BLESS ALBERT THE MOVIE

http://www.indiegogo.com/THE-COLOUR-OF-MY-MIND-A-Life-with-Schizophrenia

BLESS ALBERT is based on the true life of Albert Wang from Malaysia. Albert, a schizophrenia patient of more than 30 years has dared to defy social stigma to reveal his struggles with this crippling mental illness in an autobiography called The Colour of My Mind. However, Albert's life has not become a happy-ending tale after this commendable and rare feat for he continues to suffer from this illness, with some days in the psychiatric ward and others in a hostile and unsympathetic world.

The film will follow Albert Wang's life from his troubled childhood in Malaysia where witnessing his mother's suicide throws him into childhood depression; and then to his tumultuous youth in Canada, where he is torn between his belief in God and a delusion of being pursued by the Devil. It is here that he has his first experience of sex and the realization that he is schizophrenic. In his middle-age Albert enjoys the limelight of television and press interviews that bring him neither reprieve and aid to fight his illness, nor any security for his future. Without emotional and financial support Albert slips further into a world of delusions and hallucinations.

The film will be in English with a sprinkling of a Chinese dialect spoken by Albert's parents.

The story unfolds from a group discussion with psychiatry students that Albert attends after the launch of his book, discussing his childhood traumas, God and the Devil, Women and Love and the final blow to his mind.

We are looking funding to realise this film project. One of our fundraising efforts is http://igg.me/p/26212?a=131384&i=shlk , our film campaign on Indiegogo. Please visit the site and make a contribution if you feel for Albert and mental patients in general.

The film is aimed primarily to help these patients.

SONA ARTHAUS will be holding a weekend Scriptwriting for Feature Films & Telemovies Workshop on 21st and 22nd August 2010.

If you like telling stories and like films, get initiated into the art of screenplay writing. The workshop is designed for both beginner and intermediate levels.

The workshop will be held on Saturday 21st August and Sunday 22nd August 2010 at the APPLIED SCHOLASTICS INSTITUTE, 4TH FLR., WISMA LEOPAD in Brickfileds Kuala Lumpur.

The sessions run from 9.00 am to 6.00 pm on both days with a one-hour lunch break.

The workshop will cover introduction to screenplay writing techniques, film genres, terminologies and industry formats, story structures, and Character Archetypes.

Emphasis will be on the Linear Structure of storytelling with practical analysis of a selected film (DEAD POETS SOCIETY) to understand the Three Acts plot and character archetypes.

Participants will receive a Certificate of Participation and printed course material.

Workshop fees per participant is RM1,600.

Registration can be made via email to ukthangiah@gmail.com

and payments by cash/cheque deposit

to SONA ARTHAUS, RHB Bank Account No. 2122-00000-50394

Send email to ukthangiah@gmail.com or call 6017-

3131185 for further details.

THE TRAINER: UTTAM KUMAR THANGIAH fdam

FTII Diploma (PG) in Cinema - Direction Specialisation)

Uttam Kumar Thangiah is a graduate of the FILM & TELEVISION INSTITUTE OF INDIA, PUNE (FTII).

(FTII is renowned for producing award winning and internationally acclaimed actors, filmmakers and technicians at the Oscars and prestigious film festivals such as Cannes, Venice and Berlin.)

MFI TRAINING

The trainer has also attended the famous MFI European Scriptwriting Workshop in Greece - the only Asian participant thus far.

In addition, Uttam Kumar has trained in the BBC Scriptwriting programme which he in turn employs in his workshops.

FILMOGRAPHY:

Original Story, Screenplay & Direction for Malay feature PULAU ASMARA

(December 2009)

Screenplay & Direction for Sri Lankan short feature JASMINE FRAGRANCE (2007)

Original Story, Screenplay & Direction for Punjabi telemovie APNA FARZ

(<2007)

Orignal Story, Screenplay & Direction for Hindi telemovie SAPNA (<2007)

TV DRAMAS:

More than 15 Television drama serials in Tamil for RTM's TV2 (1985 to 2010)

In the pipeline:

RUMBLES IN THE SKY - An English feature film with international cast.