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Udine film festival reveals lineup for 2020's online-only edition

 South Korea's "Ashfall" and Malaysia's "Roh" are among the films selected for the 22nd Udine Far East Film Festival.
South Korea's "Ashfall" and Malaysia's "Roh" are among the films selected for the 22nd Udine Far East Film Festival.

6 Jun – The 22nd Udine Far East Film Festival (FEFF22) has revealed the lineup for its online-only edition that's taking place this summer.

Korean blockbuster "Ashfall", starring Lee Byung-hun, Ma Dong-seok and Ha Jung-woo, has been selected as the opening film, which will kick off the film festival this 26 June.

As posted on FEFF's Facebook, this year's edition will screen 46 films from 8 countries and includes 4 world premieres, 12 international premieres, 10 European premieres and 17 Italian premieres.

Malaysian drama film "Victim(s)" is one of the four movies making their world premiere at the film festival. Helmed by Layla Zhuqing Ji, it tells of two women, one the mother of a victim and the other the mother of a murderer, who both have difficult decisions to make after learning the truth about their sons.

The film, along with another Malaysian title, "Roh" ("Soul"), will also be among the 38 films in competition.

"Roh", directed by Emir Ezwan, was originally slated for theatrical release last March but due to cinemas in Malaysia being temporarily closed since the country's Movement Control Order (MCO) took effect in mid-March, the horror movie had to be postponed to a later yet-to-be-confirmed date.

Other movies that will screen at FEFF22 include China's "Ip Man 4: The Finale", Korea's "The Closet" and "Exit", Hong Kong's "The White Storm 2: Drug Lords" and two of Indonesian filmmaker Joko Anwar's movies, "Gundala" and "Impetigore".

Derek Tsang's "Better Days" will be the closing film, simultaneously making its Italian premiere at the film festival.

This year's FEFF was originally scheduled to be held in Italy from 24 April to 2 May but it was then postponed to new dates, 26 June to 4 July 2020, following the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Last month, the film festival was moved online, though the June to July dates remain the same.