6 Sept – The opening ceremony of the 19th edition of the Japanese Film Festival (JFF) 2023 was officiated at GSC Mid Valley Megamall, Kuala Lumpur, last night. The event was attended by Yang Berhormat Ms Teo Nie Ching, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Communication and Digital, Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia, Katsuhiko Takahashi, Director of Japan Foundation Kuala Lumpur (JFKL), Tsukamoto Norihisa, and Chief Executive Officer of GSC, Ms Koh Mei Lee, along with the sponsors and partners of the Festival. In the Opening Speech by the Deputy Minister, Ms Teo Nie Ching said that festivals such as these promote greater understanding between Japan and Malaysia through the films screened. The year 2023 is significant as it also marks the 50th anniversary of JAPAN-ASEAN Friendship and Cooperation, which has helped to establish the close relations between Japan and Southeast Asian countries, including Malaysia. She also expressed hope that this festival will continue to be a window for Malaysians further to understand Japanese customs, culture, and social development.
The ceremony was also graced by the presence of Sho Miyake, the director of the JFF 2023 Opening Film, "Small, Slow But Steady" starring Yukino Kishii. The film revolves around a woman who has a hearing impairment and despite of her handicap, successfully becomes a professional boxer. The director said "Before I produced this film, I actually did a lot of research related to such stories. One of them is a film from Malaysia. I'm sure some of you know the movie "Talentime" directed by Yasmin Ahmad. I feel very honoured to have the opportunity to show my film in your country." Despite not being able to attend the ceremony, lead actress of the film Yukino Kishii managed to record a brief speech for the audience through a video message broadcast on the screen.
The JFF 2023 will be presenting the screening of 16 Japanese films in various genres such as drama, documentary, romance, mystery, and animation that will take viewers to immerse themselves in various aspects of Japanese culture. With Cinema Online returning as the official online partner, the Festival is taking place from 7 September to 15 October 2023 in 5 major cities, starting from Klang Valley at 3 locations: GSC Midvalley Megamall, GSC One Utama and GSC NU Sentral from 7-13 September. Next is 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.
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.