The 8th Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest) will open July 19 with “Ninavau,” a Malaysian feature exploring cultural identity and emotional heritage by director Bebbra Mailin, and close July 27 with “Transamazonia,” an environmental epic spanning France, Brazil, Germany, Switzerland and Taiwan from director Pia Marais.
The bookend titles underscore MIFFest’s dual mission of championing homegrown storytelling while embracing international co-productions, as the Kuala Lumpur-based festival positions itself as a key player in the Southeast Asian circuit with a robust 62-film lineup spanning 48 countries.
The fest will honor Hong Kong action icon Ti Lung with a lifetime achievement award. The 78-year-old star, whose career spans the golden age of martial arts cinema, will receive the honor at the Malaysia Golden Global Awards ceremony July 26 at Zepp KL.
The tribute includes screenings of John Woo’s “A Better Tomorrow” and Jess Teong’s “The Kid from The Big Apple,” with Ti Lung participating in Q&A sessions and hosting a master class. The programming is part of MIFFest’s “Master At Work” series, which this year also celebrates Indian great Raj Kapoor’s centenary with screenings of “Awara” and “Bobby.”
MIFFest is also rolling out the red carpet for Indonesian actor Reza Rahadian, who will receive the Award for Excellent Achievement in Film. The “Habibie & Ainun” star will join the festival’s jury panel alongside British documentary filmmaker Asif Kapadia (“Senna,” “Amy”), Malaysian actress Diana Danielle, Hong Kong’s Jennifer Yu, and Indian filmmaker Rima Das.
The festival’s competition slate features nine titles, with Palestinian-German drama “All That’s Left Of You” by Cherien Dabis leading the Malaysia Golden Global Awards race with seven nominations. Chinese entry “My Friend An Delie” by Dong Zijian follows with five nods, while “DJ Ahmet,” “Red Path,” and “To A Land Unknown” each scored four nominations.
MIFFest has also partnered with the 25th European Union Film Festival to present 15 European titles. The “MIFFest x EUFF” sidebar opens with Czech drama “Year of The Widow” and features Nordic noir “The Girl with The Needle” and Ukrainian entry “Taste of Freedom.”
The collaboration represents MIFFest’s strategy to position Malaysia as a cultural bridge between Eastern and Western cinema, with festival organizers eyeing increased international co-production opportunities.
Capitalizing on Malaysia’s rotating ASEAN leadership, MIFFest is spotlighting regional cinema with six Southeast Asian titles, including Vietnamese drama “Cu Li Never Cries” and Singapore thriller “Stranger Eyes.” The programming is backed by Malaysia’s National Film Development Corporation (FINAS) and includes an industry summit featuring “Train to Busan” producer Lee Dong Ha.
The fest is spotlighting female voices with “Lenses of Indian Women Filmmakers,” featuring four titles including “Village Rockstars 2” by Rima Das. The program reflects growing industry attention to gender parity in filmmaking across Asia.
With 38 Malaysian premieres among its 62 titles, MIFFest is betting that Malaysia’s multicultural population and strategic location can help establish Kuala Lumpur as a festival destination to rival Singapore and Bangkok in the regional circuit.