“Fujiko,” the second feature from Japanese director Kimura Taichi and produced by Megumi, took the Mulberry Audience Award at the 28th Far East Film Festival.
The Korean documentary “The Seoul Guardians,” directed by Kim Jong-woo, Kim Shin-wan and Cho Chul-young – a live chronicle of a coup d’état – came in second, while four films tied for third place: Yuen Woo-ping’s “Blades of the Guardians: Wind Rises in the Desert,” Chung Ji-young’s “My Name,” Bui Thac Chuyen’s “Tunnels: Sun in the Dark” and Chang Hang-jun’s “The King’s Warden.”
Set in Shizuoka during the 1970s and ’80s and drawn from Kimura’s own family history, “Fujiko” follows a single mother navigating personal freedom amid the social upheaval of the era. The film stars Yuki Katayama alongside veteran performers Lily Franky, You, Issey Ogata, Kayoko Kishimoto and Tsuyoshi Ujiki, with SC Films International handling worldwide sales.
“The Seoul Guardians” also shared the Black Dragon prize – awarded by the festival’s accredited press members – with “Fujiko.” The White Mulberry Award for best first feature went to “Unidentified Murder,” directed by Kwok Ka-hei and Jack Lee, with a special mention for “The Seoul Guardians.” The Mulberry Award for best screenplay was claimed by Bui Thac Chuyen for “Tunnels: Sun in the Dark,” with a special mention for Anthony Chen’s “We Are All Strangers.”
The 28th edition honored Yakusho Koji and Yuen Woo-ping with the Golden Mulberry Award for lifetime achievement, and Fan Bingbing with the Golden Mulberry Award for outstanding achievement. Accepting his honor on stage on April 25, Yakusho offered a statement that organizers felt encapsulated the spirit of the festival: “I believe in cinema as an element of hope.”
The festival brought 75 films to Udine – comprising eight world premieres, 18 international premieres, 21 European premieres and 20 Italian premieres across 12 countries – alongside 236 guests of honor and more than 2,000 accreditations. The online edition, streamed via MYmovies One, generated more than 7,000 hours of viewing, with Okuyama Yoshiyuki’s “5 Centimeters Per Second” winning the Purple Mulberry Award as voted by online audiences. More than 20,000 people attended Far East Film Events across the city of Udine, including an exhibition by illustrator Chihoi at the Visionario cinema, which runs until May 24.
The festival’s Sabrina Baracetti and Thomas Bertacche described the edition as having reached maturity across three key dimensions: film quality, popular participation and territorial impact. A focus on Hong Kong’s 30 years since the handover is already among the ideas being developed for the 29th edition.
FEFF29 will run April 23–May 1, 2027 in Udine.
variety.com
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