There is a film investment and production company made up of well-versed international level players and they are in full force to live up to their motto, "Proudly Produced in Malaysia by Malaysians for the World".

After making his name in China’s movie industry where he spent 23 years, the time is ripe for Sarawak-born Jon Chiew to lend his expertise to the Malaysian film industry, leading him to set up Longhouse Films, an integrated film investment and production company that has set its sights on the region and beyond.

Founded in 2019, Longhouse Films derives its’ name from the communal village house that is native to Sarawak, signifying different characters playing an important role under one roof, as reflected in Longhouse’s own company structure.

Jon, who has worked with major studios like 20th Century Fox, Universal Pictures and Sony Pictures, is poised to lead his team in taking the Malaysian scene to greater heights on par with international standards.

The founder and CEO has been involved in 20 films and counting, including producing China’s 2018 box office hit “Hello Mr. Billionaire” that raked in over 2.5 billion yuan (RM1,550,000,000).

Another key person to Longhouse Films is their managing director, Dianne Tan, a corporate figure turned showbiz maestro with multi-disciplinary experiences who is responsible for enhancing the studio’s intellectual property rights, distribution networks, investments, and brand management.

Longhouse Films may be a new kid on the block, but in just a short amount of time since its establishment, the experienced team behind the subsidiary of MLabs System Bhd is already occupied with a line-up of ongoing and upcoming projects.

They will be working alongside director Adrian Teh, known for the 2018 blockbuster Paskal: The Movie, for his upcoming action film Bakara, which begins shooting in June this year and will make its way to theatres in the United States and China upon completion in summer of 2022.

Longhouse Films is also involved in the investment and production of Ada Hutan, the directorial debut of Hairul Azreen which stars Zahiril Adzim; The Assistant featuring Syamsul Yusof and Hairul Azreen, as well as Malaysia’s sitcom My Ofis. All these productions aim to get into the market in 2021.

In the new normal, Longhouse Films, as the distributor, has managed to host the Malaysian premiere of the Zhang Yimou-produced Chinese anthology film My People, My Homeland, which commemorates China’s 71st anniversary and was China’s second highest grossing film of 2020. The premiere served as a medium of cultural exchange between Asean and China against the backdrop of COVID-19.

On the global front, Longhouse Films is the distributor of “Monkey King: A Hero's Journey to the West,” which is slated for release in May this year. Produced by Jon Chiew, the animated film is directed by former Disney animator Chris Bradley with Marvel Studio character designer Walter A. McDaniel as art director.

Other productions in the pipeline include a Korean idol chasing romcom “Transit Tour”, and Chinese animation “The Legend of Er Lang” with distribution rights secured for the series adaptation of the best-selling Chinese novel by Ning Hangyi, “Foul of the Game Must Be Series,” as well as a romance series set in 1980s China, “Dear Mayang Street.”

Longhouse Films is also set to work on several upcoming titles, including one of the most anticipated movie sequel of “Hello Mr. Billionaire” which is set to be released in 2022, “Hello Mr. Actor” starring well-known Chinese actor Shen Teng.

The long list of works is a testament to Longhouse Films’ capacity and capability to advance the development of the film industry in Malaysia onto the international stage. Having accumulated years of industry experience abroad, Jon and Dianne are well connected with industry players across the world, especially China, the world's largest movie market. This gives them an edge to introduce Malaysian content and talent to the international audience that would give rise to popularising Malaysian culture abroad.

For more info, visit their website HERE or on Facebook and Instagram.