AdFest to tribute Yasmin Ahmad
AdFest will this year present a tribute to the legendary Yasmin Ahmad. The tribute will be the very first Seminar to take place during AdFest’s 3-day Festival, which runs at the Pattaya Exhibition and Conference Hall from 18-20 March. It will document Yasmin’s incredible career, showcasing excerpts from her best films, and will be presented by ADOI’s Harmandar Singh, with presentations from Akira Kagami and Michael Conrad.
Yasmin Ahmad was a critically-acclaimed film director, writer andscriptwriter from Malaysia and was also the executive creative directorat Leo Burnett Kuala Lumpur. Her television commercials and films arewell-known in Malaysia for their humour, heart and love that crossescross-cultural barriers. Born in 1958, her works have won multipleawards both within Malaysia and internationally, although in Malaysiaher films are controversial because they are considered by many to goagainst Islamic teachings. She passed away in 2009. Yasmin was inductedinto the Malaysian Advertising Hall of Fame in November 2008.
“Yasmin shall always remain a friend and shining example of humanity toher colleagues, friends and family. I am humbled and honoured topresent this tribute at AdFest to her outstanding legacy as one ofAsia’s finest creative beacons! She was the essence of Malaysia’sadvertising soul and I hope I can do justice to this lady who inspiredso many with her passion for life, love and ideas,” says HarmandarSingh, Regional Publisher, ADOI magazine.
Akira Kagami is Executive Officer & Global ECD at Dentsu Inc – aliving legend in Japanese advertising who was Cannes Lions’ first-everJury Chair from Japan in 2009. A confidante and ardent fan of YasminAhmad, he has many memories to share about one of his truly enduringfriends. Michael Conrad is the former Global Chief Officer of LeoBurnett Worldwide Inc, a role he held until 2003. Under his leadership,Leo Burnett became “Global Agency Network” of the Year in 2000 (AdAge)and “Most Awarded Agency Network” in 2001 (Gunn Report). Today he isthe President of the Berlin School of Creative Leadership inSwitzerland. Michael was a close friend, boss and mentor to Yasmin.