Starting on 20 February the ninth edition of the annual Winter Film Awards International Film Festival will open its gates for cinephiles eager to check out some of the most promising voices of independent cinema worldwide. As part of their programme including 79 films from 27 countries, this year’s edition will also include nine Asian titles.

Feature films



1) “Nipponia Nippon – Fukushima Rhapsody” directed by Ryo Saitana



2019 | Japan | 113 mins | Japanese | NYC Premiere



Naraho town in Fukushima Prefecture is on the front-line of the government-funded nuclear power plant decommissioning work. Kokuhei Kusunoki is transferred from Aizu Wakamatsu City to Naraho Town to take over the Disaster PR Division. Murai takes Kokuhei around Fukushima including areas washed away by the tsunami. They examine the still incomplete railway lines, the unfinished decontamination area and villages in the danger zone, where deadly cesium continues to pile up. One day Kokuhei is told to organize a party to celebrate the professor who has been appointed as deputy director of the Atomic Energy Research Institute.

2) “River of Salvation” by Qisheng Gao



2019 | China | 123 mins | Chinese| World Premiere



Rong, living in a small town in the south of China, is a pedicure therapist who has never gotten married. She has a brother named Xiaodong, who is 14 years younger. Xiaodong is almost 18 years old, instead of working he plays video games all day long, but after going through a series of things he finally becomes independent. And seeing this, Rong returned to her hometown in the northeast of China, and went to the police station, confessing that she killed a person 19 years ago. However,the following development of the matter is going to be out of Rong’s expectation.

Short Films



“Japanese Boy Who Draws” by Masanao Kawajiri



“A Path Where No Man Goes” by Viet Tran



“Comforter” by Hiroho Mieno



“Endless Love” by Eddie Lin



“F Dream (The Keyboard Story)” by Grey Chan



“Floral Friends: Jorro and the Floral Phone” by Marie Shioda



“My Little Goat” by Tomoki Misato

If you want to buy tickets, please check this link. As an extra incentive for AMP members the festival offers a 20% discount (Code: WFA20GRP20).

For further information in the aforementioned titles, other films and scree, please have a look at this link.