29 Mar – Freedom Film Festival 2016 is now accepting film submissions that reflect this year's theme, "What Lies Beneath". The theme calls "for everyone to dig deeper into the many urgent issues that individuals, groups, society and humanity are facing today", according to the festival's official website. Up until 1 May 2016, the festival is looking for submissions in the form of documentary films, short films and feature films that are completed between 2014 and 2016. Submission can be made online via the official website itself. The selected films will also stand the chance to be nominated for awards after going through a special jury selection. Meanwhile, four prizes, the Justin Louis trophies, will be handed out during the main event for best Malaysian documentary, best Southeast Asian documentary, best international documentary, and best short film. Also, a total of two rounds of film grants will be given out this year. Grants of up to RM20,000 a year will be awarded to Malaysian filmmakers, meanwhile Singaporean filmmakers will receive SGD5,000 to produce their documentaries. Other activities to be held during the festival include masterclasses and discussions, Wayang Piknik, South East Asia Video Activist Network Meeting, and ASEAN Peoples' Forum Festival.
Freedom Film Fest has produced more than 40 local Malaysian human rights documentaries over the years (Photo source: Freedom Film Fest's Facebook).
12-time award winning documentary, "Frame by Frame", which follows four Afghan photojournalists in the pursuit of the truth during the Taliban regime, will be screened at the festival's launch this 31 March. Over the past 12 years, the festival, organised by non-governmental organisation Pusat Komuniti Masyarakat (KOMAS), has showcased over 30 outstanding international and local documentary films every year. Freedom Film Fest 2016 will be taking place at PJ Live Arts in Jaya One, Selangor, from 20 to 28 August. After kicking off in Selangor, the festival will then head to other Malaysian cities, namely Penang, Ipoh, Johor Baru, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu. International screenings are also set to be held in Singapore, Melbourne and London.