11 Jun – Get ready for the 6th Japanese Film Festival 2009, bringing in a total of eight of the best films from Japan including the Academy Award winning for Best Foreign Language Film, "Departures" at the 81st Academy Awards in 2008. It competed with the heavily favored Israeli and French entries, "Waltz With Bashir" and "The Class." Directed by Yojiro Takita and written by Kundo Koyama, "Departures" (originally titled "Okuribito") tells the dramatic story of an unemployed cello player named Daigo (Masahiro Motoki) who finds a new purpose and a new life in the business of preparing bodies for cremation. Starring Masahiro Motoki, Ryoko Hirosue, and Tsutomu Yamazaki, the film will be part of the festival launch on 16 June 2009, 8.30pm at GSC Mid valley. The film festival will be held in Kuala Lumpur from 18 to 22 June at GSC Mid Valley and GSC 1 Utama (New Wing), then up North to Penang from 26 to 28 June at GSC Gurney Plaza. Below is a showtimes table for all the movies screening during the festival. GSC MID VALLEY, KL
GSC 1 UTAMA, KL
GSC GURNEY PLAZA, PENANG