KUALA LUMPUR – On May 29, Fahmi Fadzil hosted the third town hall for his Communications and Digital Ministry, this time focusing on the creative industry. This event covered the music, film-making, and digital streaming sectors.
The event was well received, and the Rex Theatre building, formerly used as a cinema hall, was packed to the brim with both experienced and budding talents from the industry.
The frustration of many of these industry experts was clear to see with the two long lines created by people who wanted to voice their views, questions, and suggestions on changes to Fahmi, National Film Development Corp (Finas) chair Datuk Kamil Othman, and then-Finas chief executive Md Nasir Ibrahim.
Accountability and transparency on grants awarded by Finas seemed to be a key issue, being mentioned time and again with accusations from many that the same people and companies were being given grants despite not delivering on movie projects.
One of the emerging talents of film-making, Khairi Anwar said: “We don’t need a ‘new’ Finas. In my book, the top priority is to establish an entity that has our film-makers’ backs, providing them unwavering support and recognising the artistic value of their work.
“Let’s be real, we need an entity that understands the language of cinema, rather than one that overlooks or undermines the creative process,” he added. “This approach of undervaluing the art form has resulted in unnecessary censorship and movie bans. Can this ‘new’ Finas do that?”
Our film industry’s strength lies in celebrating film-makers’ visions, safeguarding their artistic integrity, and championing their freedom of expression, Khairi stressed. The governing entity needs to grasp the intricacies of film-making and resist the pressure to dismiss or diminish the artistic endeavours of our film-makers.
By putting the spotlight on film-makers’ expertise and aspirations, we can create an environment that nurtures growth, encourages risk-taking, and embraces a wide range of storytelling. This entity should be the wind beneath film-makers’ wings, helping them navigate societal norms and cultural sensitivities while fostering an environment that sparks thought-provoking narratives and artistic exploration.
We must acknowledge that thriving creative industries value freedom of expression and respect artists’ intentions, Khairi said. Rather than catering solely to public opinion, the governing entity should actively engage with film-makers, industry professionals, and cultural experts to strike a balance between artistic expression and our society’s cultural sensitivities.
It is high time this “new” entity, whether it is a revamped Finas or something entirely different, champions film-makers’ voices, providing them the support and creative freedom they deserve, he added. Together, we can reclaim our position as a hub of artistic excellence and build a film industry that resonates both locally and globally, Khairi said.
Formation of commission suggested
Another industry stalwart, who asked to remain anonymous, recommended the minister to take the best and most hard-working 20 to 25 people out of Finas and form a film commission using the agency’s old bungalow in Titiwangsa. He urged Fahmi to consider placing grants, marketing, the Film in Malaysia Incentive (Fimi), training, secretariat, and other key functions into the commission.
The commission should answer only to the minister and funding should be directly to the commission and no longer through the ministry, he stressed.
This director feels the issue is that the people in the ministry, especially the chief secretary and deputy, do not understand the industry and think they are the gatekeepers and remain longer than a minister, who comes and goes. So, indirectly, they exert power and their thinking over creatives, he said.
Sara Nattaya Azmi, a well-known producer of movies like Gadis Jolobu and several others in the pipeline, chimed in that the most important part is to highlight accountability because it is quite tough now since Finas only focuses on very specific parts of the industry rather than its entirety. For example, it is a regulatory board for licensing, cash rebates by Fimi, international film markets, and other regulatory roles – but there is a great misconception of the agency’s role by the creative industry community.
Then there are other industry issues such as tax exemptions, exhibitor ticket margins, censorship, and piracy – which do not fall under Finas but there is no sole entity that consolidates all these segments specifically for the creative industry.
She added: “Finas can only do so much and should not be battered by the industry for matters that are not even relevant directly to them. Setting the expectation to the industry of Finas’ role would be the best first step, then setting a specific team not necessarily within the board of Finas but a special task force with representatives from each of the ministries that are involved in anything related to content of any form.
“I think having this special task force overseeing can remove most of the burden faced by Finas as there is no clear role. The industry always assumes everything is Finas’ problem, that to begin with can be in my opinion the major problem. Hence accountability could then be re-delegated to the special task force.”
Inculcate appreciation through education
Mohd Ecbal, a producer, says that Finas must give opportunities to small companies like his, as he noted that big firms get grants or jobs and then fail to deliver, whilst opportunities for smaller ones are ignored based merely on the strength of their bank statements and not their abilities.
Another prominent actor who asked to remain anonymous said: “Our film education is at the lowest of the low and that needs to be addressed. If Malaysia wants to make good films, we also need good audiences. Early education in public schools needs to have appreciation toward film, arts, and literature.”
Iskander Azizuddin, who produces thought-provoking short films, opined that transparency and subsequent accountability regarding grants that fail to deliver need to be standardised. He said that it is important there is also follow-through in ensuring projects are publicly tracked and updates on their status be an annual or biannual affair while also limiting grants to projects with merit to companies that can benefit from the funding – and not cash-rich firms exploiting the grants on offer. He also asked for the outcome of the individuals or companies that failed to deliver and were named in the audit report.
When asked for his opinion, renowned actor, director, and producer Datuk Afdlin Shauki, simply said: “More action, less drama.”
Looking at the talents we have in Malaysia that continue to make waves outside our country rather than within it, we must ask the question “what does Finas actually do?”
With all this feedback to add into the mix with the others last Monday night, one hopes that a new era of film-making is soon upon us with effective changes taking place in the national film agency. – The Vibes, June 5, 2023
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