PETALING JAYA: A lack of sufficient funds, especially for marketing, is one reason for some local films to suffer short screening runs at cinemas, says film director Megat Sharizal Yusoff.
Megat, who is also an actor, said films from big studios, such as Mat Kilau and Polis Evo 3, boasted budgets “10 to 20 times” larger than those made with grants from Finas, the national film development corporation.
He said the substantial budget discrepancy resulted in big studios having a more robust marketing capacity compared to their independent counterparts.
The constrained marketing budget leads to limited awareness, leaving many viewers uninformed about certain films, he added.
“So because we lack the marketing budget, (our films) aren’t as huge as movies like Mat Kilau and Polis Evo 3. Consequently, our reach will not be on par with these blockbuster films,” he told FMT.
By the time people become aware of their films, Megat said it is already several days into a film’s cinema run and the films are withdrawn for underperforming.
Last week, a film producer told FMT that poor content was a key reason for the short screening runs of local films in Malaysian cinemas, after an MP spoke in favour of limiting the number of foreign films screened in cinemas in order to support the local industry.
Long-time actress Sofea Jane agreed with Megat and said big production houses have the means and budget to push forward in marketing, unlike independent filmmakers.
However, Sofea said good content would also not survive in cinemas, as viewers may delay watching the film, knowing that it will likely be available on streaming services soon.
“People often overlook the fact that certain films are crafted for the cinematic experience. But unless you possess an extraordinarily large TV, like a 1,000-inch screen or something similar, you won’t truly capture the immersive experience of watching these films on the big screen in a cinema,” she said. - FMT
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