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10th March, 2009
KOTA KINABALU: A locally established production company, Preston Zaidan Productions Sdn Bhd (PZP), has launched the filming of its first Malay movie “Belukar” in Sabah.
The soft launching ceremony was performed by Assistant Minister of Industrial Development Datuk Jainab Ahmad at the Mediterranean Restaurant in Tanjung Aru on Sunday evening.
Led by director cum scrip writer Jason Chong, the crew started shooting the independent-film-format film at the Sutera Harbour Resort vicinity yesterday. The movie will star Daphne Iking as the heroin while Bront Palarae as the hero.
Belukar tells the story of a Sabahan woman Eva (Daphne) who is a professional insurance defaulter. She manages to cheat insurance companies the amount of RM100 million and is being investigated. However, none of the insurance agents could prove Eva guilty.
An ABG insurance agent Nik (Bront) takes a big responsibility to continue with the investigation but during that process he falls in love with Eva without the latter knowing of his real identity. Will Nik and Eva find a happy ending for their love romance? The answer will be known when the movie hits the theatres this September.
Kota Kinabalu and Labuan will be the main locations for the filming process while a number of scenes will also feature the Kundasang War Memorial and other tourist attractions in the state, managing director Kamil Misuari said.
He said the filming activities had got the consent and support from the authorities, Sutera Harbour Resort and Sabah Tourism Board.
“The use of latest high technology software was one of the preparations to guarantee the quality of the film. The selection process for the starring crew had been conducted with the cooperation of the production members.
“The service of new casts has been absorbed into the movie so as to unearth a back-up generation of artists in the film industry. This is also a great effort by Preston Zaidan Productions to strengthen our entertainment industry,” Kamil said.
Other actors and actresses involved in Belukar are veteran Dato Tarmimi Siregar (Farid), Azhar Sulaiman (Hassan), Danny XFactor (Zailan), Annuar Chew Kin Wah (TKO), Sabrina Hassan (Ivy), Ray Redzuan (Momok), Ekin AF4 (Norashikin), Sharmila Dedy M Borhan (Mary), Azwan Kombos (Pit), Md Eyzendy Aziz (Hitam), Fong U-Shin Xavier (Gong) and Linora Low (Gincu).
In her short address, Jainab expressed her pride that a movie was being filmed in Sabah by a local production company. This would help to open more job opportunities for the locals, especially those who had greater interest in movie production.
“Once completed, let us give our full support to Belukar by bringing our family members and friends to watch the movies in the theatres. Those who wish to watch it on DVD, please buy the original to help our film industry,” she said.
She said Sabah could be a good location for any production company to film their movies because it had variety of beautiful sceneries and friendly people.
The main product that people could see in the state was its community life. The state was also a role model of a national integration because its people of different races, religions and cultures could come together in any occasion, Jainab said.
Also present were Sabah Tourism Board deputy chairman Datuk Sari Suhut, City Hall deputy director general Wan Maria Lee and PZP chairman Zailani Mansor.
PZP, a subsidiary of Labuan-based Preston Shipyard Sdn Bhd (PSSB) which was established in November 2002, has a production branch in Kuala Lumpur. Its board of director members comprise businessmen, professional and creative groups from Sabah, Sarawak and Kuala Lumpur.
Established on Dec 15 last year, its objective is to become a main mover in the Malaysian broadcasting and production industry as well as to bring about a vision that puts religion, race and the country to the recognition of the world in the industry.
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