I am a UAE-based Malaysian filmmaker, and my artistic interest lies in using documentary as an affective tool of inquiry to explore questions of multiculturalism and cultural identity – an interest informed by my third-cultural upbringing between Malaysia and China. My documentary and narrative filmmaking exposure spans seven countries, including the UAE, Cuba, Ghana, and the USA. I received my undergraduate training at New York University, and aspire to use film to elevate Southeast Asian narratives to the international stage. 

 

My documentary short film Homeless, on the homeless population in Shanghai, China, won Best Film at the Emirates Short Film Festival 2018. My documentary La Lucha on the Cuban struggle was picked up for distribution by ShortsTV in the Latin American region. My experimental documentary, Impromptu Op. COVID No. 19, was exhibited at the Doc Edge Festival 2021 as a part of the XR Installation, which I collaborated on with filmmakers Herve Cohen and Marcia Jarmel.

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Please feel free to reach out to me at: matthew.tan@nyu.edu.

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