Udine 2020: Korean Disaster Epic ASHFALL to Open 22nd Far East Film Festival Online Edition, Full Lineup Announced
Star-studded South Korean disaster epic Ashfall has been unveiled as the opening film of this year’s Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy, which will be staged as an exclusively online affair due to the ongoing covid-19 lockdown. Ha Jung-woo, Lee Byung-hyun, and Ma Dong-seok headline the blockbuster, that will screen via the MYmovies.it platform, kicking off nine days of screenings from 26 June through 4 July.
46 films from eight different Asian territories (China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia) will be participating in this revolutionary digital event, including 4 world premieres. Ning Yuanyuan’s An Insignificant Affair, Daigo Matsui’s #HandballStrive, Layla Ji’s Victim(s), and Liao Mingyi’s I WeirDO will all make their debut bow at this year’s event.
Highlights of this year’s festival include Derek Kwok’s multi-award winner Better Days, Johnnie To’s action musical Chasing Dream, martial arts spectacular Ip Man 4: The Finale, starring Donnie Yen and Scott Adkins, as well as Joko Anwar’s Indonesian superhero saga Gundala, sexy Korean crime thriller Beasts Clawing at Straws, the fantastic #MeToo drama Kim Ji-young, Born 1982, and the brilliant Taiwanese Basketball drama We Are Champions…to name just a few. Special screenings include a special tribute to the late great Nobuhiko Obayashi (Hausu), who passed away earlier this year, with a screening of his final masterpiece, Labyrinth of Cinema.
Inevitably, due to the online nature of this year’s events, some screenings will have territorial restrictions in place, but rest assured there will be plenty to see regardless of your lockdown location. And when you’re not watching a film, the MYmovies platform is hosting a wide array of extra activities, including in-depth talks from big names in Asian Cinema, video greetings from directors and actors. Attendees will also be able to vote for the much coveted audience awards, or just hang out in the chat rooms and chat (virtually) with other festival attendees. This year’s FEFF Campus journalism school and Focus Asia industry segment will also be operating online for 2020.
For more information about this year’s event and how you can participate from the comfort of your own home, check out the festival’s official website here
All this year’s films at a glance:
Competition Section (38 titles)
CHINA (4)
Better Days, Derek Kwok-cheung TSANG, school bullying drama, China 2019, Italian Premiere – ITALY ONLY CLOSING FILM GALA
The Captain, Andrew LAU, China’s answer to “Sully”, China 2019, Italian Premiere – WORLDWIDE (EXCEPT CHINA PRC)
Changfeng Town, WANG Jing, vintage charming story, China 2019, Italian Premiere – WORLDWIDE
An Insignificant Affair, NING Yuanyuan, “never give up” love story, China 2020, World Premiere – WORLDWIDE*
HONG KONG (6)
Chasing Dream, Johnnie TO, songs! fights! love!, Hong Kong/China 2020, International Premiere – WORLDWIDE
Ip Man 4, The Finale, Wilson YIP, a-hero-never-dies, Hong Kong 2019, European Festival Premiere – ITALY ONLY
Line Walker 2: Invisible Spy, Jazz BOON, “break your neck” action story, Hong Kong 2019, International Festival Premiere – ITALY ONLY
My Prince Edward, Norris WONG, “my two husbands” dramedy, Hong Kong 2019, European Premiere – ITALY ONLY* GALA
Suk Suk, Ray YEUNG, Hong Kong 2019, Hong Kong gay drama, 2019 Italian Premiere – ITALY ONLY
The White Storm 2 Drug Lords, Herman YAU, anti-drug-action gangster epic, Hong Kong 2019, Italian Premiere – ITALY ONLY
INDONESIA (2)
Gundala, Joko ANWAR, modern superhero saga, Indonesia 2019, Italian Premiere – WORLDWIDE
Impetigore, Joko ANWAR, everyday horror, Indonesia 2019, Italian Premiere – ITALY ONLY
JAPAN (9)
#HandballStrive, MATSUI Daigo, sport comedy with smartphone, Japan 2020, World Premiere – WORLDWIDE
A Beloved Wife, ADACHI Shin, quirky marriage story, Japan 2020, International Premiere – WORLDWIDE
Colorless, KOYAMA Takashi, forbidden-colors youth drama, Japan 2019, European Premiere – EUROPE ONLY*
Dance with Me, YAGUCHI Shinobu, compulsive dance musical, Japan 2019, Italian Premiere – ITALY ONLY
Minori, on the Brink, NINOMIYA Ryutaro, female power drama, Japan 2019, Italian Premiere – WORLDWIDE (EXCEPT JAPAN)
My Sweet Grappa Remedies, OHKU Akiko, life, love and a sip of grappa, Japan 2019, Italian Premiere – WORLDWIDE (EXCEPT JAPAN, MAINLANDCHINA, TAIWAN, USA)
One Night, SHIRAISHI Kazuya, powerful family drama, Japan 2019, European Premiere – ITALY ONLY
Romance Doll, TANADA Yuki, he, she and the sex doll, Japan 2020, European Premiere – ITALY ONLY
WOTAKOI - Love is Hard for Otaku, otaku sparkling musical, FUKUDA Yuichi, Japan 2020, International Festival Premiere – ITALY ONLY
MALAYSIA (2)
Soul, Emir EZWAN, folk tradition horror, Malaysia 2020, European Premiere – EUROPE ONLY*
Victim(s), Layla JI, hidden truth drama, Malaysia 2020, World Premiere – WORLDWIDE*
THE PHILIPPINES (2)
Edward, Thop NAZARENO, coming-of-age story, The Philippines 2019, European Premiere – WORLDWIDE
Sunod, Carlo LEDESMA, ghost in the office building, The Philippines 2019, International Premiere – WORLDWIDE (EXCEPT THE PHILIPPINES)
SOUTH KOREA (10)
Ashfall, KIM Byung-seo, LEE Hae-jun, North/South, friends/enemies disaster action, South Korea 2019, International Festival Premiere – EUROPE ONLY OPENING FILM
Beasts Clawing at Straws, KIM Young-Hoon, sexy-crime-thriller, South Korea 2020, Italian Premiere – ITALY ONLY*
The Closet, KIM Kwang-bin, jumpscares horror, South Korea 2020, International Premiere – ITALY ONLY*
Crazy Romance, KIM Han-Kyul, drunken love story, South Korea 2020, World Festival Premiere – WORLDWIDE*
Exit, LEE Sang-geun, Toxic Gas Attacks Daegu!! action comedy, South Korea 2019, Italian Premiere – ITALY ONLY
The House of Us, YOON Ga-eun, life’s-not-a-fairy-tale children story, South Korea 2019, Italian Premiere – EUROPE ONLY
Kim Ji-young: Born 1982, #Metoo family drama, KIM Do-young, South Korea 2019, European Premiere – ITALY ONLY*
Lucky Chan-sil, KIM Cho-hee, cinephile romantic drama, South Korea 2020, European Premiere – ITALY ONLY*
The Man Standing Next, WOO Min-ho, chilling political drama, South Korea 2020, International Festival Premiere – ITALY ONLY
Vertigo, JEON Gye-soo, love on the top floor, South Korea 2019, Italian Premiere – EUROPE ONLY
TAIWAN (3)
Detention, John HSU, political psycho-horror, Taiwan 2019, Italian Premiere – ITALY ONLY*
I WeirDO, LIAO Mingyi, smartphone-made madcap couple story, Taiwan 2020, World Premiere – ITALY ONLY * GALA
We Are Champions, Jung-Chi CHANG, The Basket Brothers - Taiwan 2019, European Premiere – ITALY ONLY
Out of Competition (8 titles)
SPECIAL SCREENING (1)
Labyrinth of Cinema, OBAYASHI Nobuhiko, psychedelic-eccentric-mystic tale - Japan 2019, Italian Premiere – EUROPE ONLY (EXCEPT UK)
DOCUMENTARIES (1)
I-Documentary of the Journalist, MORI Tatsuya, the power of free speech, Japan 2019, Italian Premiere – EUROPE ONLY
RESTORED CLASSICS (1)
Cheerful Wind, HOU Hsiao-Hsien, classic romantic drama, Taiwan 1982/restored version 2019, International Premiere –– WORLDWIDE
INFO SCREENINGS (1)
The President's Last Bang, IM sang-soo, real life political drama, South Korea 2005/restored version 2019 – ITALY ONLY
Special Tribute
WATANABE HIROBUMI, COMIC POET OF THE EVERYDAY (4)
Cry, WATANABE Hirobumi, offbeat slice of life, International Premiere, Japan 2019 – WORLDWIDE
I am Really Good, WATANABE Hirobumi, wacky children comedy, Japan 2020, World Premiere – WORLDWIDE
Life Finds A Way, WATANABE Hirobumi, a most unconventional film director, International Premiere, Japan 2018 – WORLDWIDE
Party ‘Round the Globe, WATANABE Hirobumi, ordinary lives of two Beatles’ fans, International Premiere, Japan 2017 – WORLDWIDE
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