Three Asian disaster movies are in the lineup for this year’s online-only version of the Far East Film Festival (FEFF), normally held in Udine in northern Italy.
In fact, one has been selected to kick off the events. Directed by South Korea’s Lee Hae-jun (Kimssi pyoryugi) and Kim Byung-seo (The Host), Ashfall tells the story of a team of South Korean soldiers and scientists, plus a North Korean double agent, who race to stop a volcano from erupting and destroying much of the country.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong-based Andrew Lau’s (the Infernal Affairs trilogy) The Captain is a dramatization of the 2018 incident that occurred aboard Sichuan Airlines flight 8633, when the cockpit’s windscreen shattered at 32,000 feet above Tibet. The plane’s crew worked successfully together to perform an emergency landing.
Finally we have EXIT, an urban thriller from South Korean writer/director Lee Sang-guen. In this movie, a toxic gas forces people to the upper floors of buildings, and it’s up to a pair of young rock climbers to Save the Day.
The film festival, now in its 22nd year, was originally scheduled to be held from April 24 to May 2 in Udine. The organizers first postponed the event to June 26-July 4, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and then decided to conduct it completely online on those dates.
This year’s lineup of 46 films (see below) represents 8 Asian countries. Twelve of the 38 competing films are directorial debuts, and, in a refreshing change from most film festivals, 25% of the films have a female director. All of the festival’s events–which include the Mulberry Awards, audience awards, the Focus Asia film market, a postproduction section, panels, workshops, and the FEFF Campus for young journalists around the world–will be conducted online this year. The films themselves will be streamed at mymovies.it.
The Complete Lineup (all to be available worldwide unless noted otherwise):
China (4)
Better Days; Derek Kwok-Cheung Tsang; 2019; Italian premiere (Italy only), Closing Film
The Captain; Andrew Lau; 2019; Italian premiere (not available in PRC)
Changfeng Town; Wang Jing; 2019; Italian premiere
An Insignificant Affair; Ning Yuanyuan; 2020; World premiere
Hong Kong (6)
Chasing Dream;* Johnnie To; 2020; International premiere
Ip Man 4: The Finale; Wilson Yip; 2019; European festival premiere (Italy only)
Line Walker 2: Invisible Spy; Jazz Boon; 2019; International festival premiere (Italy only)
My Prince Edward; Norris Wong; 2019; European premiere (Italy only)
Suk Suk; Ray Yeung; 2019; Italian premiere (Italy only)
The White Storm 2 – Drug Lords; Herman Yau; 2019; Italian premiere (Italy only)
Indonesia (2)
Gundala; Joko Anwar; 2019; Italian premiere
Impetigore; Joko Anwar; 2019; Italian premiere (Italy only)
Japan (9)
#Handballstrive; Matsui Daigo; 2020; World premiere
A Beloved Wife; Adachi Shin; 2020; International premiere
Colorless; Koyama Takashi; 2019; European premiere (Europe only)
Dance with Me; Yaguchi Shinobu; 2019; Italian premiere (Italy only)
Minori, on the Brink; Ninomiya Ryutaro; 2019; Italian premiere (not available in Japan)
My Sweet Grappa Remedies; Ohku Akiko; 2019; Italian premiere (not available in Japan, mainland China, Taiwan, or U.S.)
One Night; Shiraishi Kazuya; 2019; European premiere (Italy only)
Romance Doll; Tanada Yuki; 2020; European premiere (Italy only)
Wotakoi – Love Is Hard for Otaku; Fukuda Yuichi; 2020; International festival premiere (Italy only)
Malaysia (2)
Soul; Emir Ezwan; 2020; European premiere (Europe only)
Victim(s); Layla Ji; 2020; World premiere
The Philippines (2)
Edward; Thop Nazareno; 2019; European premiere
Sunod; Carlo Ledesma; 2019; International premiere (not available in the Philippines)
South Korea (10)
Ashfall; Kim Byung-Seo, Lee Hae-jun; 2019; International festival premiere (Europe only), Opening Film
Beasts Clawing at Straws; Kim Young-Hoon; 2020; Italian premiere (Italy only)
The Closet; Kim Kwang-Bin; 2020; International premiere (Italy only)
Crazy Romance; Kim Han-Kyul; 2020; World festival premiere
Exit; Lee Sang-Geun; 2019; Italian premiere (Italy only)
The House of Us; Yoon Ga-Eun; 2019; Italian premiere (Europe only)
Kim Ji-Young: Born 1982; #Metoo Family Drama; 2019; European premiere (Italy only)
Lucky Chan-Sil; Kim Cho-Hee; 2020; European premiere (Italy only)
The Man Standing Next; Woo Min-Ho; 2020; International festival premiere (Italy only)
Vertigo; Jeon Gye-Soo; 2019; Italian premiere (Europe only)
Taiwan (3)
Detention; John Hsu; 2019; Italian premiere (Italy only)
I Weirdo; Liao Mingyi; 2020; World premiere (Italy only)
We Are Champions; Jung-Chi Chang; 2019; European premiere (Italy only)
Special Screening (1)
Labyrinth of Cinema; Obayashi Nobuhiko; Japan 2019; Italian premiere (Europe only except U.K.)
Documentaries (1)
I-Documentary of the Journalist; Mori Tatsuya; Japan 2019; Italian premiere (Europe only)
Restored Classics (1)
Cheerful Wind; Hou Hsiao-Hsien; Taiwan 1982/Restored 2019; International premiere
Info Screenings (1)
The President’s Last Bang; Im Sang-Soo; South Korea 2005/Restored 2019 (Italy only)
Special Tribute: Watanabe Hirobumi; Comic Poet Of The Everyday (4)
Cry; Japan 2019; International premiere
I Am Really Good; Japan 2020; World premiere
Life Finds a Way; Japan 2018; International premiere
Party ‘Round the Globe; Japan 2017; International premiere
*with China
Related Content