Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board Vice Chairman Dato’ Yeoh Soon Hin has proposed that renowned local director Zhang Jiajian team up with Fan Bingbing to film a movie in Penang!
Yeoh Soon Hin was recently invited to attend the all-Malaysia premiere and filmmaker meet-and-greet of the film "Mother Bhumi", which stars internationally acclaimed actress Fan Bingbing and is directed by Kedah-born local acclaimed director Zhang Jiajian.
Yeoh Soon Hin proposed to Zhang Jiajian the hope that, in the future, Fan Bingbing could join him to film movies in Penang, showcasing the beauty of Penang to the world through movies.
“The last time Fan Bingbing came to Penang to film was for the 2013 Chinese comedy ‘One Night Surprise’, which was over 10 years ago. At that time, Penang's old streets, culture, cuisine, and seaside scenery left a deep impression on many overseas actors.”
He said that today, Penang is even more developed than before – whether in terms of urban landscape, arts and culture, boutique hotels, film and television infrastructure, or international connectivity – and is fully equipped to host international film productions.
“Penang not only has world cultural heritage sites, multiculturalism, and Nanyang charm, but also boasts modern cityscapes. It is very suitable for shooting romance films, art films, action movies, and even works for international streaming platforms.”
Yeoh Soon Hin pointed out that film and tourism have a strong synergistic effect. A successful movie often leads to a city becoming a tourist hotspot. Therefore, he hopes to attract more international directors and actors to Penang for location filming, and also hopes that in the future, Zhang Jiajian can team up with Fan Bingbing and other well-known actors to film television and movie works in towns all across Malaysia.
Yeoh Soon Hin said that "Mother Bhumi" is the first collaboration between Zhang Jiajian and Fan Bingbing, winning three Golden Horse Awards. It is not only one of Malaysia’s most internationally noticed films in recent years, but also successfully brought local Malaysian culture, rural stories, and Southeast Asian mystical elements onto the international stage, achieving a major milestone for the local film industry.
Being from Kedah like Zhang Jiajian himself, Yeoh Soon Hin pointed out he feels very proud of Zhang Jiajian and Fan Bingbing for filming "Mother Bhumi" in Kedah and gaining fame at the Golden Horse Awards.
He mentioned that most scenes of "Mother Bhumi" were shot in northern Malaysia, especially in the paddy field countryside of Kedah and villages along the Malaysia-Thailand border, showcasing the unique humanities and natural scenery of northern Malaysia, and allowing global audiences to see the land culture and rural charm of Malaysia through film.
He highly praised director Zhang Jiajian, who has continued to bring Malaysian cultural themes onto the international stage in recent years, from "The Story of Southern Witch", "Snow in May" to "Cradle Ephemeral World", and now achieving impressive results with "Mother Bhumi", making him one of Malaysia’s most prominent international film directors.
"Mother Bhumi" has achieved excellent results internationally, not only being nominated for 8 awards at the 62nd Golden Horse Awards, but also winning “Best Leading Actress”, “Best Cinematography”, and “Best Original Film Song”. Fan Bingbing, for the first time, won the Golden Horse Best Actress award for her role in the film. At the same time, "Mother Bhumi" was also successfully shortlisted for the main competition sections at the 38th Tokyo International Film Festival and the 28th Udine Far East Film Festival in Italy, bringing pride to Malaysian cinema.