Latest news with #MalaysianCinema
Malay Mail
7 days ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
Meet Malaysia's new wave of directors shaping cinema from box office hits to Cannes acclaim (VIDEO)
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 Aziz 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 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.
Malay Mail
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
'Gayong' and 'Kulit Wayang' — two solid reasons to go to the cinema now
MAY 17 — With the recent announcement that Blood Brothers: Bara Naga has collected RM76 million at the local box-office after 33 days of screening — taking it to second place at the all-time Malaysian box-office charts for local films — it's quite easy to overlook the fact there have been quite a few notable Malaysian films that have opened in local cinemas in the weeks after the Blood Brothers fever hit local cinemagoers. When you add to that the fact there are also other notable releases from Hollywood and beyond opening around the same time like Sinners (which I think is one of the best films of the year so far), Thunderbolts* (aka The New Avengers), Until Dawn and Holy Night: Demon Hunters (come on, who doesn't want to see Don Lee punch demons?), it really is easy to miss out on some of the more notable local films being released concurrently. Despite my best efforts to catch as many local films that I can in the cinema, I still haven't managed to catch Telaga Suriram from this latest batch of local films opening recently, but I've managed to catch two pretty notable ones, for various reasons respectively. The only expectation I had when walking into the cinema to watch this movie, based on the life experiences of Silat Gayong grandmaster Datuk Meor Abdul Rahman Daeng Uda Md Hashim, is that the trailers promised a sort of Malaysian version of the Ip Man movies — a nationalistic historical epic based on the life of a real person. — Picture via YouTube/Filem Gayong Rasmi Gayong The only expectation I had when walking into the cinema to watch this movie, based on the life experiences of Silat Gayong grandmaster Datuk Meor Abdul Rahman Daeng Uda Md Hashim, is that the trailers promised a sort of Malaysian version of the Ip Man movies — a nationalistic historical epic based on the life of a real person. As a local film fan and paying customer, I'd say that director Faisal Ishak (of the Juvana movies and Budak Flat fame) has totally delivered on that premise, with all the caveats that may come with it being an Ip Man type movie. Just like those Ip Man movies, this one's very stylised as well, with a nationalistic spirit that can't help but stir the emotions in you, with an added local flavour that will remind people of 80s and 90s Malaysian films in how the dialogue is written and delivered. And there's a beautiful layer of Malay-ness to it all, particularly in the ethics/practice of the art of Silat Gayong, in how and when to hold back or move forward, and when to truly let go of all that rage, that's presented in a surprisingly subtle way. In short, there's a very Malay soul to this historical action flick, which makes it pretty unique and at least of some value to fans of fight flicks out there. There are some unfortunate, but not that glaring, holes in the film's plotting, wherein some character motivations can be a bit confounding, but on the whole, Ishak has delivered an exciting, emotional and pretty well-paced piece of mainstream entertainment. It's not perfect, but in its wonderfully quaint and mannered retroness, and its soulful presentation of Silat Gayong principles, it holds its own place in the history of Malaysian action films. I can't wait for its next chapter! Kulit Wayang Celebrated Malaysian auteur Dain Said does horror again with his latest film Kulit Wayang, but aims to deliver a bit more food for thought by using the world of Kelantanese 'wayang kulit' (shadow puppetry) to provoke audiences into thinking about issues like exploitation, creative and literal theft from the more underprivileged local communities, and if one were to think in an even wider context, exploitation and theft by those in powerful positions from poor and normal people. He does all this by telling the story of a tok dalang (shadow puppet master) named Pak Lee (played by Fattah Amin, doing a pretty great job with his facial expressions and emotions, but sometimes undone by the inconsistency of the delivery of his Kelantanes dialect) who is grieving the death of his child. He comes across a young Indonesian girl named Dewi, who's in the village with her mother, who's doing a thesis on wayang kulit, and it turns out that Dewi has a preternatural gift for wayang kulit ('angin dia kuat' as explained in the film's dialogue), which kicks the film's plot into gear, involving mystical beings like a crocodile man, ghosts of lost kids and a shadow puppet made from human skin that sounds brilliant on paper, but in reality was not executed as well as it could've been as a horror film. It's not a bad film, but it's not great as well, because in the film's own struggle between being a horror film and a more arthouse/thought provoking one, it kind of got caught in the middle, not fully satisfying the needs of both or even either genre. Still, it holds plenty of value for cinephiles, especially in Dain Said's visual flair, which can be experienced in abundance here. Even when the CGI is a bit dodgy, fans of horror maestros like Lucio Fulci will find plenty to admire in Dain's depictions of the netherworld, beyond the wayang kulit's screen, and there are some shots here that will wow viewers just like he did in Bunohan. * This is the personal opinion of the columnist.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Malay Mail's Top 10 Picks: ‘Gayong' fights its way into the Top 3 as ‘Blood Brothers: Bara Naga' loses its long-held crown
KUALA LUMPUR, May 16 — After four consecutive weeks at No. 1, local cinematic hit Blood Brothers: Bara Naga has slipped to the second spot at the box office — though its popularity shows no signs of waning, remaining a hot topic nationwide. This week also marks the debut of another highly anticipated local film, Gayong. The movie stars the acclaimed Beto Kusyairy, a familiar face in Malaysian cinema, in a biographical role as the late Datuk Meor Abdul Rahman, revered grandmaster of Silat Gayong Malaysia. Beyond the silver screen, there's plenty more to enjoy this weekend. Whether you're looking for top series on Netflix and Viu, discovering what's trending on Spotify, or planning to unwind with an engaging book, Malay Mail has curated a selection of our top picks for you to explore. Top 10 films in local cinemas (Domestic & International) (May 8 to May 11) Thunderbolts Blood Brothers: Bara Naga Gayong A Gilded Game Tourist Family Until Dawn Retro Almarhum Telaga Suriram A Minecraft Movie Source: GSC Top 10 streaming on Netflix and Viu (May 5 to May 11) Netflix (Top 10 TV) TV Series The Haunted Palace: Season 1 Resident Playbook: Limited Series Weak Hero: Class 2 Heavenly Ever After: Limited Series The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic: Season 1 Weak Hero: Class 1 The Eternaut: Season 1 When Life Gives You Tangerines: Limited Series Rekaman Terlarang: Season 1 Ms. Rachel: Season 1 Source: Netflix Top 10 Viu (Top 10 shows) Sugar Daddy Pabila Dia Tersenyum The Haunted Palace Bidaah Running Man (2025) Crushology 101 Undercover High School Pump Up the Healthy Love Twinkling Watermelon Only for Love 以爱为营 Source: Viu Frontpage Top 10 songs of the week (Spotify) (May 7 to May 14) JENNIE - like JENNIE Nadeera - Bukan Lagi Kita Billie Eilish - BIRDS OF A FEATHER yung kai - blue Ara Johari - Menjaga Jodoh Orang Lain Tenxi - Garam & Madu (Sakit Dadaku) (w/ Jemsi, Naykilla) Lady Gaga - Die With A Smile (w/ Bruno Mars) Billie Eilish - WILDFLOWER NIKI - You'll Be in My Heart - Spotify Singles MikkyZia - Aku Dah Lupa (w/ F4dli) Top 10 Malay songs of the week (Spotify) (May 7 to May 14) Faris Adam - Stecu Stecu Ara Johari - Menjaga Jodoh Orang Lain Nadeera - Bukan Lagi Kita Noh Salleh - Rahsia Tuhan Imran Ajmain - Seribu Tahun Lagi NAKI, Fahimi - Masa Dayang Nurfaizah, Faizal Tahir, Tuju, Yonnyboii - X Missing U MikkyZia, F4dli - Aku Dah Lupa Tenxi - Garam & Madu (Sakit Dadaku) (w/ Jemsi, Naykilla) Nuh - Teruntuk Mia Source: and Spotify Top 10 books of the week (May 2 to May 8) Fiction King of Envy by Ana Huang (Bloom Books) Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa (Harper Perennial) Watch Me by Tahereh Mafi (Storytide) Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi (Pan Macmillan) The Convenience Store by the Sea by Sonoko Machida (Orion) Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic Press) A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara (Pan Macmillan) Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors (Random House US) Library of Lost Hearts by N.F. Afrina (N.F Afrina) The Little Liar by Mitch Albom (Harper) Non-Fiction I'm Not Lazy, I'm on Energy Saving Mode by Dancing Snail (apop books) Surrounded by Idiots by Thomas Erikson (St. Martin's Essentials) Once Upon a Miao (Remastered): I Love My Hometown by Jian Goh (Space Voyager) Atomic Habits by James Clear (Penguin Books) The Not To-Do List by Rolf Dobelli (Atlantic Books ) Once Upon a Miao 2 (Remastered): Crushes, Friendship & Chaos by Jian Goh (Space Voyager) Learn Malay in 7 Days by Mohd Ibrahim (Crescent News) I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki by Baek Sehee (Penerbit Haru) I Decided to Live as Me by Kim Suhyun (Apop Books) The 5 AM Club by Robin Sharma (HarperCollins) Mutiara Minda (Malay Novels) Thariq Ridzuwan Commando's: His Treasure by Hudanajwa (Idea Kreatif) Dia Imamku by Siti Rosmizah (Siti Rosmizah Publication SDN BHD) Mi Linda by Hudanajwa (Idea Kreatif) Rumah Untuk Alie by Lenn Liu (Media Inspirasi Nusantara Sdn Bhd) Mi Diosa by Hudanajwa (Idea Kreatif) Tuan Ziyad: Forbidden Love by Bellesa (Idea Kreatif) Mi Veneno 2 by Hudanajwa (Idea Kreatif) Ammar Zahrain: The Obsessive Husband by Nssignature (Idea Kreatif) Mi Veneno 1 by Hudanajwa (Idea Kreatif) Yes! Captain Zul Aaryan by Wnfhanna (Idea Kreatif) Source: MPH
Malay Mail
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
Malay Mail's Top 10 Picks: ‘Gayong' fights its way into the Top 3 as ‘Blood Brothers: Bara Naga' loses its long-held crown
KUALA LUMPUR, May 16 — After four consecutive weeks at No. 1, local cinematic hit Blood Brothers: Bara Naga has slipped to the second spot at the box office — though its popularity shows no signs of waning, remaining a hot topic nationwide. This week also marks the debut of another highly anticipated local film, Gayong. The movie stars the acclaimed Beto Kusyairy, a familiar face in Malaysian cinema, in a biographical role as the late Datuk Meor Abdul Rahman, revered grandmaster of Silat Gayong Malaysia. Beyond the silver screen, there's plenty more to enjoy this weekend. Whether you're looking for top series on Netflix and Viu, discovering what's trending on Spotify, or planning to unwind with an engaging book, Malay Mail has curated a selection of our top picks for you to explore. Top 10 films in local cinemas (Domestic & International) (May 8 to May 11) Thunderbolts Blood Brothers: Bara Naga Gayong A Gilded Game Tourist Family Until Dawn Retro Almarhum Telaga Suriram A Minecraft Movie Source: GSC Top 10 streaming on Netflix and Viu (May 5 to May 11) Netflix (Top 10 TV) TV Series The Haunted Palace: Season 1 Resident Playbook: Limited Series Weak Hero: Class 2 Heavenly Ever After: Limited Series The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic: Season 1 Weak Hero: Class 1 The Eternaut: Season 1 When Life Gives You Tangerines: Limited Series Rekaman Terlarang: Season 1 Ms. Rachel: Season 1 Source: Netflix Top 10 Viu (Top 10 shows) Sugar Daddy Pabila Dia Tersenyum The Haunted Palace Bidaah Running Man (2025) Crushology 101 Undercover High School Pump Up the Healthy Love Twinkling Watermelon Only for Love 以爱为营 Source: Viu Frontpage Top 10 songs of the week (Spotify) (May 7 to May 14) JENNIE - like JENNIE Nadeera - Bukan Lagi Kita Billie Eilish - BIRDS OF A FEATHER yung kai - blue Ara Johari - Menjaga Jodoh Orang Lain Tenxi - Garam & Madu (Sakit Dadaku) (w/ Jemsi, Naykilla) Lady Gaga - Die With A Smile (w/ Bruno Mars) Billie Eilish - WILDFLOWER NIKI - You'll Be in My Heart - Spotify Singles MikkyZia - Aku Dah Lupa (w/ F4dli) Top 10 Malay songs of the week (Spotify) (May 7 to May 14) Faris Adam - Stecu Stecu Ara Johari - Menjaga Jodoh Orang Lain Nadeera - Bukan Lagi Kita Noh Salleh - Rahsia Tuhan Imran Ajmain - Seribu Tahun Lagi NAKI, Fahimi - Masa Dayang Nurfaizah, Faizal Tahir, Tuju, Yonnyboii - X Missing U MikkyZia, F4dli - Aku Dah Lupa Tenxi - Garam & Madu (Sakit Dadaku) (w/ Jemsi, Naykilla) Nuh - Teruntuk Mia Source: and Spotify Top 10 books of the week (May 2 to May 8) Fiction King of Envy by Ana Huang (Bloom Books) Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa (Harper Perennial) Watch Me by Tahereh Mafi (Storytide) Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi (Pan Macmillan) The Convenience Store by the Sea by Sonoko Machida (Orion) Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic Press) A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara (Pan Macmillan) Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors (Random House US) Library of Lost Hearts by N.F. Afrina (N.F Afrina) The Little Liar by Mitch Albom (Harper) Non-Fiction I'm Not Lazy, I'm on Energy Saving Mode by Dancing Snail (apop books) Surrounded by Idiots by Thomas Erikson (St. Martin's Essentials) Once Upon a Miao (Remastered): I Love My Hometown by Jian Goh (Space Voyager) Atomic Habits by James Clear (Penguin Books) The Not To-Do List by Rolf Dobelli (Atlantic Books ) Once Upon a Miao 2 (Remastered): Crushes, Friendship & Chaos by Jian Goh (Space Voyager) Learn Malay in 7 Days by Mohd Ibrahim (Crescent News) I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki by Baek Sehee (Penerbit Haru) I Decided to Live as Me by Kim Suhyun (Apop Books) The 5 AM Club by Robin Sharma (HarperCollins) Mutiara Minda (Malay Novels) Thariq Ridzuwan Commando's: His Treasure by Hudanajwa (Idea Kreatif) Dia Imamku by Siti Rosmizah (Siti Rosmizah Publication SDN BHD) Mi Linda by Hudanajwa (Idea Kreatif) Rumah Untuk Alie by Lenn Liu (Media Inspirasi Nusantara Sdn Bhd) Mi Diosa by Hudanajwa (Idea Kreatif) Tuan Ziyad: Forbidden Love by Bellesa (Idea Kreatif) Mi Veneno 2 by Hudanajwa (Idea Kreatif) Ammar Zahrain: The Obsessive Husband by Nssignature (Idea Kreatif) Mi Veneno 1 by Hudanajwa (Idea Kreatif) Yes! Captain Zul Aaryan by Wnfhanna (Idea Kreatif) Source: MPH
