The Japanese Film Festival 2025 (JFF2025) officially commenced earlier this week with its opening ceremony held at GSC Mid Valley Megamall. The event, hosted by The Japan Foundation, Kuala Lumpur (JFKL), in partnership with Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC) International Screens, was graced with a warm welcome by Mr Pan Vui Shang, Head of Exhibition, Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC).
This year’s festival showcases a specially curated lineup of 13 films spanning various genres, including drama, romance, suspense, and a Samurai masterpiece classic. Festival-goers will have the opportunity to join the JFF Stamp Rally and collect stamps throughout the festival to redeem exclusive goodies and prizes. Here are the films that will be screened throughout the festival at GSC outlets across Malaysia:
1. The Solitary Gourmet (孤独のグルメ)
Upon receiving a message from an old friend’s daughter, Goro arrives in Paris and learns of the elderly man’s wish to taste a particular soup he had in his childhood before he dies. Deciding to help, Goro sets out on a quest to find this mysterious soup, travelling through Japan, braving a storm, and even ending up in South Korea.
2. Sunset Sunrise (サンセット・サンライズ)
The year is 2020, and measures against COVID-19 are starting to affect life all over Japan. But for one enthusiastic Tokyoite, the ‘new normal’ brings a thrilling opportunity. Young salaryman Shinsaku decides to work remotely and moves to a small town on the Sanriku Coast of Miyagi Prefecture, where he rents an empty house from wary landlord Momoka. Surrounded by the stunning nature of Tōhoku, Shinsaku spends his days fishing and discovering the charm of his new neighbourhood. But as scars from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami remain fresh, can the territorial locals accept him as one of their own?
3. Cells at Work! (はたらく細胞)
This live-action take on the hit manga series “Cells at Work!” reimagines the human body as a bustling metropolis populated by 37 trillion cells. A rookie red blood cell and a ruthless white blood/Neutrophil cell are just two inhabitants of high schooler Niko’s body, and the duo must fight together to keep their human alive—one immune system emergency and bacterial invasion at a time!
4. SHOWTIME 7 (ショウタイムセブン)
When an anonymous caller phones in a bomb threat to his radio show, presenter Shinnosuke Orimoto dismisses the call as a hoax. Minutes later, a nearby power plant explodes, and Orimoto is thrown into the role of emergency negotiator.
5. ANGRY SQUAD: The Civil Servant and the Seven Swindlers (アングリー・スクワッド 公務員と7人の詐欺師)
Strait-laced civil servant Kumazawa must realign his moral compass when the hunt for a tax evader lands him in cahoots with a professional con artist and his ragtag group of accomplices
6. Teasing Master Takagi-san (からかい上手の高木さん)
Nishikata, a physical education teacher at a middle school on a small island, receives a phone call from an ex-schoolmate, Takagi-san, who moved to Paris 10 years ago. When Nishikata was attending middle school, he was always teased by Takagi-san. One day, the vice principal of the school appoints Nishikata to be in charge of the teacher trainee. After school, when Nishikata returns to the classroom and opens the door to the cleaning supplies compartment, Takagi-san jumps out from inside. From this moment, the time between the two of them, which had stopped since the summer of their junior high school, begins to move.
7. SEVEN SAMURAI (七人の侍)
KUROSAWA Akira’s 1954 classic SEVEN SAMURAI tells the tale of feudal class and warfare in ancient Japan. A village under fire from bandits calls on seven swordsmen wandering the countryside to help rid them of marauders threatening to destroy their village. With the aid of the elder samurai SHIMADA Kanbei and six other fellow mercenaries with no status or income, the village prepares to battle the anonymous threat on horseback while battling the bitterness they keep for their hired swordsmen.
8. Northern Food Story (北の食景)
A food documentary film set in Hokkaido, portraying the culinary landscapes woven by four chefs and the changing seasons. Japanese cuisine, French, and high-end sushi. The film captures the daily lives of chefs in Japan’s northern land, as they explore their unique culinary paths,
9. At The Bench (アット・ザ・ベンチ)
At a riverside bench, two childhood friends reunite after a long time, and engage in a casual conversation that hints at a budding romance as the sunset dimly lights their true feelings. Yoshiyuki Okuyama, one of Japan’s leading photographers, makes his directorial debut in collaboration with the production house behind “Perfect Days.”
10. 6 Lying University Students (六人の嘘つきな大学生)
Six high-achieving university students make it to the final round of recruitment for an elite tech company. But an intricate web of manipulation and deception will soon push them far beyond the limits of a typical job interview.
11. 366 DAYS (366日)
It’s 2003, and a love story spanning decades has just begun. High schooler Miu and senior student Minato dream of a life beyond their sleepy Okinawan town, and when MiniDisc jumble brings them together, the pair bond over their shared love of music. Meanwhile, Miu’s loyal best friend, Ryusei, quietly looks on as romantic sparks fly. But when Miu follows Minato to Tokyo after graduation, she is soon met by the harsh realities of city life. Unexpected circumstances drive the couple apart, and years later, Miu’s daughter is left to piece together the untold stories of her mother’s past.
12. PETALS AND MEMORIES (花まんま)
Set in Osaka, the story follows siblings Toshiki and Fumiko, who lost their parents early on. Toshiki promised their late father he would always protect his little sister. Taking on the role of both parent and brother, Toshiki dropped out of high school to work at a local factory to support them both. Now, Fumiko has grown, and the day of her wedding is drawing near. As Toshiki watches the happy couple, he can’t help but grumble, all while feeling a sense of relief. He rehearses his speech for Fumiko’s big day, when an unsettling thought creeps in: Fumiko holds the memories of a woman who died in an incident.
13. Diamonds in the Sand
Yoji is a divorced Japanese salaryman living alone in Tokyo. After the loss of his caring mother, he faces an empty life without any meaningful relationships. A chance encounter with Minerva, a Filipina who works as a caregiver in Japan to support her daughter, prompts Yoji to look at his situation in a new light. Meanwhile, he discovers the decomposing body of an elderly neighbour, whose name he doesn’t know. His death is ruled to be a lonely death. Not wanting to suffer the same fate, Yoji throws caution and follows Minerva to Manila, the capital of the Philippines.
All films will mainly be presented in Japanese with English subtitles. Tickets are priced at RM10.00, except for “The Solitary Gourmet,” which will be sold at prevailing ticket prices. For more information on the festival and the movies being screened, visit www.jfklevents.com/jff2025.
