20 Jun – High-energy street-racing movie Impak Maksima created waves when its never-before-seen trailer leaked onto the internet a few months ago. Directed by Ahmad Idham, Impak Maksima sets the bar as the first ever car-racing movie in Malaysia. A press conference was held yesterday at Planet Hollywood Kuala Lumpur to launch both the highly-anticipated movie as well as its accompanying soundtrack. Among those who turned up were cast members Awal Ashaari, Eizlan Yusoff, Dynaz, Fauziah Nawi, Riezman Khuzaimi and contributing artistes from the soundtrack including Amy Search, The Fabulous Cats, Pop Shuvit and Ahli Fiqir. "Impak Maksima is the real deal. It delves into the lives of our (Malaysian) teenagers. It's drama, comedy and action – all rolled into one – with the backdrop of the car-racing community," said Ahmad Idham about his movie. Idham had personally selected the songs for the soundtrack of Impak Maksima. When asked about why he picked artistes from such different generations, he added: "It (the movie) doesn't just deal with teenagers as individuals, but spans across generations. Everybody is somebody's sister, brother, son, uncle... and that family tie is essential. Hence why both the movie and the soundtrack consist of the old and the new."
To further put his vision into perspective, a 'beefed up' trailer was showcased and local hip-hop group The Fabulous Cats later took the stage and performed Fantastik, their new hit song that's already playing on the airwaves and is generating a popular following among youngsters. The soundtrack is a mixture of hip-hop and rock tracks by various local artistes. Songs by the other artistes were later previewed to members of the press. Impak Maksima stars Awal Ashaari as Ayie, a student of higher learning who has a knack for fast cars and an even bigger knack for racing. When his best friend lost a RM5000 bet on an illegal race and is hunted down by the perpetrators, he is plunged into the dark world of illegal racing but he still tries to save his friend. Ahmad Idham announced that Impak Maksima has been set for a tentative nationwide release on 23 August 2007.