KUALA LUMPUR: This year's Malaysia Film Festival (FFM31) has been pushed back to next year even though the nation seems to have the Covid-19 outbreak under control.
The National Film Development Corporation's (Finas) CEO Ahmad Idham Ahmad Nadzri said that although the situation was getting better, Malaysia was still not completely free of the coronavirus outbreak.
He said that the best move was to postpone FFM31, which was initially scheduled to take place on April 18, even after the jury process had already been carried out prior to the enforcement of the Movement Control Order (MCO) on March 18.
"I am aware that countries like South Korea have organised awards shows in line with the new normal by enforcing social distancing. But we don't intend to follow in their footsteps. Our country is not yet completely recovered from the Covid-19 outbreak.
"My goal is to regenerate the economy first. Once cinemas are able to operate again, filming can resume like normal and the TV stations are more stable, then I'll be thinking about FFM31," he said in a news report.
Asked on whether films that choose to be screened on the Astro First platform or streaming channels such as Viu would qualify for the upcoming edition of FFM, Ahmad Idham said that it would not pose an obstacle for producers to submit their nominations.
"I do not agree if any film that was screened on an alternative platform to the cinema is denied the right to contest.
"These are still films. Because of what has befallen the entire world which has led to the crippling of cinemas, film producers have had to find alternative platforms since these works have already been completed.
"I don't feel that it would be a problem for the producers to compete," he said.
FFM31 was scheduled to take place at Encore Melaka.
With the theme Inspiring Cinema Without Borders, the competing works include 35 Malay films, 15 Mandarin and Cantonese features, 12 Tamil titles, four animated works and one film in other languages.
Ejen Ali The Movie, Misteri Dilaila, Bikers Kental, Motif, Tiada Tajuk, Sangkar and Wira are some of the competing films for FFM31.