After more than two years, Malaysia’s FreedomFilmFest 2022 (FFF2022) is returning to the big screen with a lineup of deep, difficult, and daring films produced just before and during the pandemic. With the theme Pandemik Dua Darjat (Pandemic of Inequality), the festival features over 35 films highlighting the economic inequalities and power disparities exposed by the COVID-19 health crisis. The event will run from September 9 to 17 at the PJ Live Arts Theatre, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.
As an official partner of FFF2022, Cinemata will be hosting the screening of the films during the live event. Opening the festival is the documentary In the Same Breath by acclaimed filmmaker Nanfu Wang, which follows the early days of the pandemic and the response of the Chinese and American governments. Also featured in the festival are award-winning documentaries, the premiere of 12 Malaysian social issue films, talks and masterclasses on film-related topics, and more.
FreedomFilmFest is Malaysia’s first and only international human rights documentary film festival. Established in 2003, the festival provides a platform for stories that are unseen, unheard, and untold from Malaysia, Southeast Asia, and across the globe.
The festival will also feature the premiere of the film Hopes and Feeds, directed by EngageMedia Video Lead King Catoy. Produced in the aftermath of the May 2022 Philippine elections, the documentary follows the story of two working class Filipinos – one supporting then-presidential frontrunner Ferdinand Marcos Jr, who has been implicated in disinformation campaigns whitewashing his family’s legacy, and another supporting former Vice President Leni Robredo, described as the “biggest victim” of such campaigns. Through interviews and footage from the campaign rallies, the documentary investigates how social media shaped their choices for the country’s next leader. More details on the documentary will be released soon.
To learn more about the festival program, visit the FreedomFilmFest2022 website. To purchase festival passes and attend the physical events, register here.
