In November 2002 Asiaticafilmmediale returns with a larger program, presenting:

More than 30 new films - Italian premieres and art films, box office hits and indipendent cinema from: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kazhakstan, Khirgizistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Nepal, Malaysia, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam.

Moreover, the festival will feature some special events:

Focus on Calcutta. Images from the metropolis: from silent movies to the renaissance of the new Indian frontier.

Homage to Girish Karasavalli: The great indian filmmaker will attend the screening of three of his most important movies.

Girish Kasaravalli became popular to national and international audiences with Ghatashraddha (The Ritual, 1977), winner of a Golden Lotus as best indian movie in 1978. The Film Archive of Paris selected for the Cinema hundredth anniversary celebrations Ghatashraddha –only indian film - as one of the best 100 in the world. All the eight movies directed by him won international and national prizes. In 1998 and in 2002 his movies Thayi Saheba and Dweepa won the the President’s Golden Lotus as the best movie of the year.

Ismail Merchant. During the last 35 years “Merchant Ivory Productions” by Ismail Merchant and James Ivory produced several well-known features: Room with a view, The remains of the day and Howards end, becoming one of the most prolific film industry in the world wide. Ismail Merchant directed himself many movies, among others In Custody, taken by Anita Desai’s novel. Merchant will attend Asiatica Film Mediale to present his last work, The Mystic Masseur, taken by the Nobel Prize 2001 indian writer V.S.Naipul.

A special program on new Japanese cinema: Kurosawa’s Shohei original thriller Séance,

Thai Day: 4 films from the new generation of thai directors The most interesting movies from the newcome thailandese production that charmed international festival audiences: from the explosive Dangerous Bangkok filmamkers the adrenalinic thriller One Take Only by Oxide and Danny Pang, and the moving revelation Mon-rak Transistor, by Pen-ek Ratanaruang, brillant filmmaker already known for 6ixtyn9, I-san Special by Mingmongkol Sonakul.

Europe vs. Asia: the most recent European eye over Asia: documentaries on Afghanistan –the wisdom of a back-to-life after Talebans regime of Il piccolo gioco, by Paolo Grassini and Beniamino Natale – and over Birmania – sexual excursus through the media in Friends in High Places, by Lindsey Merrison. Shinomiya Hiroshi’s hard portrait of philippines shantytown in God’s Children, Tino Saroenggalo’s student revolt in The Army Forced Them To Be Violent, Rom and Viet Nam by Yervant Gianikian and Angela Ricci Lucchi, the exclusive interview with Pol Pot in Le Mystere Pol Pot, by Adrian Maben.

Various Asian film directors will attend the festival, presenting their films to the Italian audience and press, and participating to a round table on Asian Cinema with Italian producers, distributors, and film critics.