BMW Shorties 2025's 10 Finalists Revealed By BMW Malaysia

On top of being some of the world’s greatest drivers’ cars, BMWs have also been no stranger to the silver screen. From the brand’s own short film series The Hire starring Clive Owen that garnered more than 100 million total views over 4 years while redefining automotive advertising, before even going on to inspire Luc Besson’s The Transporter; to that 1990s period when icons like the E38 750iL & E52 Z8 Roadster starred alongside Pierce Brosnan as global super-spy James Bond’s rides of choice, the German marque has constantly strived to position its cars as expressively dynamic symbols of desire via the realm of visionary film-making.

Closer to home, this year’s edition of the BMW Shorties festival has now presented 10 selected, outstanding projects with the theme of ‘New Dimensions’. As BMW Group Malaysia’s most prestigious and longest-running Arts & Culture initiative, an esteemed panel of industry experts will judge these finalists for the Grand Prize of RM50,000 in production funding from the Group; while public voting for the People’s Choice Award has also opened.

As Sashi Ambihaipahan, Director of Corporate Communications and Sustainability at BMW Group Malaysia put it, this year’s edition follows on from 2024’s theme of ‘PULSE’ by forging an exciting evolution in how local Malaysian creators approach their narrative craft; challenging them to venture beyond well-known genres to create expectation-defying works. The depth of talent seen by the festival year after year reinforces their belief in the enduring creative spirit embodied within Malaysia’s digital content landscape. As BMW Group constantly strives to redefine possibilities via its current values of Technology Openness and the Power of Choice, it’s a genuine delight to see this year’s storytellers reflecting that same transformative spirit.

Award-winning documentarian and BMW Shorties 2025 Judge Zan Azlee added that judging this year’s submissions has turned out to be an incredibly rewarding experience, saying that, “What struck me most was how many creators truly embraced the challenge of ‘New Dimensions’, engaging with complex social issues in fresh, unexpected ways. The finalists for this year represent stories that dare to feel, and yet can also be cheeky and fun, and that’s what makes them so compelling.”

Marking the initiative’s 19th edition thus far, 2025’s BMW Shorties Festival will take place at APW Bangsar on Saturday the 6th of December from 10:00AM to 11:00 PM. BMW Shorties fans, film enthusiasts and just about anyone involved with our local creative community are all invited to join this celebration of storytelling working integrally with innovation.

There will be screenings of all 10 finalist projects to delight festival-goers, who can also explore a deliciously curated food & drinks Bazaar, witness exciting local music performances, and even get their artistic juices flowing through hands-on partner and alumni workshops designed to educate & inspire budding creative talents. Later that evening, the BMW Shorties’ 18th Grand Prize Winner will be officially revealed and awarded the RM50,000 production grant.

As for the People’s Choice Award, all 10 finalists’ exceptional stories are now available for public viewing & voting at the BMW Shorties’ website here, from now until 6:00 PM on festival day the 6th of December 2025.

In no specific order, the 2025 BMW Shorties finalists are:-

Sayap – Sathishwararao Anantharao