Ananth Subramaniam (Tamil: ஆனந்த் சுப்பிரமணியம்) is a Malaysian filmmaker and screenwriter. He is best known for directing the short film Bleat! (2025), which became the first Malaysian short film selected for the Critics’ Week (La Semaine de la Critique) section at the Cannes Film Festival.[1][2]
Ananth Subramaniam | |
|---|---|
ஆனந்த் சுப்பிரமணியம் | |
| Born | Malaysia |
| Occupation | Filmmaker |
| Years active | 2018–present |
| Notable work | Bleat!, Holy Crowd, Liar Land, The House of Brick and Stone |
Early life and education
editAnanth Subramaniam was born in Malaysia and is of Tamil descent.[3] He holds an MA in filmmaking from Kingston University London.[4] The first short film he made in Malaysia, Colourless won the BMW Shorties Grand Prize Award 2018 along with Best Director, Best Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Editing and Best Sound Design.[5]
Career
editIn 2019 Ananth's short film Liar Land was screened at the Locarno Film Festival.[6] His 2022 short film The House of Brick and Stone was screened at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal and the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival in South Korea.[7][8]
Ananth directed the short film Bleat! in 2025. The film was selected for the Critics’ Week section at the Cannes Film Festival. The film was filmed entirely in Banting, Selangor, Subramaniam's hometown. The film was produced through a multinational collaboration involving Sixtymac Pictures (Malaysia), Epicmedia Productions (Philippines), and DW (France).[9] After Cannes Film Festival, Bleat! got selected into Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival and won the Student Prize (Prix Étudiant) in 2026.
In 2026, Malaysian filmmaker Ananth Subramaniam returned to the Cannes Film Festival with his short film Holy Crowd, which premiered at the 65th Semaine De La Critique programme alongside the 79th Cannes Film Festival. The 16-minute Indonesian-French co-production was co-directed with Indonesian filmmaker Reza Fahriyansyah and developed under the Next Step Studio initiative, a regional collaboration programme for emerging Southeast Asian filmmakers. The film follows a woman who mysteriously rises from the dead during her own funeral and becomes the centre of a growing religious following. [10]
Filmography
editFestival screenings and awards
edit| Films | Year | Festival | Award / Section | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bleat! (Kattu!) | 2025 | Cannes Film Festival | Queer Palm | Short Film | Won |
| Semaine De La Critique | Short Film | Nominee | |||
| Melbourne International Film Festival | Official Selection | International Short Film Competition | Nominee | ||
| Vancouver International Film Festival | Official Selection | International Short Film Competition | Nominee | ||
| Dharamshala International Film Festival | Official Selection | International Short Film Competition | Nominee | ||
| Singapore International Film Festival | Best Director | Southeast Asia Short Film Competition | Won | ||
| 2026 | Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival | Youth Jury Award | International Competition | Won | |
| Hong Kong International Film Festival | Official Selection | International Short Film Competition | Nominee | ||
| New Directors/New Films Festival | Official Selection | International Short Film | Nominee | ||
| SXSW London | Official Selection | International Short Film Competition | Nominee | ||
| Flickerfest International Short Film Festival | Best Rainbow Short | Azure Productions Award | Won | ||
| Holy Crowd | 2026 | Cannes Film Festival | World Premiere | Next Step Studio Semaine de la Critique | Selected |
| Liar Land | 2019 | Locarno Film Festival | Open Door Special Mention Award | Locarno Shorts Weeks | Won |
References
edit- ↑ Ramachandran, Naman (17 April 2025). "Malaysian Short 'Bleat!' Makes History at Cannes Critics' Week". Variety. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
- ↑ "Ananth Subramaniam's 'Bleat' makes Cannes history". Free Malaysia Today. 22 April 2025. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
- ↑ "Ananth Subramaniam Profile". Eksentrika. 16 May 2025. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
- ↑ Wong, Stephanie (3 December 2025). "BURO Impact Awards 2025: Introducing Ananth Subramaniam as our Artist of the Year". BURO Malaysia. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
- ↑ Belle, Theresa (2018-12-17). "Watch: Colourless, the short film that won big at BMW Shorties 2018". FirstClasse. Retrieved 2026-02-08.
- ↑ "Locarno Film Festival – Short Film Selections". Locarno Film Festival. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
- ↑ "Fantasia International Film Festival – Film Programme". Fantasia International Film Festival. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
- ↑ "Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival – Official Selection". Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
- ↑ S, Ashwin (2 June 2025). "Ananth Subramaniam: Tamils have a culture of acceptance". Cinema Express. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
- ↑ Ramachandran, Naman (2026-05-14). "Eight Directors, Five Countries, Four Films: Inside KawanKawan Media's 'Next Step Studio Indonesia' at Cannes". Variety. Retrieved 2026-05-28.