Udine Announces The Complete 2009 Lineup!
Last year at this time the lady-friend and I were putting together the final preparations for a trip to Italy. The purpose? To visit the Udine Far East Film Festival, then entering its tenth edition, a festival that immediately lived up to its reputation as one of the very greatest showcases of Asian film on the planet. They've got a good thing going in Udine, an event that not only has great films and a great theater but also has a very well deserved reputation for its hospitality and for how relaxed and easily accessible all the talent that attend are. This isn't one of those festivals that features a bunch of suits in business mode, this is where people come because they love film. We had a spectacular time and I'm more than a little upset that I wasn't able to work it into my schedule for this year.
And my degree of upset just rose considerably with the announcement of the full lineup for the 11th edition of the festival. They've got the world premiere of Miki Satoshi's Instant Numa, the international premiere of Wilson Yip's Ip Man; Dante Lam's fantastic Beast Stalker; the European premiere of Mouly Surya's Fiksi; a Thai action day featuring Ong Bak 2, Chocolate, Som Tum and Fireball; a day devoted to Ann Hui plus the proverbial so much more.
Check out the complete announcement below the break!
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UDINE FAR EAST FILM 2009
A 9-DAY JOURNEY!
Departure – 20.00, 24 April
Return – 00.00, 2 May
Press release of 14 April 2009
please publish and circulate
[Introduction] There is pain and anger at the Far East Film 11: an earthquake
marked our area and our history, in 1976, and the Friulan people who organize and
run the festival, those who witnessed this tragedy directly or indirectly, are not able to
be physically present help our brothers in Abruzzo after the tragedy of 6th April.
We, however, still feel the same pain and the same anger… And it is also with these
emotions, but also with love, that FEFF 11 remembers a friend: Wouter
Barendrecht, co-chairman of Fortissimo Film Sales (a company which is a pioneer in
the distribution of Asian films in Europe and the promotion and production of new
talents in the Far East), who suddenly passed away a few days ago, at only 43 years
old.
The admirable and contagious passion that Wouter - a guest at “Ties That Bind” at the
last FEFF - had for Asian cinema will certainly not fade away with his untimely
passing, but will instead serve as an shining example for those who share the same
passion for cinema. Far East Film will humbly take up the mission of continuing this
legacy, and we feel that it is only right that we dedicate FEFF 11 to the memory of
Wouter. It is in sadness and with difficulty that we forge ahead and announce the
2009 edition: a new adventure which confirms the important and unique position that
Udine has attained in its 11 years of existence.
Growing exponentially over the years, it is becoming clear that Far East Film is no
longer merely the Festival of the Centro Espressioni Cinematografiche - given its
characteristic, size, the partners involved, its popularity, reputation and the respect it
has won internationally, it is now a cultural event which draws people from all over
the world, creating a significant economic windfall for the city. Thanks to FEFF,
Friuli and Italy are known and understood in the Far East, something which can be
reciprocated, but in order to attain this, a new synergy would be necessary between
CEC and local institutions (state, region and municipality) and the economic forces.
Together, we are coming up with strategies for the future and to make sure that Far
East Film becomes more than just a miracle that relies on limited resources every
year, but to develop it into something that can determine and manage its own destiny
by fully taking advantage of all its potential.
FEFF: 2009 EDITION
[The journey] What is Far East Film? It is a return ticket to the Far East, a
journey that lasts nine days, from 24 April to 2 May, departing from the small port
of Udine, making a stop at a faraway universe which the festival brings a little closer!
The Centro Espressioni Cinematografiche of Udine is ready to set sail with a cargo
of 56 films from 9 countries, which will show to its lucky passengers the face and the
soul of these lively cities filled with history and passion: from Seoul to Tokyo,
Beijing to Hong Kong, Jakarta to Manila, before finally reaching, further east,
Taipei, via Singapore and Bangkok…
[Navigating the map of the new popular cinema] Far East Film exists to
help the west navigate the ever-changing map of Asian cinema has the ability to stun
and overwhelm by depicting universal dreams and stories with an extraordinary
communicative force. In doing so, it reaffirms itself as the only outpost on the map
that is capable of reinventing popular cinema, which is defined by its frenetic
rhythm, its willingness to face up to daring themes and styles, its young directors and
revered auteurs, baroque special effects and formal taste. Asian cinema, as shown by
the rich selection at Udine, is unconventional and has a certain respect for its contact
with the audience - simply because it is with the audience that these films want to
communicate. In this sense, Asia, and by extension, Udine is the home of this new
popular cinema. And Far East Film is one of the few festivals where each genre is
given equal weight: sentimental films are given the same importance as action films
and comedies and melodramas are on the same level as detective films, film noir,
fantasy films or ghost flicks.
[Deciphering the numbers, on the right path] With an average overall
attendance of over 50,000 people, Far East Film has seen, year after year, an increase
in interest from the international, national and local public, all of whom are now loyal
fans. And even now, just days before the beginning of the festival, the numbers speak
for themselves - there have already been about a thousand requests for accreditation
for the 2009 edition. As is the norm, many of these requests are from journalists, not
only from Europe but also from Asia and America. FEFF has invited over thirty
personalities from cinema (directors, actors, producers), who will occupy over 27
boarding structures in the city: 12 hotels, as well as bed & breakfasts, lodges and
rented rooms. There will also be an increase in the affluence of film students and
those studying oriental languages, including students from abroad from
establishments in London, Budapest, Vienna and Lyon, their journey made easier
economically by the original scheme, Bed&FEFF, hospitality in a family home.
[Multiplication of venues and initiatives] The 2009 edition will be taking
place in many different locations all over the city, although the main HQ is the
Teatro Nuovo “Giovanni da Udine”, whose Sala Grande seats 1200, and the
Visionario, whose Sala Astra seats 300. The streets will be jam-packed from the
opening night: the Notte Gialla on 24 April will invite guests and citizens of Udine to
an enjoyable spring evening which will see the shops staying open until 22.30.
Another brand new aspect of the Festival will be the Far East Market, which will take
place from Friday 24 to Sunday 26 April: the first market of Asian products in the city
of Udine. From 10.00 until 20.00 on these days, twenty colourful stands will recreate
an Asian marketplace selling high-quality goods in Via Manin, Piazza Libertà and
Via Vittorio Veneto Two important streets, in the heart of the Udine city centre, will
experience a unique weekend, teeming with people and the sounds of a genuine Asian
market.
From 22.30 on 25 and 30 April and 1 and 2 May, an exceptional location for the
musical nights will be the Teatro San Giorgio, which will host major name DJs from
the big European and Asian capitals for the unmissable Far East Nights. The
Visionario will also play a major role in the event, hosting the retrospective on Ann
Hui, the Lucia Pescador exhibition and the workshop Ties That Bind (26 to 28 April),
which will see a panel of 16 producers and distributors from both Asia and Europe
discuss the current themes of funding and finance structures, marketing strategies,
sales and distribution, in both an Asian and European context.
[Itinerary - Hong Kong Stories: The Television Works of Ann Hui]
This year, alongside the tradition Horror Day (a marathon of scares, planned for 29
April, with 7 films this year), the audience at Udine will have the chance will have
the chance to see several gems from Ann Hui. An illustrious name from the New
Wave of the 1980s, whose career, spanning over 30 years, is perfectly balanced
between genre cinema and auteur cinema, Ann Hui will be honored with the
screening of over ten of her television works from the „70s (shown in the west for
the first time) and her recent poetic docudrama The Way We Are, which is set in Tin
Shui Wai, a satellite district on the edges of Hong Kong. The stories told by Ann Hui
are tightly rooted in Hong Kong, its culture and the Cantonese language. Her ordinary
heroes are men and women who live in the outskirts, whose faces are deeply
evocative of everyday life. They represent the real-life news headlines, denounce
social injustice, tell the stories of disadvantaged families, corrupt police, poor
immigrants and prostitutes without hope. Hui portrays them with an unequalled
sensitivity, which differentiates her from Patrick Tam and Alex, two great directors
who also started out working in television, which allowed them room to be creative
and to experiment - something which is rare in Hong Kong in the „70s.
[Special section. Kicks of Fury - New Muay Thai films] With the shout of
“Real Fight Is Back”, Udine will get to see the spectacular force of Thai Action!
Featuring 4 brand new titles, FEFF presents the latest phenomenon in popular Asian
cinema: Thai martial art films, with real, acrobatic kung fu, combats and physical
power which do not require special effects. In this section, entitled Kicks Of Fury -
New Muay Thai Films, audiences will get to see the eagerly awaited Ong Bak 2 at its
European premiere (starring and directed by Tony Jaa, the legitimate heir of Bruce
Lee) and Chocolate, the cult movie starring Jeeja Yanin, who is hailed as an
uncontrollable, female Jackie Chan.
An extraordinary season for Far Eastern cinema!
Udine sweeps key films for their European premiere, offering a
unique group of talents billed as the top filmmakers of tomorrow…
2008 and the beginning of 2009 have shown the signs of being an extraordinary
period of the cinema of the Far East: despite the crisis, several films have triumphed
at national box offices, beating Hollywood blockbusters, and reviving local
productions. Feng Xiaogang, the most popular among the Chinese directors, and a
FEFF regular, has grossed more than Titanic at box office with his latest film If You
Are The One. Already a cult movie, the Sergio Leone-style action The Good, The
Bad, The Weird, set in Manchuria and directed by Kim Jee-woon (another Udine
regular), was the most successful western of all time. With the objective of offering
the most complete panorama of far eastern cinema, FEFF 11 will be showcasing both
the most revered names of Asian cinema and young talents - Udine‟s mission is to act
as a springboard for them. Not overlooking, of course, those who have already graced
the screens at Udine, but are still waiting for recognition in the West.
Besides those already mentioned, several big names will be making a return. Among
them, Takita Yojiro, Oscar winning director of Departures, and Miike Takashi, with
the stunning Yatterman (Yattaman), the film which spent 4 weeks at the top of the
Japanese box office and was seen by 2 million moviegoers, and will be FEFF‟s
closing film. Also making an appearance will be the Korean master Yoo Ha, wellknown
in Udine for the unforgettable Dirty Carnival and Once Upon In High School,
and now director of the daring and erotic A Frozen Flower - a stylish period drama
set in the enchanting imperial palace of the Koryo dynasty. In this film, a homosexual
king, bound to his obligation to produce an heir, has his young lover make love to his
queen… Hong Kong makes an eye-popping contribution with its much-loved action
movies: Connected by the veteran Benny Chan, The Beast Stalker by Dante Lam,
and last but not least, Ip Man, a biopic about the legendary master of Bruce Lee,
helmed by another FEFF friend, Wilson Yip.
On the list of directors still waiting for overdue recognition in the West, there is Miki
Satoshi, who is back at FEFF after last year‟s Adrift In Tokyo with another of his
bizarre comedies: Instant Swamp in world premiere. His fellow countryman Sono
Sion is also another highlight, with Love Exposure, which runs for four hours, mixing
sex, martial arts and satire. Others include: Ning Hao (a third Coen brother?), the
father of Chinese black comedy (Crazy Stone, 2006) with the brilliant Crazy Racer,
the stylish Cao Baoping, idolized by Chinese cinephiles with The Equation Of Love
And Death. He will also be presenting his stunning 2006 debut Trouble Makers.
Finally, an old friend of the festival: the director Ma Liwen with Desires Of The
Heart, focuses on love‟s labors of five young urban women.
Some of the auteurs that FEFF 11 intends to launch come from the Land of the Rising
Sun, a country which produced a respectable number of 418 films in 2008 (including
many debuts). A name which will certainly be talked about in the future is that of
Hanabusa Tsutomu, director of The Handsome Suit: a contemporary fairy tale in
which a magical suit transforms an ugly duckling - in this case, a chubby and ugly
cook - into the most handsome man in Japan. Rumor is that Hollywood has already
knocked on Tsutomu‟s door for the remake rights. Shifting from fairy tale to
Armageddon, we‟ll see the apocalypse being avoided thanks to a punk-rock song!
This is the core of Fish Story, the film which, along with the medical thriller The
Triumphant General Rouge (follow up to last year‟s The Glorious Team Batista)
provides FEFF with the opportunity to showcase the young director Nakamura
Yoshihiro, a Japanese M. Night Shyamalan…
From Japan to South Korea - from the latter comes three of the most interesting
debuts of the season: Jang Hoo‟s Rough Cut, a tense gangster movie written and
produced by Kim Ki Duk; the female director Lee Kyung-mi‟s Crush And Blush,
an unusual comedy written and produced by none other than Park Chan-wook;
finally, Kang Hyoung-chul‟s Scandal Makers, a witty comedy about a lothario radio
DJ in his thirties, who suddenly discovers that he is not only a father but also a
grandfather, no thanks to a precocious tendency to procreate which is a family trait, as
he found out as a teenager.
Not only names at FEFF 11, but also an overview of new types of cinematography!
Breaking news at the upcoming edition is in fact, the effervescent Indonesia, which
after its timid entrance into Udine last year, in 2009 the country will be represented by
no less than 6 titles, 2 of which are horrors! In a Muslim country, specialising in
horror, that also produces 100 films every year, the female directors stand out,
with Radit & Jani (the story of Sid & Nancy set in Jakarta), directed by Upi and
Fiction., the brilliant psycho-drama directed by the very young Ms. Mouly Surya).
Needless to say, all this and much more will be experienced during the course of
our journey. So it would be a good idea to book, as soon as you can, a good
seat… on board!
The 2009 edition in numbers:
China, 7
Hong Kong, 7
Japan, 14
South Korea, 10
Philippines, 3
Thailand, 6
Taiwan, 1
Indonesia, 6
Singapore, 1
Pink movies, 1
Ann Hui, 1 film and about 10 hours of TV Works
ALL THE FILMS AT A GLANCE FEFF 2009
COMPETITION
CHINA
All About Women,TSUI Hark, 2008, comedy, Italian Premiere
Crazy Racer, NING Hao, 2009, black-comedy, European Premiere
Desires Of The Heart,MA Liwen, 2008, comedy, International Festival Premiere
The Equation Of Love And Death,CAO Baoping, 2008, black-tragic-comedy-romance, Italian Premiere
If You Are The One, FENG Xiaogang, 2008, romantic-comedy, European Premiere
The Story Of The Closestool,XU Buming, 2008, social-comedy, International Festival Premiere
SPECIAL SCREENING
Trouble Makers,CAO Baoping, 2006, black-comedy, Italian Premiere
HONG KONG
The Beast Stalker,Dante LAM,2008, action-noir, Italian Premiere
Connected,Benny CHAN, 2008, action, International Festival Premiere
Ip Man,Wilson YIP, 2008, martial-arts-biopic, International Festival Premiere
Tactical Unit: Comrades In Arms, LAW Wing-cheong, 2009, police-thriller, European Premiere
The Forbidden Legend-Sex & Chopsticks,Cash CHIN, 2008, sex-comedy, International Festival
Premiere
True Women For Sale,Herman YAU, 2008, sex-worker-drama, European Premiere
INDONESIA
Chants Of Lotus,Nia DINATA, Upi, Lasja F. SUSATYO, Fatimah T. RONY, 2008, drama, European
Premiere
Fiction., Mouly SURYA, 2008, psycho-drama, European Premiere
The Forbidden Door,Joko ANWAR, 2009, HORROR DAY- psycho horror, Italian Premiere
Radit & Jani,Upi, 2008, youth-drama, European Premiere
The Rainbow Troops, Riri RIZA, 2008, melodrama, Italian Premiere
Takut: Faces Of Fear, Rako PRIJANTO, Riri RIZA, Ray NAYOAN, Robby ERTANTO, Raditya SIDHARTA,
“The MO Brothers” (Kimo STAMBOEL & Timothy TJAHJANTO), 2008, HORROR DAY, Italian Premiere
JAPAN
Special Focus on NAKAMURA Yoshihiro
Fish Story,NAKAMURA Yoshihiro, apocalyptic-dramady, 2009, European Premiere
The Triumphant General Rouge, NAKAMURA Yoshihiro, 2009, medical-thriller, International Festival
Premiere
Climber's High, HARADA Masato, 2009, disaster-thriller, International Festival Premiere
Departures,TAKITA Yojiro, 2008, Academy Award-winning drama, Italian Premiere
Drop, SHINAGAWA Hiroshi, 2009, teen-gang-dramady, European Premiere
The Handsome Suit, HANABUSA Tsutomu, 2008, romantic-comedy, International Festival Premiere
Instant Swamp,MIKI Satoshi, 2009, deranged-comedy, World Premiere
K-20: Legend Of The Mask,SATO Shimako, 2008, action-fantasy, European Premiere
Lalapipo - A Lot Of People, MIYANO Masayuki, 2008, erotic-comedy, International Festival Premiere
Love Exposure,SONO Sion, 2009, cult-romantic-comedy, Italian Premiere
One Million Yen Girl,TANADA Yuki, 2008, youth-road-movie, Italian Premiere
Yatterman, MIIKE Takashi, superhero-fantasy, European Premiere
Pink-movie
Love Master 3 ,TAJIRI Yuji, 2008, erotic-comedy, International Premiere
THE PHILIPPINES
Baler,Mark MEILY, 2008, historical-drama, International Festival Premiere
Caregiver, Chito S. ROÑO, 2008, social-drama, Italian Premiere
My Only Ü,Cathy GARCIA-MOLINA, 2008, romantic-comedy, International Festival Premiere
SINGAPORE
Rule #1,Kelvin TONG, 2008, HORROR DAY , Italian Premiere
SOUTH KOREA
The Accidental Gangster,YEO Kyun-dong, 2008, period-action-comedy-romance, International Festival
Premiere
Crush And Blush, LEE Kyoung-mi, 2008, black screwball comedy, Italian Premiere
A Frozen Flower,YOO Ha,2008,erotic-drama, Italian Premiere
The Good, The Bad, The Weird, KIM Jee-woon, 2008, eastern-western, Italian Premiere
Hello Schoolgirl,RYU Jang-ha, 2008, youth drama, International Festival Premiere
Life Is Cool,Equan CHOE, 2008, rotoscope-drama, International Festival Premiere
My Dear Enemy,LEE Yoon-ki,2008,drama, Italian Premiere
Rough Cut,JANG Hoon, 2008, gangster-movie, European Premiere
Scandal Makers,KANG Hyoung-chul, 2008, comedy, European Premiere
SPECIAL SCREENING
A Bloodthirsty Killer, LEE Yong-min, 1965, HORROR DAY, classic -horror
TAIWAN
Cape No. 7,WEI Te-sheng, 2008, comedy-romance, Italian Premiere
THAILAND
SPECIAL SECTION. KICKS OF FURY - NEW MUAY THAI FILMS
Chocolate,Prachya PINKAEW, 2008, female-action, Italian Premiere
Fireball, Thanakorn PONGSUWAN, 2009, sports-action, Italian Premiere
Somtum, Nontakorn TAWEESUK, 2008, action-comedy, International Festival Premiere
Ong Bak 2, Tony JAA and Panna RITTIKRAI, 2008, black-magic-action, European Premiere
4BIA, Yongyoot THONGKONGTOON, Paween PURIJITPANYA, Banjong PISANTHANAKUN, Parkpoom
WONGPOM, 2008, HORROR DAY, Italian Premiere
Best Of Times, Yongyoot THONGKONGTOON, 2009, comedy, International Festival Premiere
Coming Soon,Sophon SAKDAPHISIT, 2008, HORROR DAY, International Festival Premiere
Rahtree Reborn,Yuthlert SIPPAPAK, 2009, HORROR DAY, International Festival Premiere
Hong Kong Stories: The TV Works of Ann Hui
The Way We Are,Ann HUI, 2008, drama, European Premiere
TVB: Dragon, Tiger, Panther, 1976
TVB: CID: Murder,1976
TVB: Social Worker: Boy, 1976
TVB: Social Worker: Ah Sze, 1976
ICAC: Homeward Bound,1977
ICAC: Steak Fee,1978
ICAC: Section 9,1977
ICAC: Black and White,1978
ICAC: A Man,1977
ICAC: Investigation, 1977
RTHK: Below The Lion Rock: The Boy From Vietnam, 1978
RTHK: Below The Lion Rock: The Bridge, 1978
RTHK: Below The Lion Rock: The Road, 1978
FESTIVAL SPECIAL EVENT
YURA YURA TEIKOKU, psychedelic rock band from Tokyo, European Premiere
WORLD PREMIERE = First public screening in the world
INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE = First public screening outside own country
INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL PREMIERE = First festival screening in the world
EUROPEAN PREMIERE = First public screening in Europe
ITALIAN PREMIERE = First public screening in Italy
FAR EAST FILM FESTIVAL 11 - GUEST STARS
CHINA
CAO Baoping, director,The Equation Of Love And Death – Trouble Makers
XU Buming director, The Story Of The Closestool
HONG KONG
CHEUNG Nick, actor, The Beast Stalker, Connected
HUI Ann, director, Hong Kong Stories: The TV Works of Ann Hui
LAM Dante, director, The Beast Stalker
INDONESIA
Fachry ALBAR, actor, The Forbidden Door
Joko ANWAR, director and scriptwriter, The Forbidden Door, Fiction.
Haris Khaseli GUMELAR, music director, Fiction.
Lucky PERDANA, assistant producer, Radit & Jani
Achmad Zawawi SOELEIMAN, executive producer, Fiction.
Sapto SOETARJO, producer, Fiction.
Adiyanto SUMARDJONO, producer, Radit & Jani
Mouly SURYA, director and scriptwriter, Fiction.
Marsha TIMOTHY, actress, The Forbidden Door
UPI , director and scriptwriter, Chants Of Lotus, Radit & Jani
Mimin Aminah ZAWAWI executive producer, Fiction.
Rama WIRASMO, producer, Fiction.
JAPAN
ABE Shuji, producer, K-20: Legend Of The Mask
CHIBA Yoshinori, producer, Yatterman
MASE Yasuhiro, producer, Departures
OOKA Sadamu, producer, Love Master 3
SATO Shimako, director, K-20: Legend Of The Mask
SHIOTSUKI Takashi , producer, Love Master 3
TAJIRI Yuji, director, Love Master 3
TANADA Yuki, director, Love Master 3
Yura Yura Teikoku, rock band
SOUTH KOREA
KANG Hyoung-chul, director, Scandal Makers
KIM Jee-woon , director, The Good, The Bad, The Weird
LEE An-na, producer, Scandal Makers
SUH Youngjoo, producer, My Dear Enemy
THAILAND
Yongyoot THONGKONGTOON, director and producer, Best Of Times, 4BIA, Coming Soon
Panna RITTIKRAI, director and scriptwriter, Ong Bak 2
Prachya PINKAEW, director, Chocolate
FESTIVALS
KIM Dong-ho, Pusan International Film Festival, Festival Director
Marco MÜLLER, Mostra Internazionale d’Arte Cinematografica di Venezia, Direttore
