KUALA LUMPUR: India and Malaysia are set to enhance cooperation in the media, audiovisual, and entertainment sectors, leveraging the opportunities provided by the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) established during Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's official visit to India in August.
Indian High Commissioner to Malaysia, B.N. Reddy lauded Malaysia's achievements at the 61st Asia-Pacific Film Festival (APFF) held in Genting Highlands, where local productions bagged four awards.
These accolades included the Best Short Film award for The Lonely Piano, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress awards for Fabian Loo (Rain Town) and Azira Shafinaz (Indera), respectively, as well as a Special Jury Award for EMP4T.
He also highlighted India's role as an official supporting partner of the 7th Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFF) held in July, where Indian actress and filmmaker Suhasini Maniratnam served on the jury panel.
"Malaysia has long been a favoured destination for Indian filmmakers due to its stunning locations and diverse culture. However, we've observed a decline in recent years, and efforts are underway to reinvigorate this collaboration," he said.
The High Commissioner noted that Indian film productions in Malaysia, which were prominent during his earlier posting from 2008 to 2011, contributed significantly to strengthening cultural ties.
On the bilateral front, the High Commissioner announced that discussions are ongoing for an audiovisual co-production agreement between India and Malaysia.
India has similar agreements with 17 countries, offering incentives of up to US$ 3.5 million (approximately RM15 million) for co-productions.
Such initiatives are expected to unlock new opportunities in the entertainment and digital sectors, particularly with Malaysia's digital economy projected to contribute 25.5 per cent to GDP by 2025.
During Anwar's official visit to India from Aug 19 to 21, he and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi agreed to expand cooperation in audiovisual co-production, noting the long-standing cultural connection between the two countries.
Meanwhile, Reddy shared that India is set to host the World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit (WAVES 2025), a first-of-its-kind global summit for the media and entertainment industry.
The event will take place from Feb 5 to 9, 2025, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi's state-of-the-art international convention centre.
The summit will feature a variety of components, including a Global Media Dialogue with policymakers, plenary sessions with industry leaders, exhibitions showcasing global innovations, and the WAVES Bazaar, a marketplace fostering business partnerships.
Additionally, the WAVES Accelerator Platform will spotlight start-ups in the M&E sector, while the Creators' Fair will host masterclasses and workshops to empower creators.