Congratulations to Iman Zarlons for winning the top prize of the Asian Studies Award at the Undergraduate Research Symposium for her project, “Crazy Indonesia: Examining the Transnational Success of Indonesian Exploitation Film.” Iman is a Cinema Studies major with a double minor in Global Health and Southeast Asian Studies.

“The process of my research involved a lot of up and downs. One of the most difficult elements was acquiring reliable, consistent information, since exploitation film’s methods of production, consumption, and exhibition fly under the radar and are not conventionally recorded. I supplemented this with forgotten blogs, fan forums, reviews, and pieced together contextual evidence from historical accounts.”

What advice does Iman have for students preparing for the next Undergraduate Research Symposium? “I highly suggest tightening your inquiry and argument as early as possible, so that you can engage with your topic to the fullest extent. If you’re debating on presenting at the research symposium, just go for it!”