5 Feb – Next month, "The Garden of Evening Mists" is all set to open the 2020 Osaka Asian Film Festival (OAFF). The Malaysian English drama film will be making its Japanese premiere at the annual film festival that is scheduled to be held from 6 to 15 March in Osaka City. The good news was announced on OAFF's official website, naming the movie as its opening film, while Japanese title "Kamata Prelude" is set as the closing film. Helmed by Taiwanese director Tom Lin, "The Garden of Evening Mists" is a big screen adaptation of Tan Twan Eng's award-winning novel of the same name and set in 1950s Malaysia. Led by Malaysian actress Angelica Lee and Japanese actor Hiroshi Abe, the cast also comprises Taiwanese actress Sylvia Chang, Malaysian actress Serene Lim, Scottish actor John Hannah and English actor David Oakes.
The film follows young law graduate Teoh Yun Ling (Lee), who, embittered by the atrocities of World War II in Malaya, seeks solace in the tea plantations of Cameron Highlands, where a forbidden love affair soon blooms between her and the mysterious Nakamura Aritomo (Abe). Prior to opening in Malaysian cinemas last 16 January, the movie made its world premiere under the 'A Window on Asian Cinema' category at the 24th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) last October. A month later, it screened as the closing film of the 56th Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival. The movie also received nine nominations at last November's 56th Golden Horse Awards, including Best Film, Best Director and Best Actress, winning Best Makeup & Costume Design for Nikki Gooley, Biby Chow, Penny Tsai and Nina Edwards.