Con Big brotherla Malaysia
ascends the throne of the Far East Film Festival for the first time!
Second place goes to South Korea with
Rebound and the third to Japan with Judo.
The 2023 edition closes with 60,000 spectators,
200 guests and the record number of 1600 accredited.
An elegant tulle dress, a microphone and a rose between your fingers, a voice that seems to come from the world of fairy tales: Baisho Chiekoqueen of Japanese cinema, has just received the Golden Mulberry for Lifetime Achievement and thank the audience of Udine improvising a song… If it were mandatory to crystallize the Far East Film Festival 25 in a single frame, it would surely be this: an instant of pure magic that contains all the meaning of a dialogue between East and West started in 1999. A long history of love and cinema that, in the last 9 days, brought 60,000 spectators to Udine.
Just the public – confirming a pop tradition that dates back to FEFF number 1 – decreed the Udinese’s very first triumph from the Malaysiarewarding with the Golden Mulberry Big brotherdazzling directorial debut Jin Ong. Al second place of the podium was instead placed the South Korea with the irresistible Rebound Of Chang Hang-junwhile the third place went to Japan with the touching Judo Of Masayuki Suzuki. Accredited too Black Dragon they crowned Big brotherwhile the readers of MYmovies they chose Mongolian comedy The Sales Girl Of Janchivdorj Sengedorj. The jurors of the Early Works section (Ho Wi-ding, Sydney Sibilia, Fred Tsui) later confirmed the general enthusiasm for Big brotherassigning it the White Mulberrycon special mention for Hong Kong drama Lost Love Of Ka Sing-fungwhile the Mulberry for Best Screenplay went to the sweetest Day Off by the Taiwanese director Fu Tien-Yu (to decide, some of the jurors of the International award for the best screenplay “Sergio Amidei” of Gorizia: Massimo Gaudioso, Marco Risi, Marco Pettenello, Francesco Munzi).
After a totally digital edition, that of 2020, a summer edition that added online and presence, that of 2021, and an “almost traditional” edition, that of 2022, this year the Far East Film Festival he was able to joyfully savor the full wholeness long interrupted (not to say broken) by Covid and all the persistent health restrictions. A completeness represented not only by the record numbers of the line-up (78 titles from 14 countries, 9 world premieres, 13 international, 14 European and 23 Italian) but also by the record number of guest of honour (200), finally free to travel and reach the red carpet in Udine.
«It certainly goes without saying how happy we are to have been able to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the FEFF without the limits and without the anguish of the last three years – comment the two leaders, Sabrina Baracetti and Thomas Bertacche – and, precisely on the wave of an absolutely positive balance, it seems essential to us to involve the institutional world in a reflection. In other words, we believe that the long journey of the festival deserves to continue, seeing all its growth potential bear fruit: public bodies are ready to support the FEFF with more important investments, transforming it into a real hub that connects the East and the West? The future of FEFF will it continue to be that of a major international film festival or will its entire network of over twenty-year relationships be developed in a broader perspective?
Leaving room for the numbers: more than 3000 they were the overall guests of the festival located in the accommodation facilities of the city, while they have been 1600 accredited this year (other record number), among which 120 film and oriental language students from Hungary, England, France, Slovenia, Croatia and Austria and Singapore (as well as Italy). Beyond 200 i professionals arrived from all over Europe for industry sessions by Focus Asia and beyond 10 mila people who instead took part in the FEFF Events, scattered in the city center (the bartender Kim Ryan of “Mr.Simon” is the winner of Far East Cocktail Contest). Il FEFF onlinestreaming on the platform MYmovies ONEhe finally recorded over 10,000 visitors from 200 municipalities (the first city is Milano con 1000 attendance, equal to 15% of the total “digital audience”). THE most watched movies they were South Korean Ditto Of Seo Eun-young e The Legend & Butterfly by the Japanese director Otomo Keishi.
Now all that remains is to mark the dates on the calendar next editionwhen the Far East Film Festival will cut the twenty-sixth milestone: appointment in Udine from 19 to 27 April 2024!