Dal 10 al 17 aprile 2024
Cinema Farnese Arthouse
Piazza Campo De’ Fiori 56 – Roma
At the Cinema Farnese Arthouse in Rome the traditional rendezvous with the Asian Film Festival returns, the film festival that looks at the best new productions from the Far East, conceived by Cineforum Robert Bresson with the artistic direction of Antonio Termenini. From 10 to 17 April 2024 there will be numerous screenings in the theatres for the 21st edition, scheduled from early afternoon to late at night, which will feature, alongside new films by great directors, many first works of a high level – absolute surprises – distributed among the Newcomers, Competition and Out of Competition sections.
The jury of the 2024 edition will be chaired by journalist, writer and columnist Antonio Polito who, together with director Christian Carmosino and journalist and audiovisual language teacher Angelica Alemanno, will judge the works in competition, while for the section of emerging talents in Asian cinema a special jury of students will be set up, chaired by Prof. Antonio Falduto of UNINT.
The nations involved this year are South Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines and Nepal, the latter attending the festival for the first time.
The themed days are back, dedicated to the countries that have best distinguished themselves for the originality and dynamism of their cinematographies, organised thanks to the support and indispensable coordination of the Embassies, Cultural Institutes, Film Commissions and Government Agencies of the countries of the Far East: realities that this year have reinforced their strategic partnership with the Festival in various ways. In chronological order, there will be Thailand Day (12 April), Korean Day (13 April), Japan Day (14 April) and Vietnam Day (16 April).
Three of the driving themes of this edition are hot topics of current affairs, such as the condition of women, coming of age through teenage stories and violence in its various forms.
The festival’s rich programme includes numerous international premieres, such as the range of Japanese films After the fever by Akira Yamamoto, Ripples by Naoko Ogigami , One second ahead, one second behind by Nobuhiro Yamashita and Sana by Takashi Shimizu. Particular attention is paid to the Nepalese film A road to village by Nabin Subbe and to the feature films that have already found Italian distribution: Shadow of fire by Shinya Tsukamotosono (Minerva Pictures), film of the festival’s opening ceremony, Sleep by Jason Yu (Tucker Film) and Only the river flows by Wei Shujun (Wanted).
A number of winners from prestigious international festivals were also selected: among them the Indonesian Monisme by Riar Rizaldi, Best Film at the Bucharest International Experimental Film Festival 2023, the Thai Solids by the seashore by Patiparn Boontarig, Best Asian Feature Film at the British Irish Film Fest 2023, the Chinese The cord of life by Qiao Sixue, Best Actress Award at the Shanghai International Film Festival 2023; the Taiwanese Love is a gun by Lee Hong-Chi (Hong Kong, Taiwan), winner of the Lion of the Future Award at the 80th Venice Film Festival and Fish memories by Hung-I Chen, Best Cinematography Award at the Golden Horse Film Festival, and the Vietnamese Inside the yellow cocoon shell by Pham Thien An, winner of the Camera d’or, Best First Feature, at the 76th Cannes Film Festival.
Three international guests expected to arrive are Japanese director Shinpei Yamasaki for The quilt and the other stories, Vietnamese Nguyen Thi Truc Quynh, star of Inside the yellow cocoon shell and the director of Lesson Kim Kyung-rae, the first Korean guest in the history of the Asian Film Festival.
For those who wish to fully enjoy the festival’s articulated calendar, there is also a series of subscription formulas that will offer the possibility of participating in a draw with prizes in luxury bags and a cruise to Thailand. Please note that all films will be screened in the original language version with Italian subtitles.
The 21st Asian Film Festival is realised with the contribution of: Ministry of Culture (General Direction Cinema and Audiovisual), Lazio Region, Roma Lazio Film Commission, Korean Cultural Institute in Italy, Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in Italy.
An initiative in collaboration with: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Elephant Pictures, UNINT University of International Studies in Rome, 25th Shanghai International Film Festival, Cinema Farnese Arthouse, Ho Chi Mnh City International Film Festival, Oltre lo specchio Film Festival, Associazione Italia Asean, Embassy of Thailand in Italy, Amazing Thailand Thai Tourism Board, Italy-Philippines Association, Fabio Truffa, Danang Asian Film Festival.
The event is under the patronage of Roma Capitale.
Japan Day benefits from the patronage of the Japanese Institute of Culture.
Media partners: Long take, Linkinmovies.it, Sentieri Selvaggi, Taxidrivers.it, Sonatine.Media partner: Long take, Linkinmovies.it, Sentieri Selvaggi, Taxidrivers.it, Sonatine.
ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL
Direzione artistica: Antonio Termenini
Organizzazione: Cineforum “Robert Bresson”
Ufficio stampa: Elisabetta Castiglioni
+39 328 4112014 – info@elisabettacastiglioni.it
Sito web: elisabettacastiglioni.it