Udine Far East Film Festival Celebrates 25 Years of Asian Films

Far East Film Festival

During April 21-29, 2023, the Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy, will hold an in-person event to commemorate its 25th anniversary. The events will include a focus on Asian cinema from the 1980s. Early works by Japan's Kurosawa Kiyoshi, Thailand's Nonzee Nimibutr, and South Korea's Jan Sung-woo are slated to be included in the historical lineup.

Roger Garcia, the previous executive director of the Hong Kong International Film Festival, will organize a segment on Leung Po-Chih, the 83-year-old British Hong Kong director who transitioned from commercials to TV and movies. Historically, Leung was at the vanguard of Hong Kong cinema's "golden era," producing various films such as Banana Cop (1984) and Hong Kong 1941, starring Chow Yun-fat.

The Udine Far East Film Festival, which has established itself as one of the world's finest festivals focusing on genres of Asian film, has recently made steps in establishing additional credentials as an industry-support program. Participants were recruited for the initiative's All Genres Project Market, Ties That Bind workshop program, and FEFF Campus journalist training program.

The Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) will participate in this year's Focus Asia industry package, launching a cash award of around $11,000. The move is consistent with TAICCA's objective of reaching out to selected partner events that can help increase film co-production within the nation. Several Asian film support organizations, like the Film Development Council of the Philippines, Malaysia's MIFFEST, and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, are planning to contribute to Udine.