History of Animation in Malaysia

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The first example of animation in the world is the wayang kulit. With its shape and articulating arms, it is the figures used in cutout animation. Lotte Reiniger, the German animator, was inspired to do her film, The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926), based on the wayang kulit form.

Animation in Malaysia began in 1946 with the setting up of the Malayan Film Unit (now called Filem Negara). The first short animation film was, Hikayat Sang Kancil (Anandam Xavier),1978), screened in 1983. Other short films appeared between 1984 and 1987: Sang Kancil & Monyet, Sang Kancil & Buaya, Gagak Yang Bijak, Arnab Yang Sombong, and Singa Yang Haloba.The government’s push for the use of digital technology in the early 1980s resulted in the private sector producing the first TV series, Usop Sontorian (Kamn Ismail,1995). The first feature film, Silat Lagenda (Hassan Abd Muthalib), appeared in 1998. To date, 31 TV series, 4 telemovie nd 3 feature films have been made (quite a few have been sold to other countries). A number of cartoonist have had their characters turned into animation. Among them: Lat (Kampong Boy – developed in the US and animated in the Philippines); Imuda (Mat Gelap, the first local film to have animated characters); Nan (Din Teksi), and Ujang (Usop Sontorian).