Hong Kong black comedy Over My Dead Body, directed by Ho Cheuk Tin, will receive its world premiere as the opening film of this year’s Osaka Asian Film Festival (OAFF), which is scheduled to take place March 10-19.
Starring Teresa Mo, Ronald Cheng and Wong You Nam, the film revolves around a group of residents in an expensive apartment building who attempt to dispose of a mysterious corpse that they fear will send their property values plunging. Ho Cheuk Tin’s first feature, The Sparring Partner, was a hit in Hong Kong last year, grossing $5m.
As previously announced, Japanese drama Side By Side, directed by Chihiro Ito and produced by Isao Yukisada, will receive its world premiere as the closing film of OAFF.
Meanwhile, the festival has selected 14 features for this year’s Competition section, including December, the latest work from Japan-based Indian director Anshul Chauhan, Hong Kong dramas The Narrow Road, The Sunny Side Of The Street and Hong Kong Family, and Is This Heaven?, the latest work from veteran Japanese director Shinji Imaoka (see full list of competition titles below).
The Spotlight section will screen debut features and short films from up-and-coming talents, including Leonor Will Never Die, from the Philippines’ Martika Ramirez Escobar; actress Lee Joo-young’s directing debut Leave At Door, Bell X; and Hawa from Mejbaur Rahman Sumon, which was Bangladesh’s submission for Best International Feature at the Oscars.
Indie Forum, which focuses on independent Japanese filmmakers, will screen Atsushi Funahashi’s The Burdens Of The Past, about former criminals attempting to reintegrate into society; Marina Tsukada’s Sekai, which recently played at Rotterdam film festival; and horror film New Religion, directed by Keishi Kondo.
The Indie Forum section will also feature emerging talent Haruna Tanaka as Director in Focus, screening her short film Shall We Love You? and latest work Kanro.
Osaka Asian Film Festival 2023 Competition Line-up:
Bad Education (Taiwan), Kai KO [IP]
Day Off (Taiwan), FU Tien-yu [IP]
December (Japan), Anshul CHAUHAN [JP]
Hong Kong Family (Hong Kong), Eric TSANG Hing Weng [JP]
Is This Heaven? (Japan), IMAOKA Shinji [WP]
Like & Share (Indonesia), Gina S. NOER [JP]
Max, Min And Meowzaki (India), Padmakumar NARASIMHAMURTHY [JP]
The Narrow Road (Hong Kong), LAM Sum [JP]
People Who Talk To Plushies Are Kind (Japan), Yurina KANEKO [WP]
A Room of My Own (Georgia, Germany), Ioseb ‘Soso’ BLIADZE [JP]
The Sunny Side Of The Street (Hong Kong, Singapore), LAU Kok-rui [JP]
Tora’s Husband (India), Rima DAS [JP]
Where Love Goes (Japan), Fuka MIYAJIMA [WP]
You & Me & Me (Thai) Wanwaew HONGVIVATANA, Waewwan HONGVIVATANA [JP]