Cover Malaysian filmmaker, Jared Lee, gained international acclaim with his animated short film ‘Horologist’, which was featured at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival and won Best Animation at San Diego Comic-Con (Photo: Faudy Younis)
Malaysian filmmaker, Jared Lee, gained international acclaim with his animated short film ‘Horologist’, which was featured at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival and won Best Animation at San Diego Comic-Con (Photo: Faudy Younis)
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From surviving cancer to winning an award at the San Diego Comic-Con, we learn how Gen.T Leader of Tomorrow 2024 Jared Lee’s passion and determination showcase his versatility as a creative
Fuelled by his love for comics, Jared Lee’s journey as a storyteller began at the age of seven. Having grown up in the suburb of Subang Jaya, Selangor, he spent countless hours at his mother's hair salon and often ventured to the neighbouring convenience store to buy comics. These early experiences sparked his imagination, allowing him to envision worlds beyond our own.
In 2011, Jared Lee wrote a script for his first short film, The Long Distance Relationship. The film tells the story of a couple navigating the daily struggles and emotional challenges of a long-distance relationship. It accumulated over three million views on YouTube and became a Top 10 finalist in the BMW Shorties competition that same year.
Read more: Malaysian filmmaker Jared Lee in the spotlight
Building on this success, Lee founded Grim Film. Originally a YouTube channel that produced short films, comedy sketches and travelogues, Lee transitioned Grim Films into a full-fledged production house in 2015 with a focus on producing engaging short films. Lee’s works often explore deep and sometimes dark themes, reflecting his personal experiences and larger societal issues.
Here are five more interesting facts about the Malaysian young filmmaker recently honoured as a Gen.T Leader of Tomorrow 2024.
Influenced by Japanese pop culture
As a fan of popular culture, Lee was drawn to Japanese pop culture, especially manga and anime, which greatly inspired his work. Whether it was action-heavy anime like Dragon Ball Z and One Piece or deep, thought-provoking stories, Lee found inspiration. He was especially influenced by Naoki Urasawa’s acclaimed science fiction series 20th Century Boys, which explores themes of nostalgia, friendship, conspiracy theories and the struggle between good and evil.
Balanced a career and writing scripts
After he graduated from college, Lee freelanced as a storyboard artist and volunteered as a production assistant at various production houses, all while maintaining a full-time job at an event company. Despite his busy schedule, he always found the time to write scripts.
Read more: How ‘Tiger Stripes’ director Amanda Nell Eu found her voice as a filmmaker
Found inspiration through his personal adversity
Above Despite being diagnosed with testicular cancer, Lee did not let the experience not dampen his creative spirit (Photo: Jared Lee Instagram)
Despite being diagnosed with testicular cancer, Lee did not let the experience not dampen his creative spirit (Photo: Jared Lee Instagram)
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Lee was diagnosed with stage 1A testicular cancer in 2018. After undergoing surgery and a round of chemotherapy, Lee had to deal with other challenges, including a bicycle accident that left him with facial scars and the devastating news of his infertility. Instead of succumbing to despair, he used the experiences to fuel his love of storytelling.
Pivoted to comics during the pandemic
Above Lee’s resilience and passion for storytelling culminated in the creation of the animated short film ‘Horologist’
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Lee decided to create a comic book, a project born out of necessity since shooting videos was not feasible at the time. Together with Malaysian comic artist Cross, the duo worked on the graphic novel Horologist, which they adapted into an animated short film. Lee later showcased the film at various international film festivals.
Recognised internationally
In 2023, Horologist was selected for the Cannes Short Film Corner during the Cannes Film Festival. It made headlines again when it won the Best Animation award at the San Diego Comic-Con and marked the first time a Malaysian artist received this honour. These achievements were watershed moments in his professional life and significantly elevated his standing in the global film community.
Earlier in May, Horologist received a nomination for the 2024 Eisner Award in the Best Single Issue/One-Shot category.
See more Gen.T Leaders of Tomorrow in Entertainment.
