11 Oct – Can six FELDA boys who were called the '6 Rascals' win gold for cricket at the international stage? Adapted from a true story, "Gemencheh Boys" is an inspirational film of six Bukit Rokan Utara FELDA boys and their teacher, Cikgu Azman, as they take on the unlikely sport of cricket and rise to the top.
With themes of friendship and brotherhood, the film shows audiences that we can all achieve greatness. It is produced by leading film studio Astro Shaw, together with GV Corporate Advisory, and SOL Pictures and will premiere in cinemas on 26 October.
At the film's Gala Night at GSC Mid Valley, Raja Jastina Raja Arshad, Executive Producer and Vice President, Head of Astro Shaw & Malay Nusantara Business said, "Gemencheh Boys is a Malaysian film with characters and a message that is close to our communities. The film shows that all of us, no matter our backgrounds, can achieve success and become outstanding with hard work and conviction."
With the tagline, 'no retreat, no surrender', Gemencheh Boys is told through the eyes of Mohd Shafiq Sharif, a 2017 SEA Games Gold medalist and his five friends during their schooling days. The boys were notorious not only in school, but among their neighbours in their kampung. To turn these 'rascals' into contributing members of their community, Cikgu Azman, played by Pekin Ibrahim, is tasked with guiding these students by getting them involved in cricket at school.
It should be known that Shafiq Sharif would then go on to represent Malaysia in the Cricket World Cup in 2019 and his story is proof that Malaysians from any background can achieve greatness when they believe and put their hearts and minds into it. Notably, the film also plays with our sense of nostalgia as the 90s with all of its quirks, feature heavily in "Gemencheh Boys" - playing in the river, playing 'cop tiang', plucking fruits on the way home, cycling around the village, getting punished with 'ketuk ketampi', and many more. "Gemencheh Boys" is directed by the Best Original Story winner at the 29th Malaysian Film Festival, Jason Chong, together with Eric Ong, who together with Jason, won the Best Film Award in the same year for "Adiwiraku". The film presents newcomers in the lead namely, Aqil Yaya, Syed Ahmad, Ayiet Harith, Kimi Norais, Izzue Deen dan Amir Kuziq as the '6 Rascals'. Supporting them are Zaidi Omar, Azman Hassan, Kamal, Rezuan, Ieda Moin, Arumugam A/L Vedan with a special appearance by Farah Fauzana.
The official song for the film is "Siapa Kami" by local Negeri Sembilan rapper, W.A.R.I.S together with David Koon, Andrew Lui and Ronald Mok. Astro Shaw is collaborating with local artisans APOM! for the promotion of the film. Audiences can get exclusive t-shirts and bags from the crossover at www.apom.my starting 9 October or at any of the APOM! outlet stores starting 26 October. "Gemencheh Boys" also has support from the Malaysian Cricket Association and Kementerian Belia Dan Sukan.