Moving up in the world doesn't always mean selling out - that's something the organisers of the New York Asian Film Festival like to make clear. Over 10 years, the festival has worked its way up from humble origins in the city's Anthology Film Archives to its home in the Lincoln Centre, a posh complex which also houses the Metropolitan Opera House and the New York City Ballet. But that hasn't affected its edgy, cult-oriented programming.
'We're still a very hands-on film event,' says festival co-director Goran Topalovic, one of four organisers who go under the name Subway Cinema. 'We know a lot of our audience by their first names, and we recognise people who have been coming to the events from day one.' This philosophy was borne out by the crowd-pleasing films which screened earlier this month. The movies from Japan were typically wild. There was the sexy romp Horny House of Horror, about a brothel whose women eat their clients, and the hammy gore-fest Yakuza Weapon. Tension was provided by a selection of new Korean thrillers. Old-school style was added by a retrospective of the programmers' favourite Tsui Hark films.
The Asian film scene in the US has been in a state of constant flux since the festival was born 10 years ago. At the start of the decade, Asian films were predicted to be the next big thing in the US. But these days, few major companies distribute Asian films in the US.
It has almost gone full circle, says festival co-director Grady Hendrix: 'No one in America cared about Asian films when we started. Then we had the Korean Wave, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero. Suddenly everyone wanted these films. But about two years ago, US distributors stopped caring. The only companies releasing Asian films in the US now are Asian.'
But the view from abroad is that Hong Kong cinema has risen again, says Hendrix. 'With all the mainland money involved, Hong Kong is making a lot of good movies again.'
Hong Kong guests have been a mainstay of the festival. This year, the organisers were thrilled that Tsui Hark agreed to come. The director received the festival's Star Asia Lifetime Achievement Award, and happily attended a number of question and answer sessions.