According to a report by News Straits Times, Putri Purnama Sugua's short film titled 'Rumah Nda Bertanah' will compete with 11 other films from other countries including China, Lebanon, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Iran and Armenia.

Putri said her work was submitted by director and producer Haris Sulong but she only learnt about it after it was shortlisted.

The graduate from Universiti Teknologi Mara's (UiTM) Faculty of Film, Theatre and Animation (FiTA) said her film was inspired by a true story.

The film also featured actual stateless children in order to create more realism.

Giving a voice to the voiceless

The 28-year-old from Sabah said she grew up witnessing the hardships of the stateless children and felt that they could contribute so much to the country should they be given the opportunity.

Putri hopes that by featuring the problems faced by stateless children in her works, people would be more aware of the issue and have discussions on it.

'Rumah Nda Bertanah', which follows an 11-year-old stateless and illiterate boy named Toteng who discovers a love for knowledge after finding an old book, has already received the Best Script and Best Director awards at the Pesta Filem Kita (PFK) 2019.