Press Room
Monday 6th November 2006 | Media
US Art Fest Zooms In On Brunei
Achong Tanjong - Borneo Bulletin, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam
The fascinating culture, beauty and heritage of Brunei Darussalam along with those of other Asean member countries were recently showcased at the US-Asean Film and Photography Festival 2006, hosted by Global Renaissance of Asean-American Culture and Entertainment (Grace) Heritage and National Geographic, in the United States. On hand to launch the festival was Asean Secretary General Ong Keng Yong.
Also present were ambassadors and counsellors from Asean member countries, including Brunei Ambassador to the United States Dato Puteh, who presented a special award to Don Gurewitz.
The exhibition, "Southeast Asia: Four Views and Four Colours", featured photographs by Brunei's Hj Mohd Yusof, Laos'-KingsavanhPathammavong, Indonesia's Iwan Bagus, and Washington DC's Don Durewitz. All shutterbugs came from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds but share a broad appreciation of the Southeast Asian culture.
This year's exhibition aimed to introduce both Asian and non-Asian photographers through a curate exhibition anchored in South Asia and to foster international discourse and solidarity. The event combined the visual spectacles of Southeast Asia-inspired photography with the most current cinematic fare from 10 Asean member countries.
The festival sought to promote unity through a collection of professional and artistic works and to show the real Southeast Asia in all its rich cultural and historical trappings, while exploring the myriad of cultures through the eyes of the photographers and filmmakers of the vast diversity of life in Southeast Asia.
"We celebrate the third year of the festival with a special focus on Brunei Darussalam, which for the first time showcases a magnificent series of photographs from the region," said Karina Lee Sudyatmiko, co-founder and director of the festival.
She said Don Gurewitz, the winner of the 2003 Grace Heritage photography contest, will travel to Brunei to explore and capture the beauty of richness of the country through the lens and present the resulting body of work in next year's festival.
Meanwhile, the festival was co-presented by National Geographic and sponsored by Brunei Tourism, Freeport McMoran, the Asean Secretariat, Cafe Asia, the Indonesian Embassy, the Singapore Embassy and the Washington Post.
Grace Heritage was founded by two Indonesians - Karina Lee Sudyatmiko and Jasmine Wibisono - residing in Washington DC. Its strategic programme includes arts and culture, education and literature, and sports and health.
Source:
Brunei Direct
http://www.brudirect.com/DailyInfo/News/Archive/Nov06/221106/nite14.htm
About ASEAN
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is comprised of ten countries in Southeast Asia, the region straddling continental Asia and Australia and bordering both the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Diversity is a part of life for ASEAN's 575 million citizen who are more likely than not multi-lingual, living in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious community. ASEAN members are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Timor Leste, the only non-ASEAN member in Southeast Asia is a candidate for membership.
About UACP
US-ASEAN Creative Project (UACP) is the arm of GH Foundation to carry out its mission in promoting Southeast Asian culture and heritage. Since 2002, GH Foundation has organized various events in arts, entertainment, literature, and sports to raise awareness of the diverse cultures and traditions of Southeast Asia. Its flagship event, the US-ASEAN Film Festival, has been running annually since 2003. It was the first film festival to celebrate films from the region.
Contact Information
US-ASEAN Creative Project by GH Foundation
1701 16th Street NW Suite 218
Washington, DC 20009
USA
+1 (202) 262-3775
info@thegraceheritage.org
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