New director, Kit Ong, 37, is making a movie but he doesn't seek the cooperation of FINAS the National Film Development Corporation. Like his other movies (I Was Here, Linda and Happiness Is A Little Teardrop), The Flowers Beneath My Skin will feature elements of violence, S&M, dementia, lesbianism and I'm not sure what else (I haven't seen it yet). But knowing him, there will definitely be scenes that FINAS would boot out straightaway based on their guidelines of no smoking, violence, crime, racial conflict or anything that subverts the Rukunegara.

Over the past eight years, the Malaysian film industry has seen a rise in filmmakers by the likes of Kit Ong who are classified as independent filmmakers. 'Indie' because they have to rely on their own resources if they ever want their films to see the light of day. Surin Gnanalingam, 29, a budding filmmaker, has accepted the fact that he will have to do everything on his own. "Yeah, I did go through the FINAS criteria (for selection) but I don't think my film is the type they'd support," he says of his upcoming movie. Not just because of the storyline (it's about an illegal DVD seller) and the content but the fact that his movie is mainly in English and Hokkien. Judging by some of FINAS's past selections Buli Balik, Scenario XX, KL Menjerit, Kemarau Cinta Gnanalingam's film does not quite fit into the typical category.

So what avenues exist for aspiring filmmakers? How do you get help to make a movie?

Avenues

According to Gnanalingam, there isn't a set formula as yet. The industry is relatively young. "People are still experimenting and trying to work their way out," he says. For him, the strategy is to go for international festivals, and he is targeting the Tokyo Film Fest for his debut. In terms of production, promotion, music and soundtrack, everything will come out of his own pocket.

However, not everyone may be as fortunate to do so. If an application to FINAS fails, filmmakers can try to get grants from overseas bodies such as the Jan Vrijman Fund of Amsterdam, which financed Amir Muhammad's The Last Communist. Other than that, there are few, if not no other local agencies who are prepared to dish out funds, even if you claim to have the best script in the world. (Of course, I may be wrong and if you know of any willing benefactors, please email the editor).

These days, however, it doesn't take much to be a filmmaker. All you need is a DV camera and a great story. Cameras are cheap to come by, great story - maybe a bit harder. The rise of affordable film equipment over the past six years has given birth to a new breed of creative talent. Now everyone has the chance to make that great Malaysian film - college students, homemakers, moonlighting merchant bankers. I hear it's not uncommon to find CFOs and corporate types exchanging movie ideas at the mamak over the weekend.

Once you get your funding issue sorted, how do you get your movie screened? Kit Ong got his big break when his first short film trilogy, 1,3,5 was selected for Shorts 2005, a short film competition organised by Kelab Seni Filem Malaysia. Now that his fifth film is about ready, Ong has chosen to not go down the festival path but instead conduct what he calls a 'social experiment.' "I want to see how far (the movie) can go without going through the normal route," he says. Ong plans to rely solely on the media - articles, news and web journalism - to promote his movie. In this way, "the media acts as a festival," he explains. His argument is that people know about a movie because they read about it anyway. So by going through conventional media, he is actually going straight to the source. Other local directors, meanwhile, are trying to sell their movies overseas such as to Singapore or Australian Broadcast, who are apparently open to fresh, new content.

Censorship issues

Another unending problem filmmakers face is censorship. Some parties suggest having a rating system such as 18SX and 21SX (which Singapore currently uses) so movies can remain untampered for the mature and adult audience. Another suggestion is to relook the censorship process and to see what should really be censored and what shouldn't.

In leading filmmaker, Yasmin Ahmad's blog, she explains that in one of her movies, an official suggested cutting out a scene where two village women were lovingly combing each other's hair. The premise? Malaysians might be encouraged to go back to the old habit of picking out each other's lice.

Off late, the national censorship board seems to be taking a more liberal approach to censorship, leaving movies like The Last Communist and Sepet largely unscathed. But the recent banning of the former by the home ministry indicates that the dissentment starts at a much higher level. There are so many restrictions, many of which come from above. One industry person said, "I feel like I'm in communist China. 'Don't talk about this, don't talk about that.' And here we are calling ourselves the most modern Muslim country in the world."

The fact remains we can't show violence, kissing, gender conflict, religious issues, smoking or anything deemed morally averse. Perhaps it's because we, Malaysians are an impressionable lot. Who knows what we'd do if we say too much gunning action. And how can we be seen smoking like chimneys, having inter-racial conflicts, gang fights or gender issues? We're Malaysian we don't do these sort of things.

With all this careful cutting, trimming and selection, how has it shaped the state of Malaysian film today? Let's check out the box office. We have KL Menjerit, Pontianak1, Pontianak 2, Cinta Fotokopi, Scenario 7 (or is it number eight now?) If film, as most cinematic journals state, is a way to portray a nation and its people in the most accurate light do these films reflect who we are today?

For most Malaysians, P. Ramlee movies were probably some of the best depicters of Malaysian society, featuring girls in short skirts and men with brandy glasses as that was what they did during that time. Some critics claim, however, that local movies seem to have gone backwards from there, spouting storylines like love triangles involving kampung girls and city boys - with the title song sung by a local celebrity to boot. "It almost reminds me of America in the 1920s to 40s," said one film buff, stating Singing in the Rain, as an example.

Well, it's 2006 now and there is a lot of dated stuff out there. But surely there must be some movies we could brand as Malaysian. Many votes go to films like Yasmin Ahmad's Sepet (an inter-racial romance), Ho Yu Hang's Sanctuary (about the Chinese diaspora), Amir Muhammad's The Big Durian (about racial tension and politics) and James Lee's The Beautiful Washing Machine (modern love and class conflict among middle-class Malaysian Chinese). There are quite a few others, which you can probably find out more about if you go to an overseas festival website.

As the industry develops, perhaps more of these type of movies will be given support and played on the big screen. These are Malaysian movies about Malaysia and it would be a pity if we are not able to view them. FINAS allegedly has a RM50 million budget to give out to filmmakers, half of which has already been allocated to about eight production companies. It would be interesting to see what the industry comes up with. It is, after all, our tax payer's money.

Filmmakers, persevere

The Malaysian film industry is still in its developmental stage having begun in 1933, compared to Thailand (1895) and India (1913). India churns out about 600 movies year while Malaysia produces about fifteen. Quality-wise, some foreigners have perceived the Malaysian film industry to be one without much identity. Which may be true, for now, perhaps. But there is undeniably a growth of new and open-minded filmmakers who are making waves and putting Malaysia on the map as a country to look out for.

Since a decade ago, there have been calls for the government to provide more support to fledgling filmmakers. Over the years, much support has been given to doctors, lawyers, IT consultants - people who can enhance the economic and technological wealth of our country. When will filmmakers be given equal opportunities? Filmmakers are the custodians of our country's history, society, traditions and identity. Through their craft, they inadvertently define and document Malaysian society in ways an outsider may never be able to do.

For now, there may be many obstacles. But there are also plenty of opportunities, avenues and resources. Malaysia has a rich heritage of history, culture, traditions and stories yet untold. Where else can you find inspiration for a Malay protagonist who falls in love with a Chinese boy. Or maybe a political-thriller about the British occupation. Or maybe an epic series on a Nonya Melaka family. There are so many rich, colourful lives around us, all of which are uniquely Malaysian.

In one of Yasmin Ahmad's articles that she writes for the New Straits Time, she challenges aspiring filmmakers, "If you're serious about making films, why haven't you made one yet?" Any artist can tell you, the desire to create does not come from the promise of financial gain. It's just something you gotta do. If there is a film, a story or a book burning inside you, you'll get it out. Considering Malaysia's rising indie scene, it looks like our young, creative people are getting things done even if they have to resort to guerilla tactics.

AMY TAN contributes frequently to Rentakini. She writes mainly about the arts, culture and environmental issues.

No subscription is needed to read articles in Rentakini.