KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 3 — The National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas) is eagerly anticipating the development of an authentically Malaysian cinema that transcends ethnic boundaries, its chairman Datuk Kamil Othman said.

He emphasised the collective effort towards creating a cinematic landscape where every story produced becomes a "cerita Malaysia,” underscoring unity in diversity.

"Finas is looking forward to the development of a truly Malaysian cinema, where distinctions between Tamil films made by Tamil filmmakers, Malay films made by Malay filmmakers, or Chinese films made by Chinese filmmakers are eliminated.

"Recently, we were at the premiere of a Cantonese film directed by a Malay. A few years ago, we had Chinese directors working on Malay films and reflecting on the early days of Malay cinemas, they were directed by Indians, we want more of these,” he said in his speech when officiating the third Malaysian Indian Creative Awards (Mica) held here on Thursday (February 1).

Referring to the iconic Malaysian filmmaker and actor Allahyarham Tan Sri P. Ramlee, Kamil pointed out the inspiration drawn from the original source in the film industry of Tamil Nadu.

He envisioned a united effort to chart a direction for a new Malaysian cinema that celebrates storytelling without distinguishing the ethnic background of its creators.

In emphasising the contribution of the Malaysian Indian film industry to the country’s economic development, especially in sectors like tourism, transportation and job opportunities, Kamil underscored the significance of local films embodying diverse cultural elements.

"I observe that local films and images now exhibit characteristics from various ethnicities and this is a direction that we need to further develop in our film industry here,” he said.

According to Kamil, the Malaysian Indian film industry has not only elevated the country’s global reputation, including in Singapore, India and recently in European countries, but has also provided opportunities for local talents to collaborate with international artistes, thereby strengthening the integrity of Malaysia’s film and entertainment industry.

Kamil also acknowledged the seeds of recognition that were planted since the inception of the Malaysian Indian film industry in the 1960s, nurturing talent and giving rise to legendary figures such as the father of the Malay film industry, Tan Sri L. Krishnan. — Bernama