Among the best that Far-Eastern cinema has to offer is the most successful Taiwanese film of all time – a label boasted by Cape No. 7, the Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Film representing Taiwan and recipient of several awards, including Best Film at the Taipei Film Festival and a Shanghai Film Critics Award. In fact, the picture has become the highest-grossing Taiwanese film of all time, exceeding even Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000, d. Ang Lee). Audiences can look forward to a romantic comedy behind the scenes of a concert’s preparations, brilliant tunes, an exotic setting and what is more, the unveiling of an old, almost-forgotten secret.
The film Antique in turns ranks among the most successful adaptations of an even more successful comic book series. The comic book in question is the 
Japanese bestseller Antique Bakery by Fumi Yoshinaga, one of the world’s best-selling comic-book artists. In Japan alone, the film-inspiring manga sold over 1.7 million copies, and it generated a tremendous response in South Korea as well, where it ended up being adapted into this feature-length film. This charming, inventive and alluring comedy portrays four men whose lives cross paths at the Antique Bakery. The film was featured at Berlin IFF in 2008 as part of the non-competition section Culinary Cinema, and it was a major hit among South Korean audiences.
Action-lovers definitely shouldn’t miss the action-romance Raging Phoenix. It tells the story of a petite but
determined woman who has to overcome her fears in order to become a dauntless fighter against a woman-kidnapping organization. And all this to the lethal rhythms of hip-hop! Another action-packed treat is the Indonesian picture Merantau Warrior, about a boy who awaits a demanding rite-of-passage into adulthood. The film was awarded as Best Film at Action Fest 2010 and will be screened in its original, uncut form.
The section’s remaining special offerings will include the four-hour Japanese film Love Exposure, a provocative, at times perverse, but above all original and unique love story about the redemption of sins and the discovery of true love. Don’t let the film’s length discourage you – this is a dynamic epic caricaturing the problems of modern society. The film has racked up a number of prestigious awards. The film’s director Shion Sono, for example, brought home the FIPRESCI Prize and Caligari Film Award from last year’s Berlinale, and at the Fant-Asia Film Festival, his picture won the award for Best Asian Film, Most Innovative Film and a Jury Prize.
Addressing the issue of domestic violence, Night and Fog will be personally introduced by its director Ann Hui, a member of the festival jury.
These and other fascinating Far-Eastern titles await viewers at this year’s Art Film Fest, which will be held from 18 to 26 June 2010 in Trenčianske Teplice and Trenčín.
Stills from the films are available to download at the site artfilmfest.sk in the Press section.
The Art Film Fest International Film Festival Trenčianske Teplice/Trenčín is made possible through the financial support of the Audiovisual Fund and the European Union Programme MEDIA.
Organizers: ART FILM, n.o., Forza, a.s. Co-organizers: the Town of Trenčianske Teplice, the City of Trenčín, the Trenčianske Teplice Health Spa The festival is carried out with the financial support of: The Audiovisual Fund and the European Union Programme MEDIA
General Sponsors: DÔVERA Medical Insurance, AquaCity Poprad
Main Sponsors: Tatra banka, Slovnaft, Veolia Voda – Central Slovakian Waterworks, OHL ŽS, Alison Slovakia; Official Transport Provider: Lancia Logistics Sponsor: DHL; Free student cinepasses provided by: Prvá stavebná sporiteľňa (First Housing-Construction Savings Bank)
Sponsor of the Slovak Season section: Zlatý Bažant; Sponsor: AVI Studio
Official Suppliers: HUBERT J.E., GS design Media Sponsors: Slovenská televízia, televízia Markíza, FilmBox, CSTV, Central Europe Television, Rádio Europa 2, Rádio Hit FM, Pravda, .týždeň, Markíza, Pardon, Cinemax, Kam do mesta, zoznam.sk, Boomerang Media, SITA, euroAWK
