Coventry University hosts international film festival

An international film festival celebrating East Asian cinema will see Coventry University’s Ellen Terry Building revert to a picture palace for the first time since the Coventry Odeon closed its doors over 12 years ago.

The second annual East Winds Film Festival (2-4 March 2012) promises to be even bigger and better than last year’s opening event, staged by the Coventry University East Asian Film Society (CUEAFS) in conjunction with Third Window Films. The three-day festival will include European premieres of major popular cinema and see celebrity guests from the world of East Asian film flying in to talk to fans. The event has also attracted a major sponsor this year, in the form of Infiniti, the luxury automotive brand from Japan which has recently launched its range of performance cars in the UK.

CUEAFS founder and Lecturer in Film and Visual Culture, Spencer Murphy said:

The films produced in East Asia over the past decade have galvanised international cinema with their originality and vitality, gaining plaudits from academics and film fans alike. This festival aims to raise awareness of East Asian cinema within Coventry and the wider area, while encouraging the younger generation to embrace different kinds of film, by offering the students the opportunity to get involved in running an international film festival.

This year we have a fantastic line-up including a retrospective from Japanese director Miki Satoshi, who will be coming over with actress Eri Fuse to do a Q&A session to accompany the screenings of In the Pool, Adrift in Tokyo and Turtles Are Surprisingly Fast Swimmers. Legendary Hong Kong director Herman Yau will be answering questions and showing two of his most recent works, Woman Knight of Mirror Lake and True Women for Sale; while Taiwanese director Tom Yin will be treating festival goers to his latest offering, Starry Starry Night. With ticket prices at only £6 for the general public and £4 for students we hope a lot of film fans will take the opportunity to experience some really exciting cinema.

The East Winds Film Festival 2012 is open to everyone. For more information, including the full festival programme visit www.eastwindsfilm.com. For ticket information contact tickets@cueafs.com.