TV ASIA Plus: What are FINAS’ objectives and targets for the year?

The current market in Malaysia is growing significantly with the active support of the Malaysian government, through FINAS, as well as other government agencies such as Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC). In line with Malaysia’s Economic Transformation Program (ETP) that was announced by the prime minister in 2009, the government has implemented and executed significant initiatives and schemes to accelerate the creative content industry that will transform Malaysia into a high-income nation by 2020.

This year, the government will place an emphasis on encouraging cross-platform content development on platforms such as IPTV, tablet/ smart phone, social and casual media networks, etc. The key strengths of the Malaysian film and animation studios would be its richness of its culture and heritage, as well as its competitive incentives, state-of-the-art production facilities, low operating costs and its political stability. Additionally, the highly talented workforce, strategic geographical location and economic stability, allows the country to provide a unique position as being a multilingual, multicultural and rapidly growing market.

TV ASIA Plus: Which sectors of the content industry have performed well?

Several of Malaysia’s talented animation production companies are already delivering Malaysian-produced world-class content for major networks worldwide.

Since the release of Malaysia’s first 3D animation feature movie, Geng: the Adventure Begins (2009), produced by Les’ Copaque Production, more success was expected in the animation feature category. For example, SeeFood, supported partially by Malaysia’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation and MDeC, is a 100% Made-in-Malaysia animated feature film co-produced by Silver Ant (Malaysia) and Al Jazeera Children’s Channel (JCC), and was released in Malaysian cinemas in March 2012.

Tripod Entertainment’s War of the World: Goliath, as well as Animasia Studio and Cartoon Network Asia’s Bola Kampung: The Movie, plus Intelture Technology and Studio W Baba’s Mask Master, are all expected for a year-end release. Third Rock Creation has also recently scored their first milestone, with Nickelodeon Southeast Asia Channel’s airing of their production Cingkus Blues (26 x 11’ shorts) since February 2012.

TV ASIA Plus: What help has the government rendered to local producers?

RM200 million have been allocated for filmmaking, music, animation, content development and other related activities as a loan.

The Creative Industry Loan offers a competitive interest rate for local projects related to animation, interactive, mobile contents, creative internet content, film, TV production, musical production, online publishing/web publishing and multimedia exhibits. The loan is a conventional fixed loan with a minimum of RM50,000 and maximum of RM5 million. The duration of the loan is 1 – 5 years, and can finance up to 90% of the project cost.

The Creative Industry Development Fund (CIDF-SKMM), with a budget of US$33 million for the next three years and regulated by the MCMC, aims to facilitate and encourage Malaysians’ involvement in the creation, production and distribution of highly creative, original and marketable multimedia content for domestic and international markets. The fund will focus on the development of TV content, mobile content and internet content that showcase documentaries, animations, original programming format, interactive children programming, national building programming and new media.

The second grant under FINAS, the Visual Effects – CGI Funds, with a size of US$43 million over the next two years has been allocated for the production of visual effects of documentaries and films, produced locally or through co-productions.

Other grants worth mentioning would be MDeC’s ICONdap Grant (for online & mobile content development), FINAS’ Film Art & Multimedia Development Fund (for production of short films, documentaries and animation feature films), and also a commercialisation fund, called CRADLE’s CIP 500 (for mobile/wireless technologies & creative multimedia and content development).

INDUSTRY PROMOTION

TV ASIA Plus also reports that FINAS has been hard at work announcing its latest Film in Malaysia Incentive at both MIPTV 2012 and the Cannes Film Festival 2012 – the government initiative to make the country a global filming destination. New subsidies will be available to film, TV and animation production firms. The government will pay a 30% rebate to companies producing or post-producing in the country from January 1, 2013. Foreign companies must demonstrate a minimum production spend in the country of RM5 million, and Malaysian producers must spend RM2.5 million.

At the Cannes film fest, FINAS also announced its own film festival and content market this year; the International Film Festival of Malaysia (IFFM), to be held in November 10 – 18, 2012, followed by the Kuala Lumpur Content & Communications International Market (KLCCIM) from November 15 – 18.

Also announced is the inaugural Asian Animation Summit (AAS), set to take place December 10 – 11 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Meanwhile, the announcement of the Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studio which is strategically positioned in the state of Johor in Malaysia, will be the new destination for the production of filmed entertainment in the Asian region. The fully integrated production facility will comprise of over 100,000 sq ft of television and film sound stages, workshops, office spaces and production suites. Upon its completion in 2013, it will be the largest independent integrated studio facility in Southeast Asia.