Actor, film producer and director Hans Isaac has been appointed as chairman of the National Film Development Corp Malaysia (FINAS). He replaces Samsuni Mohd Nor who served as FINAS’s acting chairman for the past four months.
Isaac’s appointment was announced on Wednesday by Gobind Singh Deo. the Communications and Multimedia Minister. Isaac will enjoy a two-year term of office.
The appointment of a new chairman follows a month after the government also gave FINAS a new chief executive. It appointed another multihyphenate, actor-director-screenwriter Ahmad Idham Nazri (“Pencuri Hati Mr. Cinderella”) in March.
The pair are seen as a pair of safe hands who will steady the organization which was last year rocked by allegations of embezzlement. Deo said that he hoped “FINAS members will give their full cooperation in implementing reforms based on the government’s direction.”
Despite multiple support measures, and an ongoing cinema building boom, Malaysia wrestles with weak market share for its locally-made films. Last year, however, their aggregate box office more than doubled to $29 million (RM120 million).
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Isaac is a member of the FINAS Advisory Board and is a member of the Malaysian Film Producers Association in 2012. He is MD of Social 360, a security and insurance business.
“After over 25 years in the film industry, I’m humbled by the post bestowed to me by Kementerian Komunikasi & MultiMedia, and I will do my very best to discharge the responsibilities given to me for the next 2 years,” Isaac said in a statement posted on Instagram.
“I have always been passionate about the wellbeing of my fellow industry practitioners and raising the quality of our films, and my hope has always been for FINAS to be a transparent non-political, professionally run entity, so that it becomes sustainable and benefits everyone in the industry. I am extremely excited to take on this new challenge, and look forward to working hand in hand with the newly appointed CEO En. Ahmad Idham and the current board of directors.”