Petaling Jaya - The Cybertorium at Menara Star, Petaling Jaya, hosted another public forum recently and this time around, it was not about politics.
Organised by Malay web portal MStar Online, big names in the local film industry engaged in a discussion entitled Filem Melayu Tidak Laku...Betul Ke? (Is it true that Malay films are not doing well?)
Film producer David Teo, actor-turned-producer and director Hans Isaac and actresses Ida Nerina and Vanida Imran gave their thoughts about how well Malay films are actually doing; the reasons behind successes and failures; and how the industry can be improved.
Moderated by actor Harith Iskander, the forum had an audience of about 150, mostly Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Universiti Malaya and Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia (UIAM) Film Studies students.
Among the celebrities who attended the forum were actress Sofia Jane, Chef Wan and scriptwriter A. Wahid Nasir.
Harith was fairly satisfied at the end of the forum that went on for almost two hours.
“Obviously, there can be no sound answer out of a forum like this but it generates healthy discussions,” said Harith.
He feels that the responsibility of making Malay films a success lies not only on the filmmakers but also the audience.
“If at least one person walks away from this forum with something, it`s a good thing,” he said.
UiTM Film Studies final-year student Hafizah Asmuni Idrus, 26, said the forum was an eye-opener for her.
“Even though we learn about it in class, it was enlightening to hear points of view from the people who are actually involved in the industry.
“It has made us more aware of what`s happening behind the scenes,” she said.
Fellow student Mohd Syahman Mahdi, 23, felt that the forum was too short to thoroughly discuss the topic.
“It was very interesting. Now I know that there are many ways to define how well a film is doing, what kind of audience to cater for, and the roles of producers and directors in making a film,” he said.
Armed with their mobile phones and cameras, some of the students took the opportunity to snap photographs with their favourite personalities at the end of the forum. (August 11th, 2008)
Source: http://thestar.com.my (11 Agustus 2008)
