#SHOWBIZ: 'Wait-for-streaming' culture harming local cinema, warns director

KUALA LUMPUR: Ariff Zulkarnain, director of the local feature Baga: Esok Untuk Siapa, has warned that moviegoers waiting for films to hit Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms could slowly destroy the local cinema industry.

Speaking to Harian Metro, Ariff said this growing habit not only causes financial losses for Malaysian filmmakers, but also ruins the tradition of watching movies together in the cinema—a shared experience that home screens cannot match.

"In my view, if we continue this practice—where every film ends up on Netflix after just three months—people will eventually stop going to the cinemas altogether.

"Something must be done. I need to discuss this with other producers; we cannot continue this way, because if we do, we are effectively killing our own market and our cinemas," he said.

Ariff noted that busy modern lifestyles have led more people to watch movies alone at home on their smartphones.

This presents a huge hurdle for local filmmakers, as audiences now only visit the cinema for big-budget blockbusters offering spectacular visuals.

"People only go to the cinema when they feel a film is worth the 'dopamine' hit—they want to see the big screen, witness explosions, and feel a sense of satisfaction.

"For a film like Baga, some might think it's better to just relax at home. But watching a film together on a big screen is a completely different experience compared to viewing it on a phone or at home," he explained.

Addressing the immediate future of his current project, Ariff stressed that he has no plans to sell streaming rights anytime soon.

"We have no immediate plans to bring the film to Netflix, and there have been no discussions with any OTT platforms.

"I hope that audiences will watch this film in cinemas, rather than simply waiting for it to be released on a streaming platform.

"I understand that some feel entitled to do so because they pay for OTT subscriptions, so ultimately, it is a matter of personal choice," he said.