The script, written by Lim Boon Siang, was submitted as part of the 2019 scriptwriting competition held by Amir’s film company Kuman Pictures, which produces low-budget horror and thriller flicks such as 2020’s acclaimed frightfest “Roh”, and the James Lee-helmed “Two Sisters” the year prior.
Its next feature, “Ceroboh”, premieres on Netflix on Aug 31.
Lim is the writer of such features as “Chained”, “The Lost Chronicle”, and “Orang Itu”, which is currently streaming on Netflix. His original screenplay “Makhluk” was on the “hot list” of Kuman Pictures’ horror-thriller screenwriting contest for this year.
“Pendatang”, a dystopian thriller, is set in a Malaysia where people of different races are forbidden to mingle with one another following a law imposed in the wake of a riot.
But when a Chinese family finds a Malay girl hiding in the house they just moved into, they are faced with a dilemma: should they get caught while trying to sneak the girl back into a “Malay area”, they would be imprisoned for 25 years.
The 90-minute-long film, in both Malay and Cantonese, will be directed by Ng Ken Kin in his feature-film directorial debut.
“Everyone who read the script really liked it, but we thought it might be a challenge to release it using conventional methods owing to the themes of racism and extremism,” Amir, 49, told FMT.
“It has a strong speculative premise and well-rounded characters but it wouldn’t get passed [by the authorities] – not to say it would be banned, necessarily, but there would be compromises.”
As such, the team decided on going down the crowdfunding route with the goal of releasing it independently on YouTube. “We won’t make profit from it, but the cast and crew will be fairly paid, and the movie will be available to everyone for free.”
Doing the script justice
As a universal story that is specific to Malaysia, Amir said “Pendatang” seeks to explore “humanity within yourself and in others”.
The crowdfunding campaign kicks off today until Sept 30 via the Indiegogo platform. Should Kuman Pictures achieve their target of RM314,226 – a modest sum considering most local feature films cost around RM1 million – the movie will be available for free on YouTube next year on Aug 31.
There are several reward tiers for different levels of contributions, which range from US$10 (RM45) to US$10,000. Perks include a mention in the movie credits, autographed merchandise, as well as exclusive visits during shooting.
If the campaign doesn’t meet its target, the money will be refunded to backers and the team won’t proceed as “we wouldn’t be able to do the script justice”, Amir explained.
He said although the crowdfunding model is popular among filmmakers overseas, there hasn’t been a local feature film that has successfully achieved their target, although a few have tried.
Yet, despite veering between optimism and pessimism with regard to the outcome of the campaign, he believes it’s worth giving it a shot.
“If you feel it’s important, then do support us. If not, catch the movie when it comes out and, if it impresses you, perhaps support works by other filmmakers,” Amir added.
For further information on ‘Pendatang’ and to support its crowdfunding campaign, click here.
Learn more about Kuman Pictures via its website, as well as Facebook and Instagram accounts.