Malaysia-China Collaboration Opens Up Wider Avenue In Film Industry - Minister

KUCHING (Sarawak, Malaysia), April 11 (Bernama) -- Joint collaborations with China can open up a wider avenue in the development of the local film industry besides enhancing the country's image on the world's stage. Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Ahmad Shabery Cheek said China was currently at second position after the United States in the aspect of global film market and its expertise in visual industry technology could also be emulated and served as a stepping stone to further raise the country's exposure. He said east Malaysian state, Sarawak, which provided excellent facilities to facilitate access for foreign film producers to deal with the state, could be emulated by other states to also provide a one-stop-agency as the industry was closely related to the tourism sector. "Tourism is a grassroot thinking, it is a grassroot way of life. Efforts to encourage and make films must come from the grassroot and when filming crews from China, for instance, come, we need to facilitate them, with the system already in place," he told a media conference here Saturday. Earlier he witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Malaysia-China collaboration in the field of filming and officiated at the ASEAN, China and Korea Films seminar and exhibition in conjuction with the ASEAN International Film Festival and Awards (AIFFA) at the Sarawak Tourism Complex here Saturday. Ahmad Shabery said the MoU that was signed Saturday would opened up opportunities to local production companies to get the same access and facilities if they wished to undertake filming in China. Such a cooperation, he said should also be established among ASEAN countries to expand and strengthen further the cooperation network among regional countries in the filming industry sector. He said his ministry also encouarged every state and even every municipal council to provide one film desk that could act as a one-stop-agency to facilitate dealings with filming crews. Ahmad Shabery said Sarawak and Johor (Malaysia's southern state) had such an agency or mechanism but it was not standardised from the aspects of management and implementation. AIFFA, the three-day event organised by the Sarawak government from Friday gathers 400 producers, arts activists and celebrities from within and outside the country to add colour and glamour to the various programmes being held with the award presentation ceremony at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching Saturday night as its highlight. --BERNAMA