Sarawak Minister of Tourism, Creative Industries and Performing Arts, Datuk Sri Haji Karim Rahman Hamzah, welcomed 300 odd delegates from ASEAN to win the Asean International Film Festival & Awards (AIIFA) program which took place at the Old Courthouse Courtyard Kuching, Sarawak last night.
Sarawak Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Datuk Sri Haji Karim Rahman Hamzah said :
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| Sarawak Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Datuk Sri Haji Karim Rahman Hamzah |
“The last time we welcomed a film delegation was in 2019, and I understand that this event has the largest number of participants compared to the previous four.
"During the pandemic, when we all have to sit at home, the Creative Industry plays such a big role in our lives, entertaining us, through movies, live shows done online, tik tok, Facebook, and various other applications.
“By the end of 2020, according to data, one billion people around the world have subscribed to one of the online streaming services. Needless to say, online is always there. Information, entertainment, and updates are now available online.
“I am delighted to be here, among the movers and shakers of the ASEAN Creative Industries – the people who give impact to what we see in cinema, television, and many other platforms made possible by digital technology.” He said.
According to him, the Sarawak State government understands that digital transformation is a necessity to dignify us to a higher level and has established the Sarawak Multimedia Board (SMA) to oversee it.
"We are the first to have our own State television station, TVS which was launched as a channel for Sarawak's content creators, producers and entertainers to showcase their work.
"The Creative Industry is a trillion dollar industry. We are a bit late, compared to some countries, but we have to start somewhere because our young people are graduating from higher institutions of Creative Industries and Performing Arts, which will contribute to this industry.
"This is one of the reasons why the Sarawak government fully supports AIFFA as we look towards the future. I was told that AIFFA has over 100 student delegations registered for AIFFA, including several from ASEAN universities. AIFFA will enable them to receive hands-on knowledge as they attend talks by industry professionals and experts.” He said.
He added that AIFFA is one of the platforms for the ASEAN film industry to bridge the gap in order to advance the industry on the international stage.
"This year is a great year because our country proved that we are comparable to other countries with the Oscar award won by Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh as Best Actress.
"I am pleased to announce that in 2013, Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh was the recipient of the 2013 AIFFA Lifetime Achievement Award." He explained during the opening session.
AIFFA provides a meeting place for joint ventures that can increase understanding in our region not only for feature films but also for ASEAN documentary films, which can be shared so that viewers can get to know their neighboring countries better.
In the meantime, Karim also conveyed that the ministry provides grants to artists who want to produce films and shoot in Sarawak.
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