The 6th Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest) officially commenced on 23 July 2023 at LaLaport, Bukit Bintang City Centre (BBCC), which lasted for 7 days including film screenings at GSC MyTown, masterclasses, and many exciting announcements.
MIFFest announced their masterclasses for directors Johnnie and Ryuichi Hiroki respectively to inspire film enthusiasts and filmmakers through their experiences and knowledge. There were 40 well-picked films from Japan, Taiwan, France, and several other countries for the audiences at the festival. ‘My Small Land’ by Emma Kawawada, ‘Let the Dance Begin’ by Marina Seresesky, and ‘Snow and the Bear’ by Selcen Ergun, were some of the many films in the lineup.
Meanwhile, local films such as ‘Eraser’, ‘Adoiii Jiwaku!’, and ‘Shuttle Life’ were chosen to be shown. The production teams of these films were invited for the post-screening sessions to interact with the audience and share their journey and experiences in creating the films.
Joanne Goh, founder and president of MIFFest said, “The Malaysia International Film Festival has entered its sixth edition this year. I am very grateful to all of you who have been with us all the way since the beginning. It makes me feel extremely gratified and delighted as more and more people begin to acknowledge the growing significance and prestige of MIFFest.
Goh also mentioned this year’s submission significantly increased compared to the previous years with a total of 40 films being selected. Award-winning actor Bront Palarae, who has been the festival’s ambassador for the past four editions, was also in attendance.
This year, MIFFest collaborated with Bucheon International Fantastic Film (BIFAN) and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia (TECO) for the forums and film screenings. The forum by BIFAN was conducted by Kim Sung Hwan (director of ‘Iron Mask’) and Ellen Kim (programmer at BIFAN). TECO selected 6 films to feature and 4 short films for the screenings, among them a Taiwanese heartwarming film called ‘Day Off’ being the most anticipated selection in the lineup.
MIFFest 2023 was themed ‘NEW TAKE’ which correlated with its introduction of new and diverse activities such as MIFFest Open Air Cinema which screened local films in a lively atmosphere at the LaLaport Rooftop Garden. A total of 5 films were shown at the Open Air Cinema, all directed by Malaysian filmmakers. As a way to innovate MIFFest 2023, they organized the MIFFest Marketplace which attracted a variety of vendors as part of the festival.
In addition, through MIFFest and BMW Shorties collaboration, they announced a record-breaking submission of 113 entries for short films for this year. 10 finalists were selected and screened during the festival at the GSC MyTown and MIFFest Open Air Cinema.
The film ‘Eraser’, directed by Mark Lee See Teck, was proudly presented as the opening film and received a special tribute to commemorate late actress Adibah Noor as it was her final work. The film started as a short film, but then it developed into a feature film that tells the journey of a broken family facing a situation of different cultural beliefs.
Many names were nominated for the Malaysian Golden Global Awards this year for their incredible work and delivery of their art. Each one well deserved to be nominated for a highly recognized award that will carry their career to taller heights.
The 6th Malaysia Golden Global Awards ceremony, the awards that complement the film festival to reward and recognize talents involved in the selected films, concluded at Zepp Kuala Lumpur, on 29 July 2023 at 8 pm. The event was live-streamed and broadcast on multiple prominent platforms such as RTM TV2 channel, MIFFest’s official Facebook page and TikTok account, and a delayed broadcast on Viu TV HK.
Please visit the festival’s official website at www.miffest.com.my or its official Facebook and Instagram pages for further details about the 6th Malaysia International Film Festival.
