Far East Film Festival spotlights Gelso Awards and Asia-Italy cultural ties

By AI, Created 10:56 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – The Far East Film Festival in Udine runs through May 2 with 75 films, more than 100 cultural events and a Gelso Awards competition shaped by Massimo Agostini. The festival uses the mulberry symbol to highlight the long link between Friuli, Italy and Asia through cinema, trade and shared heritage.

Why it matters: - The Far East Film Festival is using cinema to frame a broader cultural bridge between Italy and Asia. - The Gelso Awards tie the festival to the history of silk, mulberry trees and long-running exchange across the Silk Road. - Udine’s festival programming turns the city center into a regional hub for Asian film and culture through May 2.

What happened: - Udine is hosting the current edition of the Far East Film Festival, which runs through May 2. - The festival features 75 films from Japan, China, Taiwan, South Korea, the Philippines and Malaysia. - The competition for the Gelso Awards includes Blood Moon Rite by Phan Gi Nhat Linh, Another World by Tommy Kai Ching Ng, 5 Centimeters Per Second by Yoshiyuki Okuyama and My Name by Chung Ji-young. - The festival opened with Anthony Chen’s We Are All Strangers. - The festival closes May 2 with Blade of the Guardians by Yuen Woo-ping.

The details: - Massimo Agostini is the creative mind behind the Gelso, or Mulberry, Awards. - Agostini created the award as a tribute to the shared history of Friuli and Asia. - The award is modeled on the mulberry tree, or Morus, which is native to temperate and subtropical regions of Asia. - The mulberry tree helped fuel the silk industry in China and Northern Italy. - Agostini said he wants to “complete the circle of this cultural exchange by traveling to Asia to witness the ancient mulberry groves firsthand”. - Agostini said the Gelso is “a living link” between central China, the Korean peninsula, Iran and Turkey, and the stories presented in Udine. - Udine’s city center is hosting more than 100 cultural events through May 2. - The festival’s side programming includes cultural workshops and conferences on Asian philosophy and traditions. - The schedule also includes live performances such as traditional dances and concerts in public squares. - Tastings are part of the program, with food offerings described as bringing Eastern flavors to the Mediterranean. - More information is available on CAI Bot and Idea Prototipi.

Between the lines: - The Gelso Awards are doing more than recognizing films. They are being used as a symbol of continuity between regional Italian identity and Asian cultural history. - The festival’s mix of screenings, talks, performances and food events suggests an effort to turn filmgoing into a broader cultural experience. - Agostini’s framing positions the award as both a local marker for Friuli and a reference to transnational heritage.

What’s next: - The festival continues in Udine until May 2. - The Gelso Awards competition will play out alongside the remaining screenings and cultural programming. - The closing film, Blade of the Guardians, will cap the event.

The bottom line: - The Far East Film Festival is using the Gelso Awards to turn a film showcase into a statement about cultural exchange between Italy and Asia.