The best festivals to check out this weekend

If you have no plans this weekend, now you do. From the sleepy suburbs of Shah Alam to the city centre, the Klang Valley is alive this weekend with arts festivals and markets. Whichever you decide to visit, here are the top things to do at each festival.

Art for Grabs
Art for Grabs teams up with Sisters in Islam for this edition of the creative market. Expect discussions exploring the ideas of feminism in a Malay Muslim world including ‘Siapa Bilang Gadis Melayu Tak Melawan?’ After that, catch 'Cinta Sexis', a screening of local clips so infamously sexist you might end up crying at the sad state of the local entertainment industry. Fret not, the organisers will balance things up with 'Cinta Feminis', showing clips of better portrayal of women – although 'better' doesn't necessarily mean 'the best'. For some love of the spoken word, Sheena Baharudin, Illya Sumanto, Liyana Dizzy and other KL poets will be telling their stories in ‘Poetically Correct’. They'll also attempt to make sense of the country in times of great censorship.

Freedom Film Fest
If you’re already at Art for Grabs, make sure to swing by PJ Live Arts as Malaysia’s own human rights documentary festival kicks off on Sunday with the theme ‘Unseen, Unheard, Untold’. Films to be screened are ‘Human Scale’ and ‘In the name of the Cup’. Come on Friday, September 11 to catch the Edward Snowden documentary ‘Citizenfour’.

Festival Idearaya
Make a trip to Shah Alam and celebrate the first ever Idearaya, a festival of ideas and culture. Take part in discussions about literature, activism, the environment and more, or pick up some skills by attending various workshops. Learn how to make your own soap with Kebun Kaki Bukit, or join Jejabus Kangen as they teach you how to make the didgeridoo, a traditional Australian wind instrument. Also check out the ‘Dia;Spora’ exhibition by three local emerging artists Tan Zi Hao, Engku Iman and Khairani Ahmad Zaquan. The highlight of the festival will be the screening of ‘Flower in the Pocket’ by Liew Seng Tat who recently won Best Director at Festival Filem Malaysia 27 for ‘Lelaki Harapan Dunia’. The director himself will be at the festival for post-movie discussions. End the week with ‘Gig Indieraya!’ on Sunday with sets by Space Gambus Experiment, The Garrison, Spooky Wet Dreams and Pyanhabib Rahman.

Coffee and Art Fringe Festival (CAFFA 2015)
Coffee lovers, head to Publika where there will be coffee tastings, live barista demonstrations and workshops for you to level up on your coffee facts. On a less coffee-related note, check out the art exhibition ‘Latar Be-lakang’ curated by Dumpster featuring Lina Tan, Kide Baharudin and other upcoming artists. Cats in Love, Grey Sky Morning and Nastia will be performing on Saturday night.

Kakiseni International Arts Festival
Kakiseni’s annual festival is back with plays, music performances, workshops and more. Catch Nam Ron’s ‘Mat Derih Kola Perlih’, Revolution Stage’s ‘Cermin’ and French Wingz’s ‘Mistral Gagnant’. Join a parkour workshop with The Urban Playground Team from Brighton and watch their ‘Inner City’ performance. There will also be some outdoor performances happening around the fountain area of Pavilion KL by Revolution Stage.

DiverseCity
Need a bit of culture? The city’s most ambitious arts festival is still happening all throughout the month. This weekend’s highlights include a tribute exhibition to the late Pak Mie of the RESTU animal shelter in Kedah, a performance by legendary Burmese dance theatre company Shwe Mann Thabin, and Mokhtar Samba’s African jazz project.

Japanese Film Festival
If you insist on going to the cinema this weekend, watch a Japanese film. The annual film festival is back at selected GSC outlets with 13 films across various genres. Highlights include 'Tamako in Moratorium', 'Petal Dance', Our Little Sister', 'Our Family' and 'Initial D the Movie Legend 2: Racer'.