KUALA LUMPUR: With the temporary closure of cinemas in Malaysia due to the spike cases of Covid-19, the fourth Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest) has been postponed to next year.
MIFFEst chairperson and founder Joanne Goh said that the tentative new date would now be on Jan 2 next year.
"According to the latest SOP announced by the government, activities at cinemas are strictly not allowed during this Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) period.
"And since MIFFest will physically take place at local cinemas, the festival committee has to consider the health and safety of those involved in the event.
"The health and safety of filmmakers, artistes, audiences, crew and staff members are our priority and concern. This decision has been reached in response to the worldwide efforts in taking preventative measures to contain the pandemic," she said in a statement today
She added: "The world is going through one of the most difficult challenges. We stand together in solidarity with the rest of the world in dealing with this unfortunate turn of event."
Meanwhile, the Malaysian Association of Film Exhibitors (MAFE) has stated that the association would continue to monitor the situation and react accordingly as market conditions improve.