In his opening remarks, Mr. TSUKAMOTO Norihisa, Director of The Japan Foundation, Kuala Lumpur (JFKL), welcomed guests to the 22nd edition of JFF in Malaysia. He spoke about how the festival has grown into a platform for cultural and knowledge exchange between Malaysia and Japan, fostering deeper connections between the two countries through the power of cinema. He also highlighted the continued growth of the JFF Filmmaking Workshop, now in its third year, which gives students the chance to explore filmmaking and develop their creative talents.

[Insert: Mr. TSUKAMOTO Norihisa (right) and Ms. KUGAI Kyoko (left) — from press kit]

During the Q&A session, Mr. TSUKAMOTO, alongside Ms. KUGAI Kyoko, Senior Program Officer of the Cultural Affairs Department at JFKL, fielded questions on the festival’s audience demographics over the years, as well as the selection behind this year’s two special programmes: the YAMADA Yoji Retrospective and Girl Power.

The Yamada Yoji Retrospective celebrates one of Japan’s most acclaimed filmmakers, known for works full of warmth, humanity and everyday life. The programme also marks Yamada Yoji’s 95th birthday and the 65th anniversary of his directorial debut. The Girl Power programme, meanwhile, highlights stories centred on female protagonists — not originally built around a specific theme, but one that came together naturally, with several titles inspired by real-life stories showcasing the strength of women from different walks of life.

JFF 2026 will tour across Malaysia at the following GSC cinemas and dates:

• Klang Valley (GSC Mid Valley, GSC 1 Utama, GSC MyTOWN) — 10 to 16 September
• Penang (GSC Gurney Plaza) — 17 to 20 September
• Johor Bahru (GSC Paradigm Mall JB) — 24 to 27 September
• Kuching (GSC CityONE Megamall) — 8 to 11 October
• Kota Kinabalu (GSC Suria Sabah) — 15 to 18 October

All films will screen in Japanese with English subtitles. Tickets are RM10, except for KOKUHO, which will be shown on a free-admission basis with prior booking required via JFKL’s CloudJoi platform.

For updates, full film listings and showtimes, head to www.jfklevents.com/jff2026 or www.gsc.com.my. You can also follow @jf_kualalumpur on Instagram and The Japan Foundation, Kuala Lumpur on Facebook for the latest announcements.