KLEX – Kuala Lumpur Experimental Film, Video & Music Festival

KLEX is an independent, unique artists and volunteers-run grassroots international festival of experimental film, video and music founded in Malaysia in 2010. KLEX aims to serve as a platform to introduce contemporary unconventional moving images and music from the region and worldwide to the Malaysian audience. It also aims to introduce works from Southeast Asia and beyond to other parts of the world to cultivate understanding, friendship, exchange, and collaboration among local and international experimental art communities. KLEX features works from Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe, North and South America. Since 2011, KLEX has been bringing its touring film programs to other parts of Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America. Over the years, it continues to grow with the dedication of its tiny yet enthusiastic festival team.

The festival features KLEX Open Programmes with cinematic works selected from the international open call, and International Guest Programmes curated by guest curators. KLEX 2014-2016 featured the Berlinale Shorts Go Abroad from the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival. KLEX 2018-2021 featured SHORT EXPORT, a collaborative project between Goethe-Institut Lyon, Short Film Festival Clermont-Ferrand, AG Kurzfilm Bundesverband Deutscher Kurzfilm, German Films and KurzFilm Agentur Hamburg. International guest curators and artists that attended KLEX festivals include Max Hattler, SilkeSchmickl, Dieter Wieczorek, Michael Brynntrup (DE), Phoebe Man Ching Ying (HK), Tzuan Wu (TW), Hiroaki Sato, Katsuyuki Hattori and Kotaro Tanaka (JP), Wuttin Chansataboot and Wiwat Lertwiwatwongsa (TH), Choi Jonghan (KR), Richard Tuohy, Dianna Barrie (AU), Tammy McGovern (US), Scott Miller Berry, Fabrizio Gilardino, Khosro Berahmandi (CA), Low Zu Boon (SG) and more. Leading up to the festival, KLEX organizes a series of events locally, including video screenings and music concerts at local colleges, art galleries and alternative venues such as Khatulistiwa, RAW Art Space, The Percussion Store, Lostgens Contemporary Art Space, MAPKL@Publika, Universiti Sarawak Malaysia, Sunway University, Multimedia University, Southern University College, SEGi CollegeSubang Jaya, New Era University College, Malaysian Institute of Art, Dasein Academy of Art, Linton University College, and many more.

Besides film screenings, the KLEX music performance programme has been essential to the festival since 2011. In the first few editions, it focused on encouraging cross-disciplinary and cross-regional experimentation between artists and musicians. Since May 2014, KLEX has expanded its work into improvised and experimental music. It launched the monthly music series, Serious Play Improv Lab (SPIL) and has since played an important role in nurturing the development of the improvised music scene in the region. In 2015, KLEX modified the official festival name to “Kuala Lumpur Experimental Film, Video & Music Festival”, adding “music” to its title. Musicians that have performed in KLEX events include MAB 189, Chia Cheng Kok, John Long, Loke Xiaoyun, Yii Kah Hoe, Lee Si Yuan, Aris Huzaimi, Richard Allan Bates, Goh Lee Kwang, Sudarshan Chandra Kumar, Kamal Sabran, Darren Moore, Brian O’Reilly, Black Zenith, Dirk Stromberg, Tim O’Dwyer, Dharma, Sheryl Ong, Yuen Chee Wai, Lương Huệ Trinh, Otomo Yoshihide, Sachiko M, Sabu Toyozumi, Ryoko Ono, DJ sniff, Katsura Yamauchi, Dino, Lee Shih Yang, Lin Xiao Feng, Jyun-Ao Caeser Lin, Liu Fangyi, Burkhard Beins, Frank Gratkowski, Angelika Niescier, Nicola Hein, Max Riefer, Jaap Blonk, Cedrik Fermont, Christian Meaas Svendsen, Bob Ostertag, Gerry Hemingway, and many more.

KLEX has an excellent network with the international experimental art communities for collaborations and exchange, including Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center, Alfred University, Colorado State University, Le Petit Versailles (US); Suspaustas Laikas Festival (LT); Director’s Lounge, HBK Film Forum-Braunschweig University of Art, UnStumm Project (DE); Asian Meeting Festival, Image Forum Festival, Videoart Center Tokyo (JP); Festival International Signes de Nuit, Lowave (FR), Ilmin Museum of Art, Korean Association of Film Education, Asian Artist’s Film & Video Forum (KR); VIDEOTAGE, Asian Experimental Video Festival (HK), AMNUA International Experimental Film & Video Forum (CN); re:assemblage collective, Festival Accès Asie, Images Festival (CA); Bangkok Experimental Film Festival (TH); ARKIPEL Festival (ID); Nano Lab (AUS); Port Actif (BE); Singapore International Film Festival (SG), Kaohsiung Film Festival (TW) and many more.