Malaysian riot drama ‘Snow In Midsummer’ wraps shoot ahead of Busan launch

Chong Keat Aun’s upcoming drama Snow In Midsummer has wrapped shooting in Malaysia and is set to be launched by Swallow Wings Film at Busan’s Asian Contents and Film Market (ACFM) in October.

The film is a Malaysia-Singapore-Taiwan co-production and marks the director’s second feature after The Story of Southern Islet, for which he won best new director at Taiwan’s Golden Horse Awards in 2020.

It also marks the latest regional collaboration among a new wave of Southeast Asian films made with the support of government funding bodies. It has received the support of the Southeast Asia co-production grant (SCPG) from the Singapore Film Commission ($215,000/S$300,000) and the Taipei Film Fund from the Taipei Film Commission ($99,000/NT$3m).

Snow In Midsummer is a historical drama set across two days, almost half a century apart. Inspired by true events, the first part of the film takes place in 1969 when a violent riot broke out in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, on May 13. It is the night that changes the fate of a family as two members go to a street opera while two others attend the local premiere of Taiwanese film The Jilted.

The second part of the film is set in 2018, following two survivors of the riot who chance upon each other at a mass grave. Both are there to pay their respects to people killed during the riot, hoping to close a chapter in their lives.

Taiwanese cast members Wan Fong and Rexen Cheng will attend a press event in Taipei on Wednesday (August 24), alongside actress Tang Lan-Hua who was 18 when she starred in The Jilted, which premiered in Kuala Lumpur on that fateful night in 1969.

The press conference, organised by the Taipei Film Commission (TFC), will also be attended by TFC director Jennifer Jao, Malaysian director Chong, Malaysian producer Wong Kew Soon of Janji Pictures, Singapore co-producer Chow Wai Thong of August Pictures and Taiwanese co-producer Gene Yao of Swallow Wings Films.

It marks the first regional co-production for these three companies who co-invest with Sunstrong Entertainment from Malaysia. Taipei-based Swallow Wings Films also handles international sales and will introduce the feature to buyers at Busan’s ACFM, set to run October 8-11

The film was shot entirely in Malaysia. Renowned Taiwanese sound designer Tu Duu Chih is responsible for the audio post. Visual effects and deliverables will also be conducted in Taiwan. The regional cast includes Pearlly Chua and Pauline Tan from Malaysia and Peter Yu from Singapore.