EngageMedia announces the selected filmmakers from Bangladesh and Malaysia for the third edition of Tech Tales Youth. This initiative brings the creative voices of young filmmakers into the digital rights movement, focusing on human rights in the digital age.
The third edition builds on the 2021 Tech Tales: Films about Digital Rights in the Asia Pacific collection and the 2023 edition that featured the Philippines and Thailand. Tech Tales Youth offers a mentorship program in digital rights, advocacy filmmaking, and impact production for filmmakers aged 18 to 30. The program aims to deepen participants’ understanding of human and digital rights while developing their skills to create films that drive social change.
Nearly 50 young filmmakers from Bangladesh and Malaysia applied for the project. An advisory board, including digital rights experts Khairil Zafri and Rezwan Islam, Brenda Danker of Freedom Film Network Malaysia, Saiyeed Al-Kareem of the University of Dhaka Film and Television Department, and video activist King Catoy, selected the final six filmmakers. The chosen participants are Ishtiyak Ahmad, Taosin Zafar and Lamea Tanjin Tanha from Bangladesh, and Nik Azura Nasron, Kalash Nanda Kumar, and Intan Sakinah from Malaysia.
Regional Context
“In Bangladesh, following recent political changes, there’s enthusiasm among young people to document past repressions and envision a new democratic future through film. In Malaysia, this project is relevant given the country’s film censorship policies, which the Southeast Asia Art Censorship Database has studied. These policies have implications for online spaces, influenced by various social and political factors. Tech Tales Youth provides a platform for peer learning and mentorship from digital rights and advocacy filmmaking experts, enabling young people to connect and learn through the medium of film,” explained King Catoy, Tech Tales Youth Project Lead and Impact Producer.
Program Support and Workshops
Each filmmaker will receive up to USD 2,000 to produce their films, along with an impact grant of USD 1,200 to support transmedia activities for broader distribution. This impact grant is a unique initiative in Southeast Asia, aiming to maximize the reach of these important stories.
The filmmakers participated in a workshop from September 18-20, 2024, to kickstart the mentorship program. The event covered digital rights education at the DRAPAC Digital Rights Malaysia Meet-up, co-organized by the Association of Progressive Communications and EngageMedia. Participants gained insights into pressing digital rights issues in Malaysia and networked with potential resource persons and partners. Freedom Film Network – Malaysia and Witness Asia-Pacific led sessions on advocacy filmmaking, impact production, and filmmaker safety.
The Tech Tales Youth film collection is set to premiere in December 2024. These films will serve as tools for rights campaigns, advocacy efforts, and training initiatives to enhance understanding of digital rights. The collection will be available on Cinemata, a platform for social and environmental films about the Asia-Pacific region.
EngageMedia welcomes partnerships with advocacy groups from Malaysia and Bangladesh interested in promoting and distributing these films. For collaboration inquiries, please contact EngageMedia directly. Stay tuned for updates on this project bridging filmmaking, digital rights, and social change in Southeast Asia.
Tech Tales Youth Bangladesh and Malaysia Filmmakers
Intan Sakinah, Malaysia
Intan Sakinah, from Penang, Malaysia, is a passionate storyteller and musician. She pursued a cinematic arts degree at Multimedia University, where she developed her filmmaking skills. Her first feature-length documentary, “Face-to-Phase,” was featured by Cult Creative in 2021, and two of her films were screened at Rantai Art Festival in 2023.
Intan’s work focuses on people’s stories, local cultures, and interpersonal relationships in Southeast Asia. Growing up with an autistic brother, she is also a strong advocate for autism awareness. Her diverse interests, from fantasy writing to gamelan composition, inform her unique creative perspective and storytelling approach.
Being selected as a Tech Tales Youth filmmaker is like a new door opening for me. As a recent film school graduate, this serves as a launching pad for me to explore digital rights through the art of filmmaking, and, above all, this project inspires me to create a positive impact on my community and country through my films.
Ishtiyak Ahmad Zihad, Bangladesh
Ishtiyak Ahmad Zihad, a young filmmaker from Bangladesh, recently completed his studies in Film and Media Studies at Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University. He began his creative journey with the experimental short film “God Gift” in 2019. He has explored various narratives in short films, including “Chaya Moricher Bone” (2021), a one-take short inspired by Bangladesh’s liberation war. Ishtiyak has directed several independent shorts that have gained recognition at film festivals worldwide. His film “Run Away” particularly stood out, earning six awards at festivals in Bangladesh, India, the USA, and England, with the UK Film Review praising it as “beautifully tragic.” Ishtiyak recently completed his first feature-length film, titled “The Blind Girl and The Elephant” (2025).
Participating in the Tech Tales Youth project will deepen my understanding of digital rights issues. This will inform my future work by prompting me to create more socially conscious and ethically informed films. This experience may inspire me to advocate for digital rights and privacy in my filmmaking.
Kalash Nanda Kumar, Malaysia
Kalash Nanda Kumar is a Malaysian journalist, critic, and filmmaker with a wide repertoire covering culture, environment, and current affairs.
A graduate in filmmaking, Kalash has worked on multiple major productions for Astro Shaw, BBC, Warner Bros. and served as a critic at numerous regional and international film festivals. He is an alumnus of the Asia-Europe Foundation’s Arts Journalism Fellowship, Climate Tracker Fellowship, Far East Film Festival Critics Campus, Golden Apricot IFF Pro Critics Workshop, Yamagata Film Criticism Workshop and Cineuropa GoCritics! lab. In 2022, he became the first Malaysian invited to join the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) and was recently named an International Voter for the Golden Globe Awards. Kalash regularly serves as a juror, programmer, and facilitator at film festivals around the world.
As a journalist, Kalash has reported on a broad spectrum of issues, including legal institutions, indigenous rights, climate change, and the housing market. His bylines can be found in various outlets such as R.AGE, The Vibes, FirstClasse, Malaysiakini, Cineuropa and others. His work extends to advocacy, having previously served as the communications director for Imagined Malaysia, a non-profit dedicated to advancing public dialogue through an informed historical lens and currently as senior coordinator for CSO Platform for Reform.
He is a member of the Network for the Promotion of Asia Pacific Cinema (NETPAC), PEN Malaysia, Malaysia Documentary Association (MyDocs) and the National Union of Journalists Malaysia (NUJ).
Participating in the Tech Tales Youth project will help me develop strong data and digital management practices, which I can apply to future projects, especially if it involves sensitive information. My work on this project will not only improve my understanding of digital security and privacy but also reveal how these issues shape the policies that impact our everyday lives.
Lamea Tanjin Tanha, Bangladesh
Lamea Tanjin Tanha (24) is a Bangladeshi feminist, social entrepreneur, and activist focusing on SOGIESC rights. In 2018, they founded TransEnd, a youth-led non-profit promoting hijra community’s rights through diverse campaigns. Their filmmaking journey began with a stop-motion video about intersex individuals, created using basic tools during the pandemic, which gained significant online traction.
Lamea faces challenges like digital authoritarianism and online harassment but remains committed to their cause. Their work has earned them numerous awards, including the Bangladesh Sustainability Excellence Award (2023) and the Diana Award (2021). They’re also affiliated with prestigious programs like IVLP and Ashoka Young Changemaker. Lamea envisions a world of compassion, empathy, and sustainability, taking incremental steps toward positive change.
I believe as an activist social impact doubles its power when paired with entertainment. And Tech Tales Youth has just unlocked a whole new passion in me—using filmmaking to champion digital rights! I’m thrilled to embark on this journey and make a difference through impactful storytelling.
Nik Azura Nasron, Malaysia
Azura Nasron is a social justice advocate specializing in human rights. She holds a Political Science degree and is pursuing a Master’s in Southeast Asian Studies at the University of Malaya. As Programme Manager at SUARAM, she oversees initiatives to repeal draconian laws and promote human rights in Malaysia. Azura is also a Partner at Legal Dignity, advocating for marginalized communities, including LGBTQIA+ individuals.
As a founding member of Rekod Media, she works to normalize political discourse through documentaries, podcasts, and events. Azura’s commitment to academic freedom and contributions to publications like Jurnal Sang Pemula demonstrate her dedication to creating a more equitable society and combating oppressive policies.
I’ve always wanted to raise awareness about digital rights issues, but I never considered using film as a medium. Through this project, I hope the film will spark meaningful conversations and changes around these important topics.
Taosin Zafar, Bangladesh
Taosin Md. Bahadurshah Zafar is an emerging filmmaker studying Television, Film, and Photography at the University of Dhaka. As a producer at Dhaka University Television and a Peace Fellow with the Films For Peace Foundation, he has gained valuable experience in content creation and impactful storytelling. His documentary “Banyan – A Silent Witness” won awards at the Liberation Docfest Bangladesh and Peace Film Festival in 2024. Taosin has also directed and edited short films like “Proloy – A Story of Annihilation” and “Device”, showcasing his talent for emotional depth and narrative pacing. His skills extend to editing and post-production, having worked on projects like “Obyakto” and “Khacha Vangar Golpo”. Taosin believes in film’s universal power to connect with audiences worldwide. Additionally, as an Undergraduate Research Assistant (URA) at the University of Dhaka, Taosin worked on a project exploring the impact of OTT platforms in Bangladesh, interviewing renowned filmmakers and handling transcription and ethical review processes.
In the broader scope of my filmmaking journey, I have always sought an opportunity like this—where the primary focus is on the film, but areas like digital rights activism, impact production, and advocacy filmmaking play a significant role. For me, this experience has offered the kind of head start I’ve long desired as an independent filmmaker. I’m confident that by the time I complete this edition of Tech Tales Youth, I’ll not only have a film ready for international community screenings but also establish myself with greater recognition in the field.
