Event Outline

The Osaka Asian Film Festival (OAFF) aims to facilitate human resources development and exchange, to invigorate the Osaka economy, and to increase the city’s appeal, through providing opportunities to watch excellent Asian films, supporting filmmaking in Osaka and attracting filmmakers from Asian countries and regions to Osaka. Promoting Osaka worldwide as a gateway city for Asian films, and engaging with many people from the fields of culture, art, education, tourism and business, from Osaka and all of Asia, OAFF works as an open platform to contribute to the development of Osaka and cinema.

Marking its 16th edition this year, OAFF, under programming director TERUOKA Sozo (暉峻創三), will again select high-quality Asian films. The Competition section, which receives increased recognition every year, will again select films previously unreleased in Japan. The Indie Forum section, special programs and other sections will also feature a wide variety of excellent Asian films.

For this year, there will be a physical event, minus talks and autograph sessions. In addition to our regular theatrical screenings, works shown at previous editions of the Osaka Asian Film Festival will be screened online as "Osaka Asian Film Festival Online". As the situation surrounding movie viewing changes due to the coronavirus pandemic, we still aim to convey the charm of movie culture and Asian movies to a wider range of people.

OAFF attracts a large number of viewers from all over Japan and overseas, as well as from the local Kansai area. From Osaka to all of Japan and all of Asia, OAFF introduces many films and strives to make Osaka a hub of moving image culture.

Opening film

“Keep Rolling” (好好拍電影)

Directed by MAN Lim-chung (文念中)/2020/Hong Kong/Japan Premiere

Closing film

“The Asian Angel” (アジアの天使)

Directed by ISHII Yuya (石井裕也)/2021/Japan/World Premiere

Competition

This section will present 14 films chosen from films completed on or after 1st October 2019 and unreleased in Japan. The jurors will choose the winners of the Grand Prix and Most Promising Talent Award from these films.

Spotlight

In this section, the films are not yet famous but are expected to gain attention this year because they highlight a new talent or movement in cinema.

Indie Forum

This program will present 10 films by innovative and challenging talents. The JAPAN CUTS AWARD will be bestowed by the Japan Society to one Japanese film selected from this section.

Special Programs <New Action! Southeast Asia>

This special program highlights new movements in Southeast Asian cinema and features a wide variety of films.

Special Programs <Taiwan: Movies on the Move, Classic and Contemporary>

(2 classic films will be screened through Osaka Asian Film Festival Online <Theater OAFF2021>. )
In cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, Taiwan and the Taiwan Cultural Center of Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan, we will feature a wide range of works, from precious digitally remastered versions of Taiwanese classic movies to works that let you feel the "now" of the booming Taiwanese movie scene as OAFF 2021 showcases excellent new Taiwanese films.

Special Programs <Special Focus on Hong Kong 2021>

This special program will present a wide range of excellent films from contemporary Hong Kong.

<HONG KONG GALA SCREENING>

A special gala screening of the crime drama "Hand Rolled Cigarette"(手捲煙) will be held with the cooperation of the Hong Kong Special Administration Region Economic and Trade Office Tokyo.

Special Screenings

This section will present seven films from Asia which are judged to be both beautifully shot and topical.

Special Screening Supported by Kobe College, Department of English

With the support of Kobe College, Department of English, the Bangladeshi film "Bamboo Stories" will be screened.

Supported Program <Housen Cultural Foundation: Support for film study and production>

Based in Osaka, the Housen Cultural Foundation supports film study and production in graduate schools. This program will show the four films supported by the Housen Cultural Foundation and the screening event is free of charge.

Osaka Asian Film Festival Online <Theater ONE>

From the rich selection of works that have been screened at the Osaka Asian Film Festival in the past, we have selected titles that have been particularly well received.
<Online Opening Film>
The Japanese movie "WHOLE", which won the JAPAN CUTS Award Special Mention at the 14th Osaka Asian Film Festival, held in 2019, will be screened from February 28, the first day of online screenings.

Osaka Asian Film Festival Online <Theater OAFF2021>

Of the works selected for the 16th Osaka Asian Film Festival (OAFF 2021), two classic works from Special Programs <Taiwan: Movies on the Move, Classic and Contemporary> will be screened online.

Symposium

Stories of Bamboo Stories

• Date: ONLINE EVENT　20:00-21:30 on March 10, 2021
• Hosted by Kobe College, Department of English / Osaka Asian Film Festival

Symposium

All Star Drifters in Osaka: Self Help, Mutual Assistance, Public Support of Japan in Asia

• Date: ONLINE EVENT　20:30-21:30 on March 12, 2021
• Hosted by Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS), Kyoto University / Research in Film and Society in Southeast Asia (Refssea) / Osaka Asian Film Festival

OAFF Poster Exhibition

Posters of selected films from OAFF 2021 will be exhibited.

• Period: February 24 - March 12
• Venue: Osaka City Hall in Yodoyabashi
• Period: March 1 - March 14
• Venue: Abeno Q’s MALL

Asian Book Fair

In collaboration with the mega bookstore MARUZEN & JUNKUDO Umeda, an Asian Book Fair will be held.

• Dates: February 15 – March 30
• Venue: MARUZEN & JUNKUDO Umeda, 5F Art Book section
• Cooperation: MARUZEN & JUNKUDO Umeda

Umeda Burg 7, Cine Libre Umeda, ABC Hall, and others.