The 4th annual Terracotta Far East Film Festival is set to run April 12th -15th and will once again be hosted by Prince Charles Cinema in the heart of London’s Chinatown.
With a stunning line-up of films hand-picked from the best of the region, encompassing diverse genres from comedy to drama to horror and everything in between, the festival will continue to hold exclusive Q&As, masterclasses and fabulous parties.
Each year the festival strives to improve on last year and to discover new talent: last year, the programme included a little known indie-comedy from China, Red Light Revolution, which ended winning the festival Audience Award.
This year, there will be a focus on Taiwan, given the strength of output in recent years. Most cineastes will be familiar with the works of Edward Yang, Hou Hsiao-hsien and Ang Lee already and Terracotta Festival are delighted to host the UK Premiere for Seediq Bale by an emerging director Wei Te-sheng (Cape No. 7). Rising star Da Ching, lead actor of the film, will be attending the festival and the Official Party on the Saturday night will be Taiwanese themed.
As with every edition, the programme is balanced with the major film producing territories and main genres and this year, a new concept of ‘themes’ illustrates the diversity: the ‘Discovery’ theme groups together the first film made in Burma under the censors’ radar, Return to Burma, with a film about one man’s cycle journey from Yunnan to Lhasa, One Mile Above – all are fascinating destinations less visited by the average tourist.
This year also sees the introduction of two new strands: a TERROR COTTA Horror Night Triple Bill (Friday 13th April) to replace the single late night horror film slot which has proved popular. In association with Fright Fest, Terracotta Festival will show a classic horror (The Grudge) to whet the appetite and two brand new horrors (Zombie 108 and anime Gyo) with a film quiz and costume competition.
The second new strand is the ‘Breakfast Club’ on Sunday morning which will be launched with a double bill of exclusive Korean comedies and delicious Kimbap as a perfect antidote to our Official Party the night before.
Aiming to represent the diversity of Korean cinema, the line-up wouldn’t be complete without the return of arthouse master Kim Ki-duk and the most expensive Korean epic war ever made: My Way which will open the festival.
Fans of Japanese cinema will be able to enjoy an eclectic mixture of genres from controversial director Toshiaki Toyoda (Monsters Club) to quirky comedy drama featuring renowned actor Koji Yakusho (The Woodsman and the Rain) and the legendary animated works of Studio Ghibli.
Prolific actor Denden, well-known in the UK for his performance in Cold Fish, will be attending our closing ceremony of Himizu, new film by maverick director Sion Sono.
What clearly comes out of the line-up this year is the further increase in cross-border collaborations and a perfect example is the black comedy Inseparable that sees Kevin Spacey as the first Hollywood star to appear in an all-China financed production.
Terracotta Festival is above all an event to socialise and a platform for Asian culture at all levels; for this purpose the organisers are taking the festival beyond the cinema with a new FOOD PASS, giving access to a number of restaurants in Chinatown. There will be other related events such as photo exhibitions and competitions announced on social network sites.
Joey Leung, festival director says: “New look, same ethos. We worked with our creative agency, What is Bobo, to roll-out the re-brand of the festival with their ‘pixels’ concept. This lends maturity and longevity to our festival positioning, fitting now that we have passed the infancy of our festival and into our fourth edition.”
Terracotta Far East Film Festival Programme:
12th April
My Way Opening Film [Kang Je-kyu I South Korea 2011 I UK premiere]
A Korean man and a Japanese man meet as enemies, but become each other’s hope. Based on the true event of a Korean discovered among the bodies on D-Day and portrays WWII from an East Asian point of view
13th April
One Mile Above [Du Jiayi I China 2011 I UK premiere]
Based on a true story, a man fulfils his dead brother’s ambition and embarks on a cycle journey from Yunnan to Lhasa.
13th April
Return to Burma [Midi Z I Taiwan I Burma 2011 I UK premiere]
The first film shot in Burma under the censors’ radar to give the audience a rare insider’s perspective into ordinary life in this fascinating and topical country.
13th April
UFO in Her Eyes [Guo Xiaolu I China 2011 I UK premiere]
Comedy about a communist village transformed into a capitalist theme park in rural China.
Q&A and Masterclass with Director Guo Xiaolu
13th April
From Up On Poppy Hill [Goro Miyazaki I Japan 2011 I UK premiere]
A group of Yokohama teens look to save their school’s clubhouse from the wrecking ball in preparations for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Anime directed by the son of Hayao Miyazaki.
13th April: Terror Cotta Horror Movie Marathon Night in association with Fright Fest
Gyo [Takayuki Hirao | Japan 2012 International premiere]
The Grudge [Takashi Shimizu | Japan 2002]
Zombie 108 [Joe Chien | Taiwan 2012 | UK premiere]
14th April
Arirang [Kim Ki-duk I South Korea 2011 I UK premiere]
Kim Ki Duk’s long anticipated documentary about his self-imposed exile and solitude.
Winner of ‘Un Certain Regard’ Award at Cannes Festival 2011.
14th April
The Woodsman and the Rain [Shuichi Okita I Japan 2011 I European premiere]
An inspiring and often comical portrait of two men’s unusual collaboration when a film crew arrives to shoot a zombie movie in a small village in the mountains
14th April
Monsters Club [Toshiaki Toyoda I Japan 2011 I UK premiere]
A man abandons modern civilization and lives in a secluded cabin on a snowy mountain, sending mail bombs to corporate CEOs.
Q&A and Masterclass with Director Toshiaki Toyoda
14th April
Seediq Bale [Wei Te-Sheng I Taiwan 2011 I UK premiere]
Action saga produced by John Woo, tells the true story of Taiwan’s aboriginal Seediq tribes who were almost wiped out by Japanese colonisers in the 1930s.
Q&A and Masterclass with lead actor Da Ching
15th April
Korean Breakfast Double Bill
Couples [Jeong Yong-ji I South Korea 2011 I International premiere]
A cross between rom-com and caper movie with overlapping stories and multiple deceptions.
Dancing Queen [Lee Seok-hoon, South Korea 2012, European premiere] A comedy about a middle-aged married couple who each pursue their lost dreams.
15th April
Inseparable [Dayyan Eng, China 2011, European premiere]
Indie black comedy in modern day China about the unlikeliest friendship of two characters played by Hollywood star Kevin Spacey and Daniel Wu.
15th April
Himizu closing Film [Sion Sono I Japan 2011 I UK premiere]
The powerful story of two teenagers’ struggle to live in a dystopian future Japan destroyed by natural disasters
Q&A with actor DenDen
Venue: Prince Charles Cinema
7 Leicester Place
London WC2H 7BY
Tickets
£8.00
£7.00 (concessions)
£6.50 (PCC Members)
Festival Pass £60 (No concessions, excludes Terror Cotta Horror Night)
Terror-Cotta Horror Triple Bill £18 (£17.50 PCC Members)
Box Office: Tel:+44 (0)20 7494 3654
I’ve got a festival pass for this year and am looking forward to the films and masterclasses very much, especially Himizu!