THE National Film Development Corporation (Finas) should be finding ways to help local filmmakers during the Covid-19 pandemic instead of keeping silent, said several producers and directors.

At least eight movies were slated to be screened in cinemas across the country between March 18 and April 28, the period of the movement control order (MCO).

Director Muzzamer Rahman said his film, Takut Ke Tak? (Are You Afraid?), which was scheduled to be screened on April 2, has now been postponed indefinitely.

Another of his films, Prebet Sapu, was scheduled to be screened in October, might also be shelved, he said.

To avoid incurring huge losses, he could be forced to have them shown on TV despite desires to have both movies shown on the big screen.

“I don’t want my movies screened on a streaming platform. I want people to come to the cinemas, see the movies as a crowd. It’s about the experience and that is a special feeling for filmmakers.

“But if these streaming platforms help cut my losses and there is no other way out, then so be it.”

Muzzamer in 2015 won the Malaysian Digital Film category of most promising young filmmaker with his short film, Nadia.

Last year, he was executive producer for Ninavau, a short film by Nadira Ilana, which won the best short film award at the same festival.

Muzzamer sees a bleak future for the film industry after the MCO ends.

He does not expect movie-goers to return in droves to cinemas for fears of infection.

“When cinemas reopen, Finas should help by opening cinemas specifically for local movies which offer cheaper government subsidised tickets or lower entertainment taxes.

No plans

Other films that have to be shelved due to the MCO, include documentaries on the Malaysian paralympic football team, Eye on the Ball, which was to be screened on March 19, and comedy Kenderaan Berat Ikut Kiri that was supposed to be released on March 26.

Director and screenwriter Al Jafree Md Yusof said the problems hitting the film industry now have exposed another weakness of Finas – the lack of plans to develop filmmaking in the country.

He said Malaysia should emulate the Argentine film industry, which has its own subscription based streaming platform, with the latest productions and an archive.

“This is a forward looking plan that can be employed in the event of an emergency like the pandemic now.

“Finas has never taken a long-term plan to prepare the industry for any crisis like the one it is facing now.”

He said even with such plan, it might not solve all of the industry’s problems during the MCO.

“Netflix, iflix or Amazon Prime are business entities. They have their own criteria on what movies they want screened. Not all are accepted.”

While the rest of the government has been announcing plans to help various sectors in the country deal with the economic impact of Covid-19, Al Jafree that Finas has been quiet about plans to assist producers whose movies have been shelved due to the MCO.

The only announcement Finas chairman Hans Isaac had made was to postpone the 31st Malaysia Film Festival to be held in Malacca on April 18. No new date has been set.

He was reported by Astro Awani saying that the film body was working on creating a fund to assist local film producers.

He reportedly said Finas had asked the Finance Ministry for an allocation to provide low-interest loans to producers who have contracts with television stations.

“Finas should be thinking of a solution as this MCO looks like it will be more than six months.

“When the pandemic ends, confidence of going to the cinemas will still be low due to personal safety concerns,” said Al Jafree.

Al Jafree’s film Mencari Rahmat (Seeking Mercy), which is set to hit the cinemas in June, is affected by the MCO.

For Kuman Pictures managing director Amir Muhammad, he is waiting for a new release date from Finas’ for his movie Roh (Spirit).

Roh, directed by Emir Ezwan and starring husband and wife, Namron and Junainah M Lojong, was to be screened on March 19, three days after the prime minister announced the MCO.

“We have lost money promoting the movie, printing its posters, and hosting a premier gala night on March 5.”

Amir said another Kuman production, a Tamil movie titled Irul, was to hit the cinemas at the end of the year. This could be shelved, too, he added.

Cleaner cinemas

Meanwhile, Malaysia’s biggest production house, Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC), when contacted by The Malaysian Insight said it will change some practices when the cinema reopened.

Besides sanitisation and disinfection of the cinemas, changes will be made to ticketing and audience seating arrangements, said GSC chief executive officer Koh Mei Lee in an email.

“We will practice the social distancing in all our cinemas, from the counters and ticket kiosks to the food counters and in the cinema itself.

“We will ensure that the movies goers keep their distance from the next person in every direction - left and right as well as front and back.

“We will also provide sanitisers in the cinema.”

All cinema operations are stopped during the MCO.

Koh said most of the movies scheduled between May and July have been delayed. The movies are likely to be screened in the later part of this year or next year.

GSC has also shelved the screening of 19 films at the 19th French Film Festival that was due in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor Baru and Kota Kinabalu between March 19 and April 26. – April 13, 2020.