Siow (fifth left), Phoong (sixth left), Assistant Finance Minister Kenny Chua (seventh left), sponsors, cast and crew of ‘Rise of Lion’ at the launching ceremony.
KOTA KINABALU: ‘Rise of Lion’, a locally produced film is scheduled to hit the cinemas here in May 2020.
Produced by Sabah’s first female Chinese film director and producer, Michelle Siow, the RM1.5 million film depicts the lion dance troupe culture in the state.
Siow said she chose the lion dance troupe story line because it is a unique culture in Sabah where members of the troupe are multi-racial.
“I noticed that in Sabah we live in harmony, so I wanted to use this opportunity to showcase the multiracial harmony in Sabah so that more people can see it. Malaysian lion dance troupes are also very well-known globally as they have won many international competitions.
“I am also grateful to have the support of the king of lion dance, Master Siow, who is from Peninsular Malaysia. He introduced me to several lion dance troupes in Peninsular Malaysia and they, too, are very supportive of this film,” she said at the launching of the film yesterday.
‘Rise of Lion’, said Siow, is a 99 percent Sabahan production and it will start shooting on November 14.
There are many talented Sabahans in the creative industry, but they have no platform to showcase their talents, she lamented.
The film will run on a budget of RM1.5 million, whereby RM500,000 will be funded by FINAS, she said, adding that the balance will be made up by sponsors.
Shooting of the film will be done along Sabah’s east coast, including Kota Belud, Tuaran, Papar and the state Capital, and is expected to be completed in 20 days.
Meanwhile, Youth and Sports Minister Phoong Jin Zhe, who officiated at the launching ceremony pointed out that Sabah’s film industry is ever growing.
“Since 2016, when ‘Beautiful Life’ was produced, the momentum has not stopped. This year, 2019, ‘Craze Below the Wind’ is currently on its way to premiering in early 2020.
Phoong said the ‘Rise of Lion’ offers to tell a unique story but yet a familiar art form, the Lion dance.
“The movie has the potential to capture a wide range of demography whilst showcasing the culture and scenery of Sabah, Malaysia. That is why FINAS has agreed to fully support the film production. I record my appreciation to FINAS for the RM500,000 funding to the production of the film and I believe Michelle has put together a great team that is capable of getting this inspirational story onto the movie screen.
“I have been told that the team comprises a multiracial team that truly represent One Malaysia. Although the film is mostly spoken in Chinese, I was also informed that there will be representation of the Malays and Kadazans in the film. This movie should be called a Malaysian film,” he stressed.
Phoong lauded the decision to depict the lion dance troupe culture in Sabah, which is unique as the members are multiracial.
“It is a good storyline so we wish every success to the film which hopefully will continue to encourage Sabahan youths who want to venture into the film production industry so that it continues to contribute to the state’s economy,” he said.
According to Phoong, the sector has huge potential and contributes greatly to the state’s economic growth and expressed the hope that with the cooperation from the various ministries in Sabah, this sector can be developed further.
Phoong disclosed that in recent years FINAS has been looking at supporting Sabahan produced films and the Minister of Communications and Multimedia, Gobind Singh, has promised that he will give more support to Sabah local films.
“But, of course, it is an ongoing process. We hope that more and more support can be given to Sabah local films as we want to encourage the creative and talented young people of Sabah who want to venture into film production so they can continue to give their best creativity,” he said.
The ‘Rise of Lion’ chronicles the inspirational journey of a young boy, JJ, chasing his lion dance dream in the big city of Kota Kinabalu. He comes from a remote village and during his childhood; he was inspired by Master Chen and his lion dance team, Ba De.
He, however, discovered that Master Chen has passed away and that Ba De has lost their pride and glory. The lion dance team would now be led by Master Chen’s daughter, Jia Hui, who is struggling to carry out her task. JJ decides to help her restore Ba De’s reputation by participating in an upcoming lion dance championship. JJ may have no knowledge but his passion, perseverance and his Kadazan culture led Ba De to a whole new level of lion dance experience.
‘Rise of Lion’ is Xin Film Production’s first film. It is written by experienced movie and drama script writer, Lim Chen Chen, who has also written for famous movies such as Ah Long Pte Limited (2008) and Xiao Yong Chun (2011).
Local director of photography, Timothy Stephen, is also involved in the production of this film. Male lead, Ng Jinn Jou, embarks on his debut role as the lead character, JJ. The film showcases VFX artistry by VFX directors, Mohd Mizar bin Mirul, and Michelle Siow.