Just over a month remains until the 22nd edition of the Nits Oriental Film Festival in Vic kicks off, and the event has announced a new lineup of films that will be screened across its venues, divided between L’Atlàntida and the Bassa dels Hermanos. As every year, the program features some of the most anticipated works in popular Asian cinema as well as titles aimed at a more cinephile audience, in addition to its classic parallel sections: Les Nits més petites—family films—and Akihabara!—youth cinema with a geeky spirit, straight from Japan. All of it comes under this year’s festival image: a suitcase that illustrates cinema’s power to make us travel without ever leaving our seat.
High-octane journeys. The Nits Festival is always a place to discover Asian action cinema, which this year returns with force, alongside some of its greatest icons. One of them is Jackie Chan who, two years after Ride On, the opening film of FesNits 2023, returns with the Chinese movie Panda Plan. It’s a new dive into family-friendly action-comedy where he plays himself on a mission to rescue an adorable baby panda. Another major name, Donnie Yen, is back with the Hong Kong film The Prosecutor, which he co-directs and stars in—about a prosecutor with a police background who dives into a criminal network to clear a young man unjustly convicted. Also returning to Vic are the Japanese teen hitwomen from Baby Assassins, an action-comedy saga on its way to cult status. In this third installment, Baby Assassins: Nice Days, again directed by Yûgo Sakamoto, the duo leaves the big city for vacation—only to stumble upon their most feared enemy yet. And the comebacks don’t stop there: after having two films in last year’s lineup (Hunt the Wicked and The Comeback), Chinese director Chris Huo is back with Second Life, a film that blends prison drama with action comedy, starring acclaimed actress and martial artist Yuen Qiu. Another returning filmmaker is Kôichi Sakamoto (Ninja vs Shark, Good Morning, Sleeping Lion), one of the big names in Japanese action cinema, with Shogun’s Ninja—a spectacular chanbara (samurai cinema) featuring two ninja women fighting to rescue a kidnapped friend and restore their family’s honor.
Traveling without a hair out of place. Much gentler, but equally compelling, are a handful of independent films arriving at FesNits after making the rounds at top-tier festivals. Among them is the Indian gem Pyre, by Vinod Kapri, in which an elderly couple living in a remote Himalayan village receives a letter from their son whom they haven’t seen in years; as well as a finely crafted Chinese animated feature. The Nits Festival will also premiere two South Korean films directed by young women making their feature debuts: Secret: Untold Melody by Seo Yoo-min, a remake of the Taiwanese film of the same name, tells a romantic and fantastical tale following the melodies of a mysterious pianist; and FAQ by Kim Da-min, a delightful story of a girl determined to challenge the social expectations that bind her.
All these titles add to those already announced, promising a 22nd edition packed with exciting offerings for every taste. These include Smashing Frank by Trevor Choi, Victory by Park Beom-su, Like a Rolling Stone by Yin Lichuan, and Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window by Shinnosuke Yakuwa.
