Jia Zhangke is a name inseparable from contemporary cinema, especially this year. Over the past few months, he has appeared at major festivals worldwide, championing cross-cultural exchange: first the Taipei Film Festival in June, then Venice in August, Busan in mid-September, and finally his own Pingyao International Film Festival (PYIFF) at the end of the…
Tag: Asian Cinema
Kim Kang-min and OMEGA X’s Kevin on Hot New BL Drama “My Bias Is Showing!”
The tides are turning, and actor Kim Kang-min and OMEGA X’s Kevin are mermen. BL (Boys’ Love) and other LGBTQIA+ themed dramas are abundant in regions like Thailand and the Philippines, but South Korea is not quite there yet. That’s why Webtoon phenomenon My Bias Is Showing!’s adaptation is such a big deal; there are…
Experience the Magic of Another Fanmeet: JIB DREAM FANMEET in Rome Details
Over the past decade, Thailand’s Boys’ Love (BL) dramas have become far more than niche entertainment. They are vibrant, emotionally rich stories that allow characters and viewers to explore vulnerability, identity, and romance without apology. One of the genre’s most unique strengths is pairing consistency: actors who work together across multiple series build trust and…
30th Busan International Film Festival: In Conversation with Frederik Sølberg, Director of “Hana Korea”
Frederik Sølberg is a Danish filmmaker whose work connects the worlds of documentary and narrative cinema, exploring stories that illuminate human identity and belonging. He is known for his careful attention to detail and for bringing real-life experiences to the screen. Fifteen years ago, a first visit to South Korea left an impression on Sølberg….
30th Busan International Film Festival: “Shape of Momo” Review
Shown at this year’s Busan International Film Festival, Tribeny Rai’s debut feature, Shape of Momo, is a wonderful piece of writing. A powerful film that listens closely to the hidden struggles of women living within the limits of tradition. The narrative centres on Bishnu, a 32-year-old who abandons her city job and returns to her…
Sylvia CHANG Receives BIFF x CHANEL 2025 Camellia Award at the 30th Busan International Film Festival
Taiwanese filmmaker Sylvia Chang has been awarded the 2025 Camellia Award for her groundbreaking contributions across generations and roles, paving the way for Asian women in cinema. The Camellia Award, presented by CHANEL in partnership with the Busan International Film Festival, honors women whose cultural and artistic impact shapes the film industry. At the 30th…
30th Busan International Film Festival: “Dear Stranger” Review
Tetsuya Mariko’s Dear Stranger begins not with the disappearance of a child, but with the erosion of a marriage. Kenji (Hidetoshi Nishijima: Drive My Car, Serpent’s Path), a Japanese architecture professor in New York, and Jane (Gwei Lun-Mei: The Wild Goose Lake), a Taiwanese-American puppeteer who has put her art aside to raise their young…
30th Busan International Film Festival: “Hana Korea” Review
For many North Korean defectors, crossing the border is not the end of a story but the start of another kind of struggle. Frederik Sølberg’s Hana Korea, co-written with Sharon Choi, goes straight into that fraught second chapter. The film is a great story of adaptation and loss: how the comforts of a new country…
European Women Filmmakers Take Stage at the 30th Busan International Film Festival
European Film Promotion (EFP), a consortium of 37 national film organizations, is devoted to bringing the richness of European cinema and its creators to the attention of the international film industry and press. This year in Busan, EFP will back 69 European titles invited to the festival, alongside the participation of 19 global distributors connected…
BFI London Film Festival 2025: A Strong Year for Asian Cinema
The 2025 BFI London Film Festival has announced a particularly rich programme, one that emphasising its role as a global event for daring, ambitious as well as diverse cinema. Among the many highlights, Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice is probably one of the year’s most anticipated Gala selections. The darkly comic thriller follows a desperate…
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