23 May – The Kota Kinabalu International Film Festival (KKIFF) is back for its fourth run this year, with an exciting line-up of activities prepared for filmgoers and filmmakers in East Malaysia from 8 to 14 June. First on the list is the return of International Movie Nights, which will showcase five films from Japan, France and Germany, including the award winning "Welcome" by French director Philippe Lioret. "Father of My Children", Mia Hansen-Løve's French drama that will be played during the French Art and Film Festival (FAFF) in Klang Valley and Penang, would also be screened at this festival. Tickets for the films will be available at GSC Suria at RM5 each. Both amateur and independent filmmakers would also be given a chance to exhibit their productions this year. A five-minute short film competition open to all Malaysians known as "Link5" has been launched by KKIF for local filmmakers to win cash prizes. If "Link5" is not your cup of tea, the KKIF committee is also organizing a "Malaysian Short Film Showcase", and filmmakers can submit their short film to be showcased to audiences for free during the festival. Lastly, KKIFF has also expanded their range of workshops and forums for filmmakers this year. From 9 June to 10 June, a panel of film directors such as Hassan Mutalib, David Ngui, Genevieve Duis, Jeffri Mohd Yusof and Sheron Dayoc from the Philippines would be sharing their knowledge and experience on the process of filmmaking, right from getting the producer's approval down to the cinematography stage. KKIFF 2012 is jointly organised by the Society of Performing Arts Kota Kinabalu Sabah (SPARKS) and the Sabah Economic Development and Investment Authority (SEDIA) and supported by the Alliance Francaise, the Japan Foundation and the Goethe-Institute.