THE Film in Malaysia Incentive (FIMI) created 10,000 jobs until January 2022 boosting the film industry in the country which has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister, Zahidi Zainul Abidin said the FIMI project, a government effort to attract investors in Malaysia, coincided with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s call to reduce the unemployment rate due to Covid-19.

“FIMI, carried out a continuation project under the 12th Malaysia Plan, that has recorded an investment of RM1.2 billion. 

“For the record, so far there have been 90 FIMI projects handled by the National Film Development Corporation (Finas) consisting of 54 international projects and 36 local projects,” he said in his speech at the opening ceremony of the ‘ConnectASIA 2022-Filming In Malaysia and International Marketing’ forum, in Kuala Lumpur, today.

Zahidi said the government through K-KOMM (Communications and Multimedia Ministry) and Finas was committed to taking the film industry to a higher level.

“Various policies have been formulated to further enhance the local creative industry.

“Project Oscar (a roadmap for local films to win the much-coveted Academy Awards popularly called the Oscars) is one of K-KOMM’s initiatives to see local films attain recognition on the international stage.

“In January last year, Finas prepared a proposed implementation of the ‘Project Oscar’ blueprint where this study enabled FINAS to collect data from the relevant agencies, industry players and the film community to pursue a special ‘Road to the Oscars’ aspiration for the Keluarga Filem Malaysia,” he added.

Zahidi said that the implementation of the Malaysian Development Lab for Fiction Feature Films (MyLAB) programme was to encourage the local industry players to produce, publish and distribute highly creative content and be able to gain a place in the local and international markets.

“Incentives of up to RM20,000 will be given out to the selected projects through the MyLAB initiative which is open for applications until April 20.

“All the initiatives implemented by K-KOMM through FINAS and the existing film associations prove that the government today is doing its best to help revive the local creative industry post-Covid-19,” he said. – Bernama, April 14, 2022.