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Thread: Asian Film Festivals and Awards

  1. #91
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    Continued from previous post

    In the late 1990s, you went to the U.S. to play the lead in the CBS series Martial Law, which had the distinction of being the first prime time hit show starring an East Asian actor. What was most memorable about your U.S. career?

    It was a kind of miracle for Martial Law to have happened. I played a cop from China in the series. But at the end of the day, I realized that American writers weren’t able to write the experience and existence of an immigrant cop from China living and working in the U.S.

    You founded the Sammo Hung Stuntmen Association in the 1970s, which was instrumental to the global success of Hong Kong action cinema. What are your thoughts on the future of Hong Kong action filmmaking?

    Look at the younger generation in Hong Kong now: Where can you find kids who would learn and practice martial arts? There will be no new generation of action stars in Hong Kong now. When we were young, we looked up to the action stars on the big screen and aspired to be them someday. We trained and practiced. And now maybe a kid practices martial arts but then becomes a salesperson, which he can be anyway without any martial arts training. There is no one for him to look up to. Kids don’t dream of becoming action stars in movies anymore.

    Martial arts is still practiced in China, but if you look at Chinese martial artists, it took time for them to have a breakthrough. For example, Jet Li, he was in Hong Kong for a long time before he became a star in Tsui Hark’s films. And Wu Jing [actor-director of Chinese mega-blockbusters Wolf Warrior 2 and The Wandering Earth] had been jobbing in the Hong Kong film industry for almost two decades before he finally made it to the top.

    As a local industry champion, can you share more of your assessment of the present state of the Hong Kong film industry?

    The state of the Hong Kong film industry now is lousy! The local studios, they don’t want to invest in big-budget films. We used to shoot one single scene in a month; now a whole film is shot in 11 days! And we used to spend HK$2-3 million shooting in one day; now no local film has that kind of budget. I’m not saying a big budget guarantees a good film, but we really don’t have that kind of scale anymore. What we need is a good, solid Hong Kong action film, the kind that made our mark in the world in the past. No one wants to invest in those films anymore. And Chinese co-productions, we only do those because we need the Chinese market, and if we don’t co-produce with Chinese companies, we can’t show our films in China. But Chinese co-productions can’t capture the genuine essence of the Hong Kong action film, and there are too many systematic limitations with Chinese co-productions.

    Do you think Hong Kong film can maintain its unique position and idiosyncrasies? How can that legacy be preserved?

    It is very difficult. I truly believe the Hong Kong government should do more to help the film industry. Look at South Korea. Twenty or thirty years ago, there was no film industry there. But the South Korean government gave it a big push, and now Korean films are on the world stage and everyone is watching Korean TV dramas. The policies the Hong Kong government has set for the local film industry, like when they give HK$2 million [for first-time directors to make a feature film, which recently was raised to HK$5.5 million] – what kind of film can be made with only HK$2 million? They are spending millions on events like the film festival, which is a very good thing, but if they don’t help preserve the Hong Kong film industry, they might as well give those millions to buy lunchboxes for the poor. Hong Kong cinema represents us.

    The Hong Kong government announced an injection of HK$1 billion into the Film Development Fund, do you think that would help?

    It depends on how they use that money. I’d say they should give me HK$300 million to make a film [chuckles].

    With your experience in the film industry, have you taken up any advisory role for the Hong Kong government, such as for the Film Development Council?

    No one has asked me, and I’m not sure if I’d want to. I’d only curse at people, and point out whatever is wrong today. I wouldn’t want to be like a nagging old lady, complaining all the time.

    Do you blame the audience for their lack of interest in local films?

    No, I don’t. If a film is bad, you can’t force people to go see it. What can you do, beat them with a stick?

    You have cut down your film work in recent years, and have said that you enjoy spending time with your grandchildren. Do you plan to retire completely?

    As long as I can still think, eat, sleep, walk, and be useful, I don’t think about retiring. I have the gifts of being able to think, eat, sleep, walk, and those are gifts from heaven, so I wouldn’t want to waste them and say I quit.

    Have you thought about what you’ll share with the public at the Filmmaker in Focus seminar?

    I’ll curse and swear at them [deadpans, then laughs].
    THREADS
    Sammo Hung
    Asian Film Festivals and Awards
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  2. #92
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    Beijing International Film Festival

    Hold the phone here...The Last Samurai is NOT Kurosawa.

    ...unless it's the Mifune documentary, in which case it's related.

    MARCH 22, 2019 1:51AM PT
    Beijing Festival Unveils ‘Max Max,’ ‘Bourne,’ Kurosawa Screening Series

    By REBECCA DAVIS


    CREDIT: VILLAGE ROADSHOW/KOBAL/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK

    The upcoming Beijing International Film Festival will give space to high profile Hollywood franchise movies with screenings of all films in both the “Mad Max” and “Bourne Identity” series. Classic Hollywood fare will also feature prominently in a line-up that, as usual, features an eclectic grab bag of titles.

    The local government-backed festival opens April 13 and runs through April 20.
    The list of films nominated in the festival’s competition section and jury members has not yet been released. Winners of the Tiantan (“Temple of Heaven”) Award will be announced at the closing ceremony.

    Since this year is the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, the theme of both the opening and closing ceremonies will be “home and country,” the festival said on its website, so as to make the event “a birthday blessing for the motherland.”

    This gift is so far scheduled to include “Mad Max” (1979), “Mad Max 2” (1981), “Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome” (1985), and “Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015), which never received a China release, as well as all five “Bourne” films starring Matt Damon. Damon is popular in China having starred in Zhang Yimou’s “The Great Wall,” the most ambitious China-U.S. co-production to-date, and “The Martian.”

    The line-up also includes a number of old Hollywood films such as “Gone with the Wind” and John Ford’s 1939 “Stagecoach,” as well as a selection of French New Wave titles including Agnes Varda’s “Cleo from 5 to 7” (1962) and Eric Rohmer’s “Pauline at the Beach” (1983). There will also be tributes to Akira Kurosawa (“The Last Samurai,” “Ras****n”) and films of works by beloved wuxia novelist Louis Cha, known by his penname Jin Yong, who passed away in October, including Wong Kar-Wai’s “Ashes of Time.”

    A “Belt and Road” themed section is so far said to feature six Indian titles, including Netflix’s 2018 “Love Per Square Foot,” three Indonesian titles, and a number of festival films. These include drug crime thriller “Birds of Passage,” which was Colombia’s Oscar entry this year, Paraguay’s “The Heiresses,” and Peruvian drama “Retablo,” which both screened at Berlin in 2018. Also in the line-up are Iranian drama “3 Faces,” which was selected to compete for the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 2018 and won for best screenplay, and Italy’s Oscar entry “Dogman,” which faced off with the former on the Croisette, winning best actor.

    The Beijing festival has recruited 200 fans to attend the opening and closing ceremonies, staying within designated zones, at the venue an hour’s drive outside of central Beijing. The top criterion for selection is that participants “adore the motherland and obey the law.”
    Gene Ching
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  3. #93
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    S.i.f.f. 2019

    Shanghai Festival to Open With WWII Epic 'The Eight Hundred,' Wu Jing to Serve as Ambassador
    1:38 AM PDT 6/4/2019 by Patrick Brzeski


    Huayi Brothers Media
    'The Eight Hundred'

    Notably, given Donald Trump's ongoing U.S.-China trade war, not a single film from North America is included in the Chinese festival's main competition sections this year.
    The Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF), China's most established cinema event, has unveiled the opening titles and competition selection for its 2019 edition.

    The festival will kick off on June 15 with a double bill of Chinese WWII epic The Eight Hundred and local drama Beautiful Voyage from filmmaker Zhang Jiarui.

    Landing The Eight Hundred as an opener is something of a coup for the Shanghai event. The film, produced by Huayi Brothers with a lavish budget of over $80 million, is the first Chinese action film shot entirely on Imax cameras, and it is expected to become one of the country's biggest event movies of the summer when it opens wide on July 5.

    Chinese action hero Wu Jing, star of Chinese mega-blockbuster Wolf Warrior 2 and The Wandering Earth, will bring the star power to Shanghai's opening red carpet, serving as the event's official 2019 ambassador. English actor Tom Hiddleston, already well known to local filmgoers as Loki from the Avengers franchise, will help wrap up the festivities by attending the closing ceremony on June 24.

    Other stars slated to walk the carpet and participate in SIFF events include X-Men star Nicholas Hoult, Milla Jovovich, Taiwanese actor Chen Bolin, Japanese stars Ayaka Miyoshi and Mao Inoue, and a slew of Chinese talent, including actresses Yao Chen, Ni Ni, Deng Jiajia, Zhou Dongyu and Yong Mei.

    Turkish filmmaker Nuri Bilge Ceylan, winner of the 2014 Cannes Palme d’Or, is presiding over the jury that will decide the winners of SIFF's annual Golden Goblet Awards.

    Ceylan is joined on the jury by Chinese actress Zhao Tao, Italian director Paolo Genovese (whose 2016 film Perfect Strangers was remade as Chinese thriller Kill Mobile, earning $93 million last year), Russia’s Aleksey German Jr. (director of the period biopic Dovlatov), Indian hitmaker Rajkumar Hirani (3 Idiots), Mexican producer Nicolas Celis (Roma) and Chinese actor Wang Jingchun (winner of this year's Berlin Silver Bear for best actor).

    Shanghai's competition lineup includes a broad sampling of world cinema, with a discernible emphasis on filmmaking from countries located along Chinese president Xi Jinping's geopolitical Belt and Road infrastructure and soft-power project. Notably, given the ongoing U.S.-China trade war and controversy over Canada's arrest of a top executive from Huawei, not a single film from North America made Shanghai's selection this year — a sharp contrast from recent years.

    Main competition titles include Russian director Pavel Lungin's war drama Leaving Afghanistan (also known as Brother), Iranian film Castle of Dreams, German family drama Many Happy Returns, Chinese crime film Vortex and Mexican actor Gael García Bernal's directorial debut Chicuarotes, which recently bowed at Cannes (the full SIFF competition lineup is below).

    The festival's Asian New Talent Awards, which honor emerging film professionals from the region, will be handed out by a jury headed by Chinese star director Ning Hao (Crazy Alien).

    SIFF's documentary and animation sections (see lineups below), meanwhile, will be assessed by juries lead by Russian director Viktor Kossakovsky (Aquarela) and Irish filmmaker Tomm Moore (The Breadwinner, The Secret of Kells), respectively.

    Altogether, SIFF will screen approximately 500 films across its key competition categories, country specific sidebars and historical retrospectives. Festival organizers said they received more than 3,900 film submissions from 112 countries and regions this year. Local state media were keen to note that nearly half of the applications, over 1,800 titles from 53 countries, came from countries and territories participating in Xi's Belt and Road Initiative.

    Below is the Shanghai festival's lineup.

    Main Competition Section

    BROTHERHOOD (Russia), by Pavel Lungin

    CASTLE OF DREAMS (Iran), by Reza Mirkarimi

    CHICUAROTES (Mexico), by Gael García Bernal

    THE GREAT SPIRIT (Italy), by Sergio Rubini

    INHALE-EXHALE (Georgia/ Russia/ Sweden),by Dito Tsintsadze

    LANE 4 (Brazil), by Emiliano Cunha

    LITTLE NIGHTS, LITTLE LOVE (Japan), by Rikiya Imaizumi

    MANY HAPPY RETURNS (Germany), by Carlos A. Morelli

    PACARRETE (Brazil), by Allan Deberton

    THE RETURN (China), by QIN Hailu

    ROSA (Italy/ Slovenia), by Katja Colja

    SHYRAKSHY: GUARDIAN OF THE LIGHT (Kazakhstan), by Yermek Tursunov

    SPRING TIDE (China), by YANG Lina

    TREES UNDER THE SUN (India) by Dr. Biju

    VORTEX (China), by Jacky Gan

    Documentary Film Section

    BRIDGES OF TIME (Latvia/ Lithuania/ Estonia), By Kristīne Briede and Audrius Stonys

    THE FOURTH KINGDOM (Spain), by Adán Aliaga and Àlex Lora

    IT'S ALL GOOD (Venezuela / Germany) by Tuki Jencquel

    MUTE FIRE (Colombia), by Federico Arteaga

    THE SOUND OF DALI (China), by ZHANG Yang

    Animation Film Section

    DILILI IN PARIS (France / Belgium / Germany), by Michel Ocelot)

    LOTTE AND THE LOST DRAGONS (Estonia), by Janno Põldma

    LOUIS AND LUCA – MISSION TO THE MOON (Norway), by Rasmus A. Sivertsen

    RIDE YOUR WAVE (Japan), by Masaaki Yuasa

    SPYCIES (China), by ZHANG Zhiyi and Guillaume Ivernel
    THREADS
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  4. #94
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    Sff - 800 = ?

    JUNE 14, 2019 3:41AM PT
    Shanghai Film Festival Abruptly Pulls Opening Film ‘The Eight Hundred’
    By PATRICK FRATER
    Asia Bureau Chief


    CREDIT: BAI XIAOYAN/HUAYI BROS.

    The Shanghai Film Festival has abruptly yanked its opening movie, the $80 million patriotic war drama “The Eight Hundred,” on the eve of the fest’s kickoff, Variety has confirmed.

    The cancellation of the Saturday premiere was made for unspecified “technical reasons,” which is often a euphemism for censorship problems, although a source close to the project told Variety that that is not the issue in this case and that the film had successfully passed the content censorship stage. “Technical reasons” were also cited in the withdrawal of Zhang Yimou’s “One Second” from the Berlin Film Festival in February.

    While Chinese authorities have withdrawn films from other film festivals – two were pulled from the Berlinale, including “One Second” – it’s unusual for a Chinese-made film to be yanked from a Chinese festival.

    “The Shanghai International Film Festival opening film screening of ‘The Eight Hundred’ originally planned for June 15 has been canceled due to technical reasons,” the festival said. “For the inconvenience this brings to all the guests and media, we respectfully hope you can understand and hope everyone will continue to support us.”

    “The Eight Hundred,” from well-established studio Huayi Bros., is directed by Guan Hu (“Mr. Six”) and centers on the sacrifice of a ragtag group of Chinese soldiers in 1937 Shanghai as imperial Japanese troops advanced. The theme would appear to be in keeping with the patriotic message that the Beijing regime wants to promulgate this year to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic.

    But the source close to the film said that “The Eight Hundred” might have fallen victim to political concerns not directly related to censorship – namely, the Chinese government’s wish not to antagonize Japan at the moment. The two countries are currently on good terms even as China and the U.S., Japan’s main ally, escalate their trade war.

    “The Eight Hundred” was expected to have been a showcase for China’s growing filmmaking prowess. Among several firsts, it is the first film to have been substantially shot with Imax digital cameras. The technical crew on the film features a mixed Chinese and international team, including Chinese cinematographer Cao Yu (“Kekexili,” “Legend of the Demon Cat”), American action director Glenn Boswell (“The Matrix,” “I, Robot”), original music by the U.K.’s Rupert Gregson-Williams (“The Crown,” “Aquaman,” “Wonder Woman”), and Oscar-nominated visual effects supervisor Tim Crosbie (“X-Men: Days of Future Past”) of Australia.

    “The Eight Hundred” has been picked up for North America by CMC Pictures in a deal announced at Cannes. It has also sold to several other Asian countries, and to the U.K. and Germany. After its Shanghai festival screening, it was due to be released in Chinese theaters July 5.
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  5. #95
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    gloom defiance

    With this post, I'm breaking the Shanghai International Film Festival into its own indie thread, separate from our Asian Film Festivals and Awards thread.

    ASIA JUNE 15, 2019 6:59AM PT
    Shanghai Festival Defies Gloom to Open on Upbeat Note
    By PATRICK FRATER and REBECCA DAVIS


    CREDIT: SIPA ASIA/SHUTTERSTOCK

    The Chinese film industry may not yet have emerged from a “cold winter” production freeze, nor its box office kept pace with 2018. But but those inclement elements did not put a chill on the pageantry at the Shanghai International Film Festival.

    The opening ceremony for the festival’s 22nd edition went ahead Saturday with the usual red carpet parade, and with the habitual speeches and formalities. But it did so without the scheduled world premiere screening of Guan Hu’s “The Eight Hundred.”

    News that the historical war film had been cancelled “for technical reasons” was abruptly circulated just 24 hours earlier — too late for the festival to arrange another new film to take its place. The screening of the second opening film, Chinese drama “Beautiful Voyage,” went forward as planned.

    The usual inclement seasonal weather, known locally as “plum rains” held off, permitting a red carpet parade that showcased mainland and Hong Kong stars, top local film makers, and the international jury, headed by Turkey’s much decorated auteur Nuri Bilge Ceylan.

    Officials, jury members and stars were called on to praise the festival and its achievements.

    The Shanghai Intl Film festival has become “a calling card for the city of Shanghai” and “one of the most influential film festivals in Asia” said Ying Yong, Mayor of Shanghai

    “When I look at the previous presidents, it’s a rich history of film, and the great achievements they’ve made in film history and the artistic life they’ve given to the Golden Goblet trophy make me feel really honored,” said Ceylan.

    Top Chinese actress Tang Wei as well as stars Shu Qi and Lu Han, who star together in the upcoming sci-fi blockbuster”Shanghai Fortress,” were on hand to present a medley of trailers for the competition films. “After shooting Shanghai Fortress, whenever we come to the city we feel quite emotional and like we should be on a mission,” joked Lu. Other presenters included Wu Jing (Wolf Warrior II”), while Zhang Ziyi (“House of Flying Daggers”) graced the stage in a white gown to present her new film “The Climbers.”

    Earlier, the team from “Wild Goose Lake” including actor Liao Fan and Gui Lun Mei were red carpet rock stars. They performed the film’s dance routine on the runway to the tune of “Rasputin.”

    Bona Film Group founder and chairman Yu Dong brought with him the biggest entourage of the evening, including producers and talent from two of Bona’s upcoming movies: “The Rescue” and “The Bravest.” “Rescue” director Dante Lam and producer Cindy Leung accompanied star Eddie Peng.

    Others on the carpet included producer Terence Chang, “Skyfire” actress Hanna Quinlivinn, producer Ellen Eliasoph, Hong Kong actor Nick Cheung, and actress and Shanghai festival juror Zhao Tao.
    Gene Ching
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  6. #96
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    Slightly OT

    This is Berlin, not an Asian Film Fest, but I'm going to use it to start a new thread on Censored Chinese Films because there's been a few lately (all the ones I've poached from various other Film Fest threads above).

    JUNE 24, 2019 4:42AM PT
    Chinese Drama ‘Better Days,’ Yanked From Berlin Lineup, Has Its China Release Canceled
    By REBECCA DAVIS


    CREDIT: GOODFELLAS PICTURES, FAT KIDS PRODUCTION

    Better days may be a long way off yet for the embattled Chinese drama “Better Days,” which has canceled its mainland China release just three days before the film was to hit theaters. The movie was also pulled at the last minute from the Berlin Film festival lineup in February amid tightening control by China’s censorship regime.

    Early Monday evening in China, the film’s official Weibo social media account apologized to expectant viewers for the inconvenience, saying: “After considering the level of completion of ‘Better Days’ and our market pre-assessments, and following consultations between the production and distribution parties, the film will not be released on June 27. A new release date will be announced at a later time.”

    No other explanation for the cancellation was given. But most industry players attribute it to government interference, particularly in the wake of three other such sudden incidents in the past four months.

    Adapted from the novel “Young and Beautiful,” the China-Hong Kong co-production tells the story of a girl who is harassed at school and becomes embroiled in a murder. The film, which contains a scene of violent bullying, stars it-girl Zhou Dongyu and Jackson Yee, the youngest member of the ultra-popular Chinese boy band TFBoys.

    News of the cancellation comes after the film’s director, Derek Kwok-cheung Tsang of Hong Kong, had already made plans to be in Beijing for the premiere and for some low-key promotional activity. Tsang last directed Zhou in her breakout role in the 2016 drama “Soul Mate,” which won her a best actress prize at the 53rd Golden Horse Film Awards. He declined to comment on the cancellation.

    Chinese online news source Sina Film reported that “Better Days” had not yet received the “ranking number” or public screening license it needed to open pre-sales and hit theaters.

    The incident comes hot on the heels of the high-profile cancellation of Huayi Brothers’ $80 million patriotic war epic “The Eight Hundred” as the opening film at the Shanghai Intl. Film Festival. It was yanked just 24 hours before its big debut.

    Zhang Yimou’s Cultural Revolution-era film “One Second” was also pulled from Berlin. And last month, unable to actually pull their film from screening in the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard selection, the team for Chinese drama “Summer of Changsha” had to distance themselves from the event and refrain from attending any festival-related events or promotion.

    In all instances, official statements cited unspecified “technical reasons” for the film’s troubles – a phrase that has come to be known as a euphemism for government interference.

    China last year put the Communist Party’s Propaganda Bureau in charge of regulating films, and numerous industry insiders have complained of trouble getting works past censors who are party bureaucrats with little understanding of the medium.

    When “Better Days” was pulled from its Berlin debut in the 14Plus selection in February, its official Weibo account said: “We are very sorry to tell everyone that because of post-production reasons, the film ‘Better Days’ will not be able to attend the 69th Berlin Film Festival in time. We thank the Berlin Festival for its recognition and understanding, and everyone for their support.” It added, however, that the film would be released later in the year, saying, “See you soon.”

    Within an hour of the announcement that “Better Days” would not be released this week, more than 50,000 fans responded, most of them commenting: “No matter how long it takes, I’ll wait for you!”
    Gene Ching
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  7. #97
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    18th Annual Unforgettable Gala


    Character Media Announces Nominees For 18th Annual Unforgettable Gala




    Character Media announced today the nominees for the 18th Annual Unforgettable Gala. The Gala is the preeminent awards show to recognize Asian American icons and changemakers in the entertainment industry, who are representing the community through their creativity and excellence. Nominees were voted on by Character Media's selection committee of experts, who represent various fields and creative disciplines, including film, television, music, sports, digital technology and philanthropy.

    The following are this year's nominees. Additional awards will be announced at a later date.

    Actor/Actress in Television:

    Daniel Wu - "Into the Badlands"

    Jameela Jamil - "The Good Place"

    Karen Fukuhara - "The Boys"

    Leonardo Nam - "Westworld"

    Nico Santos - "Superstore"

    Actor/Actress on Film:

    Ali Wong - "Always Be My Maybe"

    Awkwafina - "The Farewell"

    Kumail Nanjiani - "Stuber"

    Randall Park - "Always Be My Maybe"

    Steven Yeun - "Burning"

    Breakout Actor/Actress on Television:

    Andrew Koji - "Warrior"

    Derek Mio - "The Terror: Infamy"

    Greta Lee - "Russian Doll"

    Maya Erskine - "Pen15"

    Sydney Park - "Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists"

    Breakout Actor/Actress on Film:

    Charles Melton - "The Sun is Also a Star"

    Himesh Patel - "Yesterday"

    Maya Erskine - "Plus One"

    Tiffany Chu - "Ms. Purple"

    Viveik Kalra - "Blinded by the Light"

    Comic Performance:

    Ali Wong - "Always Be My Maybe"

    Hasan Minhaj - "Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj"

    Jo Koy - "Comin' in Hot"

    Ken Jeong - "Ken Jeong: You Complete Me, Ho"

    Ronny Chieng - "The Daily Show"

    Director:

    James Wan - "Aquaman"

    Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi - "Free Solo"

    Justin Chon - "Ms. Purple"

    Lulu Wang - "The Farewell"

    Nisha Ganatra - "Late Night"

    Digital Influencer:

    Bobby Hundreds

    Bretman Rock

    Jenn Im

    Jubilee Media

    Steven Lim

    The award recipients will be announced at the 18th Annual Unforgettable Gala, held at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, CA, on December 14, 2019.
    THREADS
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  8. #98
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    Jackie Chan's Light-Hearted Acceptance Speech | 2019 BAFTA Britannia Awards

    Gene Ching
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  9. #99
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    Z is preggers

    Z redefines milf.

    Zhang Ziyi is 7 months pregnant and weighs just 58 kg
    The 40-year-old actress showed off her baby bump for the first time at a film festival this week
    by Alex Linder October 30, 2019 in News



    Superstar Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi caused a sensation this week after revealing that she is pregnant — something that would have been rather difficult to discern had she not told us.

    On Weibo, Zhang posted a photo of herself in a black dress showing off her tiny baby bump, adding that she is actually now seven months pregnant and weighs a mere 58 kg (127 lbs), though she noted that she is “still growing.”

    Rumors had been circulating that the 40-year-old star was pregnant again. Zhang had been staying out of the public eye of late before making an appearance this week as president of the jury at the 32nd Tokyo International Film Festival.

    This will be Zhang’s second child with her husband, 48-year-old rocker Wang Feng. The two got married back in 2015. Earlier this year, it was revealed that Zhang’s parents strongly disapproved of the marriage and refused to even say Wang’s name for a time.

    Wang also has two children with his second wife, whom he divorced in 2013 when one of their daughters was only 8 months old. That wife went on to accuse Wang of having numerous affairs.
    THREADS
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  10. #100
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    Our freshest exclusive web article

    Gene Ching
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    Screen Actors Guild Awards

    Hmm, no thread on the SAG Awards? Well, that's easily remedied.

    Winners selected for those we've discusses as always.

    CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE
    RECIPIENT
    PARASITE

    Outstanding Performance by a
    MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
    RECIPIENT
    JOAQUIN PHOENIX
    Joker

    Outstanding Performance by a
    MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
    RECIPIENT
    BRAD PITT
    Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood

    Outstanding Performance by a
    MALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
    RECIPIENT
    PETER DINKLAGE
    Game of Thrones

    STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
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  12. #102
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    HKIFF44 cancelled

    Variety
    Jul 23, 2020 10:39pm PT
    Hong Kong Film Festival is Canceled as Coronavirus Continues to Take Toll
    By Patrick Frater


    Courtesy of HKIFF

    The Hong Kong International Film Festival, set to have taken place in the second half of August, has been canceled.

    The festival had previously rescheduled its 44th edition from its usual slot in March, due to the first wave of the coronavirus outbreak. It had set Aug 18-31 Aug. instead.

    But, with the city now facing a third wave of the virus, organizers on Friday bowed to the inevitable and announced the cancellation of HKIFF44 and the smaller Cine Fan activities in September and October.

    They said that the Hong Kong Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF), one of Asia’s longest running film project markets, will go ahead as planned in virtual form. It will run Aug. 26-28.

    “While it is tremendously deflating, given all the hard work that we have put in, the well-being of our colleagues and the public is of utmost importance to us. Calling of HKIFF44 is heartbreaking, but we believe we have a duty to behave with social responsibility,” said Albert Lee, executive director. “We will start working in the next edition of the festival straight away. We are determined to make up for the ‘lost’ HKIFF44.”

    Last month it was announced that Hong Kong FilMart, the largest film rights market in Asia, had given up on plans to be held in physical form this year. Instead, FilMart will migrate to a virtual platform, FILMART Online, running Aug. 26-29, 2020. The problem at the time was not specific to Hong Kong, but more reflected other cities being put on lockdown, and travel difficulties among Asian territories.

    Hong Kong had seemed to manage the disease well through testing, contact tracing and quarantines that stifled a first dose of coronavirus in February, and a second wave in March-April brought on by residents returning from abroad. But the city is now suffering a third wave that is more serious than either of the two earlier outbreaks.

    Cinemas have been closed for nearly two weeks, restaurants and bars must close at 6pm, and mask-wearing has become compulsory on public transport and at all indoor public spaces, such as shopping malls.

    The territory’s government has rejected claims that it created too many quarantine exception categories and allowed new imported cases to restart local infections. But epidemiologists Friday said that is exactly what happened and point to the genetics of the recent COVID-19 cases that consist of strains that were not previously present in the city.

    To date Hong Kong has recorded 2,132 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. It has caused 16 deaths.
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  13. #103
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    2nd Chungju International Martial Arts and Action Film Festival

    2nd Chungju International Martial Arts and Action Film Festival back online and offline
    Asia Coronavirus Updates News
    Paul Colston October 13, 2020


    The 2nd Chungju International Martial Arts and Action Film Festival will open, 22-26 October, 2020, in South Korea.

    Held for the first time in August last year in Cheongju and Chungju the event was the only film festival in martial arts and modern action genre in Korea.

    The Covid-19 pandemic has meant pushing back this year’s 2nd Festival to October and films will be screened both online and offline via Wavve, an online screening platform, as well as at drive-in theatres and cinemas in the city. In addition, the Festival’s executive committee is taking all necessary health and safety preventive measures.

    Under the slogan of ‘The Spirit of Martial Arts, Blossom into a Movie’, a large number of martial arts and action films, which are yet to be introduced in Korea, will be shown as part of a collaboration, including with The Fighting Spirit Film Festival in the UK and the Universal Martial Arts Film Festival in France.

    Over 70 martial arts and action films will be screened in six sections, including Korean Action Films: Hall of Fame, Special Show in Honour of Bruce Lee, World Action Films, Action! Indi-days, Family Action Films, and Programmer Choice.

    More information on the Chungju International Martial Arts and Action Film Festival is available at: www.cimaff.kr

    Bruce Lee Chungju International Martial Arts and Action Film Festival

    Paul Colston
    Managing Editor, Conference News & Conference & Meetings World.
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  14. #104
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    One Second at the Golden Roosters

    Nov 10, 2020 8:39pm PT
    Zhang Yimou’s Censored ‘One Second’ to Debut at Government-Run Golden Rooster Festival


    By Rebecca Davis


    Photographer:BAIXIAOYAN

    Zhang Yimou’s censored film “One Second” apparently now finds itself in the Chinese government’s good books: it has been given pride of place as the opener at the government-run Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival.

    The film was initially set to premiere at the Berlin Film Festival in February 2019. But its treatment of the still sensitive Cultural revolution period is believed to have been its undoing. It was abruptly pulled from the festival due to “technical reasons,” a common euphemism for censorship, in one of the highest profile cases of Chinese state intervention seen abroad in recent years.

    Now, after apparent reshoots and, at long last, government approvals for a Nov. 27 commercial theatrical release, it is set to debut at the festival in Xiamen city on Nov. 25.

    Zhang’s premiere likely seeks to add glitz and a bit of legitimacy to the Roosters, which critics have historically scoffed at as a propagandistic affair of little relevance outside of China, and focused more on political bona fides than artistic merit.

    The 33rd iteration of the Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival and its accompanying Golden Rooster Award ceremony will run from Nov. 25 to 28. It seeks to rival the Taipei-based Golden Horse Awards, which have historically been the most prestigious awards issued to Chinese language cinema.

    The Taipei event had angered Chinese authorities in 2018 by issuing a prize to a pro-Taiwan independence filmmaker who expressed her views on stage during an acceptance speech, causing retaliation from China.

    Last year, Beijing scheduled its Golden Rooster Awards for the same day as the Golden Horse ceremony and banned all mainland industry players from attending. It also announced that the Golden Rooster festival will now take place annually instead of bi-annually, as it had been since 2005, and gave the event a permanent home in the coastal Xiamen, which lies just half hour ferry’s ride away from Taiwan’s Kinmen island.

    The festival portion of the mainland event is broken into two sections, with one showcasing around 20 local mainland productions and the other exhibiting around 40 international films, including ones from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

    Founded in 1981, the Golden Rooster Awards honor films “that have been reviewed and approved by the National Film Bureau” — that is, passed official Chinese censorship — between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020 according to the official Xinhua news agency. It is sponsored by the China Film Association and China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and operates “with the approval of the Central Propaganda Bureau,” the agency added.

    This year, prizes will be given out across 18 categories. The youth drama “Better Days” is the most nominated film, with 11 nods. Volleyball drama “Leap” and crime thriller “Sheep Without a Shepherd,” a remake of the 2013 Indian film “Drishyam,” come in second with eight nominations apiece.

    (Although “Leap” was scheduled to premiere in January, it didn’t end up hitting cinemas until Sept. 25 due to COVID-19 theater closures, and is likely the reason why this year the event specify that titles approved but not necessarily screened within the year-long time frame are eligible for prizes.)

    The five nominees for best narrative feature film include three directed by helmers from outside the mainland. They include: “Leap”, from Hong Kong’s Peter Chan; Hong Kong director Derek Tsang’s youth drama “Better Days”; “Sheep Without a Shepherd” from Malaysia-born director Sam Quah; Mongolian language film “Chaogtu with Sarula,” which won the best artistic contribution award at the Tokyo Intl. Film Festival last year; “Spring Tide,” a family drama from female helmer Yang Lina; and — no surprise — propagandistic National Day film “My People, My Country,” created as a tribute to the ruling Communist Party.

    There are six nominees for best director: all the helmers of the five above titles, plus the duo Shen Zhou and Liu Lu for their film “Almost a Comedy, which grossed just $28 million.

    Best actor nominees include TFBoy boy band idol Jackson Yee (“Better Days”), Da Peng (in rom-com “My Dear Liar”), Xiao Yang (“Sheep Without a Shepherd”), Wu Yuhan (“Almost A Comedy”), and Huang Xiaoming (“The Bravest”).

    Best actress nominees include Zhou Dongyu (“Better Days”), Tan Zhuo (“Sheep Without a Shepherd”), Ren Suxi (“Almost a Comedy”), Liu Yan (“My Dear Liar”), and Zhu Xijuan (“The Empty Nest”).

    There are only four nominees for best screenplay, a category that encompasses both original and adapted works. They are the writers of “Sheep Without a Shepherd,” “Leap,” “Better Days,” and “Almost a Comedy.”
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  15. #105
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    Hkiff

    Jan 12, 2021 10:20pm PT
    Hong Kong Film Festival Makes Plans for Hybrid Edition


    By Patrick Frater


    Courtesy of Celestial Tiger Entertainment
    The Hong Kong International Film Festival, delayed last year by the coronavirus outbreak, has announced plans to return to its normal Springtime slot. But with a lingering virus impact, the 2021 edition will be a hybrid, combining both in-theatre and online screenings and audience-engagement events.

    Executive director Albert Lee said that a hybrid 45th edition would allow audiences to connect through an online platform without sacrificing the irreplaceable big-screen cinematic experience. The event will run for 12 days, April 1-12, 2021.

    Selectors expect to have confirmed the full program by the end of February. They have scheduled a line-up announcement for March 9, 2021.

    “The COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted the international film festival circuit last year. Many festivals, including our very own HKIFF44, were either cancelled or forced to move online,” said Lee.

    “With the pandemic showing few signs of abating, we recognize the proactive need to confront the challenges by adding an online component to our festival for the first time.” Besides screenings, the festival will offer online streaming of some of the seminars, post-screening talks, and other events.

    “The HKIFF Society will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation closely and comply with every health measure mandated by the government. Public safety remains our paramount concern,” Lee said.

    The Hong Kong FilMart and Hong Kong Asia Film Financing Forum, which sometimes overlap with the festival, will this year both be held earlier, in March. An all-digital FilMart will run March 15-18, 2021, and HAF operate March 15-17, 2021.

    Hong Kong has endured several surges of the virus over the past year. The current fourth wave is the most serious in terms of infections, but has caused relatively fewer deaths. Cinemas and most entertainment facilities in the city are currently shut.

    A total of 612 cases was recorded in the 14 days from Dec. 29, 2020 to Jan. 11, 2021, including 555 local cases, of which 173 were from unknown sources. Since the beginning of the outbreak, Hong Kong has recorded 9,344 infections and 160 fatalities.
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