The Kota Kinabalu International Film Festival returns for its third installment from 3rd to 9th June 2011 in conjunction with the Kota Kinabalu Arts Festival - an annual event that also takes place in June. It heralds a month that highlights the performing arts including jazz, song, dance and movies under the auspices of SPArKS (The Society of the Performing Arts Kota Kinabalu Sabah).

In June 2009, the KK Theatre Group (a sub-committee of SPArKS) together with the Ex-Franciscans Association 1998, organised the first French Film Festival in KK as part of the KK Arts Festival. This festival was also supported by the French Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. A lively cocktail party complete with french wine, cognac and premium cheeses rang in the start of the festival and set the tone for three well received evenings of French cinema and culture.

For the second year, the film festival included 'PINK5 Filmmakers' Competition & Workshop' and the movie screening was expanded to six films from three different countries, ie three French movies, two Japanese films and Malaysian short films directed by Sabahan filmmaker Chris Chong, turning the festival into an international affair. KKIFF 2010 was a great success, attracting a large and enthusiastic audience of film lovers including the KK Anime Group, which dressed up as cosplay characters during the Japanese anime night, a brilliant surprise for the last night of screening in 2010.

The upcoming KKIFF 2011 is the opening event for the KK Arts Festival and will take place from 3 - 9 June 2011. SEDIA (Sabah Economic Development and Investment Authority) is the co-sponsor for KKIFF 2011 in collaboration with Alliance Française, Japan Foundation and Goethe-Institut. KKIFF 2011 will feature seven international movies from several countries - France, Japan, German and Malaysia. There will be two other events in conjunction with this festival - 'BLINK5 Filmmaker's Competition & Workshop' and 'Film Forum', which will be conducted by acclaimed local film professionals.

KKIFF is accessible and culturally diverse. The film festival's purpose is to encourage the understanding of other cultures through the art of cinema, to facilitate the meeting of filmmaking professionals and to stimulate the filmmakers' industry in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

KKIFF will be held from 3rd to 9th June 2011 at Golden Screen Cinema Suria Sabah. For more information on festival movies, dates and tickets go to www.kkiff.com

Related Feature on LifeAndStyle.com.my : An interview with filmmaker Chris Chong