February 2026
This issue of the Asian Cinema Digest spotlights recent award winners from Berlin and Venice International Film Festivals, alongside rediscovered gems from Tsui Hark’s Green Snake (1993) to Norifumi Suzuki’s School of the Holy Beast (1974), plus an in-depth interview with Thai filmmaker Anicha Suwichakornpong.
TO SEE
Image still from The Silent Echo (2021, Suman Sen)Nowness Asia: The Young Ones: The Silent Echo
As part of The Young Ones series exploring the dreams and realities of childhood and adolescence, Nowness Asia presents Suman Sen’s The Silent Echo (2021), a short film following the journey of four young friends from Mustang, Nepal, who share the same dream of winning a band competition in a distant town. Turning an abandoned bus into a rehearsal room, their voices ring across the stark, unforgiving terrain.
Criterion Collection: Two Documentaries by Anupama Srinivasan and Anirban Dutta
Criterion Collection spotlights two documentaries by filmmaking duo Anupama Srinivasan and Anirban Dutta, which reveal a shared commitment to patient, empathetic observation.
Flickering Lights (2023) follows villagers on the India-Myanmar border who have spent decades awaiting electricity, capturing their hopes, anxieties, and daily struggles when light finally arrives. Nocturnes (2024) plunges viewers into the Himalayan night, where scientists studying hawk moths prompt a deeper reflection on how we see, listen, and connect with nature.
TO LISTEN
Image still from The Novelist’s Film (2022, Hong Sang-soo)Deep Cut Pod: 124. Hong Sang-soo: The Novelist’s Film (featuring Dennis Lim)
Benjamin, Eli, and Wilson from the Deep Cut Podcast are joined by writer, film curator, and leading Hong Sang-soo scholar Dennis Lim, as they discuss the Korean auteur’s complex, joyous depiction of the collaborating artists-in-exile, The Novelist’s Film (2022).
They share their personal reflections about the film and the traces of Hong’s other films present in this layered, self-referential film-about-making-a-film. Drawing attention to Hong’s frequent collaborators who make an appearance in The Novelist’s Film, they situate Hong’s ruminative work within the rest of his oeuvre.
Image still from School of the Holy Beast (1974, Norifumi Suzuki)Heroes Three Podcast: School of the Holy Beast – Heroes Three Gaiden
The Heroes Three Podcast returns with a quirky pink film recommendation, Norifumi Suzuki’s School of the Holy Beast (1974). Riding the wave of nunsploitation and erotic films in the 70’s, the violent, erotic thriller is rife with dramatic self-flagellation scenes and goofy, bawdy humour.
The host and guests Matthew, Jennifer, and Joey delve into various elements of the film including the sexual repression typical of the nunsploitation subgenre and Suzuki’s anti-authoritarian streak which surfaces towards the film’s ending.
TO READ
Image still from Yellow Letters (2026, İlker Çatak)BFI Sight and Sound: Yellow Letters
Writing for the British Film Institute’s Sight and Sound, Travis Jeppesen reviews Yellow Letters (2026), winner of the Golden Bear award at the 2026 Berlin International Film Festival.
The film follows an avant-garde playwright director and his actress wife who find themselves targets of state suppression after an incident at the premiere of their new play. Barred from working, they are forced to find new means to support themselves and confront the harsh realities of working as an artist under an authoritarian regime.
Image still from Krabi, 2562 (2019, Anocha Suwichakornpong)Eastern Kicks: Anocha Suwichakornpong
In line with Metrograph New York’s retrospective of Anocha Suwichakornpong’s works, Yonah Sichrovsky speaks to the Thai director about her varied oeuvre including her thesis film Graceland (2006), about a man and a mysterious woman who embark on a journey into the nightscapes of Bangkok, and Krabi, 2562 (2019), which centres on the town of Krabi in southern Thailand, at a moment where the prehistoric, historic, and contemporary worlds converge.
Suwichakornpong shares about her process from script development to shooting on-location, and the incorporation of historical and metafictional themes which feature prominently in her works.
Image still from The Voice of Hind Rajab (2025, Kaouther Ben Hania)Le Cinéma Club: Q&A with Kaouther Ben Hania
Image still from The Voice of Hind Rajab (2025, Kaouther Ben Hania)
Le Cinéma Club presents a conversation with director Kaouther Ben Hania about her latest film, The Voice of Hind Rajab (2025). An indictment of the ongoing violence in Gaza, Hania’s film uses the actual recordings of the eponymous six-year-old’s phone calls to a humanitarian relief center as she is trapped in a car, pleading for rescue.
Hania speaks on her decision to adopt a docudrama approach and reflects on her engagement with the individuals affected by the real-life case of Hind Rajab, offering insight to the ethical and emotional responsibilities of translating the devastating event for the big screen.
Image still from Green Snake (1993, Tsui Hark)Metrograph Journal: Green Snake
Writing for Metrograph Journal, Frank Yan reviews Tsui Hark’s subversive reimagining of the Chinese folktale, Green Snake (1993). Starring Maggie Cheung as the titular green snake spirit and featuring an all-star cast including Joey Wong, Wu Hsing-kuo, and Vincent Zhao, the film presents a visually audacious meditation on desire, repression, and spiritual authority.
Yan examines Tsui’s critique of authoritarian fanaticism through the antagonistic monk character Fahai. Drawing attention to the film’s score, which sees Cantopop legend James Wong and music arranger Mark Lui join forces to create a soundscape which feels at once ancient and futuristic, Yan underscores the coexistence of chaos, beauty, and humanity— Tsui’s contemporary worldview which shines through in this bold retelling of an ancient folktale.
TO SUBMIT
Call for Papers: Association for Curators and Programmers of Asian Cinemas (ACPAC) Annual Conference
The Association for Curators and Programmers of Asian Cinemas (ACPAC) announces its second Annual Conference. The conference will be hosted by the Thai Film Archive and will take place on 19–20 June 2026. ACPAC invites proposals for this conference, which will explore the decoloniality of film curation and programming, with a focus on Asian cinemas. Application guidelines can be found here, and the deadline for submissions is 5 April, 2026.
Call for Submissions: 33rd Women Make Waves International Film Festival (Taiwan)
Returning for its 33rd edition, the Women Make Waves International Film Festival aims to celebrate the achievements of outstanding female talent, explore different aspects of women’s lives as well as promote equality and rights of all genders. The festival accepts films of all forms, lengths, and formats. Application guidelines can be found here, and the deadline for submissions is 3 March, 2026.
Call for Submissions: 23rd Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival
The Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival is Nepal’s largest film festival, focusing on mountain communities and cultures. The festival accepts both feature and short films including fiction, documentary, animation, and experimental works. Application guidelines can be found here, and the deadline for submissions is 10 March, 2026.
Call for Submissions: 15th Big Eyes, Big Minds, Singapore Inter. Children’s Film Festival
Big Eyes, Big Minds – Singapore International Children’s Film Festival is the first and only film festival in Singapore dedicated to kids ages 2 to 18. The festival is accepting short films under 30 minutes in length. Application guidelines can be found here, and the deadline for submissions is 15 March, 2026.
Call for Submissions: 23rd Experimental Film and Video Festival in Seoul (Korea)
The Experimental Film and Video Festival in Seoul (Korea) returns for its 23rd edition. Founded by Moving Image Forum, EXiS strives to screen contemporary moving images that explore unknown forms and territories of cinema. Application guidelines can be found here, and the deadline for submissions is 20 March, 2026.
This edition of the Asian Cinema Digest was compiled by Kuo Yi Quan. The Asian Cinema Digest is a monthly compilation of content taking place internationally involving Asian cinema and the moving image. Featured programmes are not representative of AFA’s views and are unaffiliated to the AFA unless otherwise stated.
