Dharamshala October 20 – A Delhi based Tibetan filmmaker Tenzin Tsetan Choklay won a scholarship to study at Korean Academy of Film Arts considered to be the best film schools in Korea, and one of the top film schools in Asia. Tenzin was invited to participate in a three-week film workshop at Asian Film Academy in Seoul and Busan in South Korea from 24 th September to 15th October 2005. Asian Film Academy is a film educational program set up this year to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Asia’s biggest film festival, the Pusan International Film Festival. The program was a collaborative effort of PIFF, Korean Film Council, Korean Academy of Film Arts and Dongseo University.
164 highly qualified applicants from 22 Asian countries applied for the very first edition of AFA out of which 28 fellows were invited from 19 countries. Tenzin was the only Tibetan participant among a host of other nationalities including China, Singapore, Indonesia, Japan, Iran, Lebanon, India, etc.
Taiwanese film master Hou Hsiao Hsian (3 Times) was the dean of this year’s program. He was joined by other faculty members, which included Thailand’s most sought after director Nonzee Nimibutr ( Jandara), Korean filmmaker Park Ki-yong (Camels) and Cannes award winning Chinese cinematographer Yu Lik-Wai.
Tenzin along with his fellow filmmakers from across Asia worked closely with some of Asia’s finest film masters and made two short films in Korea. One of which was titled International Film Festival, a 35 mm film production about a Tibetan filmmaker attending an International film festival for the first time and the misadventures that he encounters. Tenzin also acted in the film.
The two film productions by the fellows, The Ceiling and International Film Festival had a full house screening to the public and special guests during the Pusan International Film Festival. Both the films were well received.
Tenzin, a former student of Tibetan Children’s Village, had also worked for various other film projects including the soon to release ‘Dreaming Lhasa’ made by filmmaker couple Tenzin Sonam and Ritu Sarin. Tenzin has also made a short documentary on the Miss Tibet pageant titled ‘Beauty and the Beast’.
Tenzin is expected to return to Korea in the middle of next year.
