Being a female film producer today means that you are part of a growing movement in the film industry to increase diversity and representation behind the camera. Historically, the film industry has been male-dominated, and women have faced significant barriers to enter and advance in this field. However, in recent years, there has been a…
Category: Film events and festivals
Behind the Scenes of “Phantom”: An Exclusive Interview with Director Lee Hae-young
Lee Hae-young is a South Korean director and screenwriter, known for his 2015 film “The Silenced”, a mystery thriller set in 1938 during the Japanese colonial era in Korea. His new work, “Phantom”, is a spy drama set in 1933 that tells the thrilling story of a group of Korean independence fighters who band together…
“Return to Seoul” Review
Now playing in UK cinemas, Cambodian-French filmmaker Davy Chou’s award-winning adoption drama, Return to Seoul, is a cathartic exploration of identity and one’s sense of place in the world. Beginning in medias res, the story introduces Freddie, a 25-year-old Korean-French woman who has ended up in Seoul after a logistical mishap. Given that she does…
25th Far East Film Festival: In Conversation with Kai Ko & Kent Tsai of “Bad Education”
Welcome to this exclusive interview with Kent Tsai and Kai Ko, two of the talented individuals behind “Bad Education”, a Taiwanese film that was shown at the 25th Far East Film Festival. Kent Tsai stars in the film as the lead character, Wang, a high school student who falls victim to intense peer pressure and…
25th Far East Film Festival: “The Legend & Butterfly” Review
Oda Nobunaga, Japan’s first “great unifier”, has been depicted on screen countless times. Depending on the angle of the narrative the daimyo can either be seen as a hero or villain; romantic lead or malevolent foe; the Fool of Owari or the Demon King. Often his part in unifying the country during the Sengoku period…
25th Far East Film Festival: In Conversation with Kim Eun-hee, Jang Hang-jun & Jeong Jin-woon of “Rebound”
The Udine Far East Film Festival surely knows how to delight its audience. This year we have seen many superb films, including Rebound, a South Korean production written by Kim Eun-hee, who is also responsible for Netflix’s Kingdom series, and directed by Jang Hang-jun (Forbidden). The inspiring film tells a story of a high school…
25th Far East Film Festival: In Conversation with Cheng Wei-hao & Jin Pai-lunn of “Marry My Dead Body”
In 2019, Taiwan became the first state in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage. It was a landmark moment in the region for LGBTQ+ rights, and since then it has also become an important part of pop culture – Cheng Wei-hao’s Marry My Dead Body is a prime example. The comedy, which was shown at the…
25th Far East Film Festival: “Ajoomma” Review
Making your feature film debut can be an exciting yet daunting experience, and the foundation of any good film is a strong story and its characters. Ajoomma, directed by He Shuming and co-written with Kris Ong, is one of those evocative narratives. A Singaporean and South Korean co-production, produced by the renowned filmmaker Anthony Chen…
25th Far East Film Festival: “Rebound” Review
Busan’s Jungang High School basketball team is in disarray and about to come to a stop until a new coach, Kang Yang-hyeon (Ahn Jae-hong: Time to Hunt, Fabricated City) is brought in to turn the team around. Jang Hang-jun’s new film, Rebound, not only follows Kang’s journey but also of his protégés: Bae Gyoo-hyeok (Jeong…
25th Far East Film Festival: “December” Review
If your daughter’s killer had the opportunity to start again, would she, to your mind, be deserving of that second chance? That is the question at the heart of December, a Japanese court drama helmed by Indian filmmaker Anshul Chauhan. Crime, punishment, and the rehabilitation of criminals are topics that are debated all around the…
25th Far East Film Festival: “Ditto” Review
Ditto, a 2022 South Korean film directed and written by Seo Eun-young and starring Yeo Jin-goo, Cho Yi-hyun, Kim Hye-yoon, and Na In-woo is, according to media, a remake of the 2000 film of the same name, starring Yoo Ji-tae and Ha Ji-won. Although the producers bought the rights to the remake, the 2022 version…
73rd Berlin International Film Festival: “The Teachers’ Lounge” Review
It’s Carla Nowak’s (Leonie Benesch) first semester teaching within a school. Young and idealistic, she’s the type of teacher who greets her students with a good morning clap and chant routine, organises pop quizzes, and lends out Rubik’s cubes to kids who can’t afford their own. Carla is a teacher constantly on the go, so…
73rd Berlin International Film Festival: “Silver Haze” Review
For nearly a decade, on the 1st of June, Franky (Vicky Knight) has sent a vaguely threatening Facebook message to a figure from her past, asking for the true story about an event she is still physically scarred by to this day. It’s an anniversary that throws her life into turbulence every year, and director…
“Ivalu” Short Film Review
Writer-director Anders Walter’s Ivalu is a somber story about childhood trauma. Having made his mark with Helium, which won the Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film in 2014, the 45-year-old Danish filmmaker is now competing for the award once again with his latest short film. The Greenlandic-language film is adapted from an award-winning graphic…
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