Chester (fourth left) and KKFVA’s film market representative Zahm (fifth left) with the Sabah film producers and directors.
KOTA KINABALU, Kota Kinabalu Film and Video Association (KKFVA) will bring Sabah homemade films to participate in the TiFFCOM Film Market in Tokyo from October 30 to November 1, 2024, for exhibition and to seek potential distribution partners.
KKFVA President Chester Pang, who will lead the delegation, said he chose TiFFCOM because it is the leading content market in Asia, affiliated with Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF), the sole international film festival in Japan accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers Association and also one of Asia’s most competitive film festivals and the second largest film festival in Asia.
“With this exposure, we hope to attract international attention to our products, which focus on Borneo lifestyle storytelling and indirectly promote the beauty of Sabah as a filming destination.
“To date, eight films produced by Sabah producers since 2020, with support from Finas DKD, have been shown in cinemas nationwide. After their theatrical releases, local producers have limited opportunities for further distribution and networking,” he said in a statement today.
In recent meetings with film producers and directors Mark Abas (AVAKAS & SILENT 177), Katak Chua (CRAZE BELOW THE WIND), Flora Juanis (TRIBESMAN), Yuri Mejal (KK KNOCKOUT), John Samud (NAMATAI), Timothy Stephen (SINAKAGON), Ryot Ujin (MARIA), and Jackson Ho (THE SIGHT OF BORNEO KIRIN), Bibi Harith (THE INHERENT TRIBE TATANA), William Chiang (BUTTERFLY), Jade Morris, Nadira Ilana, Will Foster and Gregory Giting, many expressed interest in participating in this programme.
Pang invites recent productions, such as MANTERA by Michelle Pang, GIRING by Lucilia Anggun, SYURGA DALAM BOTOL by Ebi Kornelis, and ONCE UPON A TIME IN TAMPARULI by Jass Tarmin, to participate in this film market and explore opportunities for co-production funding.
Thanks to the support of the Sabah Tourism, Cultural and Environment Ministry (KePKAS), Sabah Tourism Board (STB), and Sabah Creative Economy and Innovation Centre (SCENIC), KKFVA is excited to showcase Sabah’s talented filmmakers on the international stage.
