It is no surprise that the context of film festivals determines the award results because it creates a microenvironment that embodies the spirit and concept of a particular festival and is a perfect place for the reception of the curated films.
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Festival Reports
Among the Japanese films screened was 37 Seconds, the first feature by single-named filmmaker Hikari. Recipient of the Kau Ka Hōkū Filmmaker Award, the festival’s main prize, the film centres on a young manga artist (Mei Kayama) who refuses to let her cerebral palsy keep her from exploring her creativity, her sexuality – and the world. Filmed with a docudrama-like realism, 37 Seconds is a stirring drama of human potential and persistence.
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I used to attend KIFF regularly, and have the warmest memories of the very welcoming team of Ansu Sur and Sanjoy Ghosh. At that time, the festival was non-competitive and centered primarily around the Nandan complex. The audiences were diligent, passionately supportive, and absolutely inclusive in their love for cinema – shorts, documentaries, feature films, both Indian and international.
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The films tend to be mediocre most of all the time – or quite simply bad; there is seldom space for a brilliant work, one that would bring something new to the table. And there is nothing wrong with it – after all, these filmmakers are mainly newcomers and, sadly, those who weren’t accepted to bigger events such as Venice, Cannes, Rotterdam, Toronto.
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Asiaticamediale’s own 20-year journey has been a bittersweet one. The festival has remained faithful to its deep and wide interest of Asian cultures and society, showing a considered respect for all the many issues. But while it has held on to its intellectual idealism, it also reveals a deep chasm between that generation’s social values and the current millennials who are following other media platforms.
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Of the six films that the NETPAC (dream) team had to choose from in Vladivostok, Great Poetry was by far the most powerful for its brutal depiction of modern social issues concerning post-war trauma and friendship, and sustained by an astonishing performance and daring and poetic direction.
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It is incredible to see the number of female Arab directors present in El Gouna this year. Algerian film Papicha directed by Mounia Meddour takes us back to Algeria’s bloody black decade in the 1990s – a time when extremism and terrorism reigned. It received the award for the Best Arab Film.
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The growth in audience participation, comprising all ages, but mainly the youth, was astounding. The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) the official venue of Cinemalaya was jam packed with people who braved intense showers for the entire duration of the festival. In fact Cinemalaya is associated with heavy rain.
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Recognized as a major international showcase for genre films, BIFAN showcased 284 films from 49 countries (166 features and 118 shorts) in its 23rd edition. They included 64 World Premieres, 38 International Premieres and 79 Asian Premieres. Korean superstar Jung Woo-sung attended BIFAN 23's star-studded opening ceremony on June 27 at the Bucheon Gynmasium, where the festival's new director (and veteran film producer) Shin Chul declared BIFAN's determination to take part in the advancement of the next 100 years of Korean cinema
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The festival screened award winning films from major international film festivals, including Parasite by Bong Joon Ho (South Korea) that won the Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival this year, along with some lesser known films by young directors, many of them making their debut.
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Congratulations Bong Joon Ho
Congratulations to Bong Joon-ho
The victory of Parasite by Bong Joon-ho, at the 92nd Academy Awards (aka the Oscars), is a clear sign of global change.
The history of cinema is being written on our eyes! For the first time, the most prestigious cinema awards were given to one film - the Palme d'Or at the 2019 Cannes Film festival, the Best Asian film at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards and the Oscars. For the first time, we see such unanimous acclaim of one film.
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