International Film Heritage Festival
Yangon, 9-18 November 2018
About
Welcome to the 6th edition of MEMORY! International Film Heritage Festival! The festival focuses on worldwide and regional cinema & cinema heritage – and is unique to this part of the world.
MEMORY! Festival has established a base in a country, Myanmar, with a rich cinema history dating all the way back to the 1920s. Continuing the tradition of the very few heritage film festivals in existence, MEMORY! aims to bring to the Myanmar public the kinds of films that were barely accessible for several decades in this country. Audiences will experience the rich histories of world and local film, and see Cinema as both a popular and an elevating artform that reaches across eras and nations. Though perhaps differently to each of us, Cinema speaks to all. Movies are journeys through time, space, and history, they are windows onto various cultures, traditions, societies, and religions.
The Myanmar Script Fund, an annual scriptwriting workshop competition, is MEMORY! Festival’s commitment to the next generation of Myanmar filmmakers.
As well MEMORY! Journalism & Culture is a program for the next generation of Myanmar journalists concerned by Culture.
MEMORY! Festival is developed by the MEMORY! Cinema Association, an international non-governmental organization, dedicated to the preservation of film and cultural memory worldwide. The Association is currently working on the Myanmar Film Heritage Project, a long-term mission that aims to recover and restore works of national significance and to establish a national film and media archive which would encourage historical research and function as a preservation and restoration facility.
Once a year, for the duration of ten days, Yangon becomes the capital of Worldwide Cinema Heritage in Southeast Asia.
MEMORY! Festival has established a base in a country, Myanmar, with a rich cinema history dating all the way back to the 1920s. Continuing the tradition of the very few heritage film festivals in existence, MEMORY! aims to bring to the Myanmar public the kinds of films that were barely accessible for several decades in this country. Audiences will experience the rich histories of world and local film, and see Cinema as both a popular and an elevating artform that reaches across eras and nations. Though perhaps differently to each of us, Cinema speaks to all. Movies are journeys through time, space, and history, they are windows onto various cultures, traditions, societies, and religions.
The Myanmar Script Fund, an annual scriptwriting workshop competition, is MEMORY! Festival’s commitment to the next generation of Myanmar filmmakers.
As well MEMORY! Journalism & Culture is a program for the next generation of Myanmar journalists concerned by Culture.
MEMORY! Festival is developed by the MEMORY! Cinema Association, an international non-governmental organization, dedicated to the preservation of film and cultural memory worldwide. The Association is currently working on the Myanmar Film Heritage Project, a long-term mission that aims to recover and restore works of national significance and to establish a national film and media archive which would encourage historical research and function as a preservation and restoration facility.
Once a year, for the duration of ten days, Yangon becomes the capital of Worldwide Cinema Heritage in Southeast Asia.
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Program
Last year, we explored the provocative theme of Banned Film Around the World through a selection of 20 masterpieces that were prevented from reaching the public at various times and in different contexts. The program touched on topics such as the World Wars, the Communist regime, colonialism, the Cold War, ethnic representation, moral outrage, religious and cultural conflicts. Viewers have learned more about the films by way of special introductions given by our distinguished guests.
Alongside the main theme, the festival included several sub-sections: Myanmar Film Treasures presents recently restored Myanmar classics; the films of Jacques Tati follow the misadventures of the bumbling character Monsieur Hulot, and the feel-good magic of Frank Capra shows us the origins of the American dream. In the Guests section we bring you contemporary works by some of Southeast Asia’s most influential contemporary filmmakers. Completing the program are exclusive selections drawn from StudioCanal and Gaumont’s impressive catalogues, and a series of Special Screenings featuring the finest of what MEMORY! has to offer.
Alongside the main theme, the festival included several sub-sections: Myanmar Film Treasures presents recently restored Myanmar classics; the films of Jacques Tati follow the misadventures of the bumbling character Monsieur Hulot, and the feel-good magic of Frank Capra shows us the origins of the American dream. In the Guests section we bring you contemporary works by some of Southeast Asia’s most influential contemporary filmmakers. Completing the program are exclusive selections drawn from StudioCanal and Gaumont’s impressive catalogues, and a series of Special Screenings featuring the finest of what MEMORY! has to offer.
Events
As has become customary each year, MEMORY! will once again present the very popular Ciné-Concerts featuring live musical accompaniment to classics from the silent screen. In addition, this year we will continue the extremely popular outdoor screenings and feature new exhibitions during the festival!
Films of the Past and films of Tomorrow are pivotal themes, through which we aim to establish a dialogue, a continuity, and a cultural exchange through cinema by enabling inspiring encounters between artists and the public. In this spirit, MEMORY! Festival carries out several exceptional programs: The Myanmar Script Fund, a writing workshop for emerging filmmakers; The Myanmar Film Heritage Project, a film preservation initiative which recently completed its second major restoration project; MEMORY! Journalism & Culture, which hosts a residency program for journalism students; a Conference on Film and Censorship, and last but not least, I Have A Dream, a film creation workshop for kids.
Films of the Past and films of Tomorrow are pivotal themes, through which we aim to establish a dialogue, a continuity, and a cultural exchange through cinema by enabling inspiring encounters between artists and the public. In this spirit, MEMORY! Festival carries out several exceptional programs: The Myanmar Script Fund, a writing workshop for emerging filmmakers; The Myanmar Film Heritage Project, a film preservation initiative which recently completed its second major restoration project; MEMORY! Journalism & Culture, which hosts a residency program for journalism students; a Conference on Film and Censorship, and last but not least, I Have A Dream, a film creation workshop for kids.
Guests
In 2017, our distinguished Patrons, multiple award-winning actresses Catherine Deneuve (France) and Grace Swe Zin Htaik (Myanmar) are joined by celebrated Malaysian filmmaker Tsai Ming-liang who, together with leading man Lee Kang Sheng will introduce screenings of his works. While Tsai Ming-liang’s films explore contemporary loneliness and social decay, Tan Pin Pin (Singapore) and Saw Tiong Guan’s (Malaysia) thought-provoking documentaries investigate belonging and the quintessence or memory and remembrance. Joining us again this year, Myanmar-born director Midi Z (Taiwan) and Eddie Cahyono (Indonesia) offer an unflinching look at migration and post-industrial realism. Midi Z takes over from Michel Hazanavicius as president of the Myanmar Script Fund.
Conferences
MEMORY! Festival presents each year international conferences. One of them is on a topic closely related to the main theme of the festival.
Over two days, Myanmar and international panelists include film critics, lawyers, directors, film & media historians…
The conferences are organized by Dr. Paul Grant (Professor Graduate Cinema Studies, University of San Carlos, Philippines) & Theo Stojanov (PhD candidate, Film & Moving Image Studies, Concordia University, Canada)
Over two days, Myanmar and international panelists include film critics, lawyers, directors, film & media historians…
The conferences are organized by Dr. Paul Grant (Professor Graduate Cinema Studies, University of San Carlos, Philippines) & Theo Stojanov (PhD candidate, Film & Moving Image Studies, Concordia University, Canada)
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Myanmar Script Fund
Myanmar Script Fund is a program for emerging local filmmakers working on their first or second full-length feature film. MSF is intended to help connect filmmakers from Myanmar with international audiences.
The program includes professional workshops combining individual consultancies on script-writing, producing, and plenary sessions intended to provide insight into the international film market. The Fund’s objective is to support emerging filmmakers during the development process and to assist them in honing their professional skills.
At the end, the candidates present their projects during a pitch session in front of a jury comprised of international film experts. In 2016, the jury was presided by the director Michel Hazanavicius (France) and in 2017 by the director Midi Z (Taiwan).
MSF Laureates 2016
FOUR LEGS by Mg Sun (producer Ma Aeint)
SATURDAY BORN ARIES by Nwaye Zar Che Soe (producer Soe Arkar Htun)
WISDOM by Thet Oo Maung (producer Robert Winn Htein) – Mention of the Jury
MSF Laureates 2017
FRUIT GATHERING by Aung Phyoe (producer Aung Phyoe)
WAY BACK HOME by Nay Chi Myat Noe Wint (producer Mary Saray)
Since 2017, Digital District supports these awards by offering each winner access to a bourse equivalent to 10,000 USD of post-production.
The Myanmar Script Fund works in close collaboration with Open Doors, a program managed by the Festival Locarno (Switzerland), Yangon Film School (Myanmar) & Pen Myanmar (Myanmar). It is supported by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (Switzerland), ARTE (France) & Institut français (France).
Journalism & Culture Workshop
We strongly believe that culture is not only entertainment but also a key pillar for all democracies. We believe also that the press’ freedom is a key condition to develop the democracy in Myanmar. Our common objective is to involve Myanmar emerging journalists to cover such a culture event which is also a political & social event.
Associated with the Myanmar Journalism Institute, we have developed the following program:
The participants to the curriculum are 20 students from Myanmar Journalism Institute.
MJI’s professors start the dedicated program at the beginning of October.
The workshop starts at the end of October supervised by Chris Peken from MJI then by French journalists Carol Isoux & Jérôme Boruszewski.
The workshop is shared in two parts:
End of Oct – Festival’s Opening: Theorical sessions
Festival: Practice with daily coverage of MEMORY! Festival & guests.
At the end of the workshop, a newspaper in Burmese, the Bioscope News, gathered all the articles. Printed in 1.000 free copies.
In 2017, this program was supported by CFI, the French operator in media cooperation.
Associated with the Myanmar Journalism Institute, we have developed the following program:
The participants to the curriculum are 20 students from Myanmar Journalism Institute.
MJI’s professors start the dedicated program at the beginning of October.
The workshop starts at the end of October supervised by Chris Peken from MJI then by French journalists Carol Isoux & Jérôme Boruszewski.
The workshop is shared in two parts:
End of Oct – Festival’s Opening: Theorical sessions
Festival: Practice with daily coverage of MEMORY! Festival & guests.
At the end of the workshop, a newspaper in Burmese, the Bioscope News, gathered all the articles. Printed in 1.000 free copies.
In 2017, this program was supported by CFI, the French operator in media cooperation.
In 2017, MEMORY! International Film Heritage Festival
was proudly supported by the following Partners:
Platinum Partners
Gold Partners
Silver Partners
If you want to become a partner of MEMORY! Film Festival, please send us a message through our contact form.
© Stephen Kelly
Myanmar Film Heritage Project
The Myanmar Film Heritage Project (MFHP) will take place over a period ending in 2020, for the 100th anniversary of the Myanmar cinema history. The project is developed by the MEMORY! Cinema Association (INGO) committed to safeguarding worldwide cinema heritage.
The project is comprised of three foundational components:
RESTORATION:
The Lost Film Search and the Restoration of Myanmar Classics programs aim to establish a national film collection. Our initial assessment revealed a dire situation: less than twenty titles still have celluloid elements that could permit restoration work. Among them, MYA GA NAING (1934) by Maung Tin Maung, one of the key directors of classic Myanmar cinema, restored in 2016 and PYO CHIT LIN (1950) by Tin Myint restored in 2017.
PRESERVATION:
The physical preservation of the films and film-related materials such as posters, scripts, photographs, sound recordings, press and advertising materials is a crucial part of cinema history and, even more importantly, of national cultural memory.
Urgent action is required to process existing collections as soon as possible, as physical decay and degradation are already taking their toll. Another part of this task involves searching and collecting these kinds of materials throughout the country and abroad.
ACCESS:
The creation of the National Film Archive of Myanmar is the ultimate purpose of this Project. As a key cultural venue in Yangon and a model in the ASEAN region, the Archive will highlight the rich history of Myanmar cinema, offer diverse programming of Myanmar and foreign films, and educate younger generations. It will house a comprehensive National Film and Media Collection and help inspire future film talent.
The project is comprised of three foundational components:
RESTORATION:
The Lost Film Search and the Restoration of Myanmar Classics programs aim to establish a national film collection. Our initial assessment revealed a dire situation: less than twenty titles still have celluloid elements that could permit restoration work. Among them, MYA GA NAING (1934) by Maung Tin Maung, one of the key directors of classic Myanmar cinema, restored in 2016 and PYO CHIT LIN (1950) by Tin Myint restored in 2017.
PRESERVATION:
The physical preservation of the films and film-related materials such as posters, scripts, photographs, sound recordings, press and advertising materials is a crucial part of cinema history and, even more importantly, of national cultural memory.
Urgent action is required to process existing collections as soon as possible, as physical decay and degradation are already taking their toll. Another part of this task involves searching and collecting these kinds of materials throughout the country and abroad.
ACCESS:
The creation of the National Film Archive of Myanmar is the ultimate purpose of this Project. As a key cultural venue in Yangon and a model in the ASEAN region, the Archive will highlight the rich history of Myanmar cinema, offer diverse programming of Myanmar and foreign films, and educate younger generations. It will house a comprehensive National Film and Media Collection and help inspire future film talent.