Top five film festivals of Asia

Cinema is a powerful medium in Asia as well. Different countries hold film festivals in Asia which bring together filmmakers from all over the globe.

The Dubai International Film Festival has gained instant recognition in a short span of time. It is known for its glitz and glamour and provides a platform to the films from the Middle East, Asia and Africa. This year 157 entries from 57 countries competed for prestigious wards. Arab cinema has a long way to go and events such as these provide a springboard to the new talent.

Pakistan hosts the Kara Film Festival; the event is held every year in Karachi and is recognized internationally. It is held in December and has quickly gained the reputation of being one of the prestigious events of the region and is attended by well known local and foreign film makers. The event is organized to promote quality film production in Pakistan and to encourage the new talent. Films are screened and then a question answer session with the directors and casts are held. Commercial as well as experimental movies are shown and judged accordingly.

Pusan International Film Festival is held in Korea. Though it is an international event, it focuses primarily on new films and debut projects. It is organized to promote young talent and has a huge fan following especially young fans. It is known as Asia’s largest film festival and last year it screened 308 films from 67 countries. Korean stars and international stars attend this prestigious event.

India has one of the biggest film industries in the world and is a home to many film events; the International Film Festival India (IFFI) being one of them. IFFI is often called “India’s Cannes” and is a 10 day gala of unlimited fun and entertainment. Besides Indian films, works of directors from Latin America, Asia and Asia are also screened. The lucky winners are awarded gold and silver peacocks and cash prizes.

Top five music festivals of Asia

The continent of Asia is the home to many ancient civilizations. If the westerners were attracted to Asia because of its treasures, its rich music and diverse culture simply mesmerized them. Many music festivals are held in Asia; some of which are as follows

Borneo the enchanting island hosts the Rainforest World Music Festival which features world famous artists from all over the world. While the days are filled with mini concerts, jamming sessions and lectures, the evenings fill the air with music. One can’t but help dance to the tunes foreign to the mind but familiar to the soul. You will be entertained by soul stirring music to foot tapping tunes to music that will rock you.

Seoul World DJ Festival is a musical event held in South Korea every year in May. The event started off in a bid to promote tourism but got a lot of positive response especially from foreign students and expatriates. It is now three days of dance party and live music. The Seoul World DJ Festival pulls a big crowd.

The Beijing Pop Festival started in 2004 but has gained immense popularity in relatively short period of time. It started off as a hobby and encouraged local bands to participate and now it features pop groups from other continents as well.

The Jaffna Music Festival provides a platform to exhibit the colorful culture of Sri Lanka, a country known for its rich traditions. The event takes place in the end of March and showcases traditional folk music and graceful dance performances from various areas of the island. Besides local Sri Lankan music, performances from India, Norway, Palestine, Nepal and South Africa also entertain the people.

For a whole month (mid December to mid January) music lovers are entertained by a myriad of musical performances and dances in the Madras Music Season held in India. There are over 1500 performances from veteran musicians to the artists from present day generation besides lectures and seminars on music.

Its Basant..!!

Basant or the kite flying festival is celebrated in Lahore in early March to mark the advent of the spring season. It has nothing to do with religion and is not new to the area either. For centuries this has been a ritual to welcome spring.

Basant is mostly celebrated in Lahore with much pomp and show and vigor than in any other part of the Pakistan. It would not be wrong to say that basant is truly celebrated in Lahore only. People from adjoining cities go to Lahore to take part in the festivities The Basant fever catches up from the month of February. The skilled kite makers prepare colorful kites and strings. People buy lots of kites to take part in the festival. Yellow is the dominant color and ladies, get special clothes stitched for this occasion.

On Basant day, people gather on the rooftops to fly kites. Kite flying competitions are held, the air is thick with tension and drummers beat drums to encourage the kite fliers. The cries of “Bo kata” fill the air whenever a kite goes down. Special dishes are prepared for the occasion and kite flying continues well after dark. At night dinners, musical concerts and plain old family gatherings complete the day.

Some Islamic fundamentalists term basant as non-Islamic, however, for a lively Lahorite, it is a form of entertainment and a healthy activity.

Diwali

Diwali
Posted in Asian Festivals, Hindu Festivals, Indian Festivals, Sikh festivals on 01. Nov, 2009
Diwali is a very significant day for Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs. It celebrates the home coming of Rama, who was the seventh avatar of Vishnu and the legendary king of Ayodhya, after his exile in the forest for 14 years. It also celebrates Rama’s victory over Ravana, the evil king of Lanka that, as legend has it, was a brute who kidnapped Rama’s wife, Sita. Diwali is such an important day that it is recognized as an official holiday in India.
The legend states that the good people of Ayodhya, welcomed Rama home by lighting long rows of lamps. This is where Diwali gets its other name, “the Festival of Lights”, from. Diwali is derived from the two words “avail”, meaning rows, and “dipa” or “divas” meaning lamps. These lamps are lit to signify the victory of good over evil, especially within a person.
Diwali also has other significance for other religions. For example, in South India, Diwali represents the victory of Krishna over Narakasura, and in the religion of Jainism, Diwali represents Mahavira’s attainment of nirvana. The Sikhs celebrate the release of Guru Har Gobind Ji who had been held captive by the Emperor Jahangir. The Guru was welcomed home with candles.
There are many beautiful festivals around the world that celebrate Diwali. It is really a pleasure to watch, or even take part in, these wonderful traditions. Some of these celebrations have become famous in non-traditional areas. You can now celebrate Diwali as far away as such places as: Australia, Singapore, South Africa and even Trinidad and Tobago. It is truly an international celebration.

Two Most Colorful Festivals

Two Most Colorful Festivals
Posted in Asian Festivals on 10. Sep, 2009
Two of the most colorful festivals in the world are the Sinulog Festival celebrated in the Philippines and the Sankranthi Festival in South India.
The Sinulog Festival in the Philippines is celebrated the third Sunday of the month of January every year. It is one of the grandest festivals in the Philippines, wherein people can dance joyously and in colorful ways. This festival gives honor to the patron saint of Cebu, the Santo Niño. Festivities are  comprised of dance rituals and ceremonies that recall the time when the religion of Christianity was embraced by the Filipinos. Apart from the dance rituals and ceremonies, the festival also features colorful displays of street dancing. Participants in the festival wear costumes of bright colors as they dance to the music of drums, native gongs, and trumpets.

The Sankranthi or Pongal is a famous and colorful festival in South India. It takes place in the middle of January every year. It is a 4-day celebration that is popular among farmers who harvest and enjoy their crops. The first day of celebration is known as the “Bhogi”; the second day is called the “Sankranthi”; and the third day is the “Kanuma”. A month before the festival, women decorate their front porches with attractive floral designs known as the “muggulu”. A display of various toys and dolls is also seen during the time of the festival. It is known as the “bommal koluvu”. Since Sankranthi is one of the most colorful festivals in all of India, people celebrate it with plenty of fun, galore, zest, and enthusiasm.

Five Important Asian Festivals

Five Important Asian Festivals
Posted in Asian Festivals on 20. Jul, 2009
Asian people love festivals of different sizes and shapes, be it sports, cultural, arts, or religious centered. They are also fond of gatherings that allow them to enjoy the company of other with delightful entertainment and more. Five of the most important Asian festivals celebrated across the globe are the Songkran of Thailand, the Dragon Boat Races of Laos, the That Luang Festival of Laos, the Chinese New Year in Singapore, and the Thaipusam in Singapore and Malaysia.
The Songkran Festival in Thailand is celebrated every April. In this festival, Thais hail the New Year as referenced on their calendar. Since April is a hot season, Thais celebrate the festival with buckets of ice water and water guns out in the streets. For more enjoyment, the water guns are sometimes mixed with talcum powder.

To celebrate an end of the Lenten season of Buddhists, dragon boat races are organized in the riverside towns of Laos. Apart from the exciting races, a tiny carnival with man-made rides is

installed  as well as common platform games of skills.
Early in November, thousands of Buddhist factions converge on a spectacular festival at the That Luang Temple in Vientiane, Laos. The Buddhist factions come from different regions in the country and neighboring countries as well. The That Luang Festival feature flower processions and alms-giving rituals. A carnival is also present during the festival days.
The Chinese New Year Festival in Singapore is a three-day celebration complete with fireworks, dragon dances, and parades. It is held sometime at the last week of January or at the start of February.The Hindus celebrate the Thaipusam Festival where people give appreciation for their answered prayers by carrying “kayadis”. They attach large steel racks on their bodies and pierce their skin with spears. Using sharp hooks, fruits are dangled from the skin as the cheeks are pierced.

Top 3 Most Famous East Asian Festivals in April

Top 3 Most Famous East Asian Festivals in April

April is a month of celebration for many in eastern Asian countries such as the Philippines, Japan, China, Thailand, and others. There are plenty of interesting and colorful festivals around this time. The top three being:

The Songkran Festival in ThailandThe Good Friday Cruxification in PhilippinesThe Water Splashing Festival in China
Thailand is a land of festivals all year round. Among the most famous festivals, Songkran is probably the most important. It marks the New Year according to the Thai traditional calendar, and it is celebrated nationwide over a period of four days with extremely lively events. The Good Friday  Crucifixion in the Philippines isn’t so different from any other Good Friday celebration around the world. It’s just the most famous in the region worth mentioning. Much of the celebration takes place in the city of San Fernando. The locals from all around the country gather to play out Christ’s agony by  displaying the whole crucifixion process. The only difference here is probably that everything is done for real, even the nailing to the crosses! The Water Splashing Festival in China is simply a fabulous spring event held in the Jinghong, Yunnan province. There is plenty of dragon boat racing, fireworks, water throwing, and dancing.

5 Most Famous Asian Carnivals and Festivals

5 Most Famous Asian Carnivals and Festivals
Asia is the largest continent in the world with hundreds of different cultures and societies living on it. It may seem obvious that there would be hundreds of carnivals and festivals all year round. Let’s look at the top five carnivals and events:The Holi Festival in India
•    The Songkhran Festival in Thailand
•    The Thaipusam Festival in Malaysia
•    The Chinese New Year festival in ChinaThe Tet Nguyen Dan Festival in Vietnam
These five are just merely a drop in the ocean of festivals throughout the continent, chosen by focusing on the crowd gathering as the main determinant factor. The Holi Festival in India is widely celebrated around the country as well as in other Hindu-associated societies. It’s also known as the festival of colors. The Songkhran Festival in Thailand is one of the largest in the region. It marks the New Year according to the Thai traditional calendar. The Thaipusam Festival in Malaysia is a Hindu Festival celebrating the birth ofLord Muruga There is a large focus on the Batu Caves temple. The festivities in that area are attended by almost 1.5 million devotees annually. The Chinese New Year in China gets extremely colorful towards the final few days. The the lantern procession and lion dancing occur during that time. Finally, the Tet Nguyen Dan Festival in Vietnam marks the New Year according to the Vietnamese calendar.

Festival season in Japan

Festival season in Japan
In Japan the festival “season” begins early in the year (February) and ends late in the year (December). Is there one every month you might ask. The answer is no, but almost. All citizens look forward to the gaily decorated floats that carry the drummers and flautists through the town. A great many of the smaller, local festivals celebrate and pay honor to the local deity. The parade and festival atmosphere ranges from subdued to rambunctious. Here is a sampling of some of the celebrations and when they take place:
•    Sapporo Snow Festival – Place: Sapporo, Hokkaido. Time: Early February
•    Takayama Matsuri – Place: Takayama, Gifu. Time: April 14-15; October 9-10
•    Nebuta Matsuri – Place: Aomori City, Aomori Prefecture. Time: August 2-7
•    Awa Odori – Place: Tokushima City, Tokushima Prefecture. Time: August 12-15
•    Chichibu Yomatsuri – Place: Chichibu City, Saitama Prefecture. Time: December 2-3
Each festival is known for popular activities. For example, there is a snow and ice sculpting contest at the Sapporo Snow Festival. The Chichibu Yomatsuri is known as the “night festival.” Other parades feature floats with huge Chinese style dragons and pirate ships. Each festival is fun and exciting in its own way.