PETALING JAYA, Sept 20 — Since his departure from running alternative book publisher Fixi, Amir Muhammad has turned his eyes to low-budget horror and thriller movies by launching a new production company today, called Kuman Pictures.
At a press conference today, the indie filmmaker said each film will have an average budget of RM500,000 which includes the marketing budget.
In an unprecedented move, Kuman Pictures will also pay royalties to everyone involved in each film, much like the publishing industry.
“Aside from paying people their salaries, we are also the first movie company to promise royalties to each cast and crew member,” he said.
Amir, known for docu-films such as The Big Durian and banned films The Last Communist and Apa Khabar Orang Kampung, was spurred to launch his own company after reading US director Roger Corman’s memoir How I Made a Hundred Movies in Hollywood and Never Lost a Dime.
“We chose the name Kuman, which means ‘germ’ as a reminder to not make big movies — this means we don’t have to suck up to the government for funds or have an actor with one million Instagram followers, which are unnecessary,” he said.
He compared Kuman Pictures to Blumhouse Productions, the US film and television production company that made low-budget hits such as Get Out, Split and Paranormal Activity.
“We are inspired by Blumhouse Productions. Like their spirit, the scariest things are the most intimate and closest to you, that’s why you don’t need a big budget,” said Amir.
Three projects have been lined up for next year — Two Sisters by James Lee, Roh by Emir Ezwan and Ghost Hotel by MS Prem Nath.
Lee’s film Two Sisters has already been shot and is slated for a late March 2019 release, marking the Ipoh-born director’s comeback.
The film was shot in 13 days with a budget of less than RM300,000.
This will be followed by Roh, a period horror about a family who welcomes a lost child into their isolated house directed by Emir who made the acclaimed short film RM10.
Rounding up the line up is Rise: Ini Kalilah director Prem, whose film will tell the story of a girl in search of her missing brother.
The film will be shot found-footage style in Penang Hill’s Crag Hotel which has earned the reputation as one of the most haunted locations in Malaysia.
“Why horror and thriller? Because we love it,” said Amir.
Asked how difficult it is to reinvent the horror wheel, Amir said it comes down to timing and finding the right balance between new and familiar.
“People often say they want something different but they don’t — they just want something that feels a bit different. When something different comes out, they don’t watch it anyway.
“Every few years, elements are revitalised like It. Clowns have always been in horror films but for a long time they haven't so when (they appeared), it felt fresh for audiences,” explained Amir.
