Udine

[Stephen Cremin]

UdineinContri film festival has been around for around fifteen years.  Every
year it had a different focus: westerns one year, perhaps horror another. 
Then three years ago they asked Derek Elley to programme a Hong Kong
retrospective as that year's focus and it was such a success that they
decided to keep it as a wholly Asian festival.

I don't know how much money they have, but local government in Italy (and
presumably France, etc) will put money behind projects like this.  But they
do spend their money properly.  For example, this year hundreds of film
students from all over Italy will be coming up and getting free
accommodation.

All films are free in a converted opera house with a huge screen.  This year
it runs from 20-28 April.  Accommodation is running out so anybody who wants
to attend should contact cec at cecudine.org now.  If you're legitimate press
and will write about the festival then they may pay your accommodation.

I've seen the full line-up and can say that its very representative of last
year's Hong Kong, Thai, Chinese and Philippine cinema.  Not the usual
festival films, but an emphasis on quality commercial cinema.  No Kitano. 
No Aoyama.  No Sakamoto.  No Stanley Kwan.  No Wong Kar-wai.

Japanese cinema was first introduced last year so that section is still
growing but it has western premieres of some of last year's major Japanese
films if that's a big enough clue.  Hong Kong film still dominates,
particularly in the area of guests, with - for example - three major HK
actresses in attendance.

All films are free.  So if you get up early and go to bed late you can catch
at least 60 different Asian films in the main theatre with English
subtitles.  A second theatre has also been introduced this year.

Stephen

----------
>From: drainer at mpinet.net
>To: <KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu>
>Subject: Re: KEIZOKU
>Date: Mon, Mar 19, 2001 7:05
>

>
> Why does Udine get such festivals? You'd think if they get such events,we'd
>get tenfold here in the US... Udine is about as city slicking as living in
>Alabama....
> Does anyone have the exact dates? I have family there and one of the
>members may be interested...
>
>
> Thanks
>
>-df
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Stephen Cremin" <asianfilmlibrary at mac.com>
>To: <KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu>
>Sent: Monday, March 19, 2001 5:34 PM
>Subject: Re: KEIZOKU
>
>
>
>> Alternative is to come to Udine in northeastern Italy in the last week of
>> April where TBS sales agent Usui will be in attendance with 40+ Asian
>> directors, actors, actresses, producers, composers, etc.  KEIZOKU probably
>> won't be playing, but its likely they'll have a [subtitled] tape you can
>> view.
>>  Lineup will be announced shortly but includes several Western (outside
>> Asia) premieres of Japanese films among 70-80 East Asian features.
>>
>> I'm not sure which State you're in but surely there's a Japanese rental
>> library within half-a-day's drive?  Things are much stricter in the UK
>where
>> you have to have a Japanese passport to be a member of a Japanese video
>> rental library by order of local government.  You know, to protect the
>> locals from corruption.
>>
>> Stephen
>>
>