KUALA LUMPUR: Cinema-goers will take time adjusting to the "new normal", and this meant the reopening of cinemas on Wednesday naturally made local production companies worried about screening their latest films.
Malaysian filmmakers said that it would take some months to get back the confidence of audiences, and for the time being, it would be better for them to watch Hollywood and other foreign films first.
Datin Paduka Shuhaimi Baba, best known for directing films as Selubung, Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam and Tanda Putera, said social distancing meant that ticket sales were expected to "go down by half" for now.
"This is compounded by the standard operating procedures (SOP) having an audience capped at 250 people per hall. A full house can be anything from 250 to 400 depending on hall capacity.
"Cinemas also need to convince audiences that they are strictly following the required SOP on sanitising and cleanliness at ticket counters, lobbies, food outlets, restrooms and cinema halls.
"The public needs to feel safe, so shopping malls where cinemas are located must make sure that their escalators are kept clean."
Shuhaimi said one thing beyond local control was international film distribution.
"Our cinema chains are reliant on international films, so if for example, Hollywood distributors are still on lockdown, cinemas will need more local or regional films.
"Getting audience confidence levels back would be a gradual process, maybe in six months. Producers are aware of this and some of us are looking at more than nine months to bounce back."
Director Saw Teong Hin, best known for Puteri Gunung Ledang, Hoore! Hoore!, You Mean The World To Me and Rise: Ini Kalilah, said: "Our current situation is unprecedented. Worldwide, everyone is trying to make sense of the new normal.
"At best, we are making decisions based on whatever information we have. Therein lies the anxiety and the lack of certainty.
"This, coupled with trying to balance our health and economy, is an unenviable task, but I believe we will do our best in these circumstances."
Director Osman Ali of Ombak Rindu, Langit Cinta, Pilot Cafe and Pinjamkan Hatiku fame
said he believed the local film industry would gradually get a boost.
"This largely depends on the genres screened. People are waiting to go back to the cinemas,
and given the right type of films, they will fill up the cinema halls again.
"From experience, I believe that they will go for action or horror films, not 'family movies'.
"However, it also depends on how good the marketing strategy is, as well as the actors and actresses starring in the film.
"If the marketing is right, production companies need not wait two months to have their films screened."
Producer Gayatri Su-Lin Pillai, best known for Papadom 2, Bikers Kental, Husin, Mon Dan Jin Pakai Toncit and Kala Malam Bulan Mengambang said that since the cinemas had just reopened, everybody was "treading cautiously".
"We want to look at how the Hollywood films fare, for only then we will know the market trends better.
"If the foreign films get good support from viewers, more of us will be optimistic that viewers will give local films strong support gradually."
Director Ghaz Abu Bakar, best known for Hantu Kapcai, Cicakman 3, Polis Evo and Bulan Dan Pria Terhebat, said due to the SOPs, filmmakers were not willing to release their latest films so soon as sales would be "50 per cent lower than expected".
"We all know that our films can collect more than that, so we would rather wait a while.
"But at the same time, we would rather not release our big budget productions on television, because if this happens, the films would not break even or get a profit. Normally, they would fall victim to online piracy."
Malaysian Film Producers' Association (PFM) chief executive officer Zahrin Aris said: "So far, we only have the film Roh, which is scheduled for Aug 6 and two others in September.
"Last time, on the average, six local films would be screened in a month."
Zahrin also said filmmakers were finding alternative channels to screen their latest films, such as television.
"We hope that the National Film Development Corporation (Finas) allows all films which were screened prior to the Movement Control Order to be re-screened in cinemas."
Zahrin said PFM and Finas were discussing to create special incentives for filmmakers to promote their latest films.