OIC FILM FESTIVAL AS A PLATFORM TO PROMOTE LOCAL PRODUCTIONS

KUALA LUMPUR, March 18 (Bernama) -- The Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) film festival, scheduled for 2011, will serve as a platform for member countries to promote their films and television programmes.

Information Ministry Secretary-General Kamaruddin Siaraf said the
festival would serve as an export avenue for local film producers who should
start thinking of producing suitable content not only for the local market but
also the international market.

"This will be a strong avenue for member countries to buy and sell their own
productions. Instead of buying from other countries, Malaysia can sell its own
products to other countries like Iran," he said when closing the Creative
Industry Conference, here, Tuesday.

He said the television programmes should not be limited to dramas but must
include documentaries, music programmes and animation works.


At the 8th Islamic Conference of Information Ministers held in Morocco early
this year, Malaysia proposed that the OIC countries hold a film festival like
the one in Cannes or Berlin to promote the works of their producers and
directors and provide a marketplace for people in the creative industry.

Meanwhile, Kamaruddin called for National Film of Malaysia to be expanded as
a centre of excellence for films, a centre for post production and to help the
local film industry and a database for scripts.

Currently, National Film of Malaysia produces documentary films and trailers
as well as cover national events and carry out storage and restoration of audio
visual aids and selling of films and audio visual materials.

Kamaruddin also urged local producers to work with foreign producers and
directors to accelerate the learning curve and to meet the international
standard in bringing Malaysia's creative products to the global market.

More than 500 people participated in the two-day conference.

-- BERNAMA