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About the Festival
Now in its fourth edition, the Asia House Pan-Asia Film Festival is dedicated to celebrating and promoting the best in new Asian cinema, from the Persian Gulf to the Pacific, covering the Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia and East Asia. The festival programming focuses specifically on high-quality independent films from emerging and established directors alike. Whilst many Asian films do not receive theatrical distribution in the UK, the Asia House Pan-Asia Film Festival offers a unique opportunity for viewers to see groundbreaking new films in this country.
Previous festivals have included the English premiere of Norwegian Wood by Academy Award® nominated Vietnamese-French director Tran Anh Hung (The Scent of Green Papaya), one of Taiwan’s most successful films of all time Cape No 7, (+ Q&A with director Re-Sheng Wei), The Namesake (+ Q&A with director Mira Nair) and Hero (+ Q&A with director Zhang Yi Mou). Acclaimed directors Gurinder Chadha, Chen Kaige and Ken Loach have also featured in past festivals. The Asia House Pan-Asia Film Festival is the only festival of its kind in the UK, offering London audiences the opportunity to engage in Asian cinema from right across the continent.
“As Asia continues to grow in influence, economically and politically, a nuanced understanding of its diverse cultures and societies has never been more important. The Asia House Pan-Asia Film Festival offers unique insights into the lives of the people of Asia, from Iran and Kazakhstan to China and Japan,” says Sumantro Ghose, CEO Asia House
“Asia’s independent filmmaking scene continues to produce some of the most exciting new films to emerge from around the world. With increasingly changing societies and shifts in social and cultural landscapes, this programme reflects the diversity of Asia’s cultures, whilst showcasing a newer generation of filmmaking talent which is being recognised on the international stage,” says Festival Director Sonali Joshi.
