Mr. Tsukamoto Norihisa, Director, The Japan Foundation Kuala Lumpur with sponsors and partners of the Japanese Film Festival 2024

28 Aug - The Japan Foundation Kuala Lumpur has been working on various projects to develop mutual understanding between Japan and Malaysia through culture, language and by facilitating works that engage with cross-cultural experiences. The Japanese Film Festival 2024 (JFF) is one such project and this year marks the 20th anniversary of the festival.

The festival has come a long way from its humble and small beginnings back in 2004 to now being one of the most anticipated premier platform for Malaysians to enjoy the best of Japanese cinema annually, not just in the Klang Valley but also in Penang, Johor Bahru, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu.

Mr. Tsukamoto Norihisa at the press conference in GSC Mid Valley KL

2024 also marks the 70th anniversary of one of Japan's most iconic kaiju movie that defined an entire genre - "Godzilla." In conjunction with this, there will be a special screening marathon of the original 1954 classic, to be followed by the Academy Awards winner, "Godzilla Minus One".

There will be a special gift prepared for those who watch "Godzilla Minus One" and for the Godzilla fans who watch the marathon; they will receive a limited-edition postcard! The screenings will also be the premiere of "Godzilla Minus One" in Malaysian cinemas. IMAX screenings of the movie will run exclusively at The Aurum, The Exchange TRX.

A core value that the Malaysian and Japanese culture share is family. Hence, there are several family dramas that highlight its importance in titles such as "To Mom, With Love", "Masked Hearts" and "Mom, Is That You?"

Additionally, there will be a diverse range of films of different genres to cater to the tastes of different audiences. For those who love the shoujo, or girls' comic genre, there is the romance "Our Secret Diary" and "One Second Ahead, One Second Behind".

There is even a murder-mystery for thrill-seekers, "Matched". For laughing out loud, don't miss "Let's Go Karaoke!" and "A Samurai in Time." "All the Long Nights" deal with the stigma of mental health and social pressures.

"Godzilla" (1954) needs no introduction

Of course, Japanese anime is not left out with "Sand Land", the theatrical adaptation based on the work of the late legendary Akira Toriyama, the creator of the much-beloved "Dragon Ball" series. Classic anime "AKIRA" (1988), a sci-fi post-apocalyptic film set in Neo-Tokyo about the leader of a biker gang is one of the 13 titles selected for this festival.

And as with every year of the JFF, the popular stamp rally is also back, and the prizes are bigger than ever. For those who collect 3 stamps, they will get festival goodies such as gifts from Vida, Kao, vouchers from Kinokuniya and notebooks by ana tomy specially designed for the festival. And for the most dedicated of moviegoers, chances to win some Canon products. So don't forget your festival booklet when you come and watch the movies and collect those stamps.

There is an added bonus that because 2024 is JFF's 20th anniversary, there will be a Free 5-day short film workshop for Malaysian and Japanese teenagers that starts on 28 August. The mentor for the workshop is Japan-based Malaysian director Lim Kah Wai.

Tickets for JFF 2024 are priced at RM 10.00 (except "A Samurai in Time" which will be sold at prevailing ticket price). Tickets can be purchased one week before the first screening at each region and are available through GSC channels (GSC Ticketing Kiosk, GSC e-payment at gsc.com.my or GSC Mobile Apps).

"Godzilla Minus One" (2023)

The tickets for the special IMAX screening for "Godzilla Minus One" are at RM 50.00. All films will be presented in Japanese with English subtitles.

Cinema Online is proud to be returning as the official online media partner for JFF 2024.

The festival will kick off beginning in Klang Valley at 3 locations: GSC Midvalley Megamall, GSC One Utama and AURUM, The Exchange TRX from 12-18 September.

The Festival will then be at the following cities and GSC locations:

• Penang: 19-22 October at GSC Gurney Plaza
• Johor Bahru: 26-29 September at GSC Paradigm Mall JB
• Kuching, Sarawak: 10-13 October at GSC CityOne Megamall
• Kota Kinabalu, Sabah: 17-20 October at GSC Suria Sabah

For JFF 2024 movie showtimes and information, visit our Japanese Film Festival 2024 page HERE.