Kuala Lumpur‘s cultural life has come along in leaps and bounds over recent years. Barely a week goes by without some sort of artistic event or other, from modern dance to classical music. The problem is often not with the range and quality of the city’s artistic offerings, but with the paucity of available information.

An annual treat for film buffs.

Take the forthcoming European Union Film Festival, almost certainly the best opportunity to see non-mainstream movies in KL. A dedicated website exists, but (as of November 1) it still has nothing more than a generic flyer on it, even though the festival gets underway in little more than a week. The dedicated Facebook page is a better source of information about the films, but does not provide even a rudimentary festival timetable.

Normally the home of the blockbuster.

Golden Screen Cinemas will be screening all the movies at its multiplexes in Mid Valley Megamall and One Utama shopping centre, from November 10 to 20. A slightly smaller selection will play at its Gurney Plaza multiplex in Penang, from November 24 to 30. Delve deep into GSC’s website, and you can get useful information about each movie, but not a full list of screening times.

The last days of Hitler's mad dream.

By chance, I found a detailed timetable on the Goethe Institut Malaysia website. It is subject to change, but you will need to double check with GSC to buy tickets anyway. I often wonder what KL’s cultural life would be like without both the Goethe Institut and its French counterpart, Alliance Francaise.

A spicy, cross-cultural romantic comedy.

Moan over, this festival will be a real treat for anyone who appreciates being able to see intelligent European films on the big screen in Malaysia. A total of 21 movies will be screened, including everything from Tandoori Love, a Swiss comedy about the misadventures of an Indian Bollywood troupe in the Alps, to Downfall, a German war drama about the last days of the Third Reich. The festival really does have something for everyone, apart from those looking for mindless Hollywood blockbusters.

Science can be fun, honest!

Moving on, the Goethe Institut is one of the main partners in the Science Film Festival, which is taking place over the next few weeks in Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. Malaysia-specific information is as yet thin on the ground (surprise, surprise), but 17 films are due to be screened locally from November 7 to 18 on the festival’s theme of forests. Watch this space for further details.

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Tags: european union, film festivals, films, goethe institut, science film festival