Watch and Vote: 10 Short Films For The BMW Shorties 2025

The 2025 BMW Shorties have arrived, and with it, a slate of thought-provoking and visually stunning short films by veteran and rising Malaysian filmmakers. Out of hundreds of submissions, the prestigious short film awards have announced the 10 finalists who have interpreted the theme of ‘New Dimensions’ through their creative lenses. 

“This year’s ‘New Dimensions’ represents an exciting evolution in how our local creators approach narrative craft, challenging them to venture beyond the familiar and create work that defies expectation. The depth of talent we continue to see year after year reaffirms our belief in the enduring creative spirit within Malaysia’s digital content landscape,” said Sashi Ambihaipahan, Director of Corporate Communications and Sustainability at BMW Group Malaysia.

Marking the 19th year of the initiative, the BMW Shorties Festival will take place on 6 December 2025 at APW Bangsar. Festival-goers can experience screenings of all 10 finalists, explore a curated bazaar, enjoy live performances, and participate in alumni workshops. The night will culminate in the reveal of its BMW Shorties 2025 winner, who will be awarded the Grand Prize of RM50,000 in production funding. 

Ahead, watch the 10 short films from the finalists of the BMW Shorties 2025 and vote for your favourite one to win the People’s Choice Award. 

Sayap — Sathishwararao Anantharao

In a mist-shrouded swamp, Raaja captures a red Siamese fighting fish with his friend Gila. What begins as a simple act of fascination turns into a haunting meditation on life and the bonds between living beings. When the fish dies, Raaja must confront the painful truth about love, loss, and letting go. 

当时只道是寻常 | I Thought It Was Ordinary — Orlando Loo

Travel through this three-part memory as a young boy discovers the decay of his grandfather while they play an old game of Chinese chess. With every move he makes, he takes a step closer towards understanding the mortality of the human condition and what it means to truly grow old. 

Flat No. 4 — Syalikh Nazrul

After learning that his stepbrother Malik has inherited their late father’s wealth, Syamsul and his wife Chempaka decide to murder him so that he can inherit the money instead. They arrive at his flat, only to find out that he’s not home. His friendly wife invites them in, and what happens next is something that no one is prepared for. 

Perfect Family — Shamalan Nagayai & Wong Zhao Quan

Siew Bong meets his girlfriend’s ultra-rich, ultra-high-achieving family that believes in flawlessness as the highest form of human value, a value especially upheld and enforced by the tyrannical matriarch of the family, Antoinette. Things turn south over a family dinner when Siew Bong’s beliefs about a person’s value clash with the family’s facade of perfectionism.

Are You Open? — Shah Wan

Set in an ever-changing Malaysia, a bookshop owner goes through his daily life with mundane rituals. One day, when an old friend, now an actor in B-movies, comes looking for him, the reunion changes their prosaic lives. The two former friends rekindle their brotherhood through their shared love of cinema and literature.

tragedy of youth. — Abid Danish

As Agnes opens up in a documentary about creating her latest EP, she unpacks the emotions she’s long buried, especially about her ex-boyfriend and former drummer, who’s about to get married. In making music alone, she finally learns how to move on by herself.

HAKIKI RUMPUT EMAS — Alief Mat Zoher

A son is forced to bury his father alone due to his troubled past with the local villagers. But the late patriarch suddenly appears at home after the burial and invites him in for a chat. 

如果下雨，我就______。| If Rains, I will… — Ho Yue Qin

Told over the course of one blistering afternoon, a boy has a silent conversation with the gods above to make an important decision.

Anak Omputeh — Darwish Syahmi

A young Malay boy returns home after five years of being overseas. Through a slice-of-life series of comedic situations that take place upon his return, he slowly makes friends with the locals and grows to become fond of the kampung he once knew.

Sakarat: Pohon Yang Sunyi — Fauzan Hak

Beneath a dying tree, a man digs a grave, awaiting another arrival. When a silent figure appears, he assumes they’ve come to bury someone else. But as the truth unfolds, he realises the grave is his own. What begins as a simple encounter unfolds into something far more metaphysical: a conversation between two beings that exist beyond the realm of men. One bound by duty, the other corrupted by desire, both caught in a moment between life and eternity. 

Vote for your favourite short film to win the People’s  Choice Award at the official BMW Shorties’ website here, from now until 6 December 2025 at 6pm.  

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