KUCHING, Dec 18: Ministry of Education’s Digital Storytelling Animation (DiStA) camp programme has inspired and nurtured two talented young animators, Macgres Sawet and Nabiatul Dania Zulfiqa Mohd Zulfadhli to win international award for their ‘Batuh Bijanji’ animated short film.
Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA) general manager Dr Zaidi Razak emphasised that it was through this form of grassroot development that Sarawak can unearth more talents to grow the creative industry in the form of digital creative content and even games.
“As the lead agency in driving Digital Sarawak, SMA remains steadfast in facilitating this strategic agenda with our partner, the Sarawak Digital Economic Corporation (SDEC),” he assured in a media release today.
The Sarawak government through the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Research (MESTR) and SMA had leveraged on DiStA Camp to expand opportunities for more Sarawak students to showcase their digital content creativity skills.
At the same time, the programme provided a platform for respective winners to vie for international awards.
The 2019 DiStA Camp saw the participation of 70 schools from Kuching, Mukah and Bintulu, involving 140 students.
It was from one of these camps that the two noteworthy champions from SK Temong, Serian were raised with the inspirational guidance of their teachers Mohd Reduan Patah and Wan Zulfadli Ad-Dinnie Wan Azmi.
“SMA would like to pay tribute to all those involved in strengthening the current STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and ICT education in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions in Sarawak,” Dr Zaidi acknowledged.
This, he emphasised was in line with Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg’s Digital Economy agenda which was introduced in 2018.
Among the strategic enablers to drive the economy was digital skills and talent development with an emphasis to enhance the state’s education system and infrastructure through STEM.
The outcome was to create ICT champion in schools through ICT-based competition.
Another strategic enabler was through arts and culture whereby the value of Sarawak’s heritage and culture were preserved digitally and physically, thereby enhancing tourism in the state.
Meanwhile, the ‘Batuh Bijanji’ animated short film by Macgres and Nabiatul Dania had won the Best Film Award by Popular Jury for Primary School Category at the Festival Internacional de Cinema Escolar de Alvoradar (FECEA) 2020, Brazil recently.
Last Wednesday, Abang Johari presented incentive amounting RM25,000 from the State government to the talented kids.
The incentive was presented to the school’s headmaster Cleveland Raden in a simple ceremony at the Chief Minister’s Office at Wisma Bapa Malaysia here. — DayakDaily
