley. Notice the huge crowd gathering around me trying to catch my films!
I gave a lecture to a group of students at the University of California, Berkeley. It was fun and we had a laugh!
These are the professors... Prof. Jeffrey Hadler and Dr. Sarah Maxim.
Lobster babyyyy!!
And.. here’s this week’s column for The Malaysian Insider.
How much did that film cost?
By Zan Azlee
APRIL 16 — Here I am at the San Francisco Bay Area, with the freezing cold wind blowing in my face, giving me extremely chapped lips.
I came here to attend the Islam Today Arts & Culture Festival, organised by University of California, Berkeley’s Centre of Southeast Asia Studies.
They were screening two films of mine, and had invited me to give a lecture and be part of a panel discussion. [Click to read the rest of the article]
Now I’m off to The Castro!
Filed under: I'M MUSLIM TOO! Heading to the border, I'm Muslim Too!, broadcast, directing, documentary, film, film festival, journalism, lecture | Tags: malaysia, zan azlee, fat bidin, documentary, islam, I'm Muslim Too!, pattani, The Life & Times of an Islamic Insurgency, film, heading to the border, I'M MUSLIM TOO! Heading to the border, insurgency, video journalism, san francisco, berkeley, university of california
Looks like FAT BIDIN is gonna rock the San Francisco Bay area!
Two of my films (I’m Muslim Too! and The Life & Times of an Islamic Insurgency) will be screening at the University of California, Berkeley’s Islam Today Arts & Culture Festival. So I’ll be heading to San Francisco this Friday and will be there for a couple of weeks. I’m pretty excited since I’m also scheduled to give some talks over there.
So if you’re in the vicinity next week (12th to 22nd April 2010) and would like to get a good look at my beautiful face, come on over! Check out the website and schedule here.
Oh… other Malaysian films that will be screening there aside from mine include Yasmin Ahmad’s (Gubra and Muallaf) as well as Amir Muhammad’s (Village People Radio Show and Malaysian Gods).
Filed under: broadcast, directing, documentary, film, film festival, internet, journalism, lecture, metropolis, new media, video blog | Tags: documentary, dutch, holland, islam, malaysia, metropolis, muslim, netherlands, polgamy, vpro, zan azlee
Yo yo! What can I say? I’m going to sound like a broken record but… I’ve been so BUSY!! Been lecturing at the university (one of the heaviest semesters I’ve ever had!)… and trying to complete a historical documentary for ASTRO… before going to San Francisco for the University of California, Berkeley’s Islam Today Film Festival at the end of this week! Damn!!!!
But still I managed to complete a report for Dutch TV station VPRO’s Metropolis TV. It’s about polygamy in Malaysia… I shot a polygamous Muslim family… four wives and 17 kids! It went on air in Holland last Saturday… but you can watch it online by clicking here.
Filed under: The Malaysian Insider, internet, journalism, lecture, new media, writing | Tags: zan azlee, fat bidin, documentary, The Malaysian Insider, film, journalism, citizen journalism, online journalism
After attending the New Media forum as a panelist at UiTM a few nights ago… I decided to write about this in my latest column at The Malaysian Insider.
Trust the man on the street… or a journalist
By Zan Azlee
MARCH 26 — A few nights ago, I attended a forum organised by the Faculty of Creative and Artistic Technology at UiTM discussing New Media as one of three invited panellists. There were many issues discussed that night, from how social networking affects the local industry to anti-establishment media. [Click to read the rest of the article]
Filed under: internet, lecture, new media | Tags: academic, forum, new media, uitm, zan azlee
I’ve been invited to be on the panel of a forum that discusses New Media at University Technology MARA (UiTM). So come one come all and witness me in the flesh!!!!!
SEMINAR NEW MEDIA
Rangkaian Sosial : Jatuh Bangun Industri Seni Malaysia
(Social Networking: The rise and fall of the Malaysian Arts industry)
24th March 2010, 8pm to 10pm
* Studio Pancha Delima, UiTM Puncak Perdana
The panelists:
Dr. Rahmat Ghazali
Hassan Muthalib
Zan Azlee
Filed under: The Malaysian Insider, internet, journalism, lecture, new media, writing | Tags: solo journalism, The Malaysian Insider, video journalism, zan azlee
Here’s my latest column in The Malaysian Insider. Let’s all get rich!!!
Eking out a living solo-journalism style
DEC 15 — Can you make a living by making videos as a solo-journalist? How do you survive? Is it enough?
I’ve been asked these questions many times and my answer has been the same all his while. Yes, of course you can make a living making videos. Then the next few follow questions are usually how, where and how much.
And my answer is always the same too, which is, it is definitely enough. [Click to read the rest of the article]
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: I'm Muslim Too!, broadcast, directing, documentary, film, lecture
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: I'm Muslim Too!, broadcast, directing, documentary, film, journalism, lecture, new media, video blog
Check out the video. It’s Ali Sanaei, the bassist of Arsames who can only speak English by impersonating Robert De Niro. Quite a funny guy… and pretty good on the instrument too! I’m glad he’s in my film.
I’ve been working hard on ‘I’m Muslim Too!’. Not just on editing (damn its going slow!), but on trying to get it distributed and screened. The good news is that I’ve met with a couple of broadcasters and it looks promising. Now if I can just sit my butt down to finish the editing!
On another note, I’m heading down to JB next week for the FSI Education Fair to give a talk on documentary filmmaking. Why the hell would they want to listen to me? I dunno!! But hey, if you’re free and you’re down south, just pop by the Puteri Pacific Hotel. I’ll be hanging out at the HELP University-College booth. Come and say hi and I might just say hi back to you! And if you pay me RM5, I’ll even give you my autograph!
Some student of mine videotaped me giving a lecture! Bloody hell! (Sonia Heng… you’re going to get it from me tomorrow! I demand to be paid royalty!) But I guess this proves I’m a funny dude! Muahaha!!!
Filed under: The Look-East Project, broadcast, directing, documentary, film, film festival, internet, lecture, new media, video blog
I’ve been pretty busy lately. So instead of a ‘Look-East’ video blog entry, I’m offering an old documentary entitled ‘Tudung’ I did with the supposedly cute and talented Liew Seng Tat. It was originally done for the Goethe Institute’s Tudung Short Film Competition but has also gone on to screen at the 2006 Los Angeles Asia Pacific Film Festival.
Editing ‘The Look-East Project’ is taking up a lot of time. Hours of footage to look through and I’m no where close to coming up with a proper structure. But it’s fun, so no worries. I’ve also been doing some other work such as writing proposals for several future film projects which, rest assured, will be announced here if everything goes according to plan.
And… I’ll be lecturing again at HELP University-College after taking a two month break. I’ll be teaching the ‘Intro to Film’ course which I have taught several times before, and a new subject called ‘IT, Mass Media and Society’, which shouldn’t be a problem since I’ve been a bloody IT journalist since 2000! Students always mistake me for being one of them (thanks to my boyish good looks!) so I can’t wait to see if any girls hit on me on the first day of classes next week!
