News Udine Far East Film Festival

Udine Far East Film Festival unveils the Line-up of its 23rd Edition in Hybrid form

From Thursday 24 June to Friday 2 July.

After the 2020's online Edition, this yer Udine Far East Film Festival will run a “hybrid” edition from 24th of June to the 2nd of July. Withe a public online press conference the Programme has been unveiled.

Festival's directress Sabrina Baracetti has opened the press conference with a heartfelt mention to young producer and filmmaker Ma Aeint recently arrested and detained by the military regime in Myanmar. Far East Film Festival wants to add its voice to those of the others protesting and shouting out loudly for Ma Aeint's freedom.

After a sincere tribute to the sponsors and the local authorities that have helped since its start, Baracetti has revealed the line-up that includes 63 titles from 11 countries, 10 female directors, 6 world premiere, 11 international premiere, 22 European premiere and 21 Italian premieres. Zhang Yimou's Chinese Spy Thriller “Cliff Walkers” will open the Festival on the 24th of June, while Herman Yau's “Shock Wave 2” will open the Online section. FEFF has always had a special place for Hong Kong and this year it will feature eight recent Hong Kong films in the section “Hong Kong New Talents”. Moreover, there will be a homage to the late Filipino star Eddie Garcia and one t the South Korean Director YOON Jong-bin.

But let's have a look at the whole line-up:

COMPETITION SECTION [45]

CHINA [7]
The Eight Hundred, GUAN Hu, heroic war-epic blockbuster, China 2020, European Festival Premiere – ONLINE ITALY ONLY
Anima, CAO Jinling, Mother Nature rules!, China 2021, European Premiere – ONLINE ITALY ONLY
Back to the Wharf, LI Xiaofeng, modern noir, China 2020, European Premiere – ONLINE ITALY ONLY
Before Next Spring, LI Gen, Chinese students lost in Tokyo, China 2021, World Premiere – ONLINE WORLDWIDE
Cliff Walkers, ZHANG Yimou, a greatspy action story, China 2021, International Festival Premiere – OFFLINE ONLY [OPENING FILM]
Endgame, RAO Xiaozhi, offbeat black crime comedy, China 2021, European Premiere – ONLINE ITALY ONLY
Like Father and Son, BAI Zhiqiang, tear-jerking road-movie, China 2020, International Premiere – ONLINE WORLDWIDE (EXCEPT CHN, HK, TW, MAC)

HONG KONG [11 +1]
Coffin Homes, Fruit CHAN, handmade horror, HK 2021, World Premiere– OFFLINE ONLY
Limbo, Soi CHEANG, super- fierce thriller, HK 2021, Italian Premiere– ONLINE USA, EUROPE ONLY
Shock Wave 2, Herman YAU, bomb-ridden spectacle , HK 2020, International Festival Premiere– ONLINE EUROPE (EXCEPT ESP, AND) [GALA] [OPENING ONLINE FILM]
The Way We Keep Dancing, Adam WONG, hip-hop hit,HK 2021,European Premiere – ONLINE WORLDWIDE

Drifting by Jun Li © IFFR 2021
Drifting by Jun Li © IFFR 2021

Hong Kong New Talents
Drifting, Jun LI, homeless in the city, HK 2021, Italian Premiere– ONLINE WORLDWIDE (EXCEPT CHN)
Hand Rolled Cigarette, CHAN Kin-long,elegant crime,HK 2020, European Premiere – ONLINE EUROPE ONLY
JUST 1 DAY, Erica LI, nostalgic romance, HK 2021, Italian Premiere– ONLINE ITALY ONLY [GALA]
One Second Champion, CHIU Sin-hang,boxing, action – fantasy,HK 2020, European Premiere– ONLINE WORLDWIDE (EXCEPT CHN)
Sugar Street Studio, Sunny LAU, film industry horror, HK 2021, International Premiere – ONLINE WORLDWIDE
Time, Ricky KO, assassins in golden years, HK 2021, Italian Premiere– ONLINE ITALY ONLY
Zero to Hero, Jimmy WAN,Paralympic hero biopic, HK 2021, World Premiere– ONLINE ITALY ONLY

Macao
Madalena, Emily CHAN, metropolitan love story, Macao 2021, World Premiere – ONLINE ITALY ONLY

INDONESIA [1]
Death Knot, Cornelio SUNNY, horror from the past, Indonesia 2021, World Premiere– ONLINE EUROPE ONLY

JAPAN [10]
Blue, YOSHIDA Keisuke, “never give up” boxing story, Japan 2021, European Premiere – ONLINE EUROPE (EXCEPT ESP)
The Goldfish: Dreaming of the Sea, OGAWA Sara, hand-in-hand youth drama, Japan 2021, European Premiere – ONLINE ITALY ONLY
Hold Me Back, OHKU Akiko, a voice in my head and a quirky trip to Rome, Japan 2020, Italian Premiere – ONLINE ITALY ONLY
Ito, YOKOHAMA Satoko, play shamisen and be happy, Japan 2021, European Premiere – ONLINE EUROPE ONLY
Last of the Wolves, SHIRAISHI Kazuya, dazzling extreme gangster movie, Japan 2021, International Premiere – ONLINE ITALY ONLY
Midnight Swan, UCHIDA Eiji, ballet and burlesque transgender melodrama, Japan 2020, European Premiere – ONLINE ITALY ONLY
jigoku-no-hanazono OFFICE ROYALE, SEKI Kazuaki, violent femmes and mega punches, Japan 2021, International Premiere – ONLINE ITALY ONLY [GALA]
Underdog, part 1 & part 2, TAKE Masaharu, Japan's answer to Raging Bull, Japan 2021, European Premiere – ONLINE ITALY ONLY
Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, HAMAGUCHI Ryusuke, three love rendevous, Japan 2021, Italian Premiere – ONLINE ITALY ONLY [GALA]
You're Not Normal, Either!,MAEDA Koji, please teach me how to flirt, Japan 2021, European Premiere – ONLINE ITALY ONLY

MALAYSIA [1]
Hail, Driver! Muzzamer RAHMAN, lonely souls in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2021, European Premiere – ONLINE WORLDWIDE

MYANMAR [1]
Money Has Four Legs
, Maung SUN, cinephile dramedy, Myanmar 2020, Italian Premiere – ONLINE WORLDWIDE (EXCEPT FRA, CH, MMR, US, CAN, AU)

THE PHILIPPINES [2]
Fan Girl, Antoinette JADAONE, a fan's passion turns into a nightmare, The Philippines 2020 – Italian Premiere – ONLINE WORLDWIDE
Son of the Macho Dancer, Joel LAMANGAN, cruel gay coming of age, The Philippines 2021 – International Festival Premiere – ONLINE WORLDWIDE

SOUTH KOREA [6]
Deliver Us from Evil, HONG Won Chan, action rollercoaster from Japan to Thailand, South Korea 2020, Italian Premiere – ONLINE ITALY ONLY
Night of the Undead, SHIN Jung-won, sexually-supergifted-E.T., South Korea 2020, European Premiere – ONLINE ITALY ONLY
OK! Madam, LEE Cheol-ha, secret agents! North Koreans! the strangest airflight ever! South Korea 2020, Italian Premiere – ONLINE ITALY ONLY
Please Don't Save Me, JUNG Yeon-kyung, coming of age drama, South Korea 2020, European Premiere – ONLINE ITALY ONLY
Seobok, LEE Yong Zoo, secret experiments, and an escaped clone, South Korea 2021, Italian Premiere – ONLINE ITALY ONLY
Voice of Silence, HONG Eui-jeong, the odd couple, the little girl and the gangsters, South Korea 2020, Italian Premiere – ONLINE ITALY ONLY [GALA]

TAIWAN [4]
Dear Tenant, CHENG Yu-chieh, an offbeat take on gay life, Taiwan 2020, European Festival Premiere – ONLINE EUROPE ONLY
Gatao: The Last Stray, Ray JIANG, Taiwan Goodfellas and the girl, Taiwan 2021, International Festival Premiere – ONLINE ITALY ONLY
Man in Love, YIN Chen-hao, I'll love you whatever it takes…, Taiwan 2021, International Festival Premiere – ONLINE ITALY ONLY [GALA]
My Missing Valentine, CHEN Yu-hsun, something is lost…a fantastic love story, Taiwan 2020, European Festival Premiere – ONLINE ITALY ONLY

THAILAND [2]
The Con-Heartist, Mez THARATORN, handbook for fooling your neighbor, Thailand 2020, European Premiere – ONLINE WORLDWIDE
The Maid, Lee THONGKHAM, blood, secrets, vengeful ghosts, Thailand 2020, International Premiere – ONLINE ITALY ONLY

OUT OF COMPETITION [17]

DOCUMENTARIES [6]
A Is for Agustin
, Grace SIMBULAN, the struggle to study, The Philippines 2019, European Premiere – ONLINE WORLDWIDE
Assassins, Ryan WHITE, a North Korean mystery, US 2020, Italian Premiere – ONLINE ITALY ONLY
Keep Rolling, MAN Lim-chung, Ann Hui and her world, HK 2020, Italian Premiere – ONLINE WORLDWIDE
Life in 24 Frames a Second, SAW Tiong Guan, 4 great Asian directors speak, Malaysia 2021, World Premiere – ONLINE WORLDWIDE
SUMODO ~ The Successors of Samurai ~, SAKATA Eiji, all about sumo, Japan 2020, Italian Premiere – ONLINE ITALY ONLY
Tough Out, XU Hui-jing, the rise of a baseball hero, China 2020, European Premiere – ONLINE WORLDWIDE

RESTORED CLASSICS [2]
Execution in Autumn, LEE Hsing, sentenced to death! ethical drama, Taiwan 1972/restored 2020, European Premiere – ONLINE WORLDWIDE (EXCEPT CHN, HK, MAC)
Suddenly in Dark Night, GO Yeong-nam, a sensual classic horror tale, South Korea 1981/restored 2017, International Premiere – ONLINE WORLDWIDE

SPECIAL TRIBUTES

At the Top

EDDIE GARCIA: LIFE AS A FILM EPIC [5]
At the Top
, Ishmael BERNAL, the (under)world of cinema, The Philippines 1971, Italian Premiere – ONLINE WORLDWIDE
Bwakaw, Jun Robles LANA, the secret of a grumpy gentleman, The Philippines 2012, Italian Premiere – ONLINE WORLDWIDE
Rainbow's Sunset, Joel LAMANGAN, shadows of a gay love, The Philippines 2012, Italian Premiere – ONLINE ONLY WORLDWIDE
Shadows (short), Raymond RED, a photographer in Manila, The Philippines 2000, Italian Premiere – ONLINE ONLY WORLDWIDE
Sinasamba Kita, Eddie GARCIA, witty banter in melodrama style, The Philippines 1982, Italian Premiere – ONLINE ONLY WORLDWIDE

POWER AND SECRETS: THE CINEMATIC WORLD OF YOON JONG-BIN [4]
Beastie Boys
, YOON Jong-bin, clubs, women and modern lifestyle in Seoul, South Korea 2008 – ONLINE ITALY ONLY
Kundo: Age of the Rampant, YOON Jong-bin, spectacular period action, South Korea 2014 – ONLINE ITALY ONLY
Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time, YOON Jong-bin, gangsters and grifters in Busan, South Korea 2012 – ONLINE ITALY ONLY
The Spy Gone North, YOON Jong-bin, stranger-than-fiction true spy thriller, South Korea 2018, Italian Premiere – OFFLINE ONLY

For more info please go the FEFF Official Website

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About the author

Adriana Rosati

On paper I am an Italian living in London, in reality I was born and bread in a popcorn bucket. I've loved cinema since I was a little child and I’ve always had a passion and interest for Asian (especially Japanese) pop culture, food and traditions, but on the cinema side, my big, first love is Hong Kong Cinema. Then - by a sort of osmosis - I have expanded my love and appreciation to the cinematography of other Asian countries. I like action, heroic bloodshed, wu-xia, Shaw Bros (even if it’s not my specialty), Anime, and also more auteur-ish movies. Anything that is good, really, but I am allergic to rom-com (unless it’s a HK rom-com, possibly featuring Andy Lau in his 20s)"

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