Sabah aspires to have own film industry, says Fest director
Published on: Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Kota Kinabalu: Gaining recognition at International Film Festivals perhaps seems utterly unattainable to locals right now.But the State government through the Sabah Economic Development Investment Authority (Sedia) intends to awaken them to that possibility, and draw them closer to it. Hence their support for the Kota Kinabalu Film Festival (KKIFF) continues for the 5th consecutive year.
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"Sedia aspires to have a film industry started in Sabah," highlighted Jude Day, KKIFF Festival Director during a press conference at Jesselton Hotel, here on Tuesday. "Also, through the University College Sabah Foundation (UCSF) in particular, Chief executive / President of Sedia, Datuk Dr. Mohd Yaakub Hj Johari, wishes to set up the basis of a film industry in the State."This is capable of elevating Sabah to a higher level, mirroring its overall beauty to the world."The KKIFF 2015 will be held from May 31 to June 11, 2015. One of our goals is to send Sabahan films to other film festivals. This is when the issue of level and quality comes into the picture."
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However, Jude is certain that locals can get there, as even without proper training, some films have been able to catch the attention of well-known directors. "The quality is definitely rising," she assured.
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Meanwhile, previously, through the KKIFF 2014, a Filipina participant managed to get Euro 4,000 for post-production from a pitching session. That led her to a win in the Manila Film Festival which then led her to be selected at the Busan Film Festival."This is the type of cycle we hope to see."There are four opportunities for both local and international filmmakers (Asean) – The Sabah Film Academy (for Malaysians / Awards Night will be on June 7), The Sabah Pitching Training and Awards Programme (June 5 to June 6), The Rolling10 Filmmakers Competition (open to those within the Asean region) and the DOCS+ Screenings.Deadline for most submissions is on April 30. For more information on how to apply, log on to: www.kkiff.com.Other sponsors include The Society of Performing Arts Kota Kinabalu Sabah (SPArKS), the US Embassy, the Goethe –Institute Malaysia, the Alliance Fraciase, Kopi Cap Kuda, Jesselton Hotel, the KadazanDusun Language Foundation and the Daily Express. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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