Phone calls have yielded few results (and continue to add to the mystery of this film, I must say!), but the Johnny Bikin Filem webpage has now become a full website.

It's now divided into three sections: the main page called "Studio," a page of full cast and crew called "Sineas" and a collection of JBF-related articles (including Twitch's initial report) called "Blog."

We now know JBF is "Malaysia's only gangster film in film noir style," to quote film critic Hassan Muthalib, and that it utilises a lot of handheld shots.

In one of the articles in "Blog," Hassan is quoted:

"Johnny Bikin Filem is in the 'gangster' genre. It has a film noir visual style. The entire script takes on that style. From a literary point of view, (director) Anuar Nor Arai writes with what matters most to him and what you see is Anuar on the stage or in a film (narrative- and characterisation-wise). His characters are people who are marginalised and alienated, just like himself. He has not been given due recognition in his field for using the right knowledge and language to create thought-provoking work. For him, theatre and film are a reflection of civilisation and are not mere entertainment."

Actor Jalalludin Hassan is also quoted:

"Dr Anuar is very particular about his sets, because to him, a set that fails is a set that's 'dead' ... He is very creative, and from him I learned the correct approach for an actor. Acting is not just about memorising dialogues. It comes from within. If there's nothing within, how then do you project emotion?"

Now all that's remaining to be seen is a trailer!

UPDATE: A call returned to Twitch confirms that the running time for the theatrical release will not be five-and-a-half hours, as was the original cut, but a shorter version of about two hours. They're aiming for a release in either January or March next year.