1st Johor Baru Film Festival (June 11-13): Life Stories from Ten Countries

IF you happen to be looking for any excuse to roadtrip down south on a weekday, the first-ever Johor Baru Film Festival in Nusajaya starting tomorrow is a perfect one.

HAPPENING till Friday, June 13, the first annual JB Film Festival presented by the Johor Society for the Performing Arts (JSPA) prioritises films from around the globe as curated by recognised film voice Hassan Muthalib. Multi-language, multi-budgeted features and shorts from directing teams hailing from ten countries will be the focus at the inaugural JBFF.

The main international attractions come from regional to continental, including Sayang Disayang by Sanif Olek (from Singapore); Halaw by Sheron Dayoe (Philippines); Labour of Love by Adiya Vikram Sengupta (India); Television by Mostofa Sarwar Farooki (Bangladesh); and from Indonesia the Soekarno biopic by Hanung Bramantyo (which The Daily Seni v.1.0 reviewed in mid-2014).

Thailand’s contribution is Pee Mak, from Banjong Pisanthanakin, while Cambodian Son by Japanese auteur Masahiro Sugano completes the Asian convoy. The children’s animated features bound to be a talking point are Komaneko – The Curious Cat by another Japanese director, Tsuneo Goda, and Marc Bole‘s My Mommy is in America & She Met Buffalo Bill (France).

Apart from Khairil M. Bahar‘s Cuak as the sole Malaysian feature film, representing locally on the short film front is Terbang by Linus Chung; Doors of Horrors by Leroy Low, Edmund Yeo and Ng Ken Kin; Ragut by Razif Mat Zain, Doghole by Wong Hoy Cheong, Silhouette by Ravishanker. 

See schedules for highlighted screenings and talks at jbartsfest.com.