2016 NYAFF FOCUS PROGRAMS 21
SOUTH KOREAN CINEMA
The South Korean Cinema lineup includes a vibrant mix of thrillers (both supernatural and surreal) from first and second-time directors that are daring twists on genre films (Alone, The Boys Who Cried Wolf, and The Priests), and insightful art-house dramas focusing on social issues from established directors (Jung Ji-woo’s Fourth Place, about how much we demand from the next generation, and E J-yong’s The Bacchus Lady, about the plight of the country’s abandoned elderly). In copresentation with the Korean Movie Night New York Master Series, NYAFF will feature the two latest films by Lee Joon-ik, who will attend screenings of Dongju: The Portrait of a Poet (with producer and screenwriter Shin Yeon-shick) and The Throne. Together with Lee Jongpil’s The Sound of a Flower, the triptych examines the scars of South Korea’s troubled history. The festival’s 11 South Korean films are presented with the support of the Korean Cultural Center New York. Presented with the support of the Korean Cultural Center New York.
NEW CINEMA FROM JAPAN
Japanese films have a special place in the New York Asian Film Festival. The archipelago’s idiosyncratic brand of cinematic madness might be best represented this year by Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s unnerving Creepy, about a maniac who infiltrates and corrupts the nuclear-family unit; Hideo Sakaki’s shocking Kiyamachi Daruma, featuring a manipulative yakuza boss who lacks not only digits but also his arms and legs; the loony Hentai Kamen 2, the hotly anticipated sequel to our 2013 Audience Award winner about a fetishistic superhero who wears his crime-busting underwear on his head.; and the balls-to-the walls Too Young to Die!, easily the best comedy of the year. But the most exciting part of the Japanese film lineup might come from our pick for the Lifetime Achievement Award: IWAI Shunji. The first Japanese recipient of the award, he will present his three cinematic epics— Swallowtail Butterfly (1996), All About Lily Chou-Chou (2001), and A Bride for Rip Van Winkle (2016), starring Go Ayano—during the festival’s opening weekend. Iwai has proven himself one of Asia’s most influential filmmakers since his mid-1990s Undo, Picnic, and Love Letter. He is recognized for capturing the spirit of the times, and stretching the cinematic language of Asian cinema. Despite his early successes, he has continued to reinvent himself, recently directing his first animated feature. Presented with the support of Japan Foundation New York.
SOUTHEAST ASIA IN MOTION
From the Philippines we present three genre-defying films that explore fatherhood, and what it means to be an adult: Erik Matti’s religious crime drama Honor Thy Father, Ralston Jover’s noir youth drama Hamog (Haze), and Mario Cornejo’s sensual surfing film Apocalypse Child, which posits that Francis Ford Coppola left behind an illegitimate son as well as a surfboard after shooting Apocalypse Now in the Philippines. We cling to the company of lost souls to explore the little-known territory of Tamil-language Malaysian cinema and the plight of the local Indian community in the 1990s. First-time director Shanjhey Kumar Perumal’s Jagat (Brutal) follows the hardships of a 12-year-old boy as he gets drawn into the criminal lifestyle of his uncle, a henchman for a local Malaysian gang. Channeling the spirit of Satyajit Ray, this raw coming-of-age story receives its North American premiere at NYAFF. Also of note: Thailand’s Grace (dir. Ornusa Donsawai & Pun Homchuen), which offers a merciless attack on social-media idolatry, and the acutely observed Heart Attack.
TAIWAN CINEMA NOW
The Taiwan Cinema Now section defies expectations with first films by new directors Adam Tsuei (The Tenants Downstairs), Vic Cheng (The Tag-Along), and Lee Chung (The Laundryman) that expand the horizons of the island’s genre cinema. The section, presented with the support of the Taipei Cultural Center of TECO in New York, is completed by two powerful dramas from established filmmakers Tom Lin (Zinnia Flower) and Cheng Wen-tang (Maverick), which explore loss and redemption. Presented with the support of the Taipei Cultural Center of TECO in New York.
ANIMATED FEATURES & FOUNDING FATHERS TRIBUTE
Animation is represented by three of the most innovative examples of the past decade: South Korea’s zombie apocalypse tale Seoul Station, Japan’s artist biopic Miss Hokusai and, as part of a focus on the favorite films of the festival’s founders, Michael Arias’ madcap Tekkonkinkreet. Other tribute titles include Shinya Tsukamoto’s Tetsuo: The Iron Man and Pang Hocheung’s Love in the Buff starring Miriam Yeung. We are also hosting a Surprise Screening of a contemporary classic that has special significance to the founding fathers of NYAFF. NEW YORK ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL | 2016