BMW Group Malaysia has unveiled Flame of the Forest, the latest BMW Shorties–funded film by 2024 Grand Prize Winner Krityishaa A/P Karunagaran, during the BMW Shorties Festival 2025. The premiere marked yet another milestone in Malaysia’s longest-running arts and culture initiative for digital storytelling, now in its 19th year of championing young creatives who push boundaries in narrative, craft, and cultural expression.

Flame of the Forest traces the quiet unraveling of a young nurse whose brief escape from her responsibilities leads her back to a devastating loss—one that forces her to confront family expectations, personal guilt, and the unsettled longing for freedom beneath traditional values. Set against the earthy backdrop of Kuala Terla in Cameron Highlands, the film is deeply rooted in the experiences of the Malaysian Indian community, offering an intimate exploration of generational tension and identity.

For director and writer Krityishaa, the journey behind the film was as transformative as the story itself. “The narrative changed completely from where we began,” she shared. “The more Gogu—our co-writer—and I explored these characters, the more we realised this was the story that needed to be told right now. It is emotional, exhausting, liberating, and messy. It reflects the lives of the women around us, the men who move through those lives, and the chaos inside all of us.” She added that seeing the project come alive through the BMW Shorties platform has been both humbling and empowering, reaffirming the power of storytelling to help people “see and be seen, in all our complexity.”

Originally from Ipoh and trained in Biotechnology, Krityishaa made a full leap into filmmaking with a degree in Digital Film and Television from Lim Kok Wing University. Over the past seven years, she has carved out a unique place in Malaysia’s creative landscape—her voice defined by grounded narratives, cultural nuance, and emotional truth. Her previous project, Tomorrow is Spring (வருங்காலம் வசந்தகாலம்), not only won the BMW Shorties 2024 Grand Prize but also the Malaysian Open Competition at the SeaShorts Film Festival 2025. The film has since travelled across regional festivals in Vietnam, Indonesia, Brunei, and Thailand.

BMW Group Malaysia praised Krityishaa’s ability to navigate the shifting intersections of tradition, family, and selfhood. “Krityishaa brings depth and nuance to stories from Malaysia’s communities,” said Sashi Ambihaipahan, Director of Corporate Communications and Sustainability. “Her willingness to explore the tension between traditional values and modern desires is what gives Flame of the Forest its power. This maturity in her storytelling is exactly what the BMW Shorties platform seeks to champion—bold talent with a distinctive voice, capable of challenging perspectives and reflecting a society in transition.”

As the BMW Shorties continues to nurture Malaysia’s most promising storytellers, Flame of the Forest stands as a testament to the importance of creative courage, cultural introspection, and the timeless human search for identity.

For more information or updates on the BMW Shorties, visit the official website or follow the programme on its Facebook and Instagram channels.