AwardsWatch

And on Thursday the 27^th, it's Hong Kong cinema icon Eric Tsang's turn to receive the prize. In addition to the wonderful I Am Not Madame Bovary by Feng Xiaogang himself, the wealth of films showing on the Festival's fourth day include Wei Te-scheng's unmissable 52 Hz, I Love You, Taiwan's eagerly-awaited answer to La La Land!

After Joe Hisaishi, Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Johnnie To, Kim Dong-ho (founder of the Busan Festival), Michael Werner of Fortissimo and super-producer Nansun Shi, it's the turn of two absolute giants of #FEFF19 to receive the Golden Mulberry Award for Lifetime Achievement (realised by Friulian company Idea Prototipi®): we're talking about the legendary Feng Xiaogang, the "Chinese Spielberg", who will receive the award on Tuesday the 25^th of April, and one of the biggest icons of popular Hong Kong cinema, Eric Tsang, who will receive his on Thursday the 27^th of April!

A superstar of the FEFF since immemorial time, Feng Xiaogang has provided the Festival with a vast range of emotions: just think of Be There Or Be Square (1999), A World Without Thieves (2004), The Banquet (2006), Assembly (2007), If You Are the One (2008), Aftershock (2010) and Personal Tailor (2013), all shown at Udine and all loved by the tribe of far-easteners. In addition to be being a skilled director capable of juggling mainstream and auteur films, Feng is also (let us not forget) a talented actor, a screenwriter and a prolific producer. In his homeland, his films still break box-office records, as was the case with the romantic comedy If You Are the One in 2008 and with his latest film, I Am Not Madame Bovary, which will be shown on the big screen of the Teatro Nuovo on the evening of the 25^th. A touching portrait of a woman - played by beautiful diva Fan Bingbing - fighting to the last for her dignity.

A quick look at the plot? Li Xuelian and her husband fake a divorce to get an apartment in the city, but once they have succeeded, her husband abandons her. After attempting to find a peaceful solution, Li Xuelian even contemplates crime, but neither approach works out. Thus begins an endless struggle against the behemoth of Chinese bureaucracy. Will she manage to win out? A visually daring and refined satirical masterpiece, I Am Not Madame Bovary is a new high point for Feng Xiaogang and for Asian cinema in general.

Cinema which - of course - the lineup for the fourth day continues to explore with passion and curiosity, going from South Korea and Japan to the Philippines and Hong Kong and to a title that it's impossible not to mention: Wei Te-scheng's 52 Hz, I Love You, Taiwan's eagerly-anticipated answer to La La Land!

TEATRO NUOVO

9.00

Canola

by Chang

(South Korea, 2016)

Sublime performances from two wonderful actresses in this touching melodrama.

FEFF Talks

In the spotlight from 10.00 to 10.30, the new Japanese cinema. Next, from 10.40 to 11.40, we move to Thailand, Malaysia and Laos (with the incredible Mattie Do)!

11.05

Love And Other Cults

by Uchida Eiji

(Japan, 2017)

An anti-conventional Bildungsroman, a gritty comedy and an inside look at the dark corners of Japanese society, permeated with a vein of dark humour.

12.50

52 Hz, I Love You

by Wei Te-scheng

(Taiwan, 2017)

Set in Taipei on Valentines day, this collection of love stories is an explosive cocktail of sentimental comedy and musical with a cast of characters who are all happily in love -  more or less. To the beat of a La La Land-like rhythm, 52Hz I Love You triumphs thanks to the emotions it communicates so powerfully through the songs on its soundtrack which define its mood, describe its characters, narrate the story and celebrate love!

15.00

The Last Princess

by Hur Jin-ho

(South Korea, 2016)

A sensational central performance adds lustre to this historical drama which combines authenticity with passion.

17.20

My Uncle

by Yamashita Nobuhiro

(Japan, 2016)

Yamashita reveals a talent for madcap comedy with a good-for-nothing protagonist who is addicted to uncomplicated pleasures. And who can blame him?

19.30

I Am Not Madame Bovary

by Feng Xiaogang

(China, 2016)

Li Xuelian and her husband fake a divorce to get an apartment in the city, but once they have succeeded, her husband abandons her. After attempting to find a peaceful solution and even contemplating crime, Li Xuelian sets out on an endless struggle against the behemoth of Chinese bureaucracy. Will she manage to win out? A visually daring and refined satirical masterpiece by Feng Xiaogang and a new high point for Chinese cinema.

22.00

Seclusion

by Erik Matti

(Philippines, 2016)

A theological horror film which examines the unconscious of belief and is as ambiguous and disturbing as its protagonist. A knockout from Erik Matti.

VISIONARIO

15.00

Kung Fu Hustle

by Yamashita Nobuhiro

(Japan, 2004)

The film that officially brought Stephen Chow to international attention is an exciting, explosive mix of inspirations, from Bruce Lee and Japanese anime to the Shaw Brothers and Looney Tunes cartoons.

17.10

The Grandmaster

by Johnnie To

(Hong Kong, 2013)

Wong Kar-wai's version of the life story of martial arts master Ip Man is a grand epic on the philosophies, traditions and legends that make up the world of martial arts.

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