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By Wilfred Pilo
KUCHING Aug 3: Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry, And Performing Arts Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah has announced Sarawak will be hosting the Asia-Pacific Film Festival (APFF) in 2024.
Abdul Karim said the festival will be held in Miri sometime mid-year.
“This is confirmed by the Secretary-General of the Federation of Motion Picture Producers in Asia Pacific (FPA) and President of the Malaysian Film Producers Association Suhan Pansha,” he revealed.
“Mr Pansha spoke to me and Asean International Film Festival And Awards (AIFFA) Festival Director Livan Tajang and Executive Director Jaffri Amin Osman, and details of the forthcoming of APFF will be with him and his team,” he added.
Abdul Karim disclosed this in his speech text which was read out by his deputy Datuk Snowdan Lawan, who represented him at the launching of “AIFFA BIZ-WORLD-Let’s do some business” during the 6th AIFFA in Kuching at the Old Courthouse here today.
The launching also witnessed the inking of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Sarawak Film Collective and Malindo Film Fund (MFF).
Abdul Karim said that APFF is held annually by FPA, and the ministry supports the initiative for three reasons. Firstly, it will boost the number of tourist arrivals in Sarawak,
“Secondly, because APFF covers 22 countries in Asia-Pacific from South Korea and Japan to New Zealand and Australia, we welcome all of them to Sarawak.
“And finally, it is organised by the same professionals who organise AIFFA and as Mr Pansha mentioned, he has been to many festivals, and the best managed in this region is AIFFA Kuching,” he said.
Deputy Minister of Tourism Datuk Sebastian Ting was among those present.
