Focus Asia, the industry section of the Far East Film Festival, has unveiled its full slate for the 2026 edition – 13 projects for the All Genres Project Market and six titles for Far East in Progress – alongside a new post-production prize backed by Bangkok-based White Light Studio. The market runs April 27-29 in Udine, Italy.
The All Genres Project Market selection, chosen by a seven-member committee from more than 120 submissions across 24 countries, spans drama, coming-of-age, art-house, magical realism, crime, sci-fi and fantasy. The 13 projects, each representing a distinct territory, are: “A Way to Etretat,” directed by Su-Won Shin and produced by June Film (South Korea); “Adarna,” directed by Lois Patiño and produced by Elastica Films and Matriuska Producciones (Spain); “Dear Sơn An,” directed by Kim Quy Bui and produced by Varan (Vietnam) and A Company Film (Germany); “Holy Mother,” directed by Sinung Winahyoko and produced by KrossKultur Media (Indonesia); “I Have to Fuck Before the World Ends,” directed by Andrea Benjamin Manenti and produced by Volos Films Italia, Citrullo International (Italy), Epicmedia (Philippines) and Puffin Pictures (France); “Naked in Glendale,” directed by Haohao Yan and produced by Seesaw Productions (China) and Q&A Entertainment (U.S.); and “New Life,” directed by Yingtong Li and produced by Yitis Film (China).
Rounding out the All Genres selection: “Noodles, Our Love Was Instant and Forever,” directed by Whammy Alcazaren and produced by Daluyong Studios and TwoFold (Philippines); “Route 7,” directed by Jinrung Chun and produced by Cloud11 Studios (Japan); “Snake in the Dreamscapes,” directed by Lou Yi An and produced by Content Digital Film and Hope Content Marketing (Taiwan); “Somewhere in the South,” directed by Ce Ding Tan and produced by Evil Genius Studio (Malaysia) and Giraffe Pictures (Singapore); “UFO Club,” directed by Milena Kaneko and produced by K2 Pictures and Bunbuku (Japan); and “Wake Me Up When the Mourning Ends,” directed by Kok Rui Lau and produced by Thousand Sails Pictures (Hong Kong), Volos Films Italia (Italy) and Janji Pictures Production (Malaysia).
The six titles selected for Far East in Progress, the platform for Asian films in post-production seeking international distribution and festival premieres, are: “Doppel,” directed by Jun Tanaka and produced by Keyaki Works (Japan) and Solaria Film (Italy); “Good Death,” directed by Atsushi Funahashi and produced by Big River Film (Japan), Flash Forward Entertainment (Taiwan) and Harine Films (Poland); “Midnight Sun,” directed by Zhejian Michael Cong and produced by Màn Rán Studio (U.S.) and Oui Production (France); “Picturehouse,” directed by Nghiem-Minh Nguyen-Vo and produced by Girelle Production (France), East Films (Vietnam), Add Oil Films (Singapore) and Daluyong Studio (Philippines); “Sanamsar,” directed by Bat-Amgalan Lkhagvajav and produced by Media Crackers LLC (Mongolia); and “The Quiet Applause,” directed by Sungbin Byun and produced by Ssarinamu Film (South Korea). The strand is overseen by a selection committee headed by Marie-Pierre Vallé.
The newly launched White Light/Focus Asia Award, valued at $20,000 in professional post-production services, will go to the strongest project drawn from both the All Genres Market and Far East in Progress. It marks the first time White Light Studio has participated in Focus Asia as a prize partner.
The organizers pointed to recent alumni as evidence of the section’s track record: “Ah Girl” by Ang Geck Geck Priscilla screened at the International Film Festival Rotterdam earlier this year and is now in competition at FEFF28, while Yukari Sakamoto’s “White Flowers and Fruits” premiered at San Sebastian IFF in 2025.
Italy’s Ministry of Culture remains the primary institutional backer of Focus Asia, with Cinecittà providing organizational support, including a special opening-night reception and a showcase of Italian producers. The Italian Trade Agency ICE has also deepened its partnership with the market, with the stated aim of increasing the attendance of senior Asian decision-makers. Separate co-production labs have been organized in collaboration with Cinecittà, CCIDAHK Hong Kong, and Telefilm Canada. Europa Distribution and Europa International return as partners, with the latter participating for the second consecutive year.
New programming additions for 2026 include a Think Tank on animation developed with Anima Mundi, a Box Office Study panel covering the global performance of Asian titles, and a session on vertical content examining the rise of microdrama and its effect on IP development and digital distribution.
The 2026 edition of Focus Asia is expected to draw more than 200 industry delegates from Europe, Asia and Canada.
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