Women's Film Screening: The Boys Club

Director: Chen Yih Wen
Country: Malaysia
2021, Short Documentary, 23 minutes
Language: English with English subtitles
Age Suitability: Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by a guardian.
After the screening, there will be an in-person sharing and Q&A session with Chen Yih Wen (Director of The Boys Club), Charlotte Lim (Director of Mian Bao Nv Hai) and Licensed Counsellor Wong Su Zane (1.5 hours).

A Malaysian female filmmaker had bright dreams—dreams of making her first feature documentary for theatrical release in her country. After four years of struggles, her film premiered to glowing reviews and acclaim. However, soon after, she lost her job.

This documentary reveals the director’s deeply personal and harrowing filmmaking journey, marked by traumatic hardships and the silence unjustly imposed on her. Through raw candour, this candid documentary exposes a troubling reality: the suppression of women’s voices, the apathy towards women’s issues, and an oppressive environment where women are neither seen nor heard.

Content Warning: The film may contain content that could cause discomfort for some viewers.

---

Video Teaser:

The Boys Club candidly exposes how a female filmmaker endures and faces pervasive inequality and disregard in her working environment throughout her filmmaking process. This documentary won the Netpac Award at the 39th Busan International Short Film Festival (BISFF), making it the first Malaysian documentary to receive this honour. 

---

Additional & Accessibility Info 

• Age Suitability: Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by a guardian.
• Language: The film will be in English with English subtitles
• Content Warning: The film may contain content that could cause discomfort for some viewers.
• Movie Pass: In addition to The Boys Club, registering for a free ticket also grants you access to watch Mian Bao Nv Hai 面包女孩, directed by Charlotte Lim.

---

Artist Bio

Chen Yih Wen

Chen Yih Wen is a Malaysian documentary filmmaker and journalist, having worked on international documentaries for Netflix, BBC, History Channel, Crime & Investigation Network, Business Insider and CNA. Currently, she is working on her second feature documentary about marginalised communities in Malaysia, supported by Hot Docs CrossCurrents Fund.

Moderator Bio 

June Tan

June Tan is a producer, scriptwriter and member of arts collective Five Arts Centre. Besides stage managing, tour managing and producing, she was the Director for TPAM in Yokohama from 2018 to 2020, a platform reflecting contemporary thinking in Asia. 

She is active in ReformARTsi, a grassroots coalition seeking arts policy changes. June has also written for film (Interchange, Split Gravy) and for television on regional streaming platforms such as Netflix and Disney+.