The New York Asian Film Festival, which takes place every summer, is launching its first winter showcase. The 15-title season runs Feb. 1-10 and claims ‘Crazy Broke Asians’ as its theme.
“The showcase offers an alternate perspective on the continent with films that range from pure entertainment to profound introspection, stories about the 99% and the extraordinary lives of ordinary people, which might be from halfway across the world but are more relevant than ever in our troubled times,” organizers said in a statement.
The season opens with 2018 Korean crime drama “Miss Baek.” It stars actress Han Ji-min, who the festival organizers have also named as the ambassador of the winter showcase.
Most of the remaining screenings are of revived East Asian titles in an array of commercial genres, described as “deeply moving epic of despair, raw tales of the streets, crime thrillers, redemptive boxing dramas, a comic period piece, darkly humorous animation, and action extravaganzas.”
Titles include “Fly By Night” (aka “Four”), “Mee Pok Man,” “Have A Nice Day,” “After This Our Exile,” “Crying Fist,” “Breathless,” “100 Yen Love,” “Grandmasters,” “The Mystery Of Chess Boxing,” “The Swordsman Of All Swordsmen,” and “King Of Beggars.” The season includes a surprise film screening, and concludes with two Indonesian action films featuring martial arts superstar Iko Uwais; “Merantau,” and “The Raid: Redemption.”
CREDIT: Courtesy of NYAFF
The NYAFF was launched in 2002, and since 2010 has been produced in collaboration with the Film Society of Lincoln Center. Through its year-round festivals and programs, the organization aims to bring critical attention and a wide audience to contemporary and classic Asian cinema in the U.S. It describes its programming strategy as “bringing the best, strangest, and most entertaining movies to screen for New York audiences, ranging from mainstream blockbusters and art-house eccentricities to genre and cult classics.”