PETALING JAYA: A group of Malaysian Indian film industry players are unhappy that the Malaysian Indian Film Festival (MIFF), organised by MIC Youth, was held in India last week.The group, led by producer K Murali, claimed that holding the Malaysian Indian Film Festival in Chennai was akin to “blowing our own trumpet” and that it did not benefit the local Indian movie industry.
The MIC Youth organised a three-day movie festival last week where 10 local Indian movies selected by the National Film Development Corporation of Malaysia (Finas) were screened in Chennai. An award presentation ceremony was the climax of the festival.
“The festival would be better if it was held in Malaysia. Our film industry is very small compared to India. Indians there are not interested in our movies,” he said at a press conference here, today.
“So, what is the point of holding such a festival in India? Instead, we should send our young actors or technical people over to India on how to produce better movies. From what I heard, the 10 movies brought there were not watched by Indians but MIC members who were in India to attend the Pravasi Bharathiya Divas conference (an Indian diaspora forum).
Also present the press conference were K Loganathan (actor), K Gandhiban (actor and director), V Manivannan (actor) and S Mohan Rao (actor).
While the group slammed the MIC Youth, Murali said he would arrange a meeting with MIC president G Palanivel to find ways to stimulate the local Indian movie industry.
Gandhiban, meanwhile, said the industry players were in the dark over the criteria used to select movies for the festival.
“We want to know on what basis were these movies selected… what are the criteria,” he added.
The group aimed their harshest words for the festival’s organising committee chief P Vijay.
“According to Vijay all the 10 movies were selected by Finas and he also gave an assurance that next year my films also will be selected to be screened at the festival.
“If it’s true the movies were selected by Finas, then how come Vijay can give assurance that next year my films will be selected for the festival?” Ghandhiban asked.
Real culprit
He said Vijay, who is the MIC Youth’s arts and cultural bureau chief, should be sacked from the party.
“He is the real culprit behind the video piracy in Malaysia and MIC should not give position to someone who spoiled the local music industry,” alleged Ghandiban, better known as Ben-G.
The group also questioned how a movie produced by Vijay won two awards, when he was the organising committee head.
Meanwhile, when contacted, MIC Youth chief T Mohan said the the wing wanted to hold the film festival in India with the aim of exposing the local movie industry to Indians.
“I am surprised that these people do not understand our intention to hold the film festival there. It would enable our movies to have a wider reach. We have quality actors and technicians. But, since our industry is too small, we are facing tough challenges to bring our movies to the international level,” he said.
“India is the best place to promote our movies to enable us to move forward. I would regard the festival as a success. Some Indian producers are keen to work with our actors and technical people.
“This is a good thing. Even, a few distributors from India are interested to distribute our local movie named ‘Appalam’. So, this is the way to promote our films,” he said, adding that he spent money from his own pocket for the festival.
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