The Far East Film Festival (FEFF) in Udine came to an end on Friday, May 2, closing the 27th chapter in its ongoing celebration of Asian cinema. FEFF has always been a festival that knows how to please its fanbase, and this year was no exception. Ranging from popular blockbusters to auteur-driven works, from crowd-pleasing comedies to emotional tearjerkers, and including tributes to cinematic heritage – such as the retrospective and publication Yokai and Other Monsters: From Asian Folklore to Cinema – the program offered a rich portrait of contemporary Asia. Audiences were especially thrilled by the presence of major stars in the theatre, including Sylvia Chang and Tsui Hark – both honored with the Golden Mulberry for Lifetime Achievement – and Japanese actor Lily Franky, who presented the Filipino film “Diamonds in the Sand” alongside its director, Janus Victoria.
The Taiwanese presence was notably strong this year, both in terms of films and guests. Highlights included “Daughter’s Daughter” with director Huang Xi, “Family Matters” with director Pan Ke-yin, “Gatao: Like Father Like Son”, “Organ Child” with director Chieh Shueh Bin and actress Moon Lee, “The Uniform” with director Chuang Ching-shen, and finally a three-film retrospective / tribute to director Pai Ching-jui. Other standouts from the broader lineup included Korean animation “The Square” by Kim Bo-sol, Daihachi Yoshida’s “Teky Cometh”, and “The Land of the Morning Calm” by Park Ri-woong.
Check our full coverage in the articles below.
1. Film Review: The Land of the Morning Calm (2024) by Park Ri-woong
“Girl on the Bulldozer” was a promising debut, but the improvement Park Ri-woong demonstrates in his second film is truly impressive.
2. Film Review: Montages of a Modern Motherhood (2024) by Oliver Siu Kuen Chan
“Montages of a Modern Motherhood” is an excellent drama that presents the issues mother’s face nowadays with utter realism, through an approach that is both cinematically sound and entertaining.
3. Film review: Daughter’s Daughter (2024) by Xi Huang
“Daughter’s Daughter” is definitely a deftly made film that lives up to the ambition to make the deep emotions feel real on the screen. But the definitive added value here is Sylvia Chang who imbues her very complicated character with life in every scene.
4. Film Review: Upstream (2024) by Xu Zheng
The film can be interpreted as a moving story about a very determined man who manages to find his way in a new life situation.
5. Film Review: Cells at Work! (2024) by Hideki Takeuchi
Light, imaginative, colourful, and funny, “Cells at Work!” can suck you in with the energy of an avalanche and the kaleidoscopic appeal of a funfair.
6. Film Review: Love in the Big City (2024) by E. oni
While the narrative is simplistic and predictable, it provides an amusing and heartwarming experience, simultaneously reassuring the viewers that everyone deserves love.
7. Film Review: My Friend An Delie (2024) by Dong Zijian
Despite some issues here and there, “My Friend An Delie” emerges as an excellent movie, with Dong Zijian combining the two arcs in excellent fashion, coming up with a work that thrives on story, context, visuals and acting.
8. Film Review: A Bad Summer (2025) by Hideo Jojo
Hideo Jojo‘s is always good for a surprise. His works are hit-and-miss and indicate a creative mind that has an interest in many genres and stories. “A Bad Summer” is a hit and does not suffer from the director’s assembly-line work.
9. Film Review: Pilot (2024) by Kim Han-Gyul
Kim Han-Gyul directs this comedy with flair, using gender stereotypes and double standards in a way that makes them both digestible and entertaining.
10. Film Review: Sunshine (2024) by Antoinette Jadaone
Despite several flaws, “Sunshine” is a heartfelt film and delivers its necessary message with clarity.
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