The Kulit Wayang Official Movie Launch, Trailer Premiere and Press Conference took place this evening at the Kulit Wayang Cultural Festival @ KL Base in Sungai Besi, marking the culmination of a two‑day celebration that blended sport, culture and cinema. Attendees began the day with a 3 km celebrity fun‑run winding through festival grounds, before moving on to explore traditional games booths, admire vibrant dance competitions and sample local delicacies. The atmosphere was electric as families, influencers and film‑lovers alike mingled, all in anticipation of the evening’s movie premiere and press briefing.
Produced by Mico Studio (M) Sdn Bhd, Kulit Wayang was unveiled by producer Nevin Hiong alongside co‑producer Penny Chan of EMT Ventures Sdn Bhd. “We didn’t want a standard press‑only event,” explained Penny Chan during the launch. “Transforming this into a large‑scale public celebration gives us an unparalleled opportunity for brand synergy and cultural engagement.” The crowd cheered as the official trailer was screened for the first time, its haunting visuals of Malay shadow puppetry against lush swamp backdrops eliciting both gasps and applause.
Director Dain Said whose previous works include the acclaimed Bunohan joined principal cast members on stage to discuss the film’s genesis and its deep roots in Malay folklore. Set in a remote east‑coast village of the 1980s, the story follows Ramlee, a shadow‑play master haunted by a tragic past, and Dewi, a young Indonesian girl whose encounter with Pak Lee’s puppets awakens long‑buried spirits. “Kulit Wayang combines Malay folklore with the rich traditions of wayang kulit,” Dain said, noting that the film reinvigorates the branch‑storytelling tradition of Southeast Asian shadow theatre, weaving fantasy, ghosts and ghouls into a fairytale of grief, reconciliation and the power of imagination.
Award‑winning actors Fattah Amin and Pekin Ibrahim reprising collaborations with Dain Said spoke enthusiastically about their roles. Fattah Amin, who plays Pak Lee, shared that the year‑long shoot was both challenging and rewarding: “This film highlights our fading traditions with the hope that younger generations will not forget them.” Pekin Ibrahim, portraying a local villager caught between superstition and compassion, praised the project’s ambition: “They’ve made a creative, entertaining movie that showcases our cultural elements while capturing the beauty of the east coast.”
The launch concluded with a live wayang kulit performance featuring Fattah Amin and Pekin Ibrahim as traditional puppeteers, followed by an intimate meet‑and‑greet with selected fans, influencers and KOLs. Supported by FINAS and MOTAC and sponsored by over thirty brands from Gardenia and Spritzer to Halo Optical and RT Pastry the film opens in more than fifty cinemas nationwide on 1 May 2025. Festival organisers also announced that the Malika Music Festival has been rescheduled to 31 May 2025, promising an expanded lineup including Indonesian rockers Nidji, punk icons Bunkface and indie stalwarts OAG.
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