Screen International broke the news during the Cannes market and as of Wednesday, Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit’s Fast & Feel Love has been confirmed as the official opener for the 20th New York Asian Film Festival launching next month. The film’s premiere will also have Thamrongrattanarit in attendance alongside the film’s star, Thai/Norwegian actress and Screen International Rising Star award honoree, Urassaya “Yaya” Sperbund (Witthaya Thongyooyong’s Brother of the Year).
“This is the perfect film for an opening that marks a true return to theaters as well as NYAFF’s 20th anniversary,” said Samuel Jamier, Executive Director of NYAFF and President of the New York Asian Film Foundation. “Nearly as fast-moving as its sport-stacking protagonist, it hits all the right notes, from broad humor to poignant drama, and gives every character a show-stopping moment or two — as well as hilarious and clever cinephile moments. As the film says, sport stacking is genderless, ageless and border-free, which is a real game-changer.”
Jamier also commented, “Yaya, already an established star in the region, takes it to another level here with her impeccable comic timing and genuine moments of emotion, and of course this most rare of qualities: screen presence. In this respect, giving her the Screen International Rising Star award makes perfect sense and is also a precedent in that we’re giving it to a star who is rising higher than where she was, rather than a star-to-be.”
Released in Thailand back in April, Thamrongrattanarit wrote and directed Fast & Feel Love which centers on actor Nat Kitcharit in the role of Kao, a world champion sport stacker who only has time to focus on beating other contenders who are trying to break his world record. Superbund plays Jay, the girlfriend who’s been long supportive and has grown frustrated with taking care of Kao and everything else in his life, and finally comes to her senses and dumps him. Devastated, Kao is forced to learn how to balance between his sport, and performing the daily rituals and tasks of a responsible adult, specifically if he’s going to win back Jay’s heart.
The premiere will mark a return to the festival for Thamrongrattanarit following the 2016 screening of his third feature, Heart Attack, and will be the second title from Thailand to open the festival, after Nattawut Poonpiriya’s Bad Genius in 2017.
The 20th Anniversary edition of the New York Asian Film Festival runs from July 15 through 28 at Lincoln Center. Stay tuned for the full line-up.