Source: Terracotta Distribution Official Site: terracottafestival.com Special Thanks to Claire Marty
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 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 socialize and a platform for Asian culture at all levels; for this purpose the organizers 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 Opening Film: MY WAY [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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 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. 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 colonizers 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. INSEPARABALE [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. Closing Film: HIMIZU [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 ?
About Terracotta
Terracotta Distribution is committed to bringing quality and entertaining Far East films to the UK. Releases by Terracotta Distribution include the multi-award winning BREATHLESS directed by Yang Ik-june and Johnnie To’s SPARROW. Next theatrical release will be Kim Ki-duk’s ARIRANG on June 8th. A new imprint label TERROR-COTTA devoted to Asian horror and thrillers was recently launched with DEATH BELL. Terracotta Far East Film Festival is an annual event which aim is to widen the audience for Far Eastern film in the UK and to further promote this genre to existing film fans.
About Prince Charles Cinema
From cult festivals to the latest box office hits, the Prince Charles Cinema is the heart of independent film in London. The Prince Charles Cinema is located at 7 Leicester Place, WC2H 7BY. princecharlescinema.com
For more information on the Terracotta Far East Film Festival, please see the earlier coverage here on SciFi Japan: