Extend paralympic athletes' fighting spirit into creative industries: Yap

SINTOK: Graduates here have been encouraged to extend the fighting spirit shown by the country's paralympic athletes at the Rio Paralympics into creative industries.
Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Mary Yap Kain Ching (pix) said to allow for this spirit to take hold in earnest in the creative industries, various parties such as universities, broadcasters and industry players should organise more events collaboratively so as to provide space and opportunity for budding talents to flourish.
"Recently we celebrated Malaysia’s attainment of several Olympic and Paralympic medals. Contrary to general expectation, and in a tremendously uplifting fashion as well, it was the Paralympic athletes who brought home the gold for the country.
"This proves not only that we can excel, but also, more importantly, that we can excel despite the handicaps we are burdened with. I believe this spirit is not confined only to sports, but extends to other fields, including the creative industries," she said.
Yap said this in her speech when officiating the Asian Youth Indie Film Festival 2016 (AYYIF'16) Gala Night at University Utara Malaysia (UUM) here last night. Also present was UUM vice chancellor Prof Datuk Seri Dr Mohamed Mustafa Ishak.
AYIFF'16 was organised by UUM via the School of Multimedia Technology and Communication in collaboration with the School of Creative Industries Management and Performing Arts.
The Best Narrative Film, Best Documentary Film, Best Animated Film, Music Video of the Year and Best Community Service were among the nine categories contested in AYYIF'16.
"According to the latest survey in Creative Industry Economy, in the new 'Digital Vortex', almost every industry is vulnerable to disruption and that 40 percent of the current top incumbents can expect to be displaced by media and entertainment, which represent the creative industries.
"In the near future, the creative industries will venture into merging mobile technology and design, software applications and design, and gamification and animation design fields together to serve other fields as cross-discipline platforms for generating a robust creative economy," Yap noted.
She said the hosting of AYYIF'16 by UUM was seen as the major initiatives taken towards achieving such end.
"..the creative industries of today do not delve just in art, but go beyond it to become channels for entrepreneurial undertakings that every nation could profitably venture into," she added.
Short film 'Suraya' directed by Zulaikha Zahari from Multimedia University won Best of The Best category in AYYIF'16. — Bernama