29 Aug - The annual Japanese Film Festival (JFF) is set to return to Malaysia! Starting from 10 September 2025, JFF will be delivering a top-notch selection of Japanese cinema on the big screen. The 2025 edition of JFF showcases a lineup of 13 films with a variety of genres, spanning from drama, suspense, alongside culinary features and an exclusive Samurai classic.
The JFF 2025 recently held its press conference at GSC Mid Valley, offering members of the media, sponsors, and partners an exclusive preview of this year's festival highlights. Mr Tsukamoto Norihisa, Director of The Japan Foundation, Kuala Lumpur, expressed how the festival has grown over the years to become more than just a space to enjoy Japanese films but also as a space for cultural and knowledge exchange between Malaysia and Japan.
This year's festival places special emphasis on films that celebrate the beauty in life's quieter moments - whether through food, human connection, or the appreciation of simple pleasures. During the Q&A session, Mr Tsukamoto as well as Ms Kugai Kyoko, Senior Program Officer of the Cultural Affairs Department at Japan Foundation, Kuala Lumpur addressed questions about how films for the festivals are curated. They are looking to encourage a diverse range of Japanese films that are not only limited to popular titles, but also those which deserve recognition possibly alongside classics. Following the Q&A session, a group photo session was held with the representatives from respective sponsors and partners. The event concluded with a screening of "The Solitary Gourmet", giving attendees a heartfelt glimpse of what's to come in the upcoming festival.
The Japanese Film Festival 2025 will take place at GSC cinemas across Klang Valley (GSC Mid Valley, GSC 1 Utama, GSC MyTOWN) from 10 to 17 September, followed by Penang (GSC Gurney Plaza) from 18 to 21 September, and Johor Bahru (GSC Paradigm Mall JB) from 25 to 28 September. The festival will also tour East Malaysia, visiting Kuching (GSC CityONE Megamall) from 9 to 12 October, and Kota Kinabalu (GSC Suria Sabah) from 16 to 19 October.
All films will be presented in Japanese with English subtitles. Tickets are priced at RM10.00, except for "The Solitary Gourmet," which will be sold at prevailing ticket prices. There will be two special screenings on 10 September of the films "Northern Food Story" (dir. UESUGI Tetsuya) at 4:30PM and "Diamonds in the Sand" (dir. Janus VICTORIA), a co-production between Japan, the Philippines, and Malaysia, at 8PM, both at GSC MyTOWN with free admission. Bookings, which open on 3 September, can be done through www.cloudjoi.com.