THE HISTORY OF Malaysian cinema began along Jalan Ampas in Singapore in 1933 with Leila Majnun, a rendition of a classical Persian story about two ill-fated lovers, directed by B. S. Rajhans and produced by Motilal Chemical Company of Bombay. After a sequence of development and decline following World War II, the industry relocated to KL in the 1960s, with the establishment of Merdeka Film Studio. But it was not until 1963, when the television was introduced, that the local film industry truly experienced a shock; and with the introduction of coloured television and VHS in the 1970s, Malaysians realised they no longer needed to frequent the cinemas for movies.
The goal at the time was to increase the production of local films to be showcased on the international stage. This led to the establishment of the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS) in 1980, with the intent of stimulating growth and maintaining standards of the film industry, mainly through funding which in itself is a constant obstacle at both the creation and distribution levels of the industry.
