The Osaka Asian Film Festival, scheduled for March 1-10, has revealed its diverse lineup, featuring a competitive section and special focus programs on Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Thailand. Among the highlights are three Japanese films making their world premieres, along with festival favorites “City of Wind” and “Solids by the Seashore,” included in the 13-title competition section.
The festival will take place at various venues, including ABC Hall, Cine Libre Umeda, T-Joy Umeda, and the Nakanoshima Museum of Art. Opening and closing films for the 19th edition will be announced in early February.
In addition to the competition section, the festival will host three special programs: “Thai Cinema Kaleidoscope,” “Taiwan: Movies on the Move,” and “Special Focus on Hong Kong.” The lineup also features the regular Spotlight Section, highlighting underrated Asian films, and the Indie Forum, showcasing more challenging and innovative works.
The competition titles include works from diverse regions, such as “City of Wind” from Mongolia, “Fire on Water” from Malaysia, and “Hyphen” from The Philippines. Hong Kong’s Norris Wong presents “The Lyricist Wannabe,” and Thailand’s Atta Hemwadee offers “Not Friends.” Taiwan’s entry is “Salli” by Lien Chen Hung, and “Solids by the Seashore” by Patiparn Boontarig. Other films include “Trouble Girl” from Taiwan and the world premiere of “Unborn Soul,” an Australia-China joint production directed by Zhou Zhou.
Japanese cinema is well-represented with three films making their public debuts in the competition: “Memories of his Scent” directed by Higashi Kahori, “Snowdrop” by Yoshida Kota, and “Suishin 0 Meter Kara” by Yamashita Nobuhiro.
The festival also highlights standout selections like “13 Bombs” from Indonesia, “The Fourth Man” from Singapore, “Everyphone, Everywhere” from Hong Kong, and “All the Songs We Never Sang” by Chris Rudz.
With the support of Kobe College, Department of English, the Bangladeshi film “Rickshaw Girl” will be screened as part of the festival’s commitment to promoting Osaka as a gateway city for Asian films and fostering engagement across various fields.
Organizers emphasized the festival’s role as an open platform contributing to the development of Osaka and the broader cinematic landscape, engaging with individuals from culture, art, education, tourism, and business from Osaka and across Asia.
