Fish Cheng and Graph Studio push and pull their way to a New Director Lotus Gold at ADFEST 2024

Fishermen Integrated Creative Group Head Fish Cheng (pictured left) and award-winning production house Graph Studio won Malaysia’s only gold at ADFEST 2024 with a New Director Lotus Gold for the original short film ‘Push-Pull’.

Originally written by Cheng and produced in collaboration with Graph Studio for The Kancil Sick Six New Directors Challenge at the Malaysian Kancils Festival 2023, where it took home Jury’s Choice, ‘Push-Pull’ represents both a personal and professional achievement.

“The idea of filming shorts came about when I found myself stuck with multiple versions of an advertising video, with no progress in sight. Just then, the Kancils Festival competition opened for submissions. Rather than persisting with scripts that satisfied others but left me unfulfilled, I opted to craft a story that truly spoke to me.

Graph Studio approached the project with even greater dedication than I had anticipated. I vividly recall my assistant director delving into character nuances in more depth than I had imagined, and how when I initially thought stock music would suffice for the soundtrack, they helped me compose an original song that I would proudly feature on the first page of my portfolio” said Fish Cheng.

Derrik Yaw, Film Director and co-founder of Graph Studio, sung praises for award platforms like ADFEST and The Kancils for giving emerging Malaysian talents a chance to shine on the highest stages.

“We are immensely grateful to the organizers of Adfest for providing a platform like the New Director Lotus category, which provides a vital platform for emerging talents. This recognition serves as both a motivation and inspiration, encouraging countless young talents to strive for excellence in their craft.

Our heartfelt gratitude also extends to the organizers of The Kancil Sick Six New Directors Challenge and sponsor Maxis for creating a space where aspiring directors can be discovered and celebrated.

This win is not just a triumph for Graph Studio and new directors like Fish, but a collective victory for Malaysian filmmaking. We hope it also inspires more aspiring directors to participate in The Kancil Sick Six New Directors Challenge and share their stories with the world. Together, let’s continue to elevate Malaysian cinema onto the global stage.”

With a win both in Malaysia and regionally now in the bag, Graph Studio hopes to also submit Push-pull to the Young Director Award 2024 where it can hopefully gain global recognition. Spurred on by these wins, Fish Cheng will continue to strive for greatness in his role as Creative Group Head at award-winning agency Fishermen Integrated while continuing to pursue both script-writing and directing opportunities with Graph Studio in the near future.

Push-Pull Credits:

Production House: GRAPH STUDIO
Director: FISH CHENG
Writer: FISH CHENG
Executive Producer: DERRIK YAW & KENNETH LIM
Producer: PEH YING JIE​
Assistant Director: MELISSA LIM
DOP: JEFF MAH & KENZ KOH
Original scored by: CLINTON LIEW (WAVEFERER AUDIO)
Art Director: CHIA KOK MING
Sound Designer: SOO YUEN YIET (LAB STUDIO)
Sound: WEE KIM HOCK
Post-Production: GURAFU POST
Post Producer: TAN VINIE
Film Editor: JOHNSON NG & ELYAS ADNAN
Colourist: DANNY GAN
Online Artist: SYAKRY MAZLAN & JASSMINE MAJEED
Digital Image Artist: MIKE CHUA
Wardrobe Stylist: DARREN SIEW
Makeup Artist: DEIRDRE CHONG
Makeup Artist: COLGATE KHO
Production Manager: TIGER CHIA
Production Coordinator: LEE JADE SHAN
Production Assistant: JUTIKA LAM & NICHOLAS RYAN LEE
Equipment Support: THE RENTAL HOUSE
Main Sponsor: MAXIS
Organized: 4AS MALAYSIA