# Ola Bola (2016) — Celluloid fact sheet

Source: https://celluloidscore.com/movies/ola-bola-2016/
Last reviewed: 2026-07-23

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| Celluloid Score | 76% |
| Critic Score | 78% |
| Audience Score | 88% |
| Metascore | 68/100 |
| Letterboxd | 3.5/5 |
| IMDb | 7.5/10 |
| Director | Chiu Keng Guan |
| Genres | Drama, Sport |
| Runtime | 108 min |
| Festival premiere | Festival Filem Malaysia 2016 (Official Selection) |
| Major awards | 0 wins, 3 nominations |

## Quick answer

Ola Bola (2016) earns a 76% Celluloid Score — Recommended. Crowd-pleasing Malaysian sports cinema — warm, multilingual, and built for national catharsis — Ola Bola remains a Festi Metascore 68/100. Directed by Chiu Keng Guan.

## Critics consensus

Crowd-pleasing Malaysian sports cinema — warm, multilingual, and built for national catharsis — Ola Bola remains a Festival Filem Malaysia-era box-office landmark for unity narratives done with stadium-scale emotion.

## Synopsis

Inspired by Malaysia's multicultural national football team that qualified for the 1980 Olympics, Ola Bola follows Chinese, Malay and Indian teammates who must overcome personal rivalries and a skeptical nation to earn a place on the world stage — Chiu Keng Guan's sports drama became one of Malaysia's highest-grossing films.

## Cast

JC Chee, Luqman Hafidz, Saran Kumar, Bront Palarae, Marianne Tan

## Accolades

Premiered at Festival Filem Malaysia 2016, where it won the Official Selection.
- Nominated for Best Film — Anugerah Skrin 2016
- Nominated for Best Film — Festival Filem Malaysia 2016
- Nominated for Best Director — Festival Filem Malaysia 2016

## Common questions

**Is Ola Bola worth watching?**
Ola Bola holds a 76% Celluloid Score. Crowd-pleasing Malaysian sports cinema — warm, multilingual, and built for national catharsis — Ola Bola remains a Festival Filem Malaysia-era box-office landmark for unity narratives done with stadium-scale emotion.

**What is Ola Bola about?**
Inspired by Malaysia's multicultural national football team that qualified for the 1980 Olympics, Ola Bola follows Chinese, Malay and Indian teammates who must overcome personal rivalries and a skeptical nation to earn a place on the world stage — Chiu Keng Guan's sports drama became one of Malaysia's highest-grossing films.

**Who directed Ola Bola?**
Ola Bola (2016) was directed by Chiu Keng Guan.

**What is the Celluloid Score of Ola Bola?**
76% — the average of five public sources: critics 78%, audience 88%, Metascore 68/100, Letterboxd 3.5/5, and IMDb 7.5/10.

**What awards did Ola Bola win?**
Ola Bola earned 3 major award nominations: Best Film (Anugerah Skrin 2016), Best Film (Festival Filem Malaysia 2016), Best Director (Festival Filem Malaysia 2016).

**Where can I watch Ola Bola?**
Streaming availability varies by region — see the Ola Bola page for current options.

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Reviewed and scored by Celluloid · Editor: Kaiser Khan (https://celluloidscore.com/author/kaiser-khan/)

Markdown mirror: https://celluloidscore.com/movies/ola-bola-2016.md