Udine Far East Film Festival Goes Online from June 26 – July 4

There are two ways to experience the eagerly-anticipated digital edition of the Far East Film Festival, which will be opening at 21.00 on Friday the 26th of June with Korean action blockbuster Ashfall by Kim Byung-seo and Lee Hae-jun: as an on-demand library, choosing in total freedom from the 46 titles in the lineup, or by opting to follow the rhythm of the daily schedule, whose artistic direction has been curated by the organizers. Two completely different approaches for two completely different ways of taking part: “online” and “festival”.

But then, the revolution of FEFF 22 is more than just transferring everything onto the web: it’s the total redesigning of its concept, its approach and even its editorial strategies. So even if the festival’s headquarters has moved from the Teatro Nuovo in Udine to MYmovies.it, it will still be what it always has been – a glorious dive into the heart of Asian pop cinema (China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia)!

Highlights include Nobuhiko Obayashi’s final feature Labyrinth of Cinema, Liao Ming-Yi’s quirky, iPhone-shot romance IWeirDO, Wilson Yip’s martial arts saga Ip Man 4: The Finale, Norris Wong’s relationship drama My Prince Edward, Kim Han-kyul’s alcohol-fuelled comedy Crazy Romance, and a focus on Japanese actor Hirobumi Watanabe, including the world premiere of his latest offbeat comedy I Am Really Good. The festival will close with Derek Tsang’s controversial, award-winning youth drama Better Days.

Designed and realised as a functional “viewer’s guide”, the structure of FEFF 22 will allow pass holders access to 5 films a day for 9 days from morning to night (including 5 world premieres, 10 international premieres, 11 European premieres and 17 Italian premieres). Some titles will be available worldwide, some only in Europe and some only in Italy. Each “screening” will be preceded by a livestreamed introduction and, almost always, by a video greeting from the director.

Apart from the occasional thematic detour, the daily schedule will concentrate films with subtler narrative shading in the 11.00 slot, more unusual or radical films in the 15.00 slot, typically “Fareast” titles in the 17.30 slot, action in the 21.00 slot and horror – naturally – in the 23.00 slot. Finally, from the 27th of June to the 3rd of July at 18.30, the festival’s Instagram profile will be hosting the chefs of MasterFEFF – Asia in a Recipe live.

And let’s not forget that the FEFF Campus, the journalism school for young talents (5 Asians, 3 Europeans) headed by veteran Mathew Scott will be moving to the web too. Furthermore, from the 30th of June to the 2nd of July, Focus Asia, the festival’s Industry section, will also be going online, with the Far East in Progress section (the first and only European platform dedicated to Asian films in post-production), the project market and a dense line-up of webinars.

As always, the public will have the last word. And that isn’t just lip service: as testament to the FEFF’s historically democratic vocation, the public will actually vote on the films in competition (38 of the 46 in the line-up), choosing the winners and assigning the Mulberry Awards (produced by IdeaPrototipi). The announcement of the winners of the Audience Awards will close the Festival on Saturday the 4th of July at 23.00. On that occasion, the winner of the Mulberry for first time director, selected by La Frances Hui, Leopoldo Santovincenzo and Mark Adams, will also be revealed.

So all that’s left to is grab your passport and set off: it’s time for the East to hit the web! Start your journey at the festival website.