Brunei is ready for action
The sultanate sets out to market itself as a film location
Promoting Brunei as a film location won’t only boost the burgeoning local movie industry but will also support the country’s economy, a filmmaker says.
Siti Kamaluddin, director of the new film “Yasmine”, says Brunei’s natural environment provides a beautiful backdrop. This, she says, will also help develop the Brunei movie industry, which is still very much in its infancy.
Siti suggests that Brunei take its cue from Malaysia, which has a booming film-production sector, thanks to incentives for foreign companies wanting to shoot movies there.
“The Malaysian government is currently offering a 30-per-cent cash rebate to any foreign company that shoots a film in Malaysia. That is a pretty attractive incentive. It can bring funds and promote the country and its culture,” Siti says.
Siti adds that filmmaking is not just about location making or glamour. It also involves other industries such as food service, hospitality and transport.
“When we were filming ‘Yasmine’, we had a crew of about 200 people, and some days we had more than 500 extras,” she says, adding that this shows that the film industry has the capacity to create more jobs for Bruneians.
Siti points out that Bruneian companies can also go into co-production with foreign companies.
“By doing that we can export talent and introduce people into our own culture, which we should be proud of, and make people spend money,” she says.
While Brunei’s film industry is “just starting”, Siti feels blessed because it is in a position to learn from other countries and adapt aspects of their industries to Brunei’s own systems.
The director, who is also the managing director of Origin Films, is grateful for the B$120,000 (Bt3.08 million) development grant extended by the Brunei Economic Development Board (BEDB).
“The BEDB is a strong supporter of Origin Films, and we are in incredible support of His Majesty and the Brunei government, so this has given us the chance to produce a good quality product,” she says.
“Yasmine” is a coming-of-age story a girl who wants to become a champion at silat, the Malay martial art. It features novice local actress Liyana Yus, as well as Indonesian and Malaysian actors such as Dwi Sasono, Reza Rahadian, Dian P Ramlee and M Nasir. It also features award-winning artists from Hong Kong and Indonesia such as stunt veteran Chan Man Ching, screenwriter Salman Aristo, editor Cesa David Lukmansyah, sound designer Khikmawan Santosa, composer Aghi Narottama and pop rock band Nidji.
