Malaysian film critic selected as Golden Globe voter

Malaysian journalist and film critic Kalash Nanda Kumar has been selected as an international voter for the 81st Golden Globe Awards, the organisation announced.

Kalash (above) is part of a list of voters totalling 300 journalists from around the world, which makes it the most ethnically diverse of all the major award shows.

Golden Globes president Helen Hoehne said this is part of their continuous commitment to maintaining the diversity of their voting body.

“Our voters represent 76 countries bringing a unique international perspective on nominating the best in motion pictures and television this year,” she added.

Voters underwent a rigorous review and accreditation process with the newly implemented Membership Board of Directors composed of a diverse panel, mainly of outside media professionals reviewing and selecting new voters.

Golden Globes vice president Tim Gray said he was very impressed by the number of global applicants and the quality of their work.

“The membership committee had a tough time narrowing down the field, but we’re all pleased with the results,” he added.

The awards will take place on Jan 7 next year.

‘Incredible honour’

Kalash told Malaysiakini he was very honoured to be selected as a voter.

“It is an incredible honour. While the Malaysian film industry is relatively small, I believe we have lots to offer to the canon of world cinema.

”There are established filmmakers like Hussain Haniff, U-Wei Haji Saari, Mamat Khalid, Tan Chui Mui, and the work of a younger generation like Amanda Nell Eu and Muzzamer Rahman is coming through.

“Cinema transgresses national boundaries and I applaud the commitment of the Golden Globe Awards towards building a more universal collective,” he said.

The voting body includes international voters from countries including Armenia, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Cuba, Guatemala, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Serbia and Tanzania.

The new breakdown is 47 percent female, and 60 percent racially and ethnically diverse, with 26.3 percent Latinx, 13.3 percent Asian, 11 percent Black, and 9 percent Middle Eastern.

In 2022, Kalash was selected to be part of the International Federation of Film Critics (Fipresci) making him the first individual member from Malaysia to join the ranks of the reputed organisation.

Fipresci was first founded in Belgium in the late 1920s and is the oldest association of its kind, bringing together film critic delegations from around the world.

Kalash graduated with a degree in filmmaking and worked in several major productions before pivoting into journalism.

He is an alumnus of critics’ workshops held by the Far East Film Festival, the Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival and Yamagata Film.

As a journalist, he has covered a wide range of socioeconomic issues in Malaysia and recently reported on the Cannes Film Festival in France as well as the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea.

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