Malaysia International Film Festival 2026
Film lovers, clear your schedules because the Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest) 2026 is currently underway at GSC MyTOWN, with screenings showing now till 25th July 2026.
What is the Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest) 2026?
Image credit: @miffest_mgga via Instagram
Established in 2016, MIFFest is an annual independent film festival celebrating local and international cinema. Now in its 9th edition, this year’s theme, Resonance, explores how stories can linger beyond the screen and inspire conversations.
The festival provides a platform for emerging filmmakers while championing diverse voices and creativity. This year’s 8-day festival features 65 films from 35 countries and regions across 27 languages, including 2 world premieres, 3 Asian premieres, 12 Southeast Asian premieres, and 28 Malaysian premieres.
Image credit: @miffest_mgga via Instagram
Beyond the screenings, MIFFest serves as a meeting point for filmmakers, industry professionals, and audiences to connect through their shared love of storytelling.
Returning sections include A-Lister, which features acclaimed international auteurs, and Neon, which spotlights emerging independent filmmakers. Manifesto also returns with a collection of thought-provoking documentaries and non-fiction works.
Malaysian and international movies to catch at GSC MyTOWN
Image credit: IMDb via Website
The Malaysian lineup for MIFFest 2026 includes Finding Ramlee, a comedy-drama about a struggling P. Ramlee impersonator caught up in a gangster’s unusual arrangement.
There’s also The Waves Will Carry Us, which follows a family’s darkly comedic journey to reclaim their late father’s body, and Tears in Kuala Lumpur, an arthouse mystery where dreams, memories, and loss collide against the city’s backdrop.
For people who prefer watching movies under the stars, MIFFest’s Open Air Cinema is also currently screening 7 Malaysian films and short-film programmes, all for free to view at MyTOWN’s Sunken Garden.
Image adapted from: IMDb, Nippon via Website
As for international movies, there’s Takashi Miike’s Japanese drama SHAM, as well as Oliver Laxe’s Sirāt, and Sho Miyake’s Two Seasons, Two Strangers.
Hong Kong cinema also takes centre stage with its own Hong Kong Cinema in Flux section. The lineup features 5 films, including Bird of Paradise, Dog Day Evening, and The Dating Menu, spotlighting the city’s evolving stories and filmmaking scene.
Masterclasses with award-winning filmmakers
Image credit: MIFFEST via Website
Beyond watching films, aspiring filmmakers can attend a series of masterclasses held throughout the festival, and learn from acclaimed industry names.
Award-winning Indian filmmaker Anurag Kashyap is set to discuss his signature realism, while audiovisual artist Ray Tijssen explores the relationship between artificial intelligence and creativity. Filmmakers Goutam Ghose and Lee Chang-dong will also be sharing insights into their craft, with sessions exploring stories rooted in the land and lives often pushed to society’s margins.
All sessions will be held at Hall 2, GSC MyTOWN. Those interested can register to join the sessions through the MIFFEST official website. Do note that seats are limited and allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.
Here’s the full schedule:
- 22nd July, 4pm to 5.30pm: Financing Film Today: Models, Markets & International Co-productions
- 22nd July, 8pm to 9.30pm: Anurag Kashyap’s Unfiltered Realism
- 23rd July, 5.30pm to 7pm: Ray Tijssen’s Machines That Imagine
- 24th July, 5pm to 6.30pm: Invisible Craft, Visible Story
- 24th July, 8pm to 9.30pm: Goutam Ghose’s Echoes of the Soil
- 25th July, 11am to 12.30pm: Lee Chang-dong’s Stories from the Margins
- 25th July, 1pm to 2.30pm: Cinema in Resonance
Attendees must present their IC or passport when redeeming their tickets. Redemption opens 2 hours before each session and closes 10 minutes before it begins, after which unclaimed seats may be reassigned.
MIFFest 2026 takes over GSC MyTOWN with 65 films to watch
From filmmakers who turn their ideas into worlds, to audiences who keep those stories alive, MIFFest 2026 feels like a love letter to every kind of creative. With films, open-air screenings, Q&As, and masterclasses unfolding at GSC MyTOWN until 25th July, consider this your sign to step into someone else’s imagination for a while.
Cover image adapted from: IMDb & MIFFEST via Website