WILLIAM'S 'SISA SATU’ TRIUMPHS AT ASEAN FILM SUMMIT 2025
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 30 (Bernama) -- Drawing from an idea rooted in his own culture, an Indonesian student’s work titled ‘Sisa Satu’ caught the judges’ attention to win the Best Short Film Pitch Award at the ASEAN Film and TV Summit 2025, held here last night.
William Simanjuntak, 21, admitted that he never imagined becoming a winner, saying that his concept was inspired by a tradition in Palembang, Indonesia, where guests leave behind a small portion of food as a sign of respect for their host.
“In my city, Palembang, there’s a tradition called ‘sisa satu’ — leaving one piece of food to show respect to the host, and it also means the guest is full. It’s a custom that’s very close to my heart since childhood.
“I believe a good story is one that’s close to ourselves. This is my own personal story, so it was easier for me to convey it,” he told Bernama after the ASEAN Film & TV Summit 2025 (Series 2), which was officiated by Deputy Minister of Communications Teo Nie Ching.
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Also present were Deputy Secretary-General (Strategic Communications and Creative Industry) of the Ministry of Communications Nik Kamaruzaman Nik Husin, Chairman of the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas) Datuk Hans Isaac, Finas Chief Executive Officer Datuk Azmir Saifuddin Mutalib, President of the Malaysian Television Producers Association (PTVM) Datuk Jurey Latiff Rosli, and President of the Malaysian Youth Council (MBM) Mohd Izzat Afifi Abdul Hamid.
William, a Computer Engineering student at Politeknik Negeri Sriwijaya, said he did not expect to defeat 12 other participants from ASEAN countries, as the competition was highly competitive with many talented idea presenters.
“I only took 30 minutes to prepare this pitch proposal. Honestly, I didn’t expect to win because I wasn’t well-prepared — I actually forgot about this award, so there wasn’t much preparation,” he said with a laugh.
William added that the victory marks a new chapter for him to explore the world of filmmaking and share his passion with creative peers from across ASEAN.
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He said the win was not just a personal recognition, but also a reflection of the unity and solidarity among ASEAN youth in elevating creative works to greater heights.
“This competition helped me make many new friends among filmmakers from countries like Myanmar, Timor-Leste, and Malaysia.
“We’ve become like siblings because we often collaborate without boundaries,” he added.
The ASEAN Film & TV Summit 2025 (Series 2), held from Oct 28 to 30, was jointly organised by PTVM and MBM, with the strategic support of Finas. The event featured discussion sessions, creative showcases, and professional networking involving producers, directors, and media practitioners from across the region.
-- BERNAMA
