All about the 21st edition of the beloved film festival in Rome
Since 2003, the Asian Film Festival brings together the best talents of the Far East cinematography. Get an exclusive chance to dive into the history and culture of the East Asian countries through an artistic window of personal stories about intimacy, trauma, friendship and love. This year the festival is expected to take place at Arthouse Cinema Farnese in Rome between April 10th and April 17th, 2024.
The festival will hold eight days of screenings for full-length movies and shorts directed and produced by talents from Taiwan, China, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand, South Korea, Vietnam and Philippines, and, for the first time, Nepal and Mongolia. The creative director of the festival, Antonio Termenini, emphasized the great contribution of the Ministry of Culture, Rome Lazio Film Commission, and Embassies of Thailand and Vietnam in Italy, as well as Korean and Japanese Cultural Institutes, in bringing his vision for the festival to life.
Background
Running from early afternoon to late evening, screenings will feature not only the latest works from established directors but also many impressive debut films. These debut works, often unexpected gems, will be showcased across the Newcomers, Competition, and Out of Competition sections, promising a diverse and captivating cinematic experience.
In the past the festival screened movies of some leading Asian directors like Wang Xiao Shuai, Ann Hui, Brillante Mendoza, Stanley Kwan, Peter Chan, Shinya Tsukamoto and Emily Tang. This year, some of the special guests include Japanese director Shinpei Yamasaki for The Guilt and the Other Stories, Vietnamese actress Nguyen Thi Truc Quynh, starring in Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell, and Korean director Kim Kyung-rae, the first-ever Korean guest in the history of the Asian Film Festival, presenting his film Lesson.
Official selection
In the rich festival lineup, there are many international premieres to look forward to. Among them are a variety of Japanese films like After the fever by Yamamoto Akira, Ripples by Ogigami Naoko, One second ahead, one second behind by Nobuhiro Yamashita, and Sana by Takashi Shimizu. A special mention goes to the Nepalese film A road to village by Nabin Subbe.
Some winners of prestigious international festivals have also been selected: among these, the Indonesian Monisme by Riar Rizaldi, which won Best Film at the Bucharest International Experimental Film Festival 2023, the Thai Solids by the Seashore by Patiparn Boontarig, named Best Asian Feature at the British Irish Film Fest 2023, the Chinese The Cord of Life by Qiao Sixue, awarded Best Actress 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, winner of the 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 for Best Debut Feature at the 76th Cannes Film Festival.
In chronological order, there will be the Thailand Day (April 12), Korean Day (April 13), Japan Day (April 14), and Vietnam Day (April 16).
Tickets are available to purchase on the official website.
10-17 April 2024
Cinema Farnese Arthouse, Piazza Campo De’ Fiori 56
Prices
Evening screenings: €7 – Reduced price: €5.00 (university students and over 65s)
Afternoon screenings: €6.00 – Reduced: €4.00
Subscription: €30.00 – Reduced: €25.00
Contacts: +39 328 4112014
