Finas to train accountants to join creative industry

KUALA LUMPUR: The National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas) will provide training to equip accountants with the skills needed to engage in the creative industry so that they will not only be capable of handling production tasks but also possessing the ability to secure funds from foreign countries.

Finas chairman Datuk Kamil Othman said the human capital development would position the local film industry on the international stage through collaborative production approaches.

“The role of producers in filmmaking is significant, but we often hear that the director is the same person who produces, acts and so on due to financial reasons... this is our shortcoming.

“Therefore, one of Finas’ current focuses is to create a generation of producers who understand the intricacies of financial management in film production as well as to know how to obtain funds from foreign countries,” he told Bernama after the ‘Tiger Stripes’ film seminar yesterday.

Citing Tiger Stripes as an example, he said the international cooperation in the film production involving Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Indonesia and Qatar, had automatically opened up market opportunities abroad.

On the seminar, Kamil explained that it will serve as a platform for sharing ideas and knowledge about local films that have won international awards.

“This seminar is organised by the Industry Training Unit, Industry Development division of Finas and its objective is to be an idea-sharing platform about films that have succeeded internationally, thus stimulating creative thinking.