By Diana Cheng
AAP film writer
Features from over twenty Asian countries are represented in the upcoming Seattle International Film Festival from May 17 to June 10, 2018. Three of the festival programs: Asian Crossroads, China Stars, and Contemporary World Cinema will showcase films from Afghanistan to Vietnam, geographically from easternmost Japan to the Middle East including Iran, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.
The China Stars Showcase, the third year at SIFF, will include 10 feature films from Mainland China, works by five female directors and five first-time directors. Many of the filmmakers are scheduled to attend the screenings. Acclaimed features include the SXSW Grand Jury Award Documentary Feature Winner “People’s Republic of Desire”, Chinese-American Cathy Yan’s debut feature “Dead Pigs”, and the 2018 Asian Film Award Winner “Love Education”, written, directed, and starring the versatile Taiwanese filmmaker Sylvia Chang.
The China Stars Celebration and Awards will be held on Friday, June 8, at the Pan Pacific Hotel. The purpose of the event is to raise awareness of contemporary Chinese cinema and to promote cross-cultural exchange with all Festival filmmakers.
The Seattle International Film Festival is the largest and most highly attended festival in the United States, reaching more than 145,000 annually. This year, the 25-day Festival will screen 433 films representing 90 countries, including 168 features, 66 documentaries, and 164 shorts, among an eclectic array chosen from 4,000 film submissions. For full lineups and ticket information head to www.siff.net/festival.
Contact Diana Cheng at [email protected] or visit at Twitter @Arti_Ripples or her blog Ripple Effects, rippleeffects.wordpress.com.
