KOTA KINABALU: Efforts to position Sabah as a stronger player in Malaysia’s creative economy gained momentum with an official visit by the Malaysian National Film Development Corporation (Finas) to the Sabah Institute of Art (SIA) recently.
The visit was aimed at exploring potential collaboration and future initiatives to strengthen Sabah’s film and creative industry.
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The Finas delegation was led by its chairman, Datuk Hans Isaac, and accompanied by several officers as well as representatives from the Malaysian Creative Women Association (Wacam).
Also present were Wacam president Michelle Xin, SIA CEO Jay Roy W Anggang, SIA general manager George Lai and SIA international affairs director Samantha Chin.
Discussions centred on possible strategic partnerships in talent development, training programmes, industry certification and capacity-building initiatives for local filmmakers and creative practitioners.
Both sides acknowledged Sabah’s potential for film production, citing its cultural diversity, unique landscapes and growing pool of young creative talents.
Xin said Wacam remains committed to empowering women in the creative sector and supporting collaborative projects that encourage inclusive participation within Sabah’s film ecosystem.
The meeting concluded with agreement to develop structured proposals for joint programmes, aimed at strengthening professionalism, sustainability and access to national platforms for local talents.
