00:00You've only got to spend a few days here, and everybody I talk to, such an open heart.
00:06I mean, everybody. And even down to the gesture.
00:10You know, if I walk into a room or hotel, the hand on the heart, that says everything to me.
00:15That's the heart of Malaysia. That's what we want to take back to the Northeast.
00:21Turnover 25, an indie company from Northeast England, is building a bridge between cultures through the power of film.
00:29Founded by actor-director Craig Conway and chief commercial officer Amita Krishna, Turnover 25 sees Malaysia's rich diversity as the perfect stage for its next creative chapter.
00:41Launched during the pandemic, Turnover 25 saw the perfect moment to rethink what independent cinema could be.
00:49So, it kind of made sense to start developing this in COVID because we had a blank sheet.
00:56Nobody was doing anything. The industry didn't know where they were going or how it was going to come through.
01:01So, it was a perfect opportunity.
01:03I think whenever there's a block or a wall, you have to find ways to either climb it, go around it, or knock it down and build a new one.
01:12And instead of walls, we're building bridges.
01:15Turnover 25 is all about stories with heart. Spotlighting the human experience and voices that often go unheard.
01:23And everybody always looked to London, the capital, you know, the big city.
01:28And the Northeast represents a lot of people who built that country, you know, a lot of workers.
01:33And I think Malaysia is the same. There's a lot of people here who work very hard, but their voices aren't heard.
01:39So, with Turnover 25, what we want to do is enrich people's voices and give them a platform to be able to speak loud and look at how, as a culture, as a society, we can come together and tell stories that unite us.
01:54To realize this vision, Turnover 25 has partnered with KL-based award-winning integrated creative agency, Afrosan Advisory.
02:04Together with CEO and co-founder Sandeep Joseph, they're launching the Independent Film Production Partnership, a major cross-border initiative to train new talent, co-develop projects, and connect Southeast Asian creatives to global audiences.
02:19But beyond this, it's the how that sets Turnover 25 apart. Inspired by Conway's theatre roots, they rehearse more and shoot less, putting the focus on prep, performance, and precision.
02:32And so this is our time, you know, to disrupt the model that we've been told and we've been sold for so long.
02:40You know, investors want to put into something that they can be a part of, that's why they invest.
02:45Whereas at the moment, you see a lot of people losing money and losing respectability because it's all been smoke and mirrors.
02:54And actually, the independent world, we've never been able to work that way.
02:58It's always been open and transparent and honest. So, again, that disruption is welcomed by a lot of people.
03:05With bases in the UK and Malaysia, Turnover 25 is creating a two-way street, tapping into UK film incentives while opening doors for Malaysian creatives, talents, and investors to break onto the international scene.
03:20The plan? 25 films in five years. All genres are welcome from comedy to horror and supernatural thrillers.
03:29And one of the first is a major international co-production with genre legend Neil Marshall.
03:35Neil was responsible for Hellboy, The Descent, Dog Soldiers, Doomsday.
03:41So, three of those movies are worked with Neil on and we've built a very strong relationship creatively.
03:49And so, we're looking to do a major co-production which will work with cast and crew both alike in front and behind the camera.
03:58We'll have a good balance of UK and international stars and Malaysian stars and actors and cast and crews working together on that.
04:11In that spirit, Craig will also serve as a judge on Cut, Malaysia's first premiere short horror film competition,
04:18now open to all budding filmmakers, offering yet another platform for the next generation of storytellers to be seen, heard, and celebrated.
