21° ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL
from 8 to 16 April 2025
at the Cinema Farnese Arthouse, Campo De’ Fiori square n° 56 – Rome
The Asian Film Festival, one of Italy’s most important showcases of Asian cinema, returns to Rome from April 8 to 16 at Farnese cinema, featuring a selection of films in their Italian or international premieres.
The opening screening, on Tuesday, April 8, at 8:30 p.m., will be the Italian premiere of Blue Sun Palace, Constance Tsang’s first feature film. Set in New York, the film follows Amy and Didi, two young friends trying to make ends meet while working at a massage parlor in Queens, within Flushing’s Asian community. There, the two girls, immigrants from Taiwan and China, seek a new sense of belonging and a more fulfilling life than the one they currently lead. Didi is thrilled about her new relationship with Cheung, played by Lee Kang-sheng, an iconic actor in Tsai Ming-liang’s filmography.
Blue Sun Palace is the intense debut film of a young Chinese-American filmmaker. It was presented at Cannes’ Semaine de la Critique in 2024 winning the French Touch Prize of the Jury.
This year’s festival selection, as per tradition, features 19 films in competition, 7 out of competition and 10 in the Newcomers section, dedicated to emerging directors.
The jury will consist of Giulio Base, art director at the Torino Film Festival, Gianluca Arnone, journalist and editor at “Rivista del Cinematografo”, as well as editorial coordinator of Ente dello Spettacolo and consultant for the Biennale Cinema di Venezia, and journalist Luca Bove. The jury will award five prizes: best film, best direction, best actor, best actress and most original film.
Two student juries will also be present: the UNINT jury, composed of students from the University of International Studies of Rome, who will award the best film in the Newcomers section, as well as the RUFA jury, consisting of students from Rome University of Fine Arts, who, starting this year, will award the best short film.
All the films will be screened in their original language with Italian subtitles.
The 22nd edition of the Asian Film Festival was made possible with the support of: Direzione Generale Cinema – MiC, Regione Lazio, Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Embassy of Thailand, Tourism Authority of Thailand, Embassy of Indonesia, Korean Cultural Institute. The Asian Film Festival is an initiative in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Elephant Pictures, UNINT University of International Studies of Rome, Cinema Farnese Arthouse, Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival, Oltre lo specchio Film Festival, RUFA – Rome University of Fine Arts, Singapore International Film Festival, QCinema.
This event is sponsored by Roma Capitale. The Japan Day is sponsored by the Japanese Institute of Culture.
ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL
Artistic Director: Antonio Termenini
Organization: Cineforum “Robert Bresson”
Press Office – Storyfinders – Lionella Bianca Fiorillo – 340 7364203 – press.agency@storyfinders.it