Annuar Musa: Need for G2G agreement, wider market for local films

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): There is a need for government-to-government (G2G) agreement and understanding to ensure that a wider market can be opened for the country’s film industry, says Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa.

He said this is also to enable the films and products of the industry to penetrate the markets in other countries.

"Foreign films, such as from China and the Philippines can enter our country quite easily, but that is not the case for our films. We can hardly enter the markets in our neighbouring countries. So yes, there is a need for G2G agreement and understanding.

"We should determine the forms and framework for this agreement first, but there should not be anything that stops the local film producers to have partners or co-producers from other countries. We will support this kind of cooperation.”

Annuar said this at the presentation of Letters of Acceptance for RTM TV Programmes here on Monday (Nov 1), which was attended by over 200 representatives of production companies.

Meanwhile, the minister said the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the national creative industry need to be reviewed so as to facilitate the current situation in the country which is heading towards the endemic phase of Covid-19.

"The government has spent almost RM5bil and almost everyone in the country has been vaccinated against Covid-19, we have to go back to our normal life, we cannot continue putting restrictions (to production companies) to the extent of causing bankruptcy. We need to start out normal routines, we need the SOPs, but they have to be reviewed,” he said.

In his speech earlier, Annuar said he wants to see the contents of RTM programmes to not just reflect high-quality productions, but also support the policies of the government of the day.

As such, he said RTM should be more creative in promoting its contents, either on social media or through a trailer.

"Most importantly, the programmes are being watched and liked by many. Don't take the programmes for granted and broadcast them just because they are ready and all paid for. That's not good enough.

"Each programme is an investment for RTM. RTM must not take it for granted, we have to compete, have to see it as a product that we need to market and promote,” he added. - Bernama