Neo-South Independent Film Festival

Neo-South Independent Film Festival (Neo-South) will showcase a number of feature films and short films.

Each film we designate as an "Official Selection" will receive a high-resolution .png image of our festival laurels to be used for marketing and promotional materials as the filmmaker sees fit.

Out of the official selections, the jury will select one winner in each category and a certain number of Special Mention in the feature film and short film.

The winning filmmakers will receive a high-resolution .png image of our festival laurels with the "Winner" label or "Special Mention" to be used as the filmmaker sees fit.

Categories:

NEOSOUTH AWARD (FEATURE FILM)

Best Picture
This category is for all films that surpass on each award categories and it is a special award to recognise the hard work of the film production. Must provide English subtitles for non-English speaking dialogues. Date of completion should be no less than 2017.

Best Director
The Director is practically the mastermind of the film. The job of the director is one of the biggest responsibilities of the entire film. They uphold the vision of the film and must know how to make that vision a reality. A film's success depends on how a director delivers his vision. Must provide English subtitles for non-English speaking dialogues. Date of completion should be no less than 2017.

Best Cinematography
Cinematography isn’t just concern on capturing the best shots, they must understand how composition, angles, and movement support the tone and atmosphere of the scene. Or capture the relationship between characters from visual cues. Must provide English subtitles for non-English speaking dialogues. Date of completion should be no less than 2017.

Best Original Screenplay
Before a film is brought to life, it starts with a script. The scriptwriter makes up the story and the structure of the film. They create the conflict of the film, while keeping in mind how the characters would react that seems natural and makes sense to them. Filmmakers for this category must submit an English script to be judged, with no minimum or maximum number of pages.

Best Production Design
Production design is the creation and organization of the physical world surrounding a film story. During the studio era, production designers, as opposed to art directors, were the exception. The production designer's primary, though by no means exclusive, responsibility is the design of the sets and the looks of the film.

Best Original Score
The best scores can complement, or even become more memorable than the film itself. A good music scores can bring a film to life and tell an accompanying story. Scores submitted in this category will be judged on cinematography, storytelling, production value, and choreography (if applicable).

Best Film Editing
The job of an Editor isn’t just to cut and place between shots. An editor is basically a second director, they are the ones that set the pace and the beat of the film, and they make sure the tone and atmosphere stay constant throughout the scene..

FILMUDA AWARD (SHORTIES)

Best Shorties (Shorties)
There are no boundaries on how the story is told, the filmmaker
is free to shape reality as they want within the film. A shorties
also can be a tool for entertainment, share a certain mindset, or
highlight a problem. This category is for narrative fiction should
be no more than 20 minutes, showcasing the filmmakers best
work.

Best Director (Shorties)
The Director is practically the mastermind of the film. The job of the director is one of the biggest responsibilities of the entire film. They uphold the vision of the film and must know how to make that vision a reality. A film's success depends on how a director delivers his vision. Must provide English subtitles for non-English speaking dialogues. Date of completion should be no less than 2017.

Best Cinematography (Shorties)
Cinematography isn’t just concern on capturing the best shots, they must understand how composition, angles, and movement support the tone and atmosphere of the scene. Or capture the relationship between characters from visual cues. Must provide English subtitles for non-English speaking dialogues. Date of completion should be no less than 2017.

ROGUE & REBEL AWARD (First Time Malaysian Filmmaker)

This special award is meant for first time Malaysian Filmmakers who are trained in a special program 12-Week Filmmaking’. During the first 4 weeks of the program, 50 filmmakers are expected to undergo all the basic requirements in filmmaking. Then, only 5 filmmakers are chosen to produce their own films during the last 8 weeks of the program. Out of these 5, only one outstanding film will be granted the award.

The categories are:
Best Feature Film
Best Director
Best Cinematography