SUPPORT ran high for Malaysia’s first crowdfunded movie when Kuman Pictures announced the success of their public campaign. Funding for their upcoming feature film ‘Pendatang’ has met the target of its production budget.
The local production company announced on its Facebook page earlier that not only did the donation drive reach its target, but it also exceeded the goal with a total collection of RM341,654 in contributions.
Kuman Pictures founder Amir Muhammad shared with The Vibes about 55% of the funding came geographically from Malaysia.
“Judging from the names, most of the ones from other countries are [also] Malaysians who are based or visiting there. Some with familiar names from the entertainment industry but most were not from it,” he said. Amir noted that the production plans to announce all the names according to tiers when the movie credits are ready.
“I think diverse stories can only come when there are diverse sources of funding, and crowdfunding is one alternative but there are bound to be others.
“We deliberately did ours as a non-profit movie.
“I don’t know if it would have worked for a commercial project because if that were the case, we would need to find investors rather than backers,” added Amir.
Noting what he believes drove donations further, “the sense of urgency in the final days of the public campaign encouraged more people to spread the word, in social media as well as Whatsapp.
“So, people who meant to give something anyway knew it would be now or never.
“Having published dozens of print anthologies myself, I have seen how we would get more than half the entries in the final two days. Hence, it was not surprising but it was still suspenseful.
The production house plans to start its shooting activities in March (next year) in time for its planned release on August 31, in conjunction with Merdeka Day.
“The script is a very entertaining thriller so I hope the audience can appreciate it as that first of all,” shared Amir.
“Although the theme might seem heavy, the characters and situations draw you into it without being preachy or didactic.” – The Vibes, October 4, 2022
*‘Pendatang’ is an upcoming Malaysian thriller movie centring on the dangers of racial extremism.
