These are ten Asian films you shouldn’t miss at the Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival which will take place from June 30 – July 8, 2023 in Neuchatel, Switzerland.

Note: The list may include movies made by filmmakers with Asian ancestry

While shooting his latest feature, a once-revered director dreams of another ending for his film. Convinced he can pull it off, he schedules two extra days of shooting. But his new script turns out to be confusing and unconvincing for the censors… Plunge in a film within the film about the 1970s South Korean film industry with Cobweb, a unique, dream-like movie that explores the challenges of the creation process. (NIFFF 2023)

Trailer:

Shenxiu has been feeling terribly sad since her mother left. One day, after a storm at sea, she wakes up in a world full of flamboyant colours and cascading water. She sets off on an adventure-filled quest in the depths of the ocean to find her mom. Deep Sea is an incredible experience for the whole family, enhanced by magnificent 3D animation that will take you through magical underwater worlds. (NIFFF 2023)

Trailer:

Hana is an ordinary high-schooler, and therein lies the problem: she aspires to so much more, but is unsure what exactly. One day, she dreams of a little girl who would have lived during the Sengoku era. When she wakes up, Hana is taken by a mysterious government agency run by people who are convinced her dreams can save the future… The kind of ambitious, staggering science fiction only Japan can deliver! (NIFFF 2023)

Trailer:

Philippines, 1945. As the war is about to end, a textile seller whose reputation has been compromised is forced to flee from the Japanese army. He leaves his wife and children behind in their isolated mansion in the forest. 14-year-old Tala must suddenly become the caregiver for her younger brother and her sick mom. When her mother’s health deteriorates further, the girl asks a mysterious fairy for help… A gloomy, terrifying tale! (NIFFF 2023)

Kennedy is a former cop suffering from insomnia. Officially thought to be dead, he works for a corrupt system, desperately in search of his own redemption… A gripping, sometimes poetic crime drama that delivers a corrosive critique of local Mumbai politics, Kennedy is an ambitious and creative neo-noir. Anurag Kashyap’s new film – part of Cannes’ official selection this year – is, as always, poles apart from the dominant Indian blockbuster culture. (NIFFF 2023)

Trailer:

Hwang Yeo-rae gave up on her acting dreams to marry a rich entrepreneur and now lives a miserable life. When she has the opportunity to go back to acting, her husband flat out refuses. With the unexpected help of her neighbour (and number 1 fan!), she decides to make a plan to murder her spouse. Get the tissues ready: Killing Romance is an absolute gem of creativity with outstanding characters that will make you laugh and cry. (NIFFF 2023)

Trailer:

One rainy night, a fortuneteller crosses paths with a dangerous psychopath. He can sense his future misdeeds. Convinced he can change his fate, he will do everything in his power to bring the mad man back on the right track. But the police, who are after them, might have something to say about that… An intense, powerful thriller produced by Johnnie To! (NIFFF 2023)

Trailer:

An undocumented Filipino immigrant finds the ideal job: caring for a terminally ill old man. Although this opportunity is supposed to give her and her daughter a better life, things turn sour when she finds out the man’s family has sinister ties to the Philippines. Gothic horror cleverly meets corrosive anticolonial critique in this spine-tingling tale… (NIFFF 2023)

Screams echo in the New Year’s Eve night. A dead body is discovered. The detective cannot follow through with her planned suicide. A splendid and sprawling crime film on the dark side of Taiwan. (NIFFF 2023)

Trailer:

Zaffan is a 12-year-old girl who is full of life and has a problem with authority. As soon as she enters puberty, Zaffan experiences unsettling physical transformations. While she tries hard to hide her strange metamorphosis from her classmates, rumours of a dangerous presence in the school bathrooms start to spread. One by one, the school girls fall prey to a mysterious illness. Soon, mass hysteria ensues… (NIFFF 2023)

Trailer:

For more information, please visit: https://nifff.ch/