[Coverage] Media Interview with Johnnie To 杜琪峰 and other juries @ 6th MIFFest

 [Coverage] Media Interview with Johnnie To  杜琪峰 and other juries @ 6th MIFFest 

Kuala Lumpur, 2023 – Famous Hong Kong director Johnnie To served as the Chairman of the Jury for the 6th Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest). He jokingly said he "understood" all ten films that made it to the final selection and expressed his hope for more young filmmakers in Malaysia to have the freedom to create, which would lead to a flourishing film industry.

Having previously served as a jury member at prestigious film festivals like Venice, Cannes, and Berlin, Johnnie To was invited to be the Chairman of the Jury for the 6th MIFFest. Regarding the films in competition this year, he remarked that movies from different regions can present diverse cultures. He humorously added, "I have been to many different film festivals, and there were many films I couldn't understand, but this time, I could understand all ten films, and they were also easy to digest."

Reflecting on his initial exposure to Asian cinema, Johnnie To expressed surprise, saying, "I never thought that countries in the Asian region, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam, would have such good standards. Perhaps the films I saw before didn't have a strong presence in history, but with the works I've seen now, it's a promising cultural beginning. Telling stories to others through film is a great prospect. I also see many young directors, and one Indonesian film is the director's debut work. I hope the new generation of filmmakers will have excellent opportunities, and the path of Asian cinema will only get better."

Participating in the Malaysia International Film Festival for the first time, Johnnie To regarded it as a historic moment. He said, "The timing is just right. When I attended different film festivals in the past, I had interactions with many Malaysian directors. Over a decade ago, people heavily relied on foreign actors TVB, and they didn't know how to make significant progress. But now, more than ten years later, a younger generation is emerging, believing that making films is possible. The film festival helps them. It provides a platform for them to showcase their talents, both locally and internationally. This is a long-term path that should be actively explored."

Regarding film creation, Johnnie To felt deeply, saying, "Continuing to develop freely and with creative freedom will bring about new things. We don't just want films to be seen in Hong Kong and Malaysia; the goal of filmmaking is to reach a global, international audience. Though we come from different film worlds, our common aim is to promote the film industry. I hope the film festival can continue to work hard and grow stronger."

Apart from Johnnie To as the Jury Chairman, other members of the 6th Malaysia International Film Festival's jury included renowned Vietnamese actress Truong Ngoc Anh, Japanese director Ryuichi Hiroki, Malaysian actor Zizan Razak, and Singaporean filmmaker Eric Khoo.

香港著名导演杜琪峰担任《第6届马来西亚国际电影节》（MIFFest）评审团主席。他开心地表示对入围的十部电影都“看得懂”，并希望马来西亚有更多年轻的电影人能够自由创作，让电影界更加繁荣发展。

杜琪峰曾担任威尼斯影展、康城影展、柏林影展的评审，这次被邀请担任《第6届马来西亚国际电影节》评审团主席。对于本届入围作品，他表示不同地区的电影呈现了不同的文化，他笑着说：“我曾参加过很多不同的影展，有些电影对我来说难以理解，但这次的十部电影我都能明白，也很容易接受。”

回想起初次接触亚洲电影时，杜琪峰感到惊讶：“我没想到亚洲地区如印尼、马来西亚、越南等国家也有出色的电影，也许以前我对这些地区的电影历史了解不够深入，但现在看到这些作品，我发现这是一个很好的文化开端，通过电影向世界讲述故事，这是一个非常有前途的事情。我也看到了许多年轻的导演，其中有一部印尼电影是导演的处女作，我希望新一代的电影人能有很好的发展，亚洲电影的未来会越来越光明。”

这是他首次参与马来西亚电影节，杜琪峰表示这是历史性的时刻。他说：“现在正是时候，以前我去其他影展时也有见到过许多马来西亚导演，十多年前，大家还很依赖外来的无线电视演员，不知道如何进一步发展，但是现在十多年过去了，新一代年轻人开始涌现，他们相信自己可以拍电影，对他们来说，电影节是一个能够展示才华的平台，无论在本地还是国际上，这是一条很有潜力的道路，应该积极挖掘。”

谈到电影创作，杜琪峰深有感触地说：“只有保持自由发展，创作自由，才能有新的创意。我们不仅仅是要让香港和马来西亚看到，拍电影的目标是要让全世界、国际观众都能欣赏。虽然我们是来自不同电影世界的人，但我们共同的目标是推动电影行业，希望电影节能持续发展壮大。”

除了杜琪峰担任评审团主席，第6届马来西亚国际电影节的其他评审团成员还包括来自越南的著名女演员张玉英、日本导演广木隆一、马来西亚演员兹占拉萨以及新加坡著名电影人邱金海。

Keywords: #杜琪峰 #第6届马来西亚国际电影节 #MIFFest #JohnnieTo #6thMIFFest

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