Association set up for KDMs in the filming industry

Penampang: Taking cue from Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman's advice, a group of people from here banded their act and formed an association to entice greater participation of the Kadazan community in the filming and entertainment industry.

Advisor to Tinungkusan Momogun Association Penampang Sabah, Jeoffrey Ekol, said the formation of the organisation was made possible through the far-sighted vision of several up-and-coming local actors and actresses.

Speaking in a media conference, here, Saturday, he said with the establishment of the Tinungkusan Momogun, budding actors and actresses of Kadazan, Dusun and Murut (KDM) origin will now have a proper group to guide them.

"This will enable them achieve better recognition and opportunities to advance themselves in the filming, music and entertainment and related industries," he said.

He said the organisation was also formed so that members of the KDM community in the industry would be provided with a sense of belonging in their zeal to promote their cultures.

In a broader sense, he said the objectives of the Tinungkusan Momogun are focused on filming, music and entertainment. However, he said it also encompasses other aspects of the industry such as script writing, song composing, emceeing, deejaying and news reporting, among others.

Looking far ahead, Jeoffrey said the organisation hopes to conduct its inaugural Tinungkusan Academy Award early next year to give due recognition to the contributions of the KDMs in the industry. With plans to set up one-stop film making centre in Sabah in the pipeline, he said the academy award would certainly spur those in the industry here to improve their respective trade. Planning even further, he said, "we will establish branches in other districts after the respective protem committees have been set up.

"And once everything is in place, we will eventually remove the word Penampang from the association's registered name," he said. In future, Jeoffrey said they would be organising clinics and workshops for the members so as to provide them with better knowledge on the importance of participating in the filming and entertainment industry.

He said inevitably they hope to provide employment to the people via the industry considering its potential to generate income. And it is very coincidental that the 22nd Film Festival Malaysia (FFM22) is being held here, he said. With the current scenario, he said they hope to join the list of recipients of government funding from the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment.

"After the launching of the Tinungkusan Momogun Association by our patron Tan Sri Bernard Dompok on August 22 at Royal China Restaurant, we will make an appointment to meet with the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment," he said. President of the association, P. Dik Ganai, on the other hand, hoped KDM intellectuals would assist the association to grow and be recognised in the country.

Ganai, who is a telemovie maker-cum-actor, film director and producer by profession, is the only Sabahan among more than 200 entries who made the cut in the Short Film category of the FFM22 with his 16-minute "Damai Malam" film. The short-duration movie revolves around a family whose father is an alcoholic.

With his experience and network in the nation's film and entertainment industry, he hoped the KDM entry into the industry would be eased. In recognition, he has been asked to scout for scriptwriters from Sabah.

Source: DE