Women of Asian Cinema

Twenty years! That’s how long Filmasia has been presenting a curated selection of the most interesting films from Asian cinema.  In two decades, we have presented almost two hundred and fifty films, of which almost a hundred are Korean, fifty are Hong Kong, more than forty are Taiwanese and thirty are Japanese. We also visited Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia. Auteur diversity has always been our dramaturgy’s main domain. Where once there was Takashi Miike or Johnnie To, there might be Edward Yang or Tsai Ming-liang. From emerging artists to retrospectives of great masters. In this year’s programme, it is the masters who will symbolically hand over the sceptre to a new generation of women filmmakers. This will mark the end of Filmasia’s second decade. We will celebrate this birthday by looking into the future from the perspective of women directors and heroines.

In the WOMEN DIRECTORS section, we present four films by contemporary female filmmakers who show that the future of Hong Kong, Korean and Taiwanese cinema is in great hands. Sasha Chuk will introduce her moving and award-winning debut, Fly Me to the Moon, mentored and produced by Hong Kong film giant Stanley Kwan. Brilliant writer-director Heiward Mak will present Fagara, a sensitive drama resulting from her collaboration with star Sammi Cheng and producer Ann Hui. July Jung will follow with an uncompromising look at contemporary Korean society and the pressures it places on the younger generation with Next Sohee. The Taiwanese duo of Wang Ping-Wen and Peng Tzu-Hui will close the section with their melancholy story A Journey in Spring. In this story, the main character tries to find a new way forward after a devastating loss.

WOMEN CHARACTERS will provide an insight into three diametrically opposed worlds. The double feature by iconic Hong Kong auteur Wong Kar-wai will allow Czech audiences to see the essential Chungking Express accompanied by Fallen Angels on the big screen. Taiwanese romantic comedy Salli will evoke the cosy countryside atmosphere to subversively explore the world of online dating.

SPECIAL SCREENINGS has the latest hits in the spotlight. Fans of genre films will enjoy the brutal horror film Exhuma. A dynamic Korean ride full of suspense and ritual will surprise even seasoned viewers. We are thrilled to present Evil Does Not Exist. A thought-provoking environmental drama from Drive My Car director Ryusuke Hamaguchi. Although the two films are very different in form, their overwhelming impact will be similar! As is our tradition, we will be presenting a series of STUDENT FILMS, which will give us an insight into the work of the great filmmakers of the future.

Over the past few years, more and more women’s stories and women filmmakers have been featured in the Filmasia programme. At the festival, you could meet producer Peggy Chiao, actress and director Kearen Pang, and filmmaking legends Mabel Cheung and Ann Hui. These perspectives have an irreplaceable place in our programme, but especially in society. Also because the Asian film scene in Europe has been populated mainly by men, in this year’s edition we are passing the torch to emerging women filmmakers. To women filmmakers whose work is deeply inspiring and modern, and who not only give us an insight into contemporary issues, but also outline the crucial role they will play in Hong Kong, Taiwanese and Korean cinema in the future. That’s why we’re delighted to invite you to meet Sasha Chuk, Heiward Mak and July Jung. Women whose work is resonating all over the world.