A Samurai In Time. Photos: Handout
The beloved Japanese Film Festival (JFF) is celebrating its 20th anniversary in Malaysia this year.
Over the past two decades, JFF has attracted over 200,000 festival-goers and presented 215 films across five states.
This year’s festival, organised by The Japan Foundation, Kuala Lumpur, will run from Sept 12 to Oct 20 at selected GSC cinemas in the Klang Valley, Penang, Johor Baru, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu.
“The Japan Foundation, Kuala Lumpur has been working on various projects to develop mutual understanding between Japan and Malaysia. One such project is the Japanese Film Festival,” said JFKL director Norihisa Tsukamoto in his opening speech at the launch event last week.
“This year marks the 20th anniversary of the festival. From a small film festival back in 2004 to becoming one of the most anticipated premier platform for Malaysians to enjoy the best of Japanese cinema annually,” he added.
This year’s film festival showcases a diverse range of genres, including drama, romance, youth, documentary and animation, providing a glimpse into Japanese culture.
The curtain raiser this year is a mammoth movie in all sense of the word: Godzilla Minus One.
The winner of the Best Visual Effects at this year’s Oscars, Godzilla Minus One will be making its premiere at Malaysian cinemas. And it is a special occasion, too, as the franchise is celebrating its 70th anniversary.
Godzilla Minus One
“This year also marks the 70th anniversary of Godzilla, Japan’s most iconic kaiju. In conjunction with that JFF will be having a special marathon of the original 1954 Godzilla (directed by Ishiro Honda) and Godzilla Minus One,” Tsukamoto said, adding that there will be special IMAX screenings at GSC Aurum, TRX Exchange for the latter title.
“Those who attend the marathon will get special limited edition Godzilla gifts while those who attend any Godzilla Minus One screening will also get Godzilla merch,” he said.
Other highlights include new releases such as Matched, All The Long Nights and A Samurai In Time, which offer unique perspectives on contemporary Japanese life and culture.
“We hope that the selection this year can satisfy the hunger for Japanese cinema of regular patrons and to plant the seed of understanding Japanese culture in newcomers, allowing us to continue providing Malaysians with access to Japanese films for many years to come,” Tsukamoto said.
JFF 2024 will be held in Klang Valley (GSC Mid Valley, GSC 1 Utama) from Sept 12-18; Penang (GSC Gurney Plaza) from Sept 19-22; Johor Baru (GSC Paradigm JB) from Sept 26-29; Kuching (GSC CityONE Megamall) from Oct 10-13; and Kota Kinabalu (GSC Suria Sabah) from Oct 17-20.
Tickets are priced at RM10 (except A Samurai In Time which will be sold at prevailing ticket price) and are available through GSC channels. All films will be presented in Japanese with English subtitles.
Matched
For a complete listing of film synopsis, showtimes, and additional information, go to JFKL’s social media platforms and gsc.com.my.
Here are some exciting titles to look out for:
A Samurai In Time: In this 2023 comedy, a samurai who gets struck by lightning awaken in present-day Japan and starts to work as an extra on samurai films.
Let’s Go Karaoke!: A high-ranking Yakuza member seeks out a teenage choir member to teach him to sing!
Matched: In this thriller, a wedding planner reluctantly joins a dating app and gets matched with a suspicious man. When other app users start turning up dead, her date becomes a suspect in the serial murders.
Sand Land: A 2023 anime where humans and demons co-exist in a barren desert wasteland. Three unlikely companion team up and embark on a journey in search of the Legendary Spring.
Godzilla Minus One: In post-war Japan, a former fighter pilot joins the civilian effort to fight off a nuclear-enhanced monster attacking their shores.
Watch a movie at JFF 2024 for free
Get a free ticket for the Japanese Film Festival in Klang Valley, Penang and Johor Baru, with the following promo codes:
Klang Valley: JFFTSK000NSCC
Penang: JFFTSP000GRYA
Johor Baru: JFFTSJ000ANW0
Redemption can be made via GSC epayment (gsc.com.my and GSC mobile app) and GSC ekiosk, on a first-come, first-served basis.
How to use your promo code:
> The promo code must be redeemed at the “Payment Mode” page.
> After choosing your payment mode (online banking, ewallet or PayPal), check the “Do You Have A Promo Code?” box.
> Enter your promo code and click “Submit” to redeem.
> The promo code is not exchangeable for cash, and is not valid with any ongoing GSC promotions, vouchers or privilege cards.
> Promo code is inclusive of RM0.50 booking fee per ticket for online transaction
> GSC will not be held responsible for any loss/damage of the promo code.
Terms and conditions:
> The promo code entitles the holder to redeem one movie ticket per booking for JFF 2024, except for A Samurai In Time, which will be sold at the prevailing ticket price, and Godzilla Minus One IMAX screening.
> Redemption starts Sept 5.
> Redemption is on a first-come, first-served basis (a total of 200 redemptions are available for Klang Valley, 200 for Penang and 100 for Johor Baru).
> Redemption for JFF 2024 is subject to seat availability.
Let's Go Karaoke!
