Two Films, Four Awards for Budding TAR UMT Filmmaker

A keen eye behind the lens and knack for impactful story-telling has garnered Bachelor of Communication (Hons) in Broadcasting student Wang Xiao Jun (pictured above) four awards in the Nitiin International Film Festival (NIFF) Malaysia 2025 after the film festival revealed its list of award winners for March 2025.

NIFF is a popular film festival that is dedicated to discover new filmmakers in Malaysia through its platform and help bring recognition to the Malaysian film industry.

Xiao Jun won the Special Jury Award: Best Documentary Short Film accolade through her first submission titled ‘Digital Age Magic - The Power of Visual Effects’, a documentary that shined a spotlight on the people who bring visual effects to life and how their behind-the-scenes work enhance the visual medium industries.

Xiao Jun’s second submission ‘Silent Starlight’, bagged three awards namely Best Trailer, Best Cinematography, and Best Student Short Film prizes. A visceral food-for-thought piece, ‘Silent Starlight’ takes viewers through its protagonist’s unspoken emotions and inner turmoil when faced with peer pressure and toxic culture, and how she finds the courage to overcome adversity.

“The awards validated the passion and effort my team and I put into the films, and the results definitely gave me the motivation to push on and continue to improve myself.

“These achievements are a combination of personal efforts and teamwork from my colleagues and peers. In addition, as a TAR UMT student, my lecturers’ guidance, access to facilities and the TARCian spirit among my coursemates were all instrumental in helping me reach this milestone,” said Xiao Jun, who is aiming to become a film director one day.