On June 29th, The New York Asian Film Festival will return, reliably, to the Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center to thrill, dazzle, and vex adventurous movie-goers. Its unique cinematic offerings, are culled mostly from the realm this and the previous year’s theater releases of Asian countries being represented, along with a handful of premieres. One can look forward to 2 – 3 screenings each evening (more on the weekends) until things slide downtown to the SVA theater from the 13th – 15thfor a stacked conclusion.
Some things will be familiar to long-time attendees. An award for astounding action cinematography in the name of founding festival organizer Daniel Craft will once again be given, this time to Hong Kong cinema stalwart Dante Lam. As well as a lifetime achievement award to a veteran figure of Asian cinema, here being Japan’s Harada Masato, and a Rising Star award recognizing vibrant new talent.
Some recently launched innovations, such as a gallery exhibition, this year’s theme being “Safe Imagination is Boring” and a jury competition for best film, reserved for new directorial voices and now called the Tiger Uncaged Award, continue to take root. Ever changing, the festival will unveil some new features, such an HBO sponsored Free Talks series. Taking place at the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center’s Amphitheater, across the street from the Walter Reade, offering a chance for audiences to engage in lengthier dialogues with directors and performers in the movies being shown.
As for the films themselves, they again represent a significant range of countries both with film industries recognized globally, such as China, Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea, and those with less (or somewhat less) worldwide exposure: Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand. The Philippines has taken on a steadily stronger presence, and this year really has a foothold in the proceedings with the number and quality of films being shown, as well as guests on hand. Deeming this year it’s “Savage Seventeenth” and touting an unofficial slogan of “not (being) your average fucking festival, ” the mostly young crew is staying steadfast in bringing a challenging selection of films, downright confrontational at times, and often with something significant to say.
There is no way I could dream of taking it all in. So here I present a sampling of films I’ve been able to preview that made an impression. Numerous other films round out the fest, so be sure to visit the NYAFF homepage as you make your plan of attack.
DYNAMITE GRAFFITI (Japan, 2018) directed by Tominaga Masanori
BLOOD OF WOLVES (Japan, 2018) directed by Kazuya Shiraishi
ONE CUT OF THE DEAD (Japan, 2017) directed by Shinichiro Ueda
THE SCYTHIAN LAMB (Japan, 2017) directed by Daihachi Yoshida
THE THIRD MURDER (Japan, 2017) directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda
RIVER’S EDGE (Japan, 2018) directed by Isao Yukisada
MICROHABITAT (South Korea, 2017) directed by Jeon Go-woon
MIDNIGHT BUS (Japan, 2017) directed by Masao Takeshita
WRATH OF SILENCE (China, 2017) directed by Xin Yukun
LOOMING STORM (China, 2017) directed by Dong Yue
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