With The Last Blossom, My Name, Chilsu and Mansu and a panel on Vertical Stories at the Visionario.
On Tuesday the 28th of April, Asian animation takes centre stage at the Teatro Nuovo Giovanni da Udine theatre. Because this year, FEFF28 is presenting more of it than ever before with three feature films in competition. The first arrives today: at 8:30 a.m., Kinoshita Baku's The Last Blossom (Japan), a poetic story of mistakes and redemption sparked by a conversation with a talking flower in prison, has its a national premiere. This is followed on Wednesday the 29th of April at 9:00 a.m. by the international premiere of A Mighty Adventure (Taiwan/Malaysia/Hong Kong) by Toe Yuen – a world seen from an insect's POV! – and on Thursday the 30th of April, also at 9:00 a.m., by the national premiere of Tommy Ng's Another World (Hong Kong), a surreal exploration of a completely new vision of the afterlife.
South Korea is one of today's protagonists, with the national premiere at 19.15 of Chung Ji-young's My Name — a journey into one of the darkest chapters of Korean history (the 1948 Jeju Massacre) through the country's defining film genres: the coming-of-age story, the gangster movie, the historical drama and the dramatic comedy. The traumas that come to light are not just personal but those of an entire nation.
And Korea is once again in the spotlight with restored classic Chilsu and Mansu, directed in 1988 by Park Kwang-su (current president of the Busan International Film Festival). Often cited as a turning point that marked the transition in Korean cinema from restrictive censorship to greater freedom of expression, the film subtly narrates the friendship between its two working-class protagonists, one of whom — Mansu — played by brilliant Korean actor Ahn Sung-ki, whose career spanned from the 1950s to the present day. A screening which is the FEFF's tribute to Ahn Sung-ki, who passed away earlier this year.
Japanese director Hiroki Ryuichi is a regular at the Festival, and the FEFF is delighted to present his latest film The Sickness Unto Love for its international premiere at 14.30. What begins as a love story takes on a more unsettling tone as a suspicion of murder grows increasingly strong. Another important initiative taking place at the Visionario is the panel on vertical stories moderated by Roger Garcia. These very short, vertical-format micro-dramas designed to be watched on smartphones have spread from Asia to America and represent a new frontier in entertainment. The panel, featuring examples, offers a comprehensive introduction to this new form of expression. The catalogue for this year's FEFF also has a detailed section dedicated to them, a must-see for anyone wishing to stay informed on the changes currently underway in the entertainment industry.
PROGRAMME
8.30
THE LAST BLOSSOM
directed by Kinoshita Baku
(Japan, 2025)
Animation. A former yakuza spends his final days in prison recalling his life in the company of a talking flower.
10.15
TAKE OFF
directed by Pengfei
(China, 2025)
A workman and the stubborn passion for flying machines he inherited from
his father. Fifty years of a changing China told through the story of
Mingqi.
12.30
THE SICKNESS UNTO LOVE
directed by Hiroki Ryuichi
(Japan, 2025)
The shy Nozomu falls in love with the most popular girl in school. It's
how a lot of romances begin... But none end like this simultaneously
moving and disturbing film.
14.30
DEEP QUIET ROOM
directed by Shen Ko-shang
(Taiwan, 2026)
A loving (and beloved) wife who is expecting a child begins to collapse emotionally, and old wounds resurface.
15.00 – VISIONARIO
CHILSU AND MANSU
directed by Park Kwang-su
(South Korea 1988/restored 2K 2014)
In Korea under the military dictatorship, the camaraderie and day-to-day life of two hard up working –class guys. With this restored classic, we also pay tribute to recently deceased actor Ahn Sung-ki.
16.40
JET LAG IN SUMMER
directed by Yan Kunao
(China, 2025)
The lives of young Chinese expatriates in the story of Jiaqi and Pingu, between New York and their homeland with the geographical and emotional limbo of Los Angeles in between.
17.10 – VISIONARIO
VERTICAL STORIES PANEL
19.15
MY NAME
directed by Chung Ji-young
(South Korea, 2026)
Teenager Young-oak is uncomfortable with the female name his mother gave him. But behind her apparent composure lies a tragic past she's reluctant to confront.
21.30
SUZUKI=BAKUDAN
directed by Nagai Akira
(Japan, 2025)
As bombs explode around Tokyo, a man under arrest claims to be able to predict where and when the next will go off. Is he behind them? An endless interrogation that yields no results...
FEFF MEETINGS / FEFF TALKS – Sala Fantoni, Teatro Nuovo Giovanni da Udine theatre
TUESDAY 28 APRIL
10:30 – 11:15
Taiwan New Cinema
CHEN Yu-hsun, director, A Foggy Tale
CHAO Koi-wang, director, I Blew Out the Candles Before Making a Wish
Participants: LEE Lieh, producer, A Foggy Tale; YEH Jufeng, producer, A Foggy Tale; David TANG, producer, I Blew Out the Candles Before Making a Wish; Alba HU, producer, I Blew Out the Candles Before Making a Wish
Coordinamento/Moderator: Kevin MA
11:20 – 12:10
Hong Kong Cinema
TAM Wai-ching, director, Someone Like Me
NJO Kui-ying, director, Road to Vendetta
Mani MAN, producer and screenwriter, Road to Vendetta
Coordinamento/Moderators: Tim YOUNGS, Kevin MA
12:15 – 13:00
Korean Documentaries
KIM Jong-woo, director, The Seoul Guardians
JO Sona, producer, The Seoul Guardians
KIM Dong-ho, director, Mr. Kim Goes to the Cinema
Coordinamento/Moderator: Darcy PAQUET
17:10 – 18:45
Vertical Stories: The Rise of Micro-Dramas
with Teng LEEYEIN (V Movies & Media Sdn Bhd, MY), Hu PENGNAN (Hong Kong Education University, HK), WANG Kunlin (China), Katy KIM (South Korea), Bryce TSAO (iQIYI, Inc., China)
Coordinamento/Moderator: Roger GARCIA
@Visionario (Sala Eden)
BAMBÙ – Tuesday 28 April
9:00 – Press Review
17:45 – Indonesia and Vietnam: Equilibriums, Development and New ambitions in Southeast Asia
Guido Creta – L’Orientale University of Naples
Claudio Dordi – Bocconi University (participating remotely)
HIGHLIGHTED EVENTS — TUESDAY 28 APRIL
10:30 – 12:30 | Fondazione Friuli
Japanese Teas and Spring Sweets
By Ikiya. A sensory journey through Japanese springtime, with warabi mochi and fine teas, from Sencha to aged Oolong. Max 20 people | €25 | Booking: feff.eventbrite.it
16:00 – 17:30 | D’Annata Wines, Via Poscolle 36
Masterclass:Sake Rice
By Nicola Coppe. When the ancient Japanese tradition of nihonshu meets Italian artisanal sensibility: a journey through fermentation and guided tasting. Max 15 people | €8 | Booking: feff.eventbrite.it
17:00 – 20:00 | OfficineLamour, Via Mercatovecchio 9
Black Peony: 1930s Beauty Look
By Lara Pontoni, Martina Corrubolo and Chiara Fantig. An evening event featuring jazz, simple 1930s beauty rituals and silk flowers hand-shaped using the somebana technique. Max 10 people | €38 | Booking: feff.eventbrite.it
18:00 – 19:30 | Libreria Tarantola bookshop
Intant Bundì: the Calendar that Unites Friuli and Asia
By Irene Beltrame and Matteo Gerussi. An unexpected encounter between the visual magic of the East and the charm of the Friulian language, in a perpetual calendar created to celebrate the atmosphere of the Festival.
18:00 – 22:00 | Ai Do Mori, Alla Rocca, La Buca del Castello
#2 Block Party – in collaboration with Udine Cocktail Week
Jacopo Lancerin of the Cucù in Bassano del Grappa will be bringing an Asian-style cocktail list.
20:00 – 22:40 | Spazio Villalta
Chromatic Dinner
By Martin Butler, with I-Chen Zuffellato and Andrea Fantini. An immersive perceptual journey where sound, colour, scent and flavour intertwine in dishes inspired by the five elements. Max 10 people | €85 | Booking: feff.eventbrite.it