The 13th edition of the Asiatica Filmmediale festival dedicated to cinema from the Near to the Far East returns to Rome from 5-13 October.

Based at La Pelanda in Testaccio, the festival is screening 60 films - the majority subtitled in English and Italian - and will be attended by 30 special guests from the world of Asian film. The six feature films in competition are China's Bi Shi Ci Di (Here, Then), Japan's Kazoku no kuni (Our Homeland), India's Kurmavatara (The Tortoise, An Incarnation), Iran's Parviz, China's Shen Tan Heng Te Zhang (Beijing Blues), and Israel's Yossi.

Many of the films highlight dramatic world events, such as the tsunami and earthquake in Japan, and uprisings in northern Africa and unrest in the Arab world, as well as films dedicated to injustice and censorship. This year the Focus section is dedicated to the movies of the Philippines, while Arab cinematography is also under the spotlight.

The festival, which was established in Rome in 2000 to foster a new dialogue and cultural exchange between Italy and the Asian continent of Asia, is promoted by state, city, diplomatic and cultural organisations in the capital.