The 35th Malaysian Film Festival (FFM35) Awards Night, themed Spektrum Sinema (Cinema Spectrum), will be held at Panggung Sari, Istana Budaya, Kuala Lumpur on Nov 21, featuring 25 competitive award categories.
Communication Ministry deputy secretary-general Datuk Bahria Mohd Tamil said the choice of location was very significant as it would be the first major event to be held at the prestigious theatre following the completion of upgrading works.
"I believe that this historic moment will bring a new dimension to the organisation of the country’s most prestigious film festival,” he told a media conference on FFM 35.
Also present were National Film Development Corporation of Malaysia (Finas) chairman Datuk Hans Isaac and chief executive officer Datuk Azmir Saifuddin Mutalib.
On the theme Cinema Spectrum, Bahria said it was chosen to reflect the diversity of languages, cultures, technologies and generations of filmmakers that shape Malaysia’s cinematic landscape.
"This diversity is the strength of the country’s film industry and proves that more Malaysian stories, with their own distinct identities, can be presented to the world,” he said.
He added that as of July 24, Finas has recorded a collection of RM111.17mil through 32 films under the Compulsory Screening Scheme, with 14 achieving box-office status.
"This achievement proves that local productions continue to resonate with audiences when supported by quality content, effective marketing strategies and close cooperation between the government and industry players,” he added.
Meanwhile, Hans said that FFM35 will introduce reforms in the judging system through a two-stage process, with a confidential panel of professional judges appointed to shortlist the top five nominees for each category before winners are determined by industry players through a scoring system.
"We will provide an online platform that will allow about 100 to 150 previous FFM winners to make their evaluations. Their scores may account for 70% of the final result, while the remaining 30% will come from the judges’ panel,” he said.
He added that this is aimed at giving a greater role to local arts industry players in determining the winners, while also targeting an audience of six million viewers through the Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) broadcast, up from five million recorded for last year’s edition.
Entries for FFM35 open from July 29 to Aug 11, with the categories to be contested being for Best Film, Best Director, Best New Director, Best Screenplay, Best Original Story, Best Cinematography, Best Actor and Best Actress. - Bernama
