Asian Drama

In the early days of the Republic, legendary martial artist Ye Ruzhou suffers a severe injury, losing her memory and winding up in the impoverished alley of Minfu Lane. By a twist of fate, she crosses paths with the carefree Chen Awang, and the two fall for each other. When local tyrant Zheng Juehou intensifies his hold over the neighborhood, Ye Ruzhou rises to defend her new community. Her actions, however, draw unforeseen danger, and together with Chen Awang, she faces the challenge to protect Minfu Lane’s hard-won peace.

A fatigued man wakes up at a bar with a bartender who will forever change his life as he gets to know more about her. Three criminals have somewhat accomplished their task of kidnapping their target, but their overall mission seems to go nowhere in the end. In the late 1970s, a mysterious woman runs a bar where a deadly situation will affect the lives of everyone. Two killers are looking for their faceless victim, who shows up at a diner every day at 6 o'clock sharp. Four incredibly talented Korean filmmakers, four intriguing cinematic visions, four astounding stories revolving around murderers for hire. (Source: fantasiafestival.com) ~~ Adapted from the short story "The Killers" by Ernest Hemingway. ~~ Release dates: Jul 24, 2024 (Festival) || Oct 23, 2024 (Cinema)

Duration: 1 hr. 59 min.

Content Rating: 18+ Restricted (violence & profanity)

The story follows a young man who has been single for a year after his boyfriend suddenly disappeared without a formal breakup. One night, while scrolling through a dating app, he encounters someone who looks strikingly similar to his ex. After a spontaneous hookup, he discovers that this new acquaintance is actually his ex’s twin brother. As he navigates this unexpected twist, he finds himself drawn into a complicated web of emotions. Will he end up choosing between the two brothers, or will he find himself entangled with both?

Duration: 11 min.

Content Rating: Not Yet Rated

The film depicts a coming-of-age story centered on the two sugar babies, Kotone, who is unemployed, and Sakura, a college student, in the coronavirus pandemic, as they try their best to live at the mercy of frivolous men.

Adapted from the novel "Tsuyu no Ato Saki" (つゆのあとさき) by Nagai Kafu (永井荷風).

Duration: 1 hr. 45 min.

Content Rating: 15+ - Teens 15 or older

"Soundless Wind Chime" centers around a new immigrant to Hong Kong from China, Ricky (Lu Yu Lai), who works as a delivery boy while living with his prostitute aunt (Wella Zhang). He is pickpocketed by a Swiss thief, Pascal (Bernhard Bulling) who is in an abusive relationship with his con artist boyfriend (Hannes Lindenblatt). Deciding to leave him, Pascal has a chance encounter with Ricky and the two begin a romantic relationship. The couple struggles through good times and bad, forcing them to determine if their relationship is based on love or dependence on one another. Several years later, Ricky searches Switzerland for signs of Pascal, eventually encountering Ueli (also played by Bulling), a timid antique store owner who looks the same as Pascal, but who has a vastly different personality. As Ricky and Ueli's relationship deepens, the truth of Pascal and Ricky's relationship is unraveled as the film progresses through glimpses of the present and the past.

Set in 1945 at the end of World War II. Saku (Kento Nagayama) arrives on Kakeromajima as the head of navy special forces. He is admired by the children on the island and he is interested in learning the island...

The bedding shop that Terashima Yoshitaro (Emoto Akira) runs counters the flashy bargain sale of a large store with quality service. It steadily boosts sales. This is all thanks to Terashima whose only purpose in life is stashing money away. Even his wife, Mitsu (Watanabe Eri), is disgrunted with his stinginess, but carries out her duties as an obedient wife. One day, an attractive young female customer called Sugita Rieko (Ono Machiko) comes to Terashima’s shop. It is love at first sight for him. He ends up handing her the bed sheets that she wants with the words, “Pay next time.” As a result of his visit to Rieko’s apartment, their relationship deepens rapidly. Rieko goes to the salon where she works. On the way back, the two of them drink and have sex. However, as Rieko puts her body in Terashima’s hands, she is reminded of her late mother, Takako (Fueki Yuko). Her mother had been in the arms of a string of men in the small port town that was Rieko’s hometown. Although the young Rieko loathed her mother for being that way, she has been involved with men like her mother and obtained money after coming to Tokyo. This time, it is Terashima who is before her …One year later, Terashima only has aptitude for work and is a completely changed man. He neglected his business while the money he had saved has vanished in support of Rieko. Mitsu complains to him, but he holds his passbook, which no longer has any money, in his hand and declares, “What I do is my business!” At that moment, Rieko’s attention is captured by a newspaper article. It is about her first love, Kawazoe Naoki (Ozawa Yukiyoshi), who has become a university’s associate professor. Her love with Naoki had vanished like a bubble due to her mother. However, the sight of his face brings an unusual peace of mind to Rieko who has lived alone ever since she came to Tokyo. Despite the “dark past” between Rieko and Naoki that cannot be erased, Rieko has deliberately disassociated. Wanting to see Naoki, she shows up in front of him. This sudden reunion renders him momentarily speechless. Rieko regains her love for Naoki. However, Terashima is sensitive to the subtle emotional change. A hell that none of the three had imagined is about to descend upon them.

Dan, Tettsu and Chiharu (DTC) were exhausted after all those exciting days. Yet what awaits them is an extremely boring life. In order to seek for excitement and youth (and girls), the trio goes on a motorcycle trip without a specific destination. But they soon spend all their money and have to do part-time jobs in a hotel at the hot spring resort... There, they meet the young proprietress Mari and her only daughter Megumi. Chiharu grows fond of Mari who takes care of her daughter and runs the hotel alone after her husband died. However, Chiharu knows that Mari and the head-clerk Miyazaki are attracted to each other. To help the two who cannot get married because of her daughter, the trio decides to carry out a certain plan with the assistance from their friends the Tatebue Brothers as well as SMG and Daruma Babies who used to be rivals! What is the end of DTC's unbelievable pure trip...?

The story takes place in a sacred mainland of Odin (or Wotan), separated into four counties based on the four elements - water, fire, wind and earth. The published book(s) in the series mainly focuses on the water county, also known as Atlantis/Aslan Empire, with references to the other counties. There are 7 lords and one disciple for each lord.

In the year 2012, three delinquents including Atsuya discover that their hideout, a run-of-the-mill general store, was owned by an elderly man who gave free advice to worried people through letters. Something weird happens during late hours of the night and Atsuya realizes that a letter will be thrown into the mailbox at midnight. It is a letter asking for advice addressed to the Namiya General Store written by a person 32 years ago. Incredibly, the mailbox was connected to the past, in the year 1980. While confused, Atsuya writes a reply in place of the shopkeeper. The group keeps replying as another letter is sent, then another.

DRAMA

Takada (Ryuhei Matsuda) receives a request to find a missing woman. The missing woman is university student Reiko (Atsuko Maeda). While tracking Reiko down, Private Detective (Yo Oizumi) and Takada (Ryuhei Matsuda) meet Mari (Keiko Kitagawa), the owner of a..