CONGRATULATIONS to Malaysian filmmaker and director Ray Lee, whose film Zombie Infection — Belaban Hidup won the best film in the category of horror/science fiction genre feature film at the World Film Carnival in Singapore recently.
Lee is also a recipient of The BrandLaureate BrandLeadership eBranding Award in January 2021 for his outstanding contributions towards developing the local film industry.
In a thank-you note last week, Lee said: โOur movie Belaban Hidup-Infeksi Zombie just won the World Film Carnival 2021 Best Feature Film in Singapore! We dedicate this award to all Malaysian filmmakers!โ
Ray Lee added that he was grateful to The BrandLaureate for recognizing him first, before anybody else. โThank you to all my supporters, especially DrKKJohan! I appreciate it.โ
FINAS also posted a congratulatory message to Lee on his success.
The excitement began when his film Belaban Hidup-Infeksi Zombie was selected by the World Film Carnival โ Singapore for their 2021 film festival official selection earlier this year.
The World Film Carnival–Singapore honors films from around the world with a vast array of awards in different categories and genres. The list of winners in the Jan’21–Feb’21 season was announced on WFCS’s official social media and portals recently.
During an interview, Lee said he would like to see more indigenous people become filmmakers in the region. And his ambition is to helm a Hollywood blockbuster film one day, which is his childhood dream.
BACKGROUND
Lee, 44, started his career as a photojournalist with Star Publications from 1999 to 2008. Two years later, he opened a music school called Guitar Empire in Kuala Lumpur which enrolled 300 students, before setting his sights on filmmaking.
He holds a diploma in filmmaking from Asia Metropolitan University and Bachelor’s degree in Creative Industry Management from University Utara Malaysia.
As a film director, producer, and music entrepreneur based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Lee believes that films can unite people, and bring the world together. Heโs not producing movies for money, but he makes money to produce movies.
Since then, he has come a long way in his filmmaking career, having produced and directed over 30 short films, two television movies, and five international music videos.
FILMS
In 2017 Ray produced and directed his first feature film, a Borneo Dayak language film entitled โDendam Gadang โ Revenge of Gadangโ which showcased Borneo’s beautiful flora and fauna, and featured native songs and the culture of the local communities.
The film won him the Outstanding Contribution to Sarawak Film and Music Industries award.
In 2018, Ray produced and directed his second feature film, Malaysia’s first horror-zombie movie entitled โBelaban Hidup -Zombie Infectionโ, about a secret biological experiment led by a mad scientist which the island of Borneo into a zombie-infested dystopic state.
TELEMOVIES
Within five years, he produced and directed over 20 short films before his first hit – a Malay Television comedy movie โBibikku Madukuโ (My Loverโs Servant) produced for RTM1 in 2014 โ watched by 1.2 million viewers throughout Malaysia, Brunei & Singapore.
The telemovie was nominated for Best TV Comedy by Anugerah Seri Angkasa, organized by Malaysia Multimedia and Communication Ministry in 2015.
In 2017, Lee produced a TV show called โBollywood Expressโ which portrayed a local Malay artist singing Bollywood song for Tara HD, Astro Malaysia, which was well received by local audiences who love Bollywood song.
MUSIC VIDEOS
Leeโs experience as a musician-led him to produce several international music videos from United States, Indonesia, and China.
One notable highlight was his ambitious joint-production with Shenzen Hagpiel Piano Co Ltd. and his company Hornbill Films, to produce a music video on The Great Wall of China featuring Malaysian piano maestro Dato Mokhzani Ismail performing โGetaran Jiwaโ.
The feat won the Malaysian Book of Record as the first Malaysian music video shot on The Great Wall of China.
In 2017, Ray produced a music video in New York featuring American band โBeat The Systemโ on their first single entitled โBe Your Own’, which was broadcasted to over 50 countries and gained 1.2 million viewers on the Vevo channel on YouTube.
In the same year, Lee produced a music video entitled โKau Yang Terbaikโ for Indonesian singer Tegar, which attracted three million viewers on YouTube.
COMMUNITY PROJECTS
Besides films, Ray is also actively involved in Community Social Responsibility projects such as teaching music and filmmaking to the native people of Malaysia and sponsoring musical instruments to charity homes throughout the country.
For his success and contributions, send Ray Lee a congratulatory note on his FB page at https://www.facebook.com/raylee.filmproducer.
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