Asian Film in Focus

Osaka — The 9th Osaka Asian Film Festival – OAFF – will be held from March 7–16 this month. Aimed to promote Osaka as a gateway for Asian cinema, this annual celebration of film-making features a wide selection of independent movies including select titles previously unreleased in Japan.

The festival also features a symposium, poster exhibition, book signings and this year, some glitz and glamour as it unveils a new red-carpet event – the Asian Star Festival. Grab your camera and snap the stars of this year’s opening movie Kano, at JR Osaka Station on March 7. Kano is a Taiwanese film that traces the story of a downand- out high-school baseball team in occupied Taiwan, that miraculously reaches the finals at Koshien stadium in Osaka. Kano and approximately 80% of the other movies will be screened with English subtitles. There’s an almost bewildering array of tickets and screenings available, so check the website for venues and prices. It’s wise to get advance tickets as numbers are limited. Prices range from ¥1,100 per movie, to a one-day ticket.