Sell Out!
Encyclopedia
Sell Out! is a 2008 comedy film
set in Malaysia which premiered at the 65th Venice International Film Festival
where it also won the Young Cinema Award for Alternative Vision. It was written, edited and directed by Yeo Joon Han who is a graduate of the London Film Academy.
Described as Malaysia’s first 'Manglish' (Malaysian-English) musical comedy, it points fingers at various institutions and people in the country, from bureaucrats and CEOs to artists and the media.
“a gem from Malaysia”
- Gertzan Zuilhof, The New Straits Times
“ A story of our time. … (a) humourous, wink-filled comedy”
-Kong Rithdee, The Bangkok Post
"a film that involves and
constantly surprises the audience"
- Jury, Young Cinema Award
"punchy songs and comic routines"
- Derek Elley, Variety
"the daffiness and enthusiasm are infectious…
one of 10 best films of 2008 not yet released in the USA”
- David Walsh, the World Socialist Web Site
"moments of pure brilliance that
let you know Yeo Joon Han will be around
for a very long time"
- Matthew Tsang, Schema Magazine
“spunky performance from lead actress Jerrica Lai”
- Derek Elley, Variety
"a film that (feels) really new"
- Emma Engstrom, the Gotenborgs-Posten
(Swedish press)
"an infectious energy, brilliant at all levels"
- Jean Noel Nicolau, Ecran Large
“Sell Out! is one week’s worth of laughter in 106 minutes”
- Now News, Taiwan
"the biggest surprise of the festival!"
- Taipei Golden Horse Festival
"A satire on business and media-greed that's played and helmed with a sophomoric enthusiasm -- the Opening sequence is the funniest thing in the picture!"
- Variety
“This humorous, wink-filled comedy relies on jokes that most South-East Asians can relate to.”
- Bangkok Post
"Producer, composer, writer, and first-time feature filmmaker Yeo Joon Han amusingly crafted an artsy film that pokes fun at almost every issue that society encounters."
- cinemaonline
Young Cinema Award for Alternative Vision
Venice Film Festival 2008
WINNER
NETPAC Award
Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival 2008
Best Film of the Venice Critics Week 2008
-Italian Critics Poll, Cineforum
Awarded- Special Mention at the Barcelona Asian Film Festival!
(World Premiere)
2. Vancouver International Film Festival
(North American Premiere)
3. Pusan International Film Festival
(Asian Premiere)
4. Taipei Golden Horse Festival
5. Zurich Film Festival
6. Hong Kong Asian Film Festival
7. World Film Festival of Bangkok
8. Karlovy-Vary International Film Festival *(2009)
9. Buenos Aires International Independent Film Festival (BAFICI) *(2009)
10. TromsØ International Film Festival, Norway *(2009)
11. Era New Horizons International Film Festival, Poland *(2009)
12 Barcelona Asian Film Festival *(2009)
13. Singapore International Film Festival (2009)
14. Festival Paris Cinema (2009)
15. Rome Asian Film Festival (2009)
Peter Davis
Kee Thuan Chye
Lim Teik Leong
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
set in Malaysia which premiered at the 65th Venice International Film Festival
65th Venice International Film Festival
The 65th Venice International Film Festival, held in Venice, Italy, was opened on August 27, 2008 by Burn After Reading, and closed on September 6, 2008....
where it also won the Young Cinema Award for Alternative Vision. It was written, edited and directed by Yeo Joon Han who is a graduate of the London Film Academy.
Described as Malaysia’s first 'Manglish' (Malaysian-English) musical comedy, it points fingers at various institutions and people in the country, from bureaucrats and CEOs to artists and the media.
Plot
Self-absorbed Malaysian TV host, Rafflesia Pong (Jerrica Lai), whose art-discussion programme is dying from lousy ratings, stumbles upon a golden opportunity when her latest interviewee, an ex-boyfriend, dies in front of the camera. It is perfect timing as she has to find a way to come up with the ultimate reality show to outdo her American-accented pan-Asian rival. Eric Tan (Peter Davis) is a mild-mannered, half-English corporate slave who, like Pong, works for the Fony Corporation. He labours to create the perfect Soyamaker Machine but is constantly assailed by unreasonable insults from his megalomaniacal CEO bosses and is in love with Pong.Critical Response
Response to Sell Out! was universally positive. As of 15th October 2011 it has an average rating of 7.6/10 from 166 users at the Internet Move Database. On Rotten Tomato 78% of readers reviewed it positively with the average rating 4/5 as of 15th October 2011.“a gem from Malaysia”
- Gertzan Zuilhof, The New Straits Times
“ A story of our time. … (a) humourous, wink-filled comedy”
-Kong Rithdee, The Bangkok Post
"a film that involves and
constantly surprises the audience"
- Jury, Young Cinema Award
"punchy songs and comic routines"
- Derek Elley, Variety
"the daffiness and enthusiasm are infectious…
one of 10 best films of 2008 not yet released in the USA”
- David Walsh, the World Socialist Web Site
"moments of pure brilliance that
let you know Yeo Joon Han will be around
for a very long time"
- Matthew Tsang, Schema Magazine
“spunky performance from lead actress Jerrica Lai”
- Derek Elley, Variety
"a film that (feels) really new"
- Emma Engstrom, the Gotenborgs-Posten
(Swedish press)
"an infectious energy, brilliant at all levels"
- Jean Noel Nicolau, Ecran Large
“Sell Out! is one week’s worth of laughter in 106 minutes”
- Now News, Taiwan
"the biggest surprise of the festival!"
- Taipei Golden Horse Festival
"A satire on business and media-greed that's played and helmed with a sophomoric enthusiasm -- the Opening sequence is the funniest thing in the picture!"
- Variety
“This humorous, wink-filled comedy relies on jokes that most South-East Asians can relate to.”
- Bangkok Post
"Producer, composer, writer, and first-time feature filmmaker Yeo Joon Han amusingly crafted an artsy film that pokes fun at almost every issue that society encounters."
- cinemaonline
Awards & Accolades
WINNERYoung Cinema Award for Alternative Vision
Venice Film Festival 2008
WINNER
NETPAC Award
Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival 2008
Best Film of the Venice Critics Week 2008
-Italian Critics Poll, Cineforum
Awarded- Special Mention at the Barcelona Asian Film Festival!
List of Film Festivals and Premieres
1. Venice Film Festival, Critic's Week(World Premiere)
2. Vancouver International Film Festival
(North American Premiere)
3. Pusan International Film Festival
(Asian Premiere)
4. Taipei Golden Horse Festival
5. Zurich Film Festival
6. Hong Kong Asian Film Festival
7. World Film Festival of Bangkok
8. Karlovy-Vary International Film Festival *(2009)
9. Buenos Aires International Independent Film Festival (BAFICI) *(2009)
10. TromsØ International Film Festival, Norway *(2009)
11. Era New Horizons International Film Festival, Poland *(2009)
12 Barcelona Asian Film Festival *(2009)
13. Singapore International Film Festival (2009)
14. Festival Paris Cinema (2009)
15. Rome Asian Film Festival (2009)
Cast
Jerrica LaiPeter Davis
Peter Davis (actor)
Peter Davis is a Malaysian actor, model and mixed martial artist best known for his role as Eric Tan in the award winning 2008 movie Sell Out!....
Kee Thuan Chye
Lim Teik Leong