Lee Sang-il presents a preview of his kabuki masterpiece in Udine before its national release on April 30th.
Bambù Talks with Giulia Pompili and Francesco Radicioni continue in the afternoon, with Sunday the 26th's guests Lucrezia Goldin, Giulia Interesse and Priscilla Ruggiero
Humanity in all its various forms, both in personal stories and in "big" history, is the common thread running through the films screening at the FEFF on
Sunday the 26th of April. Humanity in the daily lives and personal histories of young Tibetans today which are explored in
Linka Linka, shot over three years so that the young actresses who play the leads as children and then as teenagers could grow alongside their characters. Or the humanity we see in the story of the life of an indomitable 1970s woman who refuses to give up and fights for her existence in
Fujiko, or in sober gambling drama
I Blew Out the Candles Before Making a Wish, where a young woman from Macau tries to repay her father's debts at the gaming table while the film's gaze broadens to a whole world of marginalised gamblers.
There's also the humanity of individuals as they fit into the greater history of nations, and in this sense Japanese director
Lee Sang-il's
Kokuho is paradigmatic. This superb film, premiering on the big screen at the Teatro Nuovo theatre (and released nationwide on the 30th of April by Friuli company Tucker Film) is the story of two kabuki actors—two
onnagata, or actors who play female roles (a kabuki troupe being exclusively male).
Kokuho, which means "national treasure," is both a perfect introduction to the art of kabuki, making it so understandable that it will turn viewers into enthusiasts, a profound reflection on the psychology of the actor and his willingness to sacrifice everything for his art, and a powerful epic that captures fifty years of modern Japan through these two intertwined lives. Meanwhile in
Chen Yu-hsun's Taiwanese film
A Foggy Tale, individual life collides with the big events of history through the spectacular and moving story of a young peasant girl's journey to Taipei to collect the body of her brother, who has been executed during the White Terror. Chen recreates the Taiwan of the day with hypnotic intensity in a panorama of meticulously detailed settings and characters.
It's all cinema... and "What does cinema mean to you?" is precisely the question that
Kim Dong-ho, a great expert on the seventh art and former director of the Busan Film Festival, asks the interviewees (a veritable "who's who" of Asian cinema) in documentary
Mr. Kim Goes to the Cinema, which he directed and which is being presented at the Visionario cinema.
At 5:45 pm there'll be the afternoon
Bambù Talks, coordinated by Giulia Pompili and Francesco Radicioni, at the Teatro Nuovo Giovanni da Udine theatre. The event, titled
Beyond the Dragon—Chinese Soft Power: Culture, Propaganda and the Imagination, will feature journalist Lucrezia Goldin, Giulia Interesse (Chinaly) and journalist Priscilla Ruggiero.
And for those who want to experience the festival outside the movie theatre, the
K-Pop Dance Fight Fest returns for the second consecutive year on Sunday the 26th of April at
3:00 pm in Piazza della Libertà. Organized in collaboration with
K-ble Jungle and
COMICON, this national contest dedicated to K-pop dance talent features soloists and crews from across Italy performing before a panel of professional judges, including international choreographer
Jay Kim—who has collaborated with artists like Luhan, Jay Park and The Boyz—along with
certified hip hop dance instructor
Eva Marangone and
Chiara Dazzan, Councillor for Sports and Sports Facilities for the City of Udine. The event will be hosted by
Silvio Franceschinelli (aka DJ Shiru) of K-ble Jungle, creator of the format, and the prize is a trip to the finals of
COMICON in Bergamo on the
27th of June as well as official FEFF28 merchandise. Admission is free and open to all and the event will be followed by a K-pop aperitif at the
Alla Rocca bar in Piazza Guglielmo Marconi.
PROGRAMME
9.00
LINKA LINKA
directed by Kangdrun
(China, 2025)
Past, present, memory and ambition intertwine in a film of great psychological sophistication that looks at life in urban Tibet.
11.00
FUJIKO
directed by Kimura Taichi
(Japan, 2026)
Determined, combative and indomitable, Fujiko starts from scratch, going from one job to the next as she navigates the harsh life of a woman in the patriarchal Japan of the 1970s.
14.00
I BLEW OUT THE CANDLES BEFORE MAKING A WISH
directed by Chao Koi Wang, Hu Chin-yen
(Taiwan, 2026)
Young Jojo and seasoned Hua are unlikely companions in this adventure which examines family and responsibility amidst the chaotic casinos of Macau.
14.00 — VISIONARIO
THE WOODSMAN AND THE RAIN
directed by Okita Shuichi
(Japan, 2012)
A lonely and gruff woodcutter (Yakusho Koji, in the film that made him a FEFF idol when it was first screened) becomes involved as a mountain guide in an absurd zombie movie.
16.10
KOKUHO
directed by Lee Sang-il
(Japan, 2026)
A preview of Lee Sang-il's masterpiece on the art of kabuki and, through the stories of two actors, fifty years of Japanese life.
16.50 – VISIONARIO
MR. KIM GOES TO THE CINEMA
directed by Kim Dong-ho
(South Korea, 2025)
Former director of the Busan Film Festival Mr. Kim Dong-ho has made his first film at age 88: not just a documentary but a declaration of love for cinema.
18.50 – VISIONARIO
PUSH! PUSH!
directed by Park Chul-soo
(South Korea, 1997)
In an obstetrics and gynaecology hospital, two formidable female doctors face crises and find solutions: dramas related to birth, sex, death, loss, love and betrayal.
19.20
A FOGGY TALE
directed by Chen Yu-hsun
(Taiwan, 2025)
With drama and touches of humour, this unforgettable depiction of Taiwan as it was under the dictatorship tells the story of a young girl from the countryside.
21.50
HIJACKED
directed by Ham Tran
(Vietnam, 2025)
In newly unified Vietnam, a hijacking turns an airliner into a battlefield. Based on a true story!
FEFF MEETINGS / FEFF TALKS – Sala Fantoni, Teatro Nuovo Giovanni da Udine Theatre
10:15 – 10:55
Singapore New Cinema
Geck Geck Priscilla ANG, director,
Ah Girl
Yuni HADI, producer,
Ah Girl
Coordinamento/Moderator: June KIM
11:00 – 12:00
Japan – Yakusho Koji Tribute
YAKUSHO Koji, actor, Yakusho Koji Tribute: Perfect Roles
Coordinamento/Moderator: Tom MES
12:05 – 13:00
Hong Kong Cinema
Herman YAU, director,
We’re Nothing at All
Anson KONG, actor,
We’re Nothing at All
Coordinamento/Moderators: Tim YOUNGS, Kevin MA
BAMBÙ
9:00 – Press Review
17:45 –
Beyond the Dragon—Chinese Soft Power: Culture, Propaganda and Imagination
Lucrezia Goldin – Journalist
Giulia Interesse – Chinaly
Priscilla Ruggiero – Journalist
HIGHLIGHTED EVENTS
11:45 – 12:30 | From Giardino Loris Fortuna park to Teatro Nuovo theatre
Monsters Parade
With the Madrisio Band and the stilt walkers of the Circo all'inCirca circus. Create your own mask in the workshop with set designer Luigina Tusini and join the festive parade through Via Mercatovecchio and Via Manin to the Teatro Nuovo theatre. Free admission.
12:30 – 16:00 | Teatro Nuovo
FEFFnic
An outdoor picnic in pure Japanese style. Bento menu by SHI'S, homemade Timballo-Fiordilatte ice cream and a jazz soundtrack by Foresta. €16.50 (children €10) | Booking: feff.eventbrite.it
15:00 – 18:00 | Loggia di San Giovanni and Loggia del Lionello
K-Pop Dance Fight Fest
Second edition of the national contest dedicated to K-pop dance talent. Special guest on the judging panel is choreographer Jay Kim. Winners will advance to the finals at Comicon in Bergamo on June 27th. Free admission.
17:00 – 23:00 | Parco Ardito Desio – KK Skate Park (Via Lombardia)
FECS III – Far East Contemporary Sound Festival
By CAS*AUPA. Third edition of the music festival exploring the intersection between the traditional sounds of the Far East and electronic experimentation. The program features Meuko! Meuko! (Taipei), Akiko Haruna (Singapore), and Talpah (Italy). Free admission.