The Eternal Zero, YAMAZAKI Takashi, Japan 2013, International Festival Premiere
The Eternal Zero by Yamazaki Takashi wins the 2014 Golden Mulberry. Podium results for The Attorney and Philippine Barber’s Tale.
The sixteenth edition wraps up with a total of 55.000 viewers: 2013 threshold exceeded.
American producer Michael Werner: «Amazing Festival, cool town».
UDINE – Far East Film Festival viewers, who since 1999 have been the only judge and jury of the films in competition, have honored Japan: war melodrama The Eternal Zero by Yamazaki Takashi takes home the 2014 Golden Mulberry! First runner up is the much appreciated legal drama from South Korea The Attorney (also awarded with the 2014Black Mulberry by Black Dragon pass holders), while the bronze goes to Philippine melodrama Barber’s Tale (a ten minute round of applause for lead actress Eugene Domingo). Lastly, MYmovies web jury has (with an extremely high voting average) leaned toward Thermae Romae II by the one and only Takeuchi Hideki, director with capital D and… karaoke virtuoso!
After nine days of screenings and meetings at Teatro Nuovo “Giovanni da Udine” and colorfulraidsdowntown (this year, more than60 events linked to FEFF), it’s time to take stock of the sixteenth chapter. An edition that, ideally, can be recapped in the words of the great American producer and distributor Michael Werner, president of Fortissimo Films, presented with the 2014 Golden Mulberry Lifetime Achievement award: «This festival is really amazing and Udine is such a cool town. Also the audience reaction to the movie entries is nothing but a source of inspiration for my work and for those who, just like me, still believe in cinema». A loyal, a truly loyal, European and international audience, made by journalists, critics, students, experts, insiders and, above all, people wholove Far Eastern visions. Let’s not obviously forget the priceless help of 150volunteers who have been supporting the staff.
More numbers? Contrary to almost apocalyptic weather forecasts, the festival has basically reached and confirmed the 2013 excellent threshold: 50 thousand attending viewers, 1225 pass holders (coming from a total of 16 different nations), 125 thousand euro revenue (between tickets and passes). Also, several thousands have been the people movedaround by a busy schedule packed with events, simultaneously with the movie program, that, once again, reached the peak with the crowded Far East Cosplay Contest on April 27th.
A year ago, the fifteenth edition of the Far East Film Festival ended with a promise: «We will never give up! ». A promise holding two very different emotions: resentment for all the major budget cuts and pride for once again making it through. But FEFF 16 ends with this quote from the amazing South Korean action thriller Cold Eyes: «When you’re tired, you lose. When you’re crazy, you win. And we are definitely not tired. Let’s start again!». FEFF 17 is right around the corner.