KOTA KINABALU: Moviegoers have been urged to support the 100% Sabah-made action comedy KK Knockout when it opens in cinemas across the country on Thursday (July 20).
State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew said the film was proof that there is a wealth of filmmaking talent in the state.
"Congratulations! You have done very well. You are the pride of Sabah. I enjoyed watching the movie tonight,” she said in a statement after Monday's (July 17) premiere here.
"For any future made-in-Sabah film, we (the ministry) will give you all the support provided you have a good script and talented cast," she added.
KK Knockout tells the story of Putra, whose quest to become a "real man" leads him to cross paths with an enigmatic martial arts teacher, a manipulative gangster, assorted goons and an underground fight club – all to prove his love for his good friend Laila.
It is directed by Sandakan-born Yuri Mejal, who also wrote the script, and made by independent local studio DNA Production.
Yuri, 34, and Tambunan's 2021 Unduk Ngadau contestant Tracie Sinidol, 22, play the lead roles of Putra and Laila.
Kelab Insan Seni Sabah president Rubiah Onga thanked Liew, Assistant Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industries Minister Peto Galim, and Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor's representative Abdul Rahman Yakub for their support in attending the movie premiere.
"The club's role is to promote the film to Malaysians," she said.
Peto urged filmmakers to use more Sabah locations to portray the state's natural beauty and places of interest like Kokol Haven (Inanam), Kundasang, Sandakan and Tawau.
Malaysian TV Producers Association president Datuk Jurey Latiff said he has always urged film and TV producers to "sell" Sabah as extensively as possible.
According to him, the makers of KK Knockout were limited in their choice of locations owing to travel restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic.
