Udine 2026: Far East Film Festival Continues to Celebrate Asian Cinema in its 28th Year

The 28th edition of the Far East Film Festival has unveiled its full line-up this eagerly anticipated spring. Taking place from April 24 to May 2, the festival will offer nine immersive days for cinephiles from around the world to gather in this annual celebration of Asian cinema and its creators.

This year’s theme, “Be Together,” is reflected in the key visual poster designed by acclaimed American illustrator Andy Rementer (with art direction by Margherita Urbani), signalling a call for shared experience in response to a world increasingly marked by fragmentation.

Audiences will be treated to a rich selection of 76 titles from 12 countries, including 52 films in competition and 24 out of competition. The programme features eight world premieres, 18 international premieres, 22 European premieres, and 20 Italian premieres.

The festival will open with Singaporean director Anthony Chen’s We Are All Strangers (previously reviewed at the Berlinale), with award-winning lead actress Yeo Yann Yann in attendance for the presentation at Teatro Nuovo Giovanni da Udine. The closing film remains under wraps and will be announced on 8 April.

Once again, FEFF stands as a vibrant celebration not only of mainstream Asian cinema but also of auteur-driven works and historical retrospectives, offering a close-up view of the region’s diverse storytelling traditions.

Among this year’s highlights, the Golden Mulberry Award for Outstanding Achievement will be presented to Chinese megastar Fan Bingbing, who won Best Actress at the 62nd Golden Horse Awards for Chong Keat-aun’s Mother Bhumi, which is also featured in this year’s competition, in recognition of her contributions to Asian cinema in recent years.

The Lifetime Achievement Award, meanwhile, will be conferred upon Japanese actor Koji Yakusho, star of Wim Wenders’ Perfect Days, for which he won Best Actor at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, honouring his enduring dedication to Japanese cinema over the past four decades.

Following its tradition, the organiser invites audiences to vote for the three Audience Awards: the Golden Mulberry, Silver Mulberry, and Crystal Mulberry; the White Mulberry Award for Best Debut Feature will be decided by a jury comprising Jeffrey Chan, Mabel Cheung, and Michael Werner.

At the same time, Udine continues to accommodate aspiring film professionals through the support of the 12th edition of the FEFF Campus, with the purpose “to connect people from across the globe and ... to explore the many facets of Asian cinema and the experience of an Asian popular film festival,” noted by the festival’s co-founder and president, Sabrina Baracetti.

Led by renowned journalist Mathew Scott, the campus will run throughout the festival, bringing together ten emerging voices from across the globe, including writer Rino Lu.

The full programme is listed below. For more information, please visit the festival’s official website.