The 63rd Asia Pacific Film Festival (APFF63) and the 4th China-Malaysia Film Culture Festival will be held concurrently from 26 to 28 March 2027 in Kuala Lumpur, bringing together two established film platforms in a collaboration aimed at strengthening regional film and cultural exchange.
The “Twin Film Festivals” are organised by Yu On Global Foundation and co-organised by LOMO Pictures and Asia Pacific International Arts Festival.
The announcement was made today at the official press conference held at TGV Pavilion Bukit Jalil, with the kind support of Suhan Pansha, Secretary-General of the Federation of Motion Picture Producers in Asia-Pacific (FPA).
The collaboration marks the third consecutive edition of the Asia Pacific Film Festival to be held in Malaysia, while also bringing the two festivals together for the first time as a twin-festival platform.
Founded in 1954, the Asia Pacific Film Festival has served for decades as a platform for showcasing outstanding films from across the Asia-Pacific region, while fostering friendship, goodwill and professional connections among filmmakers and film communities.
The 4th China-Malaysia Film Culture Festival(CMFCF), meanwhile, continues to strengthen the cultural and cinematic ties between China and Malaysia. Together, the two festivals seek to create a broader platform where filmmakers, industry professionals, audiences and cultural communities can meet, exchange ideas and experience cinema beyond geographical boundaries.
According to Aron Koh, Advisor of APFF63 and also the Chairman of CMFCF, the coming together of the two festivals is intended to be more than simply two events sharing the same dates.
Koh elaborated that the collaboration would allow both festivals to build on their respective strengths and create greater value for audiences, partners and the wider film community.
He further highlighted the opportunity for the twin festivals to contribute to Kuala Lumpur's cultural experience by bringing film and film culture closer to audiences beyond the traditional cinema environment.
For APFF63, Malaysia will once again host this longstanding regional film gathering. Pansha, Secretary-General of the FPA, expressed his support for the upcoming festival and welcomed its continued presence in Malaysia.
For Kuala Lumpur, the collaboration also provides an opportunity to bring film and film culture beyond the traditional cinema environment and closer to the wider public. The organisers are exploring ways to connect the festivals with the city's creative identity, public spaces and cultural ecosystem, allowing audiences to engage with not only films, but also the creative processes and communities behind them.
The initiative reflects a broader vision for the twin festivals as a meeting point of cultures, connecting Malaysia with China and the wider Asia-Pacific region through cinema, creative exchange and human connection.
One of the key announcements was the appointment of Dato’ Kamil Othman, former Chairman of the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS), as one of the Jury Members of the 63rd Asia Pacific Film Festival.
He described his role as an opportunity not only to discover new films and filmmakers from across the region, but also to continue the friendship and goodwill among nations that the festival has fostered over the decades.
As part of APFF63, the organisers will also present a special movie showcase featuring renowned Hong Kong film director Clifton Ko Chi-Sum, celebrating his contribution to Hong Kong cinema.
The showcase will form part of the festival's programme celebrating the diversity and heritage of Asian cinema, while providing audiences with an opportunity to revisit the work of an established filmmaker whose career has contributed significantly to Hong Kong's cinematic landscape.
The organisers also confirmed that Malaysian action director and actor Ayez Shaukat will receive the FPA Rising Icon Award (Male).
The award recognises emerging talents who are making their mark in the regional film industry and reflects APFF's continuing commitment to recognising the next generation of Asian filmmakers and screen talents.
Another highlight of the launch was the unveiling of the trailer for
Its inclusion at the APFF63 launch also underscores the festival's interest in engaging with the changing landscape of cinema and the new forms of storytelling emerging across the region.
As preparations for the twin festivals continue, the organisers envision APFF63 and the 4th China-Malaysia Film Culture Festival as a platform that extends beyond the cinema hall.
The strategic direction includes potential collaboration with cultural and diplomatic institutions, public and private-sector partners, creative industries, education and youth organisations, media and new-media platforms, tourism and hospitality stakeholders, as well as film-industry organisations.
These collaborations are intended to create wider opportunities for film appreciation, professional networking, cultural exchange and public participation.
As Malaysia prepares to mark 70 years of Merdeka in 2027, the organisers see the twin festivals as an opportunity to further position Kuala Lumpur as a meeting point for cultural exchange, while connecting cinema with the city's wider creative and cultural landscape.
