From Stephen Chow’s quiet visit to Jackie Chan’s Panama hats spree, Hong Kong memories from Udine Far East Film Festival’s 25 years celebrating Asian cinema

Johnnie To, Anita Yuen, Peter Chan and Ringo Lam were among the Hong Kong cinema greats at the first festival devoted to their work in Udine, northern Italy

They spread the word and soon Donnie Yen, Stephen Chow and Jackie Chan came to meet fans, talk about their movies and, in Chan’s case, buy a stack of hats

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Hong Kong film director Stephen Chow at the Udine Far East Film Festival in Udine, northern Italy, in 2000, one of a galaxy of stars from the city’s cinema scene to have taken part in the event since its launch 25 years ago. Photo: Handout

Published: 4:15am, 19 Apr 2023Updated: 4:51am, 19 Apr 2023

Italy’s Udine Far East Film Festival (FEFF), the first international festival to focus wholly on commercial movies from Asia, has its 25th anniversary this year.

Although the FEFF screens films from all over the region, it’s always had a special relationship with Hong Kong.

Hong Kong stars and directors such as Stephen Chow Sing-chi, Brigitte Lin Ching-hsia and Johnnie To Kei-fung have all made the trip to the pretty northern Italian city to celebrate Asian moviemaking.

We talk to the festival’s director Sabrina Baracetti, coordinator Thomas Bertacche and campus director Mathew Scott, and to Hong Kong films consultant Tim Youngs, about their memories of Hong Kong at the FEFF over the years.

Festival director Sabrina Baracetti on stage during the 24th Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy, in 2022.

What are your memories of your first trip to Hong Kong in 1997, when you came to plan the “test festival”, which was only Hong Kong films?

Sabrina Baracetti: It was my first trip to Hong Kong, and Derek Elley (a former Variety critic and the co-founder of the festival) showed me the skyline in Kowloon. I could not believe how beautiful it looked – I did not expect that, and I will remember that sight forever.