Serving as a judge at the 9th Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest), Midi Z shared with Malaysian media his connection with Malaysian cinema. He recalled that when his university graduation short film "Paloma" was shortlisted for competition at the Busan International Film Festival, he first encountered Tan Chui Mui's works. The film was shot with simple techniques, yet won the top prize in Busan's New Currents section, leaving a deep impression on him. “At that time, I saw a film made so simply could win a big award, and I thought to myself: ‘Then I can make films too.’”
Midi Z said that although he was deeply influenced by New Taiwanese Cinema directors like Hou Hsiao-hsien, it was actually Southeast Asian filmmakers who truly helped him find his own way of filmmaking. He believes that Malaysian directors such as Tan Chui Mui, Woo Ming Jin, and Lau Chee Nien could still produce simple yet powerful films even with limited resources, helping him realize that movies don’t necessarily need expensive equipment or a large crew. This inspiration also influenced his later works like “The Road to Mandalay” and “Ice Poison,” which were completed on low budgets.
72-year-old Korean director Lee Chang-dong was awarded the "Lifetime Achievement Award" by MIFFest's Golden Ring Awards at the 9th Malaysia International Film Festival. Although he already received the same honor from the Asian Film Awards in 2019, he remained humble, saying that he hasn’t made many films and that this award instead became motivation to continue creating. In 2002, he won the Venice Silver Lion for Best Director with "Oasis," and his latest work after an eight-year hiatus, “A Wonderful Love,” has recently been shortlisted for the main competition at the Venice Film Festival, marking his return to Venice after 24 years. He admitted that he was both excited and nervous, saying, “I don’t know if everyone will like it.”