23rd EDITION OF THE ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL
From 7 to 15 April at the Cinema Farnese in Campo dei Fiori
The festival that brings the spirit of Asian cinema to Italy
Guests include: Koji Fukada, Garin Nugroho, Isabel Sandoval and Lee Kwang-kuk
It opens with Girl, Shu Qi’s debut film, which was presented in competition at the 2025 Venice Film Festival and won the Best Director Award at the 30th Busan International Film Festival
Rome, 12 March 2026 – From 7 to 15 April, the Cinema Farnese in Rome will host the 23rd edition of the Asian Film Festival, a long-standing event that for over twenty years has brought the best of Far Eastern cinema to the capital, establishing itself as a key reference point in Italy for contemporary Asian cinema.
The 2026 edition presents 36 feature films – 18 in competition, 9 in the Newcomers section, and 9 out of competition – as well as 10 short films, offering a cinematic overview spanning Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, China, Vietnam, Singapore, Cambodia, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
The Asian Film Festival thus reaffirms its role as a cultural bridge between Rome and Asia, with a programme that combines great arthouse cinema with films capable of appealing to a wider audience.
The festival opens on 7 April with *Girl* (2025), the directorial debut of the renowned Shu Qi, which was presented in competition at the 2025 Venice International Film Festival. The film offers an intense and delicate portrayal of a woman, marking a directorial debut of great sensitivity and inaugurating a festival edition particularly attentive to the changes and tensions within contemporary Asian society.
Among the most eagerly awaited titles:
Thailand presents two highly anticipated works: Morte Cucina (2025), a sophisticated culinary thriller by Pen-ek Ratanaruang, marking the director’s return to cinema with intense and meticulously crafted atmospheres; and Human Resource (2025) by Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit, an ironic and profound reflection on the dynamics of modern work, acclaimed at the last Venice Film Festival, winner of the FAI-CISL Foundation Award for Person, Work and Environment in the Orizzonti section.
From Indonesia come socially engaged films and generational comedies: Siapa Dia (2025) and Whisper in the Dabbas (2025) by Garin Nugroho tell intimate stories with a critical eye on social tensions; whilst Rangga & Cinta (2025) by Riri Riza is a musical comedy celebrating friendship, love and youthful dreams.
The Philippines presents films that blend historical scope with introspective depth: Lav Diaz’s *Magellan* (2025), an epic and rigorous reflection on the scars of colonisation, and Isabel Sandoval’s *Moonglow* (2026), a delicate and luminous portrait of identity and personal memory.
South Korea sets a festival record with eight titles in the programme, ranging from genre cinema to more intimate works: Min Kyu-dong’s The Old Woman with the Knife (2025) and Yeon Sang-ho’s The Ugly (2025) explore thrillers and suspense with great visual impact; Lee Kwang-kuk’s Beautiful Dreamer (2025), on the other hand, focuses on the protagonists’ inner desires and fragilities, in a poetic and introspective vein.
Two highly anticipated films arrive from Japan: Love on Trial by Fukada Koji, presented at Cannes 2025, reflects with irony and delicacy on modern relationships; whilst Sham (2025) by Miike Takashi blends thriller and social satire in a bold and provocative style.
The festival closes on 15 April with the awards ceremony and screenings of two major highlights: She Has No Name (2024) by Hong Kong master Peter Chan — a filmmaker to whom the Festival dedicated a retrospective in 2011 — and The Ugly (2025) by Yeon Sang-ho, a Korean thriller that brings to a close an edition characterised by variety, innovation and quality.
Among the international guests scheduled to attend are: Koji Fukada, one of the most prestigious figures in contemporary Japanese cinema; Garin Nugroho, a leading figure in Indonesian cinema; Isabel Sandoval, one of the most interesting voices in new Filipino cinema; and Lee Kwang-kuk, director of *Beautiful Dreamer* and one of the most refined talents on the contemporary Korean film scene.
The programme also includes national focus days dedicated to various film industries: Filipino Day (8 April), Indonesian Day (9 April), Thailand Day (10 April), Korean Day (11 April), Japan Day (12 April) and Malaysian Day (14 April), cultural exploration events organised in collaboration with the diplomatic missions of the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, South Korea, Japan and Malaysia, designed to highlight the artistic distinctiveness and cultural contexts of each country.
In collaboration with the Asian Film Festival, on 10 April, Fukada Koji will present the Italian premiere of *Love on Trial* (2025) at the Japanese Cultural Institute. The special screening, in the original language with Italian subtitles, will take place from 6.00 pm to 8.00 pm, followed by a Q&A with the director.
The Asian Film Festival is organised under the patronage of the Embassy of the Philippines, with the support of the Embassy of Malaysia, the Embassy of Indonesia, the Embassy of Thailand, the Korean Cultural Centre and the Japanese Cultural Institute. Institutional partners include the MIC – Directorate-General for Cinema and Audiovisual Affairs and the Lazio Region.
With the support of Credem Euromobiliare PB.
The jury, awards and full screening schedule will be announced in the coming days.
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PRESS OFFICE
SMILE COMMUNICATIONS
ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL
Artistic Director: Antonio Termenini
antoniotermenini@gmail.com
Organised by: Cineforum “Robert Bresson”
SMILE COMMUNICATIONS
Francesca Spatola – francescaspatola.
Camilla Giaccio – camilla.giaccio@gmail.com – + 39 380 694 9003