25/04/2026

LYFE SATURDAY | APR 25, 2026

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Award-winning Mother Bhumi cast on tour to meet local fans this May

HIGHLY-ACCLAIMED director Chong Keat Aun will lead Mother Bhumi ’s cast Fan Bingbing, Bai Run-yin, Natalie Hsu and Pearlly Chua on a tour to meet fans across Malaysia from May 10 to 14. Written and directed by Chong, Mother Bhumi features a career-defining performance by international icon Fan and won three major awards at the 62nd Golden Horse Awards , marking a milestone for Malaysian cinema. Inspired by folk legends of a witch in the paddy fields of

Original Film Song. With her powerful portrayal of the “Kedah Witch”, Fan won her first Golden Horse Best Leading Actress Award. The film has also garnered international acclaim, selected for the Main Competition at the 38th Tokyo International Film Festival and the 28th Udine Far East Film Festival in Italy. At Udine, Fan will be honoured with the Golden Mulberry Award for Outstanding Achievement, sharing the honor with legendary Japanese actor K ǯ ji Yakusho.

Kedah, Mother Bhumi is set in the 1990s, where land disputes in a Siamese village give rise to strange phenomena. A farmer by day, Hong Im, played by Fan, transforms into a ritual healer by night, healing her community, resisting dark forces while confronting deep-rooted tensions in her community. Blending magical realism, female empowerment and land issues, the film earned eight nominations at the 62nd Golden Horse Awards, winning Best Leading Actress, Best Cinematography and Best

Mother Bhumi plays in cinemas nationwide from May 14.

Fans can join the cast in the Meet & Greet Tour taking place this May.

Family comes first in new M’sian film o Malaysian Idol runner-up Vic Teo composing for Grandpa by the Ocean M ALAYSIAN TV viewers can expect a tearjerker of a local film to come their way mid-2026, as a new made-for-TV movie has been announced. Ű BY NOEL WONG

Grandpa by the Ocean is the upcoming Mandarin television film from Saga Film Sdn Bhd, made with support from the National Film Development Corp Malaysia and Radio Television Malaysia. Veteran actor Kenji Sawahii will be directing the film, as well as playing the lead role, while brothers Arthur Teo and Vic Teo will be producing and composing for the film respectively. Other cast members include MyFM announcer Aaron Bosco and actors April Chan, Eric Chen and Rabbit Chen. The movie will be filmed locally in places such as Sekinchan and Kuala Lumpur. Shooting will begin next Monday, with the movie expected to be released between July and August 2026. The story Set in a Malaysian coastal village, Grandpa by the Ocean follows Hong Guang Hai, an elderly man living in sorrow after his grandson Hong Zifeng was kidnapped. After spending nearly two decades looking and waiting for Zifeng, Guang Huai is on the verge of giving up when Zifeng finally reappears. However, Zifeng is not the same innocent soul he once was, as he has since fallen in league with criminals based in Kuala Lumpur. Guang Hai refuses to give up on his prodigal grandson, however, and Zifeng ultimately has to decide between embracing the life he remembers and accepting the life he now lives. Brotherly project Befitting a film themed around family, the film production is also to be a family affair, with brothers Arthur and Vic working together for the first time on a large-scale project. Arthur is a Malaysia-based filmmaker attached to Saga Film, who has previously worked on

commercials, branded content, documentaries and short films. Grandpa by the Ocean marks his big budget debut on the small screen. Vic, on the other hand, is a more familiar face on Hong Kong television. He was actually a runner up on 2004’s Malaysian Idol , before later joining the TVB talent show Midlife, Sing & Shine! 3 . For Grandpa by the Ocean , he will be contributing an original song made by him. Speaking to theSun , Arthur said: “I feel honoured and very happy. It is the first time I’m working with my brother. He is a very good music producer, and this is a blessing from God, allowing us to work together.” He also said by featuring Sekinchan heavily in Grandpa by the Ocean , he hopes to show audiences just how cinematic and scenic this part of Malaysia can be. Additionally, he hopes the film will eventually be distributed to foreign audiences in places like Hong Kong and Singapore. “Hopefully, everybody will have the opportunity to watch this.” Meanwhile, Vic said having an opportunity to work with his brother Kenji will also be playing the lead character of Hong Guang Hai in Grandpa by the Ocean .

Grandpa by the Ocean is an upcoming Mandarin TV film, produced by Arthur (fifth from left, bottom row) and scored by his brother Vic (fourth from left, bottom row).

is “amazing”. “I am a musician and a singer, but I have always wanted to be involved in moviemaking. Rarely have I gotten the chance to take part in a movie, to act or to make music. “So, when my brother said he was producing a movie and he asked me to be part of it, I realised this was the first time I could officially work with him. “I will be composing the theme song for Grandpa by the Ocean , and I will be doing the singing,” Vic said. When asked who is responsible and who is playful, both brothers claimed they were the playful ones. “I think I’m the playful one! But in terms of responsibilities, we’ll both do our duties,” said Arthur. “When I’m working, I’m very serious, but when I’m not, I’m playful,” added Vic.

This is the first major project the Teo brothers will be working on together.