Kota Kinabalu International Film Festival 2016

The Kota Kinabalu Film International Festival (KKIFF) is expected to receive a better response this year, especially with more buzz created on social media. Festival Director Jude Day said they remained optimistic even though the reception was not really good last year, mainly due to the earthquake that hit Sabah.

“Plus, doing it (KKIFF) at MBO has also made a difference…it’s great to be at a proper cinema and MBO has been really supportive. I think the festival’s reception is going to be good this year.” said Day when met during the opening of KKIFF at MBO, here, Friday.

Day was also delighted to see the encouraging response from the audience during the question and answer session after the screening of ‘Jagat’ at the same event. “When you see how interested the audience was to hear what the actors and those who were involved in the films have to say, I think it’s really worthwhile.” Local and international film screenings will run from Friday until July 15. Meanwhile, movie fans are in for a treat with two more international offerings, with one of them to be screened for free today (Sunday).

Born into Brothels

‘Born into Brothels‘, a documentary film, will be shown at 4pm. The 140-minute film was directed by Ross Kauffman and Zana Briski.

It tells a story of Briski, a documentary photographer, who went to Kolkata to photograph prostitutes. While there, she befriended their children and offered to teach the children photography to reciprocate being allowed to photograph their mothers. The children were given cameras so they could learn photography and possibly improve their lives. The resulting photographs, often astonishing, were exhibited around the world – many of them are seen in the film, which won an Academy Award for best documentary feature in 2005.

Briski also recorded her efforts to place the children in boarding schools although many of the children did not end up staying very long in the schools they were placed in.

The Blue Bird

At 8pm, a Japanese film titled ‘The Blue Bird‘ will be screened for free. The 105-minute movie was released in 2008 and it was directed by Kenji Nakanishi.’The Blue Bird’ revolves around a substitute teacher named Murauchi who was assigned to handle a second year class in Higashigaoka Junior High School. The school was in a turmoil as one of the pupils, Noguchi, who had been bullied, committed suicide.

On the first day of the new term, Murauchi, introduced himself and the pupils were surprised by his stutter. Unable to speak eloquently, Murauchi faced his pupils with ‘words of truth’. His first instruction to the pupils was to return Noguchi’s desk and chair to the original place in the classroom. Every morning, Murauchi would greet the empty desk, “Good morning, Noguchi.” This caused a ripple beyond the classroom and among other teachers and parents, but Murauchi would not stop doing it. Eventually the day came when Murauchi must leave.

All screenings of the Kota Kinabalu International Film Festival will take place at MBO Imago Mall. Tickets are available online and at the cinema.