“Fujiko,” the second feature from Japanese director Kimura Taichi and produced by Megumi, took the Mulberry Audience Award at the 28th Far East Film Festival.
Set in Shizuoka during the 1970s and ’80s and drawn from Kimura’s own family history, “Fujiko” follows a single mother navigating personal freedom amid the social upheaval of the era. The film stars Yuki Katayama alongside veteran performers Lily Franky, You, Issey Ogata, Kayoko Kishimoto and Tsuyoshi Ujiki, with SC Films International handling worldwide sales. Popular on Variety
The 28th edition honored Yakusho Koji and Yuen Woo-ping with the Golden Mulberry Award for lifetime achievement, and Fan Bingbing with the Golden Mulberry Award for outstanding achievement. Accepting his honor on stage on April 25, Yakusho offered a statement that organizers felt encapsulated the spirit of the festival: “I believe in cinema as an element of hope.”
The festival’s Sabrina Baracetti and Thomas Bertacche described the edition as having reached maturity across three key dimensions: film quality, popular participation and territorial impact. A focus on Hong Kong’s 30 years since the handover is already among the ideas being developed for the 29th edition.
FEFF29 will run April 23–May 1, 2027 in Udine.
Source: variety.com