Shadia Imanuella Pradsmadji
“… short films are not inferior, just different. I think the short gives a freedom to film-makers. What’s appealing is that you don’t have as much responsibility for storytelling and plot. They can be more like a portrait, or a poem.”
– Jane Campion
The Madani Short Film Competition presents 15 films from eight countries, carefully selected from 1,470 submissions. Through this program, we provide a platform for filmmakers to showcase their finest works that reflect the values of a madani (civil) society — transcending cultural and geographical boundaries. Within the brevity of under twenty minutes, these stories harness creative and technical strength to reveal how people strive to overcome the diverse challenges they face, whether as part of Muslim-majority or minority communities.
The madani values are reflected not only through the selected films but also in the diversity of our curators and Jury Board, who bring a range of perspectives and interpretations on the life of a civil society. This year’s Jury Board consists of Philip Cheah (Singapore), Natalie Stuart (Australia), and Sajid Vard (United Kingdom).
The Madani Short Film Competition screenings are divided into two sessions, each followed by a short Q&A with the filmmakers and the audience.