14 Dec – Malaysian film producer and recording artiste, Norman Halim, was presented with the MPA Asia- Pacific Copyright Educator (A.C.E.) Award recently in recognition of his work alongside the Malaysian Federation Against Copyright Theft (MFACT) to advocate content protection among Malaysian citizens.

Malaysian film producer, Norman Halim, receiving the award from MPA president, Mike Ellis.

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) Award is specifically awarded to those who contribute in and towards the promotion of intellectual copyright in order to protect the interests of its owners as well as inform the public about its importance.

Mike Ellis, MPA's president and Asia-Pacific's managing director, who presented Norman with the award, said, "Despite the challenges faced in Malaysia, Norman has worked tirelessly with MFACT and MPA on several fronts, in particular leading the local community to push for legislation against camcording as well as for technical measures to prevent rogues infringing sites from gaining access into Malaysian online space."

He added, "Norman has also been actively involved in promoting the works of the Malaysian creative community, championing the cause through trailers and educational videos providing insight into the blood, sweat and tears that go into the production of films in the country. His tremendous leadership and huge contribution is an excellent example for many of us in the industry and we are extremely proud to present this year's award to him."

In his thank you speech, Norman responded, "I am honoured to receive this award. I'd like to thank MPA and MFACT for their continued support towards the Malaysian film community and their proactive efforts in promoting and protecting the rights of its content. MPA and MFACT can expect my fullest support in combating piracy from my team at KRU Studios and the organizations that I represent."

He was also awarded with an A.C.E, which was presented during the CineAsia convention, held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and attended by over 350 people representing the exhibition and film community in the Asia Pacific region.

Norman began his career at EMI as a singer-songwriter and music producer together with his brothers, Yusry and Edry under the name KRU. Within a few years, the pop group grew into an established entertainment brand in South East Asia. Currently, Norman holds many positions, including the executive president of KRU Studios and chairman of Recording Industry of Malaysia, to name a few.

To date, KRU Studios has produced over 15 films including two upcoming international films, which are "Vikingdom", starring Dominic Purcell, Natassia Malthe, and Jon Foo and "Ribbit", starring Sean Astin, Tim Curry, and Russell Peters. The studios also operate internationally through their subsidiaries in USA.