Finas’ U-turn on Angel of Sandakan funding baffles Afdlin Shauki

KUALA LUMPUR – The National Film Development Corporation (Finas) had felt that Datuk Afdlin Shauki Aksan’s Angel of Sandakan was good enough for an Oscar, and so had initially funded script development for the film.
 
Hence, Finas chairman Datuk Zakaria Abdul Hamid’s claim that the film was rejected due to it not being good enough and not fulfilling certain criteria begs scrutiny, said the actor-director.
 
Afdlin said the film about a Sabahan girl who saved the lives of Australian prisoners of war at the end of World War 2 had already drawn foreign interest when Finas reached out to him to collaborate on the project.
 
Finas had in 2018 approved initial funding to develop the script as part of its “Road to Oscars” project, Afdlin told The Vibes.
 
Afdlin – who has starred in award-winning blockbuster hits such as Buli, Baik Punya Cilok, and Papadom and is also chief executive of Petra Media, said that Finas had paid for the third draft of the script conceived here and written in London and Los Angeles.
 
Hence, Afdlin believes that the rejection of the Finas grant is politically motivated.
 
“This (rejection) only came about after my announcement on joining PKR,” Afdlin said.
 
“Prior to that, it had only been positive news from them (Finas).
 
“The feedback has always been positive about our project, even after the pitch.
 
“But after the announcement (on PKR), there was a turnaround.
 
“If we did not present the storyline well, there would have been queries from those who were there at the pitch,” he said.
 
“Furthermore, it felt to me that the panelists were very excited about the project and in our presentation, there was only one question asked of us, (which was) regarding the budget.
 
“We just said it was up to them on how much can be allocated and we will find the rest as we have investors standing by.
 
“This is because we were unaware of how much was available to all the producers.
 
“So, in short, because Finas wanted a project that could be worthy of an Oscar, we gave them this project so the government could be part of this effort,” Afdlin said of the movie that was originally known as Sandakan Tears.
 
He said the film was also set to be a pilot project under the Australian-Malaysian co-production treaty to usher in a new age of cinema for both countries.

Hollywood screenwriters
 
Afdlin said that, with the initial budget, his team had hired Hollywood screenwriters, adding it was improbable that Finas was unaware of the project, which is now being run by Petra Media’s subsidiary, Petra Vision Works Sdn Bhd.
 
“Wouldn’t it be funny if the new management in Finas did not realise this?” Afdlin said.
 
“That is why we are going for the production grant now after the completion of our script, which was also written by Hollywood screenwriters.”
 
The actor said he had also met several parties involved in nominations for the Academy Awards, who had praised the idea for the movie.
 
Afdlin revealed that, since Finas had provided his team with a budget to develop a script to complete the project, the project must have already undergone its stringent approval process.
 
Did not pass the ‘test’
 
Hence, Afdlin said it was baffling when Zakaria announced that the reason behind the agency’s rejection of the grant was because its application failed to meet Finas’ conditions.
 
“If we failed to meet the conditions, then how come we got the money to develop the script?”
 
Afdlin refuted Zakaria’s assertion that the rejection to fund the historical film was “not political”.
 
“Of course it is political. And, this is one of the reasons the local film industry is suffering because there are political consideration when approving budgets and projects,” he said.
 
Zakaria was sacked as PKR’s Bera division chief in 2019 following allegations of corrupt practices during the party elections.
 
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), however, had decided not to proceed with an investigation.
 
“We look at all applications for film production grants in four steps – the film company’s qualification, the pitching process, an assessment by a panel of experts and, finally, the approval of the Communications and Multimedia Ministry,” Zakaria had been quoted as saying in the New Straits Times.
 
“It is a very transparent process, and a lot of it depends on the quality of the applicant’s presentation and suitability of the subject matter for television and film.”
 
Zakaria had also said Afdlin’s proposal “did not pass the test” and that his team failed to present their ideas convincingly when pitching the film.
 
In response, Afdlin says this appears “funny” to him, as his team would not have been given the opportunity to pitch the film had they not fulfilled the conditions set by Finas.

‘Politically motivated’
 
The issue fell under the spotlight after Afdlin took to social media to lament Finas’ refusal to finance the film.
 
In an Instagram post, Afdlin did not deny the possibility that his application was rejected due to his affiliation with PKR, which he joined on April 2.
 
Last week, Afdlin received a letter from Finas saying his application was “rejected”, and that no appeals could be made.
 
The letter did not explain why the proposal was brushed aside.
 
Unaware of project history
 
Afdlin also said he believes Zakaria is not aware of the project’s history, and that the latter’s remarks had inadvertently implied that he believes Finas’ script-approval process is flawed.
 
“So, the story idea that was approved by Finas, a story championed by myself and my multiple award-winning team at Petra Vision Works, an award-winning Hollywood producer and Hollywood screenwriters didn’t make the grade with Finas? Seriously?
 
“Even though films are subjective, the only thing that gives films a good opportunity to make it is by using an award-winning and experienced team to produce it. This is how film works.”
 
Afdlin added, however, that he was “not angry” with Finas as it is “their loss”, adding the current management at the agency are not in their posts to improve the industry but merely act as a tool for personal or political gain.
 
“Petra Vision Works gave them (Finas) the opportunity to be a part of a project to bring Malaysia to the world stage but they declined.
 
“It feels like they are abandoning their baby in a dumpster.
 
“So obviously, to me, this decision is motivated otherwise. And, how can the process be made more transparent?”
 
Despite the rejection, Afdlin said he will still continue completing the film, which is expected to enter its pre-production phase later this year, with the help of private funders.
 
“The ‘old people’ think that film is propaganda, which means: show the best of Malaysia, and show this and that.
 
“That’s not what the film is about and that’s not Finas’ job, unlike Filem Negara, which is the national propaganda film unit.
 
“Films do not have to be nationalistic, but it carries content from Malaysia.
 
“The content must be meaningful and we have to put the story first; then, of course, we can show the best of Malaysia. But we are not a tourism campaign advertisement,” he said.
 
“The main point is to get the story across, captivate audiences and open their minds about our country.” – The Vibes, May 3, 2021