THE 34th Malaysian Film Festival (FFM) is currently evaluating 90 local films submitted for its awards.
The nominations for the festival, which is set to take place later this year, closed on July 25.
The films will compete across 25 categories, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress.
Among the films in the running are ‘Martabat: Misi Berdarah’, ‘Takluk: Lahad Datu’, ‘Reversi’, ‘Babah’, and ‘Gayong’.
Other contenders include ‘Telaga Suriram’, ‘Kahar: Kapla High Council’, ‘Blood Brothers: Bara Naga’, ‘Harimau Malaya’, ‘6 Jilake’, and the animated film ‘Dongeng Sang Kancil’.
According to the National Film Development Corporation of Malaysia (Finas) chief executive officer Datuk Azmir Saifuddin Mutalib, the 90 entries include films in Mandarin and Tamil.
“We have received 41 feature films, 26 short films, and 23 documentaries for FFM 34.
“Among the competitors are ‘Close Your Kopitiam’, which is one of the highest-grossing Mandarin films this year, and the film ‘Money Games’. There are also good Tamil-language films, namely ‘Kathe Ille Pathukalam’ and ‘Tamil School’.
Azmir noted that this year’s competition is particularly challenging due to the quality of the submissions. “Looking at the entries this time, there are indeed good films produced by both established and new industry players,” he told BH Online.
In comparison, last year’s FFM received 104 entries, consisting of 70 feature films, 21 short films, and 13 documentaries.
Azmir also announced that FFM 34 will introduce a new Best Action and Horror Award to recognise the talents of cast and crew in these genres.
“We are introducing this new category because we have action films participating, such as ‘Takluk: Lahad Datu’ and ‘Blood Brothers: Bara Naga’.
“Action films like these highlight the talents of people behind the scenes, such as stunt coordinators and stunt actors. We want them to be equally appreciated as the actors in front of the camera.”
Azmir confirmed that the deadline for submissions was extended to July 25 after production companies requested more time to provide the necessary information for the nomination forms, such as lists of actors and crew.
To ensure finalists can attend the ceremony, Finas plans to announce the top five nominees for each category in early October, a month before the main event.
“Last year, our friends told us that many artistes were unable to attend the FFM 33 grand finale due to filming commitments.
“So, this time, we will announce the top five list earlier. This announcement is expected to be made in early October, before the gala night in November. At least we will have about a month to prepare for the climax of FFM 34.”
According to a previous press conference, FFM 34 is scheduled to be broadcast live from the Seri Angkasa Auditorium in Angkasapuri, Kuala Lumpur, on Nov 8.
Finas is also planning additional events in the lead-up to the ceremony, including a film appreciation event where directors, producers, and actors from the nominated films can discuss their work with the public.
“A similar programme was organised last year and received a positive response,” Azmir said, adding that they are also planning an appreciation ceremony for veteran artistes.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
