The Focus on Asia Fukuoka International Film Festival which began in 1991 marked its memorable 30th Anniversary in 2020. However, because of the effects of Covid-19, holding our Film Festival, itself, was in question. Fortunately, we were able to hold our Film Festival. Yet we were forced to make changes in how our Film Festival would be held. Because it was difficult to invite guests, we had to pass up on exchange events with the audience such as our red-carpet ceremony, Q&A, and autograph sessions as well as our symposiums which examine various cinematic themes. As a result, we could only screen our films. In order to bring safety and security to film appreciation at our venues, preventive measures against the spread of Covid-19 were taken such as requiring the audience to wear masks, disinfect their hands and observe seat distancing.
　Our Opening Film in 2020 was a re-screening of the film Fukuoka, shot totally on location in Fukuoka under the direction of Zhang Lu in 2018 and shown for the first time in Japan a year later at our Film Festival. In 2020, however, we screened a black and white version of the film which film director Zhang Lu said he preferred. We also showed a video the film director made for our audience.
　For our special feature focusing on an Asian film director, we screened a program on Anocha Suwichakornpong from Thailand, who was first introduced to Japan by our Film Festival. Under the title of “Eternity on the Other Side of Modernism”, the special feature presented a full picture of Anocha Suwichakornpong’s intellectual excellence, which is the driving force behind Thai Art Cinema. We screened a total of 4 of her films; 3 feature films including her latest and a collection of short films. An air of warmth engulfed the theater as we played a video message from the film director who appeared together with her baby, she gave birth to just prior to the start of our Film Festival.
　As a first for the Film Festival amid the Covid-19 pandemic, a “Drive-in Theater” exhibition was held where people could watch a film inside their cars. For the enjoyment of the entire family, there was a drive-in theater screening of “Ninokuni”, an animated film produced by the gaming industry that calls Fukuoka its home.
　Ordinarily, invited film directors and cast members would participate in greeting sessions from the stage prior to the screening of their films. As we could not invite any guests, we showed our audience video messages sent by the film directors of our official selection of invited films, just prior to the screening of their films. We also asked films directors who were associated with our Film Festival in the past to create video messages addressing the theme of “Asian Films in a Pot of Covid-19”, which we then uploaded onto You Tube.