16 captivating titles across genres to immerse audiences in Japanese culture

7 Sep - The arrival of the Japanese Film Festival each year is always met with welcoming anticipation as it presents the various aspects of Japanese culture.

The 19th edition of the Japanese Film Festival (JFF) 2023 brings in 16 captivating titles across genres like drama, documentary, romance, mystery and animation, immersing audiences in diverse aspects of Japanese culture – that will be screening at selected GSC cinemas nationwide. This year also marks a significant milestone as it is the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation.

With Cinema Online returning as the official online partner, JFF 2023 kicks off today - beginning in Klang Valley at 3 locations: GSC Midvalley Megamall, GSC One Utama and GSC NU Sentral from 7-13 September.

Next will be GSC Paradigm Mall, Johor Bharu from 14-17 September, and GSC Gurney Plaza, Penang from 21-24 September.

The festival then heads over to East Malaysia to two locations; GSC CityOne Megamall, Kuching from 5-8 October and finally, ending at GSC Suria Sabah, Kota Kinabalu from 12-15 October.

For JFF 2023 movie showtimes and information, visit our Japanese Film Festival 2023 page HERE and make your choice on what to catch before they move on to the next location!

As the opening film to this celebration, the festival features "Small, Slow but Steady", a cinematic masterpiece by acclaimed director Sho Miyake.

The drama follows Keiko, a young female pro boxer, who was born with a hearing impairment. Boxing is a real challenge for her, but the club she belongs to is like a second home. After winning two difficult fights, a creeping fear begins to grow inside her. The club chairman, the only person who had accepted her as a boxer, is plagued by health issues and is losing his eyesight. Having learned that the gym is about to close for good, a confused Keiko goes on to her third bout. But perhaps the biggest challenge she faces is trying to understand the true nature and strength of her will to fight.

One of the special programme for this year's JFF 2023 is the screening of director Lim Kah Wai's work, "Your Lovely Smile" - exclusively at GSC NU Sentral on 8 September and at GSC Mid Valley on 10 September. A post-screening Q&A Session with the director to follow. [Note: Admission to this screenings is free with prior reservations via Eventbrite].

Lim Kah Wai is a Malaysian filmmaker who has directed and released films in Japan for over a decade. Lim has acted as the "bridge" between Malaysia and Japan, actively contributing to the cinematic landscape in Osaka, Japan.

"Your Lovely Smile" is a road movie about an independent filmmaker, Hirobumi Watanabe, who travelled from Okinawa to Hokkaido trying to sell his films to various arthouse cinemas during the COVID-19 pandemic. On the road, he always met a mysterious girl with different identities. Finally, he arrived at the northeast cinema in Japan which changed his destiny.

Lim Kah Wai & Sho Miyake, directors of "Your Lovely Smile" & "Small, Slow But Steady"

A captivating "Detective Conan Marathon" is lined up for the audiences, scheduled for 9 September at GSC Mid Valley and 17 September at Penang. This marathon will showcase titles such as "The Last Wizard of the Century" (1999), "Crossroad in The Ancient Capital" (2003), and "The Private Eyes' Requiem" (2006), promising an exhilarating experience for all fans of this iconic series.

"Detective Conan the Movie: The Last Wizard of the Century" is the 3rd feature film of Detective Conan the Movie series. It's the long-awaited showdown between our hero Detective Conan and the elusive Phantom Thief Kid.

"Detective Conan the Movie: Crossroad in The Ancient Capital" is the 7th feature film of Detective Conan the Movie series. Kyoto is the cultural capital of Japan, full of history, nature and romance. There, Conan meets up with his friend and rival Heiji once again, teaming up to solve the case of a stolen Buddha statue!

Detective Conan faces his worst crisis yet in "Detective Conan the Movie: The Private Eyes' Requiem", this being the 10th anniversary feature film! Someone has figured out Conan's real identity as Shinichi Kudo. Worse, he's taken Conan's friends hostage; in 12 hours, a bomb will kill them all. Conan must solve the case, save his friends and keep his secret identity.

Tickets for the screenings will be sold at RM10.00 each (except for "#Manhole" - tickets sold at the prevailing ticket price) through GSC channels. All movie screenings are in Japanese with English subtitles.

For JFF 2023 movie showtimes and information, visit our Japanese Film Festival 2023 page HERE.