Wednesday 29th at FEFF 28: between the weight of the present and the return of icons like Jackie Chan and Tony Leung Ka-Fai to the big screen in Udine in action noir The Shadow's Edge. But also, Filipino women in Japan, Japanese LGBTQ+ drama, the cage houses of Hong Kong and a prison choir in Taiwan: FEFF 28 brings social drama to the stage in its most diverse and powerful forms.
Today's line-up is testament to the diverse range of approaches and voices that distinguish the FEFF. First and foremost there's social drama, with Filipino film Midnight Girls (whose world premiere will be at 10:30 a.m.), about the women who emigrated from the Philippines to Japan and the stigma that they bear, and Japanese LGBTQ+ drama Tiger (14.00, European premiere), a look at the life of a masseur in the gay massage world who hopes to break into the porn industry in the metropolis while at the same time trying to care for his sister, niece and ailing father back in his rural hometown.
Social drama and individual disorientation are also explored in the restored version of Wan Jen's important 1998 Taiwanese film Connection by Fate, (world premiere at 14:00 p.m. at the Visionario). And then, this time taking an approach that will have audiences struggling to hold back their tears, there's Korean tearjerker Sunshine Women's Choir (16:20, international premiere), set in a women's prison.
In 90 Meters (Japan, 19:15, international premiere), cinema tackles the theme of domestic support, with protagonist Tasuku having to care for his mother, who suffers from ALS, with all that entails for his adolescence, in the hope of future public support, in this partially autobiographical drama written and directed by Nakagawa Shun. And finally, Jacob Cheung's 1992 film Cageman (18:00 pm at the Visionario, international premiere), takes us into the nightmare of the grim cage-like 'bedspace apartments' of old Hong Kong.
But social drama isn't the only thing in the line-up! The Shadow's Edge (21:30, Italian premiere) brings to the screen two icons of crime and martial arts cinema—Jackie Chan and Tony Leung Ka-fai in top form, portraying vivid, realistic characters in this fast-paced thriller. A remake of Hong Kong film Eye in the Sky, this Chinese/Hong Kong production revisits the theme of electronic surveillance: tech might be cool, but when a skilled hacker helps a pack of gangsters outsmart the police, it's time to call in an old-fashioned cop.
And let's not forget the recent restoration of one of the audience's most beloved kaiju (giant monsters). In the mid-'60s, Daiei, a competitor of Toho (the home of Godzilla), decided to try its luck in its rival's lucrative territory. After a possible story about giant rats which never materialised, Daiei came up with a giant turtle that could fly and breathed fire. Gamera, the Giant Monster was born (16.20 at the Visionario, international premiere) – and it was here to stay!
Plus, on the 29th and 30th of April, the Far East Film Festival 28 welcomes for the first time the Korea Creative Content Agency: two days of Korean TV series and documentaries at the Cinema Visionario in Udine.
PROGRAMME
9.00
A MIGHTY ADVENTURE
directed by Toe Yuen
(Taiwan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, 2026)
Dialogue-free animation shows us the world seen from "insect height" through the eyes of three little creatures lost in the big city.
10.30
MIDNIGHT GIRLS
directed by Irene Villamor
(Philippines, 2026)
Japayuki is the derogatory term used to describe Filipino women who emigrated to Japan to become nightclub dancers, strippers and prostitutes. Women like Vicky, Paris, Saki and Wanna.
14.00
TIGER
directed by Anshul Chauhan
(Japan, 2025)
An LGBTQ+ drama that takes us into the world of gay massage and pornography via Taiga's unhappy life and family issues.
14.00 – VISIONARIO
CONNECTION BY FATE
directed by Wan Jen
(Taiwan 1998/restored 2K 2025)
A film that blends intimate storytelling with a political portrait of 1980s Taiwan. A taxi driver encounters the spirit of a man sentenced to death.
16.20
SUNSHINE WOMEN’S CHOIR
directed by Gavin Lin
(Taiwan, 2025)
Born in a women's prison, a baby girl is welcomed with joy by four inmates, each scarred by a painful past. The inmates start a choir inside the jail.
16.20 – VISIONARIO
GAMERA, THE GIANT MONSTER
directed by Yuasa Noriaki
(Japan, 1965/restored 4K 2025)
Godzilla was burning up the box office for Toho, so Daiei decided it was time to dive into kaiju cinema. Enter Gamera, the giant fire-breathing turtle!
18.00 – VISIONARIO
CAGEMAN
directed by Jacob Cheung
(Hong Kong, 1992/restored 4K 2026)
The residents of grim cage-like cubicles clash with the landlord, who plans to evict them in order to reclaim the building.
19.15
90 METERS
directed by Nakagawa Shun
(Japan, 2026)
A teenager must care for his mother with ALS while attending school and facing the storms of youth.
21.30
THE SHADOW’S EDGE
directed by Larry Yang
(China/Hong Kong, 2025)
Icons of Hong Kong crime and martial arts cinema Jackie Chan and Tony Leung Ka-fai may have gray hair but they can still throw a punch with the best of them.
FEFF MEETINGS / FEFF TALKS – Sala Fantoni, Teatro Nuovo Giovanni da Udine theatre
10:00 – 11:00
Asian Box Office
Patrick Frater
Coordinamento/Moderator: Mathew SCOTT
11:05 – 11:45
Taiwan – Debut Films
SHEN Ko-shang, director, Deep Quiet Room
CHIU Hui-fen, producer, Deep Quiet Room
Sylvia SHIH, producer, Deep Quiet Room
Coordinamento/Moderator: Kevin MA
11:50 – 12:30
Korean Cinema
CHUNG Ji-young, director, My Name
JEONG Sang-min, producer, My Name
Coordinamento/Moderator: Darcy PAQUET
12:35 – 13:15
Kocca On Screen
YOO Yeon-seok, actor, KOCCA SPOTLIGHT
Coordinamento/Moderator: Darcy PAQUET
BAMBÙ
9:00 – Press Review
17:45 – Taiwan Rewrites Its Identity: the Past Is a Battleground.
Francesca Baronio – Rai journalist
Lorenzo Lamperti – journalist (participating remotely)
HIGHLIGHTED EVENTS
16:00 – 17:30 | MoMart, Via Paolo Sarpi 15/A
Masterclass: The Soul of Monkey 47
By Paolo Rovellini. A sensory journey through the botanicals of Monkey 47 Dry Gin, from Black Forest to Asian influences. Max 15 people | €8 | Booking: feff.eventbrite.it
17:30 – 19:30 | Fondazione Friuli
Mizuhiki
By Mami Hamada. The ancient Japanese art of decorative knots: from their origins as imperial ornaments and their use on greeting cards to the creation of your own handcrafted mizuhiki. Max 20 people | €15 | Booking: feff.eventbrite.it
18:30 – 20:00 | Fondazione Friuli
MasterFEFF #2: Max Sabinot vs Masato Fukayama
The second round of the festival's gastronomic challenge: the historic Al Vitello d'Oro in Udine versus the excellence of Yamaneko sushi. And the audience will be the judge. Presented by Annalisa Sandri. Max 41 people | €20 | Booking: feff.eventbrite.it
18:30 – 20:00 | Fondazione Friuli
The Cuisine of Fermentation
By Alessia Beltrame. A three-part journey through the secrets of fermented Asian cuisine, with a 100% plant-based tasting of miso, paocai and kimchi jjigae. Max 20 people | €25 | Booking: feff.eventbrite.it
19:00 – 20:00 | Wild Raccoon, Via Paolo Sarpi 12/C
My Friend Sailor Moon – Talk | Pink Preview
By Nino Giordano, moderated by Lucia Gasti of Mismàs APS. Sailor Moon as an icon for the LGBT community and the feminist movement, from her appearance in Japan in 1992 to the present day. Followed by a DJ set featuring anime soundtracks. Free admission.
18:00 – 22:00 | Mo-mart, Osteria Pulesi, P911, Swap., Wild Raccoon
#3 Block Party – in collaboration with Udine Cocktail Week
Nonino Cocktail by Gregory Camilò, Monkey 47 by Paolo Rovellini, pre-loved Asian fashion by Swap and a DJ set by Cessa. Free admission.