MIFFest opens in Kuala Lumpur with ASEAN Records nod
The Malaysia International Film Festival began its ninth edition at MyTown Shopping Centre, launching eight days of screenings and industry events.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
3 min read
The Malaysia International Film Festival opened its ninth edition in Kuala Lumpur on July 18, beginning an eight-day run and receiving official recognition from ASEAN Records during its launch ceremony.
The festival, known as MIFFest, kicked off at MyTown Shopping Centre with a red carpet attended by filmmakers, industry figures and performers before the evening program moved into full swing.
Festival founder and president Joanne Goh welcomed guests alongside the 2026 festival ambassadors: Bront Palarae, Daiyan Trisha and Jack Tan. Goh also introduced this year’s theme, “Resonance,” describing it as the echo a film leaves after the screening ends and the way cinema can connect audiences across cultures, generations and borders.
Tourism Malaysia chair Datuk Manoharan Periasamy also addressed the audience, with remarks supporting MIFFest’s place in Malaysia’s creative sector and its role in cultural diplomacy. Datuk Bahria Mohd Tamil, deputy secretary general for strategic communications and creative industry at the Ministry of Communications, and Datuk Azmir Saifuddin Mutalib, CEO of the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia, attended the event.
Goh presented tokens of appreciation to the festival ambassadors during the ceremony.
ASEAN On Screen gets the spotlight
The night’s formal highlight was the ASEAN Records title awarded to MIFFest. The recognition cited the festival’s ASEAN On Screen platform and the Malaysia Golden Global Awards program as an ongoing base for Southeast Asian cinema.
Goh accepted the title for the festival and said ASEAN On Screen was created to give Southeast Asian stories a durable platform where they could be seen, shared and celebrated internationally.
According to MIFFest, ASEAN On Screen began in 2025 during Malaysia’s ASEAN chairship and has since been made a permanent yearly section of the festival. The opening ceremony also acknowledged the preliminary selection committee and the jury panels involved in the semi-final and final stages.
Opening film heads to GSC MyTown
After the ceremony, guests went to GSC MyTown for the world premiere of the opening film, “Baga: Tomorrow Belongs To No One,” directed by Ariff Zulkarnain.
The film is set in a religious fishing community on Malaysia’s East Coast and follows Jani and Melur, two young lovers whose plans are disrupted by an unplanned pregnancy, poverty and addiction. The story also tracks Jani’s turn toward the drug trade. Zulkarnain based the film on his own upbringing, according to the festival report.
The opening-film delegation included executive producer Shafiq Yusof, Zulkarnain, Malaysian actor Syafiq Kyle and Cambodian actress Sarita Reth. Other attendees included Jojo Goh, actor-director Nam Ron and actress June Lojong, along with guests from Malaysia and overseas.
What else is on the slate
The 2026 program includes Russian Film Week, organized with the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, Roskino and Mosfilm. That section offers free screenings of four Russian films.
Other strands on the schedule include ASEAN On Screen, Hong Kong Cinema in Flux, New Rhythms of Indian Cinema and Open Air Cinema. MIFFest is also staging masterclasses and industry forums during the run.
The festival continues through July 25.
This story draws on original reporting from Variety.