The Asian Summer Film Festival 2025 is fast approaching, and this year’s lineup is packed with diverse titles across multiple sections, catering to all audiences. The program includes the Official Competition (with a jury-selected winner), Les Nits més petites for children, Akihabara! and Sala B for alternative and edgy offerings, and a series of special screenings—such as the iconic Chinese action marathon and closing night films. From July 15 to 20, the 22nd FesNits will screen 37 feature films and 4 shorts at L’Atlàntida and the Bassa dels Hermanos, accompanied by various activities and the exhibition No ens agrada el pebrot! showcasing original Shin chan artwork at CCVic Joan Triadú.
Animated cinema gets a major spotlight in 2025, with seven standout titles. Leading the pack is The Flower Princess, a lavish production based on the Cantonese opera, premiering globally at the festival. Also notable is the family-friendly Thai-Chinese co-production Out of the Nest, which follows a young bird on a mission to rescue royal chicks and save the kingdom of Castilia.
The festival also revives animated gems like Hong Kong’s McDull: Me & My Mum (2014), and the classic Japanese sports anime Ashita no Joe 2 (1981), now remastered. These join already-announced titles like Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window, A Story about Fire, and Shin chan: The Superhero, the franchise’s first 3D film.
Hong Kong’s cinematic revival After a transitional period, Hong Kong cinema roars back with films like the opener Stuntman, by Albert and Herbert Leung, paying homage to martial arts stunt performers and the industry’s evolution. Other highlights include the noir thriller Behind the Shadows starring Louis Koo, and Fight for Tomorrow from the creators of Ip Man. Also featured: Go for Broke, a high-stakes drug thriller led by Nick Cheung, The Prosecutor by Donnie Yen, and Smashing Frank by emerging director Trevor Choi.
Cinema as a force for change Each morning, the Les Nits més petites section offers free screenings, including Football on the Roof (China), about girls who turn village rooftops into football fields, and Valatty (India), a tale of love between dogs that bridges class divides. These join transformative films like Victory, FAQ, Like a Rolling Stone, and Totto-Chan.
Muscle and mayhem Action films hold their ground at FesNits 2025 with Indian powerhouses like Jaat, starring Sunny Deol as a hero confronting a tyrant, and Fateh, a Sonu Sood action vehicle capping off the festival. A Chinese morning marathon brings Invincible Swordsman (a remake by Wong Jing), Blade of Fury, The Bodyguard, and the gripping thriller A Place Called Silence.
Akihabara! and Sala B: gloriously geeky Beyond the main competition, the festival embraces eccentricity with Akihabara!, showcasing youthful Japanese cinema, and Sala B, a haven for cult classics. Highlights include Cyborg Tasuke Isshin by Minoru Kawasaki (2024 Honorary Award), and the J-pop-infused premiere Tokusatsu Boyz: Fight and Love.
Sala B pairs cult favorites like Aatish: Feel the Fire and Magic Crystal with fresh thrills from alumni: Yoshihiro Nishimura returns with Tokyo Evil Hotel, and the saga Baby Assassins debuts its third chapter, Nice Days. Rounding it out is the cheeky Thai horror-comedy 404 Run Run as a special session.
