Meet Malaysia's new wave of directors shaping cinema from box office hits to Cannes acclaim (VIDEO)

Malay Mail

2 days ago

KUALA LUMPUR, June 4 — More often than not, film directors are influential people, especially the great ones such as Steven Spielberg or Sir Christopher Nolan, who at least once in their careers have been praised as visionaries.
This is thanks to their ability to make films that not only collected tonnes of money at the box office but also made films that resonated well with generations of audiences.
Some even end up being inducted as iconic pieces of pop culture such as the 1975 film Jaws or the Dark Knight trilogy which forever changed the landscape of superhero films.
Malaysians might not be spoken of in the same breath as Spielberg or Nolan, yet, but it doesn't mean that we don't have great filmmakers other than the legendary late Tan Sri P. Ramlee or the late Yasmin Ahmad.
Here's a list of Malaysian filmmakers to get you started.
1. The Yusof Family
The holy trinity of the Malaysian box office at the moment, consisting of Datuk Yusof Haslam and his two sons Syamsul Yusof and Syafiq Yusof.
Yusof Haslam is a veteran Malaysian actor, director and screenwriter whose filmography is adored by many Malaysians especially for his works such as Gerak Khas, Sembilu and Pasrah which received numerous accolades previously.
Yusof's filmmaking knacks seems to have been passed down to both of his sons with Syamsul wearing the crown of being the director of the highest grossing Malaysian film of all time through his 2022 Mat Kilau: Kebangkitan Pahlawan which scored RM89.4 million in ticket collections.
Younger brother Syafiq is currently on a hot streak at the moment with him coming up with back to back blockbuster hits since 2023 which includes Polis Evo 3 and Sheriff: Narko Integriti.
Sheriff: Narko Integriti, which came out last year, is currently the second highest grossing local films of all time, having pocketed RM59.4 million in ticket sales while Polis Evo 3 collected RM50.1 million, making it the third highest grossing local film of all time.
And his latest action flick Blood Brothers: Bara Naga which is currently showing in cinemas nationwide has already grossed RM21 million in less than a week of screening time.
2. Adrian Teh
Penang-born filmmaker Adrian Teh has been keeping Malaysians entertained for years now, whether it's from his action-packed military films such as Paskal and Malbatt: Misi Bakara or his earlier Chinese-language films such as the Hungry Ghost Ritual, Lelio Popo and The Wedding Diary.
Aside from his directing range, Teh is also known for raising the bar on how local films are presented, such as his 2023 Malbatt: Misi Bakara, which is the first Malaysian film to be shown on IMAX screens across local cinemas nationwide while his 2020 romantic comedy Pasal Kau, which is Netflix's first Malaysian original film.
Teh also founded the Chinese Films Association of Malaysia back in 2012, which aims to develop the local Chinese films and television industry and further raise its standards.
3. Aziz M.Osman
Aziz M.Osman is another veteran Malaysian director who is still actively working.
Some of his films are even considered cult classics. Among them are the Senario films, including the comedic troupe's original 'trilogy' films — Senario The Movie, Senario Lagi and Lagi-Lagi Senario.
Aziz is also among the earliest local directors to explore the sci-fi genre through his acclaimed 1992 XX Ray film, which enjoyed overwhelming success and went on to spawn sequels.
The second movie came out in 1995 while the third instalment came 24 years later in 2019 (but sadly bombed at the local box office due to weak CGI).
He is currently set to release his latest film 6 Jilake this April 24 which is an action-comedy movie inspired by the late Tan Sri P. Ramlee's famous 6 Jahanam film.
The film boasts a stellar cast, including Amerul Affendi, Bell Ngasri, Saiful Apek, Kazar Saisi, Asmidar, Kamarool Yusof, Laura Olivia, Wan Gegau, Wan Raja, Mamak Puteh, and Jalil Hamid.
4. Sun-J Perumal
Shanjhey Perumal, better known as Sun-J, has definitely left his mark in Malaysia's Tamil film industry and he is just warming up.
This is after his first full length feature film Jagat which was released in 2015 has made waves both locally and internationally with the film bagging the best picture and best director awards at the 28th Malaysia Film Festival while it was also screened at the 10th edition of the Five Flavours Film Festival in Poland.
Jagat, which had grossed over RM330,000 at local box office despite screening in fewer than 20 cinemas, is widely regarded as one of the best Tamil-language films made in Malaysia.
The film is set in the early 1990s, a critical period in Indian Malaysian history which revolves around the plight of the Indian estate workers in Malaysia who were left in dire straits after rubber plantations were closed and the story is told through the eyes of 12-year-old protagonist named Appoy.
Sun-J will also be releasing two new feature films this year which will serve as Jagat's spiritual sequels with the first one being a gritty crime drama Macai premiering this July 24 and second is the satirical romantic drama Neer Mel Neruppu (Fire on Water) which will be released this September 18.
According to Sun-J, Neer Mel Neruppu reimagines the Appoy character from Jagat as a driven student who becomes a filmmaker, while Macai envisions a darker path, where he descends into the drug trade.
5. Jin Ong
Taiping-born filmmaker Jin Ong has made waves with his debut film 'Abang Adik' back in 2023. — Picture courtesy of the Dead Tide team
Taiping-born filmmaker Jin Ong has made waves through his directorial debut of the highly acclaimed Abang Adik film which has received 28 international awards while also receiving up to 69 nominations at various film festivals worldwide.
The film which centres around undocumented orphans struggling in poverty was previously named Best Film at the Asia New York Film Festival (22nd Uncaged Competition) and won the Golden Mulberry, Black Dragon Critics' Award, and White Mulberry Award for Best Feature Film at the 25th Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy.
The film has also grossed RM5.7 million in Malaysia while making HK$2.8 million (RM1.6 million) in Hong Kong, another TW$100 million (RM13.6 million) in Taiwan and RMB3 million (RM1.8 million) in China.
Despite Abang Adik being his first film as a director, Ong has been in the filming industry in Taiwan and Malaysia for over 20 years now and he has several producer credits to his name.
He also owns a production house called Moore Entertainment Co.ltd which produced the first Malaysian film titled Shuttle Life that was nominated at the 54th edition of the prestigious Golden Horse Awards.
Honourable mentions
Aside from the five already listed, here are some other local filmmakers that deserve a shout out.
Nik Amir Mustapha
Known for his 2023 film Imaginur which dominated the 33rd Malaysia Film Festival with the romantic sci-fi film bagging seven awards including for best director and best film.
Amanda Nell Eu
Her directorial debut in 2023 film Tiger Stripes has earned her international recognitions including the Grand Prix Award at the 62nd Semaine de la Critique during the 76th Cannes Film Festival in France and a Special Jury Mention in the First Feature Film category at the 27th Fantasia International Film Festival in Canada.
Eu was also presented with the Women In Motion award at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
Amir Muhammad and Kuman Pictures
After making his directorial debut with Lips to Lips in 2000 which is also the first independent digital film produced in Malaysia, Amir Muhammad then formed Kuman Pictures which went on to produce the acclaimed 2023 Pendatang film.
Pendatang made history as not only the first fully crowd-funded Malaysian film but it was also released on YouTube for free. The Malaysian dystopian drama thriller has raked over 4.5 million views since its release.
The late Mamat Khalid
Although he is no longer with us, films by the late great Mamat Khalid which have spawned franchises, continue to be among the most beloved by Malaysians.
Mamat who is known for his subtle social commentary jabs through his many films is exactly why many adored him and some of his filmography includes titles such as Rock, Zombi Kampung Pisang, Hantu Kak Limah and Man Laksa.
Mamat died in October 2021, however his legacy is continued by his son and aspiring director Amen Khalid.