From the attempted coup in Seoul to the sexual rights of people with disabilities in Hong Kong: on Monday April 27, at the Teatro Nuovo Giovanni da Udine theatre, Asian cinema addresses the present day without filters.
With
The Seoul Guardians,
Someone Like Me,
The World of Love and the nostalgia of
Night King and
Ky Nam Inn.
On the 3rd of December, 2024—practically yesterday—South Korea risked falling back under a dictatorship. President Yoon Suk-yeol suddenly declared martial law and had his troops surround the National Assembly which had the constitutional power to reject it. But a huge popular mobilisation began and citizens soon filled the streets while parliamentarians managed to enter the Assembly building despite the blockade. Democracy was restored and the president was subsequently dismissed.
The Seoul Guardians (premiering nationally at 17.20 at the Teatro Nuovo Giovanni da Udine theatre) is an electrifying documentary montage of the television coverage of those turbulent hours that lets us watch history unfold in real time.
Nostalgia is a fundamental component of life in today's Hong Kong. With its fast-paced, frenetic dialogue and tendency to shift quickly from comedy to romance, Jack Ng's classic Hong Kong comedy
Night King, which opens the programme of the 27th at 8:30 a.m., is a true elegy to a time and a place: old Hong Kong, when the Tsim Sha Tsui neighbourhood was packed with "hostess bars": nightclubs with escorts paid to flirt with the customers to get them to spend money on drinks. And the film is brought to life by two top-notch comic actors, Dayo Wong and Sammi Cheng. Sharing this same nostalgic vision of the past is Vietnamese film
Ky Nam Inn, at 19.15, where the influence of Wong Kar Wai is evident: a love story set in the early 1980s that also celebrates the songs of the period.
But Hong Kong offers more than just nostalgia. Tam Wai-ching's
Someone Like Me, with its brilliant performance by Fish Liew, tackles a burning and timely issue: the right to sexuality for people with disabilities. Showing in the afternoon and also delving into highly topical issues related to adolescence, sexuality and violence is Korean film
The World of Love by Yoon Ga-eun, a director specialising in stories about female childhood and adolescence with a gift for directing very young actresses.
FEFF 28 isn't just cinema, though. Starting Monday, April 27, and carrying on for the next three days,
MasterFEFF, the major culinary innovation of this edition, will be debuting at the Fondazione Friuli in Udine: a live challenge format inspired by the famous television show where a chef from the Friuli region and an Asian chef battle it out in the kitchen to create a recipe based on typical local products but with a touch of the Far East. The show will be hosted by Annalisa Sandri, food blogger at
Manca il Sale, and the audience will be the judge, along with a rotating technical jury. Tonight it's the turn of Chiara Canzoneri ("Chincaglieria Gastronomica" in Gorizia) versus Amy Lim ("Mangiare Bere Uomo Donna" in Suzzara); Wednesday the 29th will feature Max Sabinot ("Al Vitello d'Oro" in Udine) versus Masato Fukayama ("Yamaneko" in Udine); and Thursday the 30th will close with Stefano Basello ("Al Bassotto" in Codroipo) versus Korean chef and food communicator Sun Young Koo. All events begin 18.30, with reservations required at feff.eventbrite.it.
PROGRAMME
9.00
NIGHT KING
Directed by Jack Ng
(Hong Kong, 2026)
A comedic elegy to Hong Kong's bygone days, when Tsim Sha Tsui was the kingdom of hostess bars.
10.55
SOMEONE LIKE ME
Directed by Tam Wai-ching
(Hong Kong, 2025)
Born with cerebral palsy, protagonist Mui discovers the existence of an organization that helps people with disabilities explore their sexuality.
13.00
FILIPIÑANA
Directed by Rafael Manuel
(Philippines, 2026)
Like a slow arthouse cinema ballet, life at a golf club for the wealthy becomes a perfect mirror of the Philippines and the country's class relations.
15.00
THE WORLD OF LOVE
Directed by Yoon Ga-eun
(South Korea, 2025)
Joo-in is 17, lively and self-confident. An argument over a sensitive issue strains her relationship with her classmates—but there's more going on than meets the eye.
17.20
THE SEOUL GUARDIANS
Directed by Kim Jong-woo, Kim Shin-wan, Cho Chul-young
(South Korea, 2026)
Directed by three filmmakers at the heart of the events,
The Seoul Guardians chronicles the dramatic day in 2024 when the South Korean president declared martial law and had the National Assembly surrounded by soldiers.
19.15
KY NAM INN
Directed by Leon Le
(Vietnam, 2025)
Saigon, 1985. A young translator's life changes when he meets Ky Nam, the reserved widow who lives next door.
21.55
ROAD TO VENDETTA
Directed by Kui-ying
(Hong Kong, 2025)
Classic Hong Kong adrenaline in the story of the professional assassin known as Number 4 and the girl he is protecting.
SPECIAL SCREENING
19.30 – VISIONARIO
RESURRECTION
Directed by Bi Gan
(China, France, 2025)
A future where, except for a few 'Deliriants', humanity no longer dreams. A journey into the mind of one of these in a film that shifts between reality and cinema.
FEFF MEETINGS / FEFF TALKS – Sala Fantoni, Teatro Nuovo Giovanni da Udine Theatre
MONDAY THE 27th OF APRIL
10:15 – 10:10:30 – 11:15
Tribute to Lee Sang-il
LEE Sang-il, director,
Kokuho
Coordinamento/Moderator: Mark SCHILLING
11:20 – 12:30
South Korea Cinema
YOON Ga-eun, director,
The World of Love
JANG Hye-jin, actor,
The World of Love and
Number One
Coordinamento/Moderator: Darcy PAQUET
12:35 – 13:25
Japan New Cinema + Vietnam
KIMURA Taichi, director
, Fujiko
KATAYAMA Yuki, actor
, Fujiko
MEGUMI, actor and producer
, Fujiko
OKUYAMA Yoshiyuki, director
, 5 Centimeters Per Second
Leon LE, director
, Ky Nam Inn
Ngo Hong NGOC, actor
, Ky Nam Inn
Coordinamento/Moderators: Mark SCHILLING, Nguyen LE55
BAMBÙ – Monday 27th April
9:00 – Press Review
17:45 –
Japan's Changing Security Landscape: Pacifism and New Global Challenges.
Gabriele Ninivaggi – journalist in Tokyo (participating remotely)
Giulio Pugliese –European University Institute and Institute of International Affairs
Paola Scrolavezza – University of Bologna
HIGHLIGHTED EVENTS — MONDAY THE 27th OF APRIL
18:00 – 20:00 | Fondazione Friuli
Mokuhanga: introduction to Japanese Woodblock Printing
By Luca Braidotti. The ancient art of Japanese woodblock printing, from theory to practice. Max 10 people | €28 | Booking: feff.eventbrite.it
18:30 – 19:30 | Camplus Manin
Becoming Chinese – Talk | Pink Preview
By Cristina Manzone, Lucia Gasti, Mismàs APS. An intersectional journey into China's pop culture rebranding through memes, social media and digital cultures. Free entry.
18:30 – 19:30 | Fondazione Friuli
The Secrets of Korean Skincare
From "glass skin" to a 10-step routine: an event dedicated to the Made-in-Korea philosophy of wellness and beauty.
18:30 – 20:00 | Camplus Manin
Calligraphy and Traditional Painting
A hands-on workshop to discover the aesthetics of lines and colour in the classical Asian arts.
18:30 – 20:00 | Fondazione Friuli
MasterFEFF #1: Chiara Canzoneri vs Amy Lim
The first challenge of the festival's gastronomic format: Friuli cuisine versus Asian cuisine, with the audience as judge. Hosted by Annalisa Sandri. Max 41 people | €20 | Booking: feff.eventbrite.it
For the full programme of events, go to:
https://events.fareastfilm.com/