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July 23, 2009 17:31 PM
FINAS Expects Ticket Sales Up Despite Recession
KOTA KINABALU, July 23 (Bernama) -- The local film industry is expected to maintain encouraging returns, with ticket sales targeted to reach at least RM50 million despite the global economic downturn.
The National Film Development Corporation (FINAS) Director-General, Mohd Mahyidin Mustakim said the local film industry had shown improvement throughout the years, despite facing internal and external restrictions.
"In 2007, ticket sales totalled RM30 million, in 2008 it increased by some 40 per cent to RM43 million, and until June this year, ticket sales have already reached RM27 million.
"We are targeting at least RM50 million by the end of the year," he told a media conference on the 22nd Malaysian Film Festival (FFM22) here, on Thursday.
The festival would be held in Sabah for the first time from Aug 5 to 8, while the Awards Night on Aug 8 at the Chancellor Hall of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) which will be screened live by RTM1.
Mohd Mahyidin said FINAS and the Sabah government were jointly organising the event at a cost of RM2.8 million.
Twenty-six feature films, 74 documentaries, 67 short films, 28 animations and six digital films have been submitted as entries so far.
Thirteen grand prizes, 12 production prizes and five special jury awards will be presented. Ten of the earlier categories would be presented on the night of the festival launch with premier screenings on Aug 5 at 1Borneo.
Kota Kinabalu Mayor Datuk Iliyas Ibrahim said 5,000 free tickets for the FFM22 awards night could be obtained from the Kota Kinabalu City Hall office.
"Previously, the highest number of attendance was 3,500 at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre. We are expecting the highest attendance this time around as the hall in UMS can accommodate 5,000 people," he said.
Meanwhile, FINAS is also proposing methods to improve and increase the Sabah local film industry productions.
"I was made to understand that there are many film-makers here who produce telemovies in DVD format, it's more a localised industry.
"We will try to expand this localised industry, we will discuss with the Tourism, Cultural and Environment Minister, Datuk Masidi Manjun during a meeting already scheduled during the festival," he said when answering a question on the chances for development for the Sabah film industry.
Mohd Mahyidin said FINAS was now in the midst of studying suitable shooting locations and related facilities in every state, so that the information can be distributed to film-makers in and out of Malaysia.
He said the study started this month and was expected to be completed by the year end, when the results would be published in a fact book and used as a directory for film-makers.
-- BERNAMA
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