Beijing Film Academy to help Malaysia develop film industry

Start of cooperation: Chong (right) signing the MOU with Zhang (left).

BEIJING: MCA Youth has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Beijing Film Academy in a move to push for the development of the film industry in Malaysia.

Its chief Chong Sin Woon said the MoU would pave the way for possible collaboration with the academy in the next three years.

“We do not have our own film academy but there are many talented Malaysians in this field as evident by their involvement in various movie projects overseas,” he said in a ceremony yesterday.

He said the collaboration might take the form of a film academy in Malaysia or relevant courses in the existing higher learning institutions.

“We are open to working with Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tunku Abdul Rahman University College or other colleges.

“The courses on directing, acting, playwriting, sound production, etc, will bring our film industry to the next level and create many job opportunities,” he said.

Chong said that many movies produced locally usually catered to a particular ethnic group instead of a multiracial audience.

MCA Youth, he said, would ensure that the collaboration with Beijing Film Academy, if it comes into fruition, would be multilingual.

Beijing Film Academy president Prof Zhang Huijun said Malaysia could learn from South Korea and Japan, which utilised existing facilities by turning colleges into film academies to develop their entertainment industry.

“We haven’t considered opening a branch overseas, but we welcome Malaysian universities to work with us to share resources and embark on exchange programmes and film projects.

“Malaysia can also send students to pursue their master’s degrees here.”

Among the famous alumni of Beijing Film Academy are directors Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige.

Chong is leading a 24-member delegation, including MCA Youth central committee members and entrepreneurs, to Beijing on a three-day visit.

He also met up with representatives from the International Liaison Department of the Communist Party’s Central Committee.