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BEIJING - Universal messages and stories that resonate with people's everyday lives are believed to have the potential to serve as a ‘passport’ for Malaysian films to penetrate China's vast and competitive market.
This was evident from the positive response among local audiences to five Malaysian films screened at the China-Malaysia Film Festival 2026, held in conjunction with the 12th Xingtan Cultural Season here, which was recently officiated by National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas) chairman Datuk Dr Hans Isaac.
The programme, jointly organised by Alpha Unit Films & Distribution Sdn Bhd and China Film Industry Group Co Ltd, with the support of Finas, featured five local films - A Mighty Adventure, Ah Beng vs Liang Po Po, Babah, The Last Dive and Abah Saya, Uncle Mike - selected by Chinese industry partners from some 30 titles submitted through an open selection process.
Executive Production Director of Seni Duapuluh Duapuluh Sdn Bhd, Datin Dr Wendy Wong, said the response to The Last Dive exceeded expectations, with audiences drawn to its themes of marine conservation, the beauty of the underwater world and the story of a person with disabilities overcoming life's challenges.
"After the screening, they not only praised the film but also expressed their respect for Malaysia for producing a work that addresses global issues.
"Some even described its visuals as resembling a Hollywood film, and we hope this feedback will pave the way for The Last Dive to be screened more widely in China," she told Bernama after the film screening here recently.
Wendy said a roundtable session held in conjunction with the festival also provided insights into censorship regulations, marketing strategies, agency fees, potentially acceptable content and co-production opportunities between companies from both countries.
"Distributors here tend to favour emotionally engaging works featuring elements of romance and family, while they are also interested in seeing Malaysian culture, people's lifestyles, urban settings and food," she said.
Meanwhile, producer of Babah, Nadia Mohd Nadzri, said the selection of the film produced by Nads Media Entertainment Sdn Bhd demonstrated that local family stories could transcend cultural boundaries and touch the hearts of international audiences.
"We did not expect Babah to be selected from so many titles. I believe its strength lies in its message and the relationship between a father and daughter, which is very relatable and can be felt by audiences regardless of their cultural background,” she said.
Babah's journey to the international stage has previously included theatrical screenings in Brunei and Singapore, as well as being made available on Netflix and participating in a film festival in Cambodia, where it received recognition in the Best Actress category.
"China has never been on the list of markets we explored before, so this selection opens a new chapter for Babah. We hope the film can penetrate the market here and prove that a Malaysian family story can also touch the hearts of Chinese audiences,” she said.
Meanwhile, Alpha Unit Films & Distribution Sdn Bhd Managing Director Ryan Lim said the festival was the result of more than a year of planning, involving discussions with various parties from the government and private sectors in Malaysia and China.
He said cooperation with China Film Group Corporation enabled strategic discussions to determine the format of the programme and activities suitable for bringing Malaysian productions and works to the market.
"The main challenge is to ensure that the proposed films are well received by Chinese audiences, so that they are willing to watch them in cinemas," he said, acknowledging that China has its own selection process, including censorship regulations and genres that are acceptable in the country's market.
He said the collaboration between Alpha Unit Films & Distribution Sdn Bhd and Finas was expected to strengthen ties between the Malaysian and Chinese film industries, including by creating more opportunities in distribution and co-production.
"Although we come from different companies, we share one aspiration, which is to develop Malaysia's film industry. Together with Finas, we want to move towards something bigger. This programme in China is just the beginning," he said. - BERNAMA
