The 1st Asian Women’s Film Festival was successfully launched in October 2007 at the Cinema Arsenal, Berlin. More than 40 films representing diverse genres from Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Hong Kong were screened. International guests attended the festival which also encompassed Q&A sessions, a symposium “The Women’s Survival Guide to Filmmaking in Asia”, and networking activities. The festival is scheduled to be held once every two years.

The AWFF welcomes film and video works directed, written, shot, edited and produced by Asian women. We are looking for works which question and challenge rules of normalcy regarding gender and ethnicity. The 2009 program will be divided into five sections: New Currents, Asian-Diaspora, Short Films, Experimental and Documentary.

Does it all have to be about identity politics?

While this issue does play a significant role in our program, it is really not intended to be an exclusive criterion for selection. Rather, the festival is conceived as a platform where categories, genres and subjects themselves can be proposed, opposed, declined and negotiated; different ways of re/presentation performed.

What does it mean to be Asian, Asian American, Asian European etc. and how can these notions be approached?

This year’s focus will be on film and video works that express stories and ideas of migration, movement, belonging and home; works of various contents and forms by filmmakers that are related in a broad sense to Asia and deal e.g. with the notions of different and shared experiences between different generations and continents.

Beyond the screen

The AWFF provides a platform for filmmakers, film festival organizers, producers, script writers, editors. Besides the screenings we create opportunities to discuss and share our strategies and visions, start new projects and find new members for our growing network in Berlin, Beijing, Los Angeles and elsewhere.

The 2nd ASIAN WOMEN’S FILM FESTIVAL will be hosted by:

ASIA UNLIMITED - Forum for International Cultural Exchange NPO
ASIA UNLIMITED is an intercultural platform with focus on Asia founded in 2007 as an independent, experimental and non-commercial forum for cultural exchange between Europe and Asia. Various exhibitions, film festivals, art-projects and talks with cultural managers and artists from Asia and Germany show the cultural dimension of our work which is dedicated to the exchange and network between people - ASIA UNLIMITED is a cultural impulse transmitter and an educational forum in order to foster a sustainable cultural work.
For more information: http://www.asia-unlimited.net

BASIC INFORMATION AWFF 2009 Call for Submissions

DEADLINE

The submission deadline is June 30th 2009. We do not set any restrictions on length, genre, and production year.

PREVIEW TAPES/ SCREENERS

We only accept DVD as preview format. Please do not send your master tapes to us and label the preview copies clearly with title and contact address. We would like to keep the preview copy for the festival archive, if you agree, and wish to use film excerpts for publicity purposes for the film and the festival. We pay a screening fee according to length and format of the work. But since we are a non-profit festival, and were hit by the financial crisis regarding our public funding, we appreciate your consideration/help in reducing costs.

MAIL YOUR SUBMISSION FORM AND PREVIEW TAPE TO:

Asian Women’s Film Festival Berlin
c/o Sun-ju Choi
Oranienstr. 49
10969 Berlin
Germany

(If it is more convenient for you to mail your DVD to a postal address in L.A./USA or Beijing/China please contact one of the persons below)

Download the Submission Form *** .doc Format

PUBLICITY MATERIALS

Please send digital photo stills (on CD-Rom), press kits with background & production information on the film, director’s statement, film poster etc.

CONTACT

Sun-ju Choi (Berlin/Germany)
Feng-mei Heberer (Los Angeles/USA)
Kimiko Suda (Beijing/China)

For more information: www.asianwomensfilm.de