Backstage Madness (2025) by Amanbek Azhymat Film Review
Backstage Madness, a 2025 Kyrgyz debut by Amanbek Azhymat, premiered in the First Feature Competition at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival and is now screening at the Bishkek International Film Festival. The low‑budget film uses its financial constraints as a stylistic engine, delivering a chaotic blend of crime, comedy, action and surreal fantasy. It dramatizes the clash between a veteran screenwriter’s artistic vision and a young producer’s commercial demands, turning that tension into the movie’s core narrative. Critics note its energetic editing, vivid cinematography, and exaggerated performances that amplify its carnival‑like atmosphere.
Tongue (2025) by Lim Da-Seul Short Film Review
"Tongue" (2025), directed by Lim Da‑seul, is a Korean short that premiered at the Short Shorts Film Festival and Asia. The film follows a wife who, driven to desperation by her husband’s relentless whining, commits a shocking act of violence....
Saikai Paradise (2025) by Keiko Tsuruoka Film Review
Japanese indie drama "Saikai Paradise" by director Keiko Tsuruoka is now screening at the Nippon Connection festival after runs in Vancouver and Tokyo. The 72‑minute film follows disillusioned actor Kazu as he returns to his hometown in Nagasaki, using a...
Shivani Pandya Malhotra Steps Down as Managing Director of the Red Sea Film Foundation
Shivani Pandya Malhotra will step down as Managing Director of the Red Sea Film Foundation effective June 1 2026 after seven years of service. She joined the foundation in 2019 and was instrumental in launching the Red Sea International Film Festival, which has now...
At the Lovehotel (2026) by Santa Ikegame Film Review
Santa Ikegame’s feature‑directorial debut, At the Lovehotel, unfolds almost entirely inside a Japanese love hotel, drawing on his theater background and personal experience as hotel staff. The film follows night‑shift clerk Kosuke Kujo and cleaner Hazuki Aida as a stream...
BIFAN Unveils 11 Official Selections for International Competition
The 30th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) announced its 11 official selections for the Bucheon Choice World competition, featuring world premieres, festival darlings, and Cannes standouts. Highlights include the horror debut “CURSED MEME,” the Korea‑Taiwan co‑production “NIKO,” and the...
Magic Candies (2023) by Daisuke Nishio Short Film Review
Japanese studio Toei Animation’s 21‑minute short "Magic Candies" has been nominated for the 2025 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, marking the studio’s first Oscar nod. Directed by Daisuke Nishio and adapted from a Korean picture book, the film...
Mothertongue (2025) by Zhang Lu Film Review
Zhang Lu’s slow‑cinema drama "Mothertongue" opens at London’s Lexi Cinema on 6 June, following his acclaimed "Shadowless Tower" (2023). The story follows Beijing actress Chunshu, who returns to Chengdu only to discover her Mandarin‑only training has erased her ability to speak...
Junk World (2025) by Takahide Hori Film Review
Japanese animator Takahide Hori returns with “Junk World,” a stop‑motion prequel to his cult hit “Junk Head.” The film expands the bleak, creature‑filled wasteland with larger sets, dialogue‑driven narrative, and more ambitious action, while Hori still fulfills eight key creative...
Chie Hayakawa Talks About Renoir, Childhood Memories, International Coproduction and the Japanese Industry
Japanese director Chie Hayakawa returns after the Cannes‑hit “Plan 75” with “Renoir,” a semi‑autobiographical drama set in 1987 Japan. The film, starring Yui Suzuki and Lily Franky, premiered in Cannes’s Official Selection and will open in New York on May 29. Hayakawa...
Confessions of a Mole (2025) by Mo Tan Documentary Review
Mo Tan’s debut documentary "Confessions of a Mole" earned the First Appearance Award at the 23rd Millennium Docs Against Gravity, spotlighting her personal struggle after returning to China. The film follows her fraught relationships, family pressure, and a breast‑cancer diagnosis,...
Yen Press Announces Nine New Manga and Novel Licenses at Anime North
Yen Press unveiled nine new licenses at Anime North in Toronto, adding two novels and seven manga slated for release in December 2026 and winter 2027. The slate spans supernatural, queer romance, psychological horror, action, fantasy and school drama, featuring titles such...
CATCHPLAY’s Screenworks Asia Partners with Korea’s SLL Joongang for Premium Co-Development as Streaming Platform Debuts New Vertical Slate and Expands...
CATCHPLAY+ marks its 10th anniversary by launching a premium vertical drama slate in Taiwan, Indonesia and Singapore, backed by exclusive branding with Korean platform Sero and licensing from CJ ENM and b.able. Its production arm Screenworks Asia has teamed with...
Kensuke Sonomura Talks Action Design, Joe Taslim, Yayan Ruhian and The Furious
"The Furious" opens in U.S. theaters on June 12, showcasing a pan‑Asian martial‑arts ensemble led by Joe Taslim, Yayan Ruhian and Xie Miao. Action director Kensuke Sonomura, working under director Kenji Tanigaki, oversaw choreography that blended judo, silat and Chinese...
Global Filmmakers Are Leveraging Kling AI to Push the Boundaries of Storytelling, Cannes Panel Presents
Filmmakers showcased Kling AI at Cannes' Marché du Film, highlighting three AI‑driven projects: South Korea's first full‑length AI feature "Raphael," the biblical series "House of David," and the Chinese animation epic "Born of the Tide." The platform’s native 4K generation,...