Malaysia National Film Development (FINAS) was formed in 1981, in charge of outlining the ways to improve Malaysian film industry. FINAS’ mission is to develop the local film industry into the international standard. FINAS therefore has funding to its disposition, provides various technical services and facilities (FINASPOST) that are useful and sophisticated in a conducive environment for film production, sets up film training programs, host a library or resource centre, which offer various kinds of references such as books, magazines and newspapers that are related to film industry. Nearly 90% of the reference books are in English, and FINAS opened a film gallery in 2007 to give impressions of the local film evolution from 1930’s until today.
In 2013, the corporation was merged with Filem Negara Malaysia (FNM) to form a sole film agency. Malaysian film authority was split into two separate bodies in 1980 – namely Filem Negara Malaysia and the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia. Prior to 2013, both film agencies have different respective roles, with FINAS focused on financial, commercial and economic matters while Filem Negara Malaysia focused on production, documentation and technical aspects. The National Film Development Corporation (FINAS) is the result of a decision made by the National Film Development Committee set up by the Malaysian government on 26 July 1980 to devise ways to develop a film company in Malaysia. The result of the National Film Development Committee's National Film Development Corporation was set up on 1 June 1981.
Its mission includes the following:
Provides services, facilities, encouragement and support effective and efficient;
Create conducive an environment , progressive and competitive;
To produce knowledgeable, creative and skilled filmmaker;
Nurturing a culture of watching Malaysia (Love Film Malaysia);
Promote the Malaysia's film to the world stage, and
Make Malaysia a center for filming destination.
FINAS is involved in the promotion of filming in Malaysia, and with the implementation of the Investors Promotion Act, 1986 also censured local film and video production activities. Finas also established the Film Academy in 1987, aimed at providing short term formal training, certificate and diploma levels to employees interested in film production. In addition, local filmmakers also enjoy the government's financial incentives under the Entertainment Grants Scheme.
To encourage filmmaking in Malaysia, FINAS also provided assistance in the form of loan facilities and rental of shooting equipment as well as film production facilities, preview halls and studios. The government also assisted local filmmakers by offering 50% off government television advertisements by the Ministry of Information. The government has also enforced the Compulsory Terms from January 1991 in the effort to develop the Malaysian film industry administered by Finas. Since 2020, Finas have digitally restored selected documentary films (though they did not produce it) from Filem Negara Malaysia's archive, which has been aired on Bernama(Malaysian National News Agency, Pertubuhan Berita Nasional Malaysia) as well as Finas' YouTube channel under the Retrospektif banner.