THE government’s RM40mil allocation for the Film in Malaysia Incentive (Fimi) is insufficient to attract international film productions to the country, says Datuk Norman Abdul Halim.
The KRU Group president and CEO said more needs to be done in order to bring foreign productions here.
He was commenting on the Budget 2025 announcement by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also Finance Minister.
“The RM40mil budget is enough if we want local productions to go to the international market, but the amount is really small if we want to attract foreign productions here,” Norman said.
He said greater priority should have been given to helping local producers expand globally rather than focusing on bringing international productions to Malaysia.
Norman also said local producers need to start having ownership of their intellectual property (IP) so that the Malaysian film industry can grow to the next level.
“If we continue funding other IPs for production here, Malaysia will forever be just a manufacturing country.
“It is high time we made a shift and groomed our local studios to become global players.”
Meanwhile, the RM65mil set aside for the Digital Content Fund (DKD) to promote local films with patriotic themes is seen as a step forward for Malaysian filmmakers.
The amount is RM5mil more than the budget allocated last year.
Film director Zulkarnain Azhar hailed the increase in DKD’s allocation for local filmmakers.
However, he added that the agencies managing the funds need to be monitored to ensure that the money is given to projects of high quality.
“These agencies must be reliable and ensure the funds are given to projects that are deserving.
“I think the new budget is more than enough if it is spent on projects that qualify for it,” the director of the patriotic film Takluk: Lahad Datu said.
