Tag: udine

Udine 2022 Review: THUNDERBIRD, Money Makes People Do Bad Things in Grim and Gripping Korean Indie


Money can make people do funny things. It compels them to trust the wrong people, drives them to makes risky bets or, when all else fails, forces them to act out of desperation. Yet unlike riding a bike, when it...

Udine 2020: BETTER DAYS Scoops Golden Mulberry at 22nd Far East Film Festival

Derek Tsang’s celebrated youth drama Better Days claimed top honours over the weekend, as the 22nd Far East Film Festival awarded the Chinese film the Golden Mulberry Award, as voted for by their virtual audience.   Adapting to accommodate social...

Udine 2019: STILL HUMAN Big Winner at 21st Far East Film Festival

Just 24 hours after receiving the Golden Mulberry for Outstanding Achievement Award, Hong Kong superstar Anthony Wong Chau Sang was gracing the stage at the Teatro Nuovo Giovanni da Udine once again, where his new drama Still Human was awarded...

Udine 2019: 11 Films Not to be Missed at the 21st Far East Film Festival

Tomorrow sees the Far East Film Festival kick off its 21st edition in Udine, Italy, with an unprecedented celebration of Asian cinema the likes of which you won’t find anywhere else in Europe.    An intoxicating blend of East and...

Udine 2019: Sewol Ferry Drama BIRTHDAY to Open 21st Far East Film Festival

Birthday, the hugely anticipated South Korean drama reenacting the horrific tragedy of the Sewol ferry disaster, has been announced as the opening film of this year’s Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy.   Produced by Lee Chang-dong, award-winning director...

Udine 2019: Anthony Wong to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award at 21st Far East Film Festival

Hong Kong favourite Anthony Wong Chau Sang is to be honoured with the Golden Mulberry Award for Outstanding Achievement at this year’s Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy.   The controversial performer has been a ubiquitous presence in the...

Udine 2018 Review: THE NAME, an Odd but Curiously Absorbing Japanese Indie

There is more than meets the eye in Toda Akihiro’s The Name, an odd but curiously absorbing mystery drama that appears deceptively simple from the outset. Within its modest trappings, this Japanese indie raises some thoughtful existential questions about personal...

Udine 2018 Review: THE SCYTHIAN LAMB, A Bizarre Genre Hybrid Infused with Kaiju Folklore

In the sleepy coastal town of Uobuka, the statue of a googly-eyed green sea monster named Nororo towers over a precipice. According to legend, Nororo is an evil presence from the sea and whoever looks into its eyes will be...

Udine 2018 Review: BE WITH YOU, Pleasant Fantasy Drama Stays the Course

The Korean fantasy romance, a genre that has spawned modern classics such as Il Mare and Ditto, has fallen on hard times in recent years but makes a strong case for a return to form with Be With You, an...

Udine 2018: South Korean Drama 1987: WHEN THE DAY COMES Takes Top Honours

Jang Joon-hwan's historical drama 1987: When the Day Comes won the Audience Award at the Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy, as the festival wrapped up its 20th edition in fine style. Shuichiro Ueda's meta zombie comedy One Cut...

Far East Film Festival 20 to Open with STEEL RAIN, CROSSROADS: ONE TWO JAGA

The Far East Film Festival launches its 20th edition on 20 April with Netflix’s South Korean spy thriller Steel Rain, playing for the very first time on the big screen. The world premiere of Namron’s Malaysian drama Crossroads: One Two...

Udine 2015 Review: THE END OF THE WORLD AND THE CAT'S DISAPPEARANCE, A Quirky Little Sci-Fi Film

Takeuchi Michihiro's The End of the World and the Cat's Disappearance, a zany, modestly packaged apocalyptic sci-fi film revolving around Itsuko (Izukoneko aka Mari), a vlogger-cum-J-pop-idol who attempts to singlehandedly save the world from a gigantic meteor, but ends up...

Udine 2015 Review: FORGET ME NOT, A Touching Mixture Of Fantasy, Mystery, And Teen Romance

One of the most affecting and enigmatic teen-targeted Japanese films of the last few years, Horie Kei's Forget Me Not (not to be mistaken with Hirayama Hideyuki's 2010 drama that bears the same English title) defies easy categorization, veering confidently...

Udine 2015 Review: PORT OF CALL Proves Philip Yung's Most Ambitious And Polished Film To Date

A decidedly bleak yet surprisingly meditative exploration of the lower depths of contemporary Hong Kong, Philip Yung's Port of Call clearly articulates its genre-bending aspirations and effectively taps into the generational anxieties of youth today. Based on a case that...

Udine 2015 Review: THE WICKED, An Effectively Thrilling Exercise In Low-Budget Filmmaking

Bolstered and braced by a wonderfully sinister performance from the relatively unknown young South Korean actress Park Ju-hui, Yoo Young-sun's The Wicked is a slow-paced but nicely modulated and effectively gripping exercise in low-budget indie filmmaking. Shot in a mere...

Udine 2015 Review: MAKEUP ROOM Makes Perfect Use Of Its Very Limited Location

Genuinely funny, touching, and cleverly realized, Morikawa Kei's Makeup Room (メイクルーム) plays like a modest but deft combination between a chamber-like dramedy and well-observed ensemble piece that derives most of its energy from a wealth of enthusiastic performances and witty...

Udine 2015: ScreenAnarchy's Most Anticipated Picks

We've been waiting for this moment for a whole year now: Thursday, April 23rd marks the grand opening of the 17th Udine Far East Film Festival, without a doubt one of the world's most important cultural events dedicated exclusively to...

Udine Far East Film Festival Announces 2015 Lineup

The Udine Far East Film Festival, one of Europe's biggest showcases for contemporary Asian cinema and also one of ScreenAnarchy's favorite international festivals, has officially unveiled its lineup during a press conference which took place earlier today.Covering a wide variety...

Udine 2014 Review: BILOCATION, A Surprisingly Intriguing But Messy Psycho-Thriller

Even though it has most of the ingredients of a typical J-horror, Bilocation spices up a slightly worn-out formula with material that would otherwise be reserved for other genres, and instead of relying on overused plot devices, controls the narrative with thought-provoking...

Udine 2014 Review: MY PRETEND GIRLFRIEND Unfurls A Quietly Heartbreaking Tale Of First Love

Known for his great contributions to the world of Japanese commercials, Yakumo Saiji has finally decided to venture into feature-length filmmaking, and for the world premiere of his debut, he chose the Udine Far East Film Festival. Seeing that the...