Malaysia To Organise AIFFA 2013 In March

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 28 (Bernama) -- The Asean International Film Festival and Awards (AIFFA) that will be organised by Malaysia next year will feature filmmakers from Hollywood and India's Bollywood along with those from Asean countries. To begin on March 28, the three-day festival will be held in Kuching, Sarawak state, Deputy Information, Communications and Culture Minister Joseph Salang said. He said the event was aimed at creating an avenue for Asean filmmakers as well as their counterparts from Hollywood and Bollywood to network with one another. "More importantly, this international film festival will also provide Asean filmmakers the opportunity to work in tandem with the objectives of the Asean integration process," he said at the AIFFA 2013 media launch here Friday. The festival is also backed by the Sarawak Tourism Ministry, the Foreign Ministry and the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas). Present at the media launch were AIFFA director Livan Tajang and film festival consultant from Hollywood, Steven Bernard. Salang said that despite promoting Asean films internationally, the festival would be a platform for long-term sustainable economic objectives, such as job creation in the film industry. Meanwhile, Livan said the event would not only enable filmmakers to collaborate but also accord recognition to outstanding achievements in Asean cinema. "We intend to make AIFFA 2013 a platform to have the state (Sarawak) recognised as a hub for the film industry to move forward," she said. She said the event would likely feature Hollywood producers Kymber Lim, Christopher Chen and Greg Levinsohn, who was nominated for an Oscar for his work in 'Saving Private Ryan'. It also includes a short-film competition themed 'Naturally Beautiful Asean' which specifically caters to students and the public. -- BERNAMA