[Please note that the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) announced on 13 October 2020 comes into effect from 14 to 27 October 2020 in the Klang Valley. Do check with the event organiser for rescheduling or cancellation announcements. Click here for more information on the CMCO.]
Get ready to feast your eyes on the best of cinema from the Land of the Rising Sun as the Japanese Film Festival (JFF) screens across the nation this month and the next. Organised by the Japan Foundation Kuala Lumpur (JFKL), JFF has been lighting up Malaysia’s cinemas since 2004, and this year it is the first such festival to be held since the Movement Control Order began in March.
This year’s event has been restructured slightly to adapt to the current situation and the new SOPs. A highly interesting aspect will be the ‘Remote Films’ component, featuring the work of directors who created short films remotely as a response to Covid-19.
Available online, this segment also contains a special interview with director Yukisada Isao who is known for works such as 2004’s Crying Out Love in the Center of the World and 2016’s Pigeon. The latter was shot in Penang and featured in the multi-part anthology Asian Three-Fold Mirror 2016: Reflections. See what the seasoned director has to say about the production and gain some valuable insight into filmmaking.
The main part of the festival will feature 10 films (shown in Japanese with English subtitles) across a variety of genres including drama, comedy, romance, suspense, action and animation, with the aim to highlight the spectrum of Japan’s colourful film industry. One of the titles, One Summer Story will premier in Malaysia prior to its expected 2021 release in Japan.
Kuala Lumpur is the first stop for this roaming film festival with GSC Mid Valley, GSC 1 Utama and GSC NU Sentral screening titles from 15-21 Oct. Next is Penang from 22-25 at GSC Gurney Plaza, then Johor Bahru from 29 Oct-1 Nov at GSC Paradigm Mall JB and finally Kuching and Kota Kinabalu from 12-15 November at GSC CityONE Megamall and GSC Suria Sabah.
From there the festival goes digital with JFF Online, where 20 movies will be screened online from 20-29 Nov. The selection contains everything from classics to the latest productions in the box office. Stay tuned for information on this segment which will be released on JFKL website.
Film-going audiences will also get a chance to reap some rewards by participating in the JFF Stamp Rally. The more films you watch and stamps you collect, the better the chance you’ll be in the running for special gifts.
For the complete list of films at the festival, visit jfkl.org.my/events/jff-2020 and gsc.com.my.