*This article is published on iCov here and on CUEAFS's website here
Last night, the Coventry University East Asian Film Society (CUEAFS) in collaboration with Third Window Films closed the first ever issue of East Winds: A Third Window Film Festival which took place in the Warwick Arts Centre. The three day event was held in the memory of Journalism and Media colleague and friend Nadia Baird, who passed away earlier this week. The closing film of the festival, 'The Message', was a special commemorative screening in celebration of the life and work of Nadia, who had been a member of CUEAFS since 2009.
The festival opened on Friday, February 11, with the première of Japan's entry to the Oscars, 'Confessions' by director Tetsuya Nakashima. Other films from the programme included 'Memories of Matsuko' by the same director, Gen Takahashi's 'Confessions of a Dog', 'Cold Fish' by director of CUEAFS's screened 'Love Exposure' Sion Sono and the UK première of 'The Message' by Qunshu Gao and Kuo-Fu Chen.
CUEAFS's founder Spencer Murphy collaborated heavily with Third Window Film's Managing Director Adam Torel and John Gore from the Warwick Arts Centre in the weeks leading to the event.
“East Winds was very successful this year and I'm very pleased”, commented Mr Murphy. “Getting this festival established is a very important and very difficult task and to be able to do it this and next year will be a great accomplishment.”
Members of the society were the driving force behind the realisation of East Winds. This was the first event on such a grand scale that was partially organised by them, along with the Asia Exposure Symposium earlier this weekend.
Diana Stefanescu, current treasurer of CUEAFS, said she is very proud to have been involved in the festival, especially as this is her final year in Coventry. Stanley Lau, another member of CUEAFS, shared: “It was an amazing experience to be part of a festival that could match the big boys in the industry."
Among the guests to the event were Japanese director Gen Takahashi and Italian composer Gabriele Roberto, both of whom held Q&A sessions with the festival guests. Other attendees were writers and journalists from the industry, such as Colette Balmain, John Berra, Jasper Sharp, Martin Cleary and Daniel Green.
*Images by Andreea DascaluLabels: cueafs, prof experience |
