But what sinister schemes lie behind Sand’s otherwise kindly exterior?
This is the dark tale of “Horologist”, a Malaysian-made animated short that’s been making waves worldwide. A horologist may sound like some kind of medieval wizard, but really means a person who studies time, or sells clocks and watches!
This six-minute short, produced by Grim Film and Dino Howl was screened at the Cannes Film Festival’s Short Film Corner earlier this year.
“It was amazing. I think Cannes has always felt like a unicorn for most of us. When they sent the email informing us our film had been accepted, I thought it was a scam,” Grim Film founder and “Horologist” writer/director Jared Lee told FMT Lifestyle with a laugh.
“Being able to attend such a prestigious festival was really awe-inspiring. I hope it’s something other Malaysian filmmakers get to experience, hopefully as early as they can.”
Lee’s short picked up the Best Animation award at the USA International Film Festival 2023.
It was screened at the Atlantic Bridge International Film Festival 2023, and nominated for the Best Animation and Audience Choice awards at Poland’s International Animated Festival “Animator” 2023.
“Horologist” will also be the first Malaysian short to be shown at the San Diego Comic Con (SDCC) this year, something Lee, a self-described geek and “otaku” which is a Japanese term for someone obsessed with pop culture, is highly excited about.
“SDCC has always been on my bucket list, I always hoped that one day I would make it there. I can’t wait to go and start geeking out with my fellow geeks,” he said with a laugh.
Lee describes “Horologist” as a Covid baby. Unable to shoot films because of the pandemic, the tenacious filmmaker still wanted to create something, and started thinking about things he had never tried before.
He recalled the comics he loved as a kid: these included “Mutiara Naga” and “Doraemon”, local translations of Japanese manga.
“They’ve always been my first passion. Like many boys, at one point I wanted to grow up to be a comic artist. So I thought, why not give it a shot?” Lee said.
To create “Horologist”, Lee collaborated with local comics artist Cross, whose art he admired. Lee wanted its story to focus on time, something he had always been fascinated by.
He added that some of the themes in “Horologist” were drawn from personal experience, such as his 2018 diagnosis of testicular cancer.
Informed that he could never have children, Lee started looking up adoption. His research also led him to learning more about other issues, such as child abandonment.
The more he read, the more strongly he felt, which inspired him to incorporate this subject matter into the short.
It took about a year to complete the 40-page black and white comic. The first limited run of “Horologist” sold out, and a reprint is now on the cards.
Lee later discovered the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) was giving out grants for animation: since he had everything storyboarded in comic form, why not try for it?
Lee applied, and received the grant in late 2020. This came at just the right time (pun not intended), as Grim Film had been three months from shutting down due to the pandemic. The company could get to work again, and the short was completed in 2022.
As “Horologist” is still making its rounds at festivals worldwide, it cannot be screened to the public yet, but Lee hopes they will enjoy watching his creation.
He also dreams of expanding “Horologist” into a series, and is looking for backers and collaborators.
What’s next? The filmmaker has big plans: “Horologist” is the first of a four-part comic collection called “The Grimoire”, and its second instalment, “Omakase”, will be out soon.
Lee also hints at more exciting projects for Grim Film, including potential full-length animated and live-action films.
On the personal front, Lee said he was currently clear of cancer. Patients could be declared free of the disease after their fifth-year checkup, which was coming up for him. Hopefully everything would go well, he said with a smile, and he would be around to tell many, many more stories.
“There are many more things I want to try, many more milestones I’d like to achieve. And I hope these upcoming projects do as well as ‘Horologist’, or maybe go even further,” Lee concluded.
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