Cannes

[GeneChing]

Seeing as we discuss Asian Film Festivals, and given DF's post on Vengeance this year, it's time we got a thread devoted strictly to Cannes.

China's Shu Qi among Cannes Jury
Chinese film star Shu Qi will have a say in deciding this year's winner of the world's biggest film festival.

The Taiwan-born actress is part of the eight-member jury panel that was announced on Thursday by the 62nd Cannes International Film Festival.

French actress Isabelle Huppert, a two-time best actress award winner at Cannes, will lead the panel. Other jury members include Italian actress, director and screenwriter Asia Argento; Nuri Bilge Ceylan, a Turkish director, screenwriter and actor; Lee Chang-dong, a director from South Korea; American director James Gray; British writer Hanif Kureishi; and Robin Wright Penn, an American actress.

The jury will decide the winner for the coveted Golden Palm, the top prize of the Cannes festival.

This will not be Shu Qi's first appearance in Cannes. She was there in 2005, when her film "Three Times", directed by Hou Hsiao-hsien, was nominated for that year's Golden Palm.

Besides Shu Qi, actress Zhang Ziyi is another Chinese judge at this year's festival. Zhang is among the five-member jury that will select the winner of the award for best short film.

The festival runs May 13-24.

[Shaolinlueb]

shu qi is award winning actress.

but she looks hot naked

[GeneChing]

Werewolf Erotica and Kung Fu Cyborg sound good.

Asian films a powerful presence in Cannes
Jill Lawson, Associated Press
Friday, May 22, 2009

(05-22) 04:00 PDT Cannes, France -- Asian movies, once a rarity in Cannes, are lighting up the film festival this year.

Six of 20 films competing for the top prize at this year's fest are from Asian filmmakers, offering everything from troubled gay lovers to a vengeful father to a vampire priest.

Palme d'Or contenders include romantic tragedy "Spring Fever," by China's Lou Ye; vampire morality tale "Thirst" by South Korea's Park Chan-wook; and revenge thriller "Vengeance" by Hong Kong's Johnnie To.

Other Asian films competing for the prize are graphic crime shocker "Kinatay" by Brillante Mendoza of the Philippines, and "Visage," the story of a Taiwanese director trying to make a movie in Paris, by Taiwan's Tsai Ming-Liang. Taiwan-born Ang Lee, who brought "The Ice Storm" to Cannes in 1997, is back with U.S.-set hippie homage "Taking Woodstock."

"Thirty or 40 years ago the Asian presence was not so important," said festival director Thierry Frémaux. "Little by little, step by step in recent years, we have opened the festival to Asia - not only Japan, but China, Hong Kong, Thailand, the Philippines.

Only a handful of Asian directors have won the top prize in Cannes' 62-year history, almost all of them Japanese. Just over half this year's competition films are by Europeans, and just one by an American - Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds."

Many observers credit inventive Japanese horror films like 1998's "Ring" - remade in Hollywood with Naomi Watts a few years later - with whetting the international appetite for Asian cinema and encouraging Asian filmmakers to seek an international audience.

That's reflected in a slew of Asian genre movies, with titles like "Werewolf Erotica" and "Kung Fu Cyborg," hoping to find buyers in the Cannes market, where hundreds of films from around the world are bought and sold.

Park's metaphysical monster movie "Thirst" was made with the backing of Hollywood studio Universal Pictures - a first for a Korean film.

"The world is discovering that the Asian film community is producing good films, and their reaction has been positive," said Park, whose previous films include bloody chiller "Oldboy."

"In turn, these positive reactions are helping the Asian film community produce better and better films."

[Jimbo]

I'd be esp. interested in seeing Thirst and Werewolf Erotica. I'm curious if a story about werewolves will be done well in Asian cinema. So far, the very few depictions of werewolves I've seen in Asian films (1 Japanese and 1 Phillipines film) were very poor.

It's great to see that acceptance of Asian cinema is growing at Cannes.

[doug maverick]

from what im hearing from friends over there is that inglorious basterds, tarrintino's new flick, sucks....thats sad, QT is slipping or maybe he never really had it. heard good things about thirst...nothing on the werewolf thing thou.

[Shaolinlueb]

from what im hearing from friends over there is that inglorious basterds, tarrintino's new flick, sucks....thats sad, QT is slipping or maybe he never really had it. heard good things about thirst...nothing on the werewolf thing thou.

im going with NEVER REALLY HAD IT!!!!

HA, QT he has made 100% garbage.

[GeneChing]

What a dress! I'm not really a fan of Z but that dress might convert me.
Cannes Closing Night click for pix

Also Park Chan-wook's "Thirst" won the Jury Prize, posted in our vampire thread.

[GeneChing]

See Jackie's retiring from action films comment at Cannes here.

Also working it at Cannes:
Wu Dang
Painted Skin 2

Jackie Chan and Fan Bingbing to Attend Cannes' Film China Night
2012-05-16 13:12:24 Chinese Films

Jackie Chan and Fan Bingbing cover magazine.

The Film China Night – co-hosted by CCTV-6 and the organizing committee of the 65th Cannes International Film Festival – will be held in France tomorrow. Some of China's biggest movie stars will be attending the event, according to a report on Xinhuanet.com.

Jackie Chan, Fan Bingbing, Zhou Xun and Gu Changwei are expected to be present at the film event, along with other popular Chinese actors such as Yang Mi, Tong Dawei and Feng Shaofeng.

With the rapid growth of the Chinese film industry, there is increasing demand in foreign film markets for more Chinese films. The Film China Night at Cannes has become a platform for the international promotion of China's domestic productions.

Two films from this year's event have caught the attention of international media: the action adventure film, "Fuchun Mountain," and "Painted Skin 2," a supernatural fantasy movie about a demon becoming human.

This year's Film China Night includes a fireworks display and traditional Chinese dance performances.

By Chen Nan

[GeneChing]

...this is mostly for the Z fans on our board.

Cannes 2012: Chinese Remake of 'Dangerous Liaisons' With Zhang Ziyi Sold to Multiple Territories
8:00 AM PDT 5/25/2012 by Stuart Kemp


Zhang Ziyi
Francois Duran/Getty Images
Asian stars Zhang Ziyi, Jang Dong-gun, Cecilia Cheung, Shawn Dou and Lisa Lu star in the movie that had its world premiere in Directors' Fortnight in Cannes.

Hur Jin-ho's romantic thriller Dangerous Liaisons is selling well across Asia with multiple deals struck for the Chinese-backed movie.

Easternlight, the Asian arm of Arclight Films, inked the deals for the film whose cast reads like a who's who of global Asian talent including Zhang Ziyi (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), Jang Dong-gun (The Promise), Cecilia Cheung (Shaolin Soccer), Shawn Dou (The Flowers of War) and Lisa Lu (2012).

Hur's film moves the setting of the French literature classic to 1930s Shanghai. Stephen Frears directed the 1988 film version of Dangerous Liaisons, starring Glenn Close, John Malkovich and Michelle Pfeiffer and based on Christopher Hampton's stage adaptation of the book.

The new film, which had its world premiere in Directors' Fortnight during the Cannes Film Festival, is produced by Zonbo Media and will be distributed by Zonbo in China.

Global sales and finance banner Easternlight said the film has been sold to Shaw Media (Singapore), Logo (Thailand), PT Amero Mitra (Indonesia), Galaxy Studios (Vietnam)and San Chi (Taiwan).

Airline rights have been corralled by Entertainment in Motion, Easternlight said.

“With such an exciting and welcoming reception from audiences in Cannes that include buyers, media and the public alike, we are optimistic about the international commercial success of Dangerous Liaisons and look forward to what’s to come,” said Easternlight managing director Ying Ye.

Cannes deals aplenty for Asian distributors
By Patrick Frater
Tue, 29 May 2012, 07:30 AM (HKT)
Sales News

South Korean sales agency Finecut licensed Cannes competition film In Another Country (pictured) to Kino Lorber for the US, Diaphana Distribution for France, Golem Distribucion for Spain, Strada Films for Greece and Cyprus, Bitters End for Japan, Providence Filmes for Brazil, and Mantarraya Producciones for Mexico. The film was directed by Cannes regular Hong Sang-soo.

Emperor Motion Pictures acquired Hunger Games 2 (from Lionsgate- Summit) for release in Hong Kong though its alliance with lark Films. It also pre-bought Mortal Instruments (Constantin Film, Sony Pictures Entertainment) and the Lasse Hallstrom-directed Swedish-lanbguage detective thriller The Hypnotist (Svensk Filmindustri).

IFC Midnight bought North American rights to the other Korean film in competition at Cannes, The Taste Of Money. The film is represented for international sales by Daisy Entertainment. "The Taste of Money is director Im Sang-soo's most decadent and sensual film yet, while also a smart commentary on the lives of the rich and famous," Jonathan Sehring, president of Sundance Selects/IFC Films.

Sydney- and LA-based Arclight Films sold Shadow People to Anchor Bay Films for North America, the UK and Australia/NZ. The supernatural thriller is the directorial debut of Matthew Arnold and was produced by Michael Ohoven's Infinity Films.

Easternlight, the Asian offshoot of Arclight, signed multiple deals on Dangerous Liaisons its Chinese remake of the French classic. It sold the film to Shaw Media for Singapore, Logo for Thailand, PT Amero Mitra for Indonesia, Galaxy Studios for Vietnam and San Chi for Taiwan. Airline rights were sold to Entertainment in Motion.

French-UK sales company Pathe International sold Denis Villeneuve's psychological thriller An Enemy, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Isabella Rossellini to Thailand (M Pictures), South Korea (Noori), and Indonesia (PT Amero). Pathe sold Christophe Honore's Beauty and the Beast, starring Vincent Cassel, Léa Seydoux and Gérard Depardieu to South Korea (Unikorea) and Indonesia (PT Amero). Pathe's Sophie Marceau-starring romantic comedy Happiness Never Comes Alone was acquired by Hong Kong (Deltamac) and Thailand (M Pictures). Pathe also siged a deal with Japan's CCC for Omid Nooshin's thriller Last Passenger.

Sahamongkolfilm International scored a string of deals with its erotic drama Jan Dara (sourced from the same material as Nonzee Nimibutr's 2001 film of the same title). The ML Pantewanop Devakula-directed film was sold to Korea (Daisy & Cinergy), Hong Kong (Edko Films), Singapore (Clover Films), Taiwan (Applause) and the Philippines (Pioneer). It stars Rhatha Phongam (Only God Forgives), Mario Maurer and Japanese adult video performer Nishino Sho.

Asian-American thriller The Girl From the Naked Eye was sold by Naedomi Media to Archstone Distribution for North American theatrical release. The film is directed by David Ren and stars Jason Yee, Ron Yuan, Dominique Swain, Samantha Streets and Sasha Grey. it was written by Larry Madill, Ren and Yee. It is expected to be released in key cities through an arrangement with cinema giant AMC.

[GeneChing]

Well, we've let this thread slide, haven't we?

Sienna Miller, Sophie Marceau, Jake Gyllenhaal join Cannes jury
UPI News Service, 04/22/2015

Sienna Miller, Sophie Marceau and Jake Gyllenhaal have been named to the 2015 Cannes Film Festival jury.

The 33-year-old English actress, 48-year-old French actress and 34-year-old American actor will serve alongside Spanish actress Rossy de Palma, Malian composer Rokia Traore, Spanish director Guillermo del Toro and Canadian director Xavier Dolan.

Directors Joel and Ethan Cohen will act as co-Presidents of the Jury at the 68th annual event, the first time two people have shared the position. The nine members of the jury will vote to decide the festival winners, culminating in the prestigious Palme d'Or award.

A Justin Kurzel adaptation of Macbeth starring Michael Fassbender, Gus Van Sant drama The Sea of Trees starring Matthew McConaughey and Taiwanese martial arts film The Assassin are among the films in competition. The Cannes Film Festival will run May 13 to 24.

I lost track of Assassin. Must check it out now if it made Cannes.

[GeneChing]

The Assassin & Warrior's Gate

[GeneChing]

Jackie Chan's new project Railroad Tigers

[GeneChing]

...Shu Qi.

Chinese Actress Shu Qi Ruled the 2015 Cannes Closing Ceremony in Floral Elie Saab

ROSIE NARASAKI
@ROSIENARASAKI
9 DAYS AGO FASHION & BEAUTY


LOIC VENANCE/AFP/Getty Images
The premiere of La Glace Et Le Ciel/the Cannes Closing Ceremony was all kinds of fabulous — Sienna Miller made headlines in a balletic (dare I say Khaleesi-worthy) Gucci gown, while Alicia Vikander stunned in icy velvet Valentino — but Shu Qi may have had the best dress of all: The Chinese star wore delicately embellished Elie Saab, and boy did she make a statement. Butterfly-like petals adorned the bodice, and cascaded down the multi-colored skirt — oh, and she paired the showstopping gown with a simple slim belt, along with some truly fabulous bling (because what else do you wear to Cannes?).

Shu Qi was at Cannes promoting The Assassin, a beautifully-shot martial arts flick directed by Hou Hsiao-Hsien, in which she plays a 9th century woman trained to be an assassin by a nun (seriously, does it get any cooler than that? Oh, wait it does: Her character also happens to be on a mission to kill the governor — AKA her secret lover).

Suffice it to say, Shu Qi’s considerable film chops paired together with her equally-considerable fashion chops (did you see the Reem Acra she wore to the premiere of her film? How about the Alexander McQueen she wore to the photocall?) made for quite the successful week at Cannes, and she topped things off accordingly with a truly gorgeous Elie Saab showstopper. Let’s take a look!






Congratulations are in order: The Assassin picked up Cannes’ coveted best director award — and I think we can all agree that Shu Qi won the closing ceremony.

Images: Getty Images

Plus there's one more bit of Cannes news of note: Donnie Yen's next project Big Rescue

[GeneChing]

2016 Cannes is on - official site

We'll start with a Chinese Cannes darling, Zhang Yimou.

Zhang Yimou’s ‘Great’ Adventure
Vivienne Chow


Zhang Yimous Great Adventure Matt Damon AP IMAGES

MAY 11, 2016 | 09:44AM PT

At an age when most men might prefer to slow down, Zhang Yimou is set to take on a string of global-scale projects that will venture beyond cinema.

These projects aren’t just ambitious and lucrative for Zhang, according to China film observers. They’re also widely viewed as key projects capable of exporting China’s soft power and competing for high-profile accolades. The latter goal would seem to be well within reach of Zhang, a two-time Golden Lion winner at the prestigious Venice Film Festival.

The iconic Fifth Generation director is in post-production on “The Great Wall,” his first English-language film. With a budget of $135 million, it stars Matt Damon, Andy Lau and Zhang Hanyu.

Zhang previously enjoyed great box office success with his 2003 martial arts epic “Hero,” which raked in 250 million yuan ($41 million) in China — more than three times what he had expected — and $177 million worldwide. Afterward, “House of Flying Daggers” and “Curse of the Golden Flower” followed a similar formula of major box office success as well as enthusiasm from the world’s critics, especially “Daggers,” which grossed nearly $100 million worldwide and boasts a 95% Rotten Tomatoes rating.

But Zhang’s current large-scale productions also require the popular success that may have left some fans of his earlier, more artistically daring films wishing for a return to his auteur roots. But Zhang’s priorities are clear. “The ultimate purpose of a film is to enchant the audience. If it scoops up many awards, but attracts very few moviegoers, it is still a failure,” Zhang told UCLA’s Asia Pacific Arts.

Zhang’s upcoming projects also include directing the opening and closing ceremonies of the November G20 Summit in Hangzhou, China, and a new company, SoReal, which Zhang says will develop interactive games and possibly VR films.

Ma Fung-kwok, who was a producer of one of Zhang’s most acclaimed films, “The Story of Qiu Ju,” says as China grew into a world economic powerhouse, the country was in pressing need to “showcase its soft power.” Ma, now a politician, says, “Zhang’s strength in visuals can help bring the images of China to an international audience.”

[GeneChing]

Actress Gong Li irked by lack of Chinese films at Cannes
Angela Chen, Associated Press Updated 12:39 pm, Friday, May 13, 2016




Actress Gong Li arrives on the red carpet for the screening of the film Cafe Society and the Opening Ceremony at the 69th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Wednesday, May 11, 2016. Photo: Joel Ryan, AP / AP
Photo: Joel Ryan, AP

CANNES, France (AP) — Actress Gong Li made a head-turning return to the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival, but the "Memoirs of a Geisha" star said she's disappointed at the absence of Chinese films at the festival this year.
Not a single Chinese film is in competition, out of competition, or selected for any other category. Gong said she believes that's a sign of an industry that cares too deeply about the dollar sign.
"Of course this is about money," she said Wednesday. "We need to tell everyone that a movie is not merely for entertainment. It might leave you with something much deeper for your soul. It's not just for laughs, not just for jokes. It's more than that. There's not a lot of people talking about that in China right now."
The 50-year-old actress, who has previously starred in films in competition at Cannes and who has served as a jury member, this year is a guest of the french cosmetics brand L'Oreal, for which she's an ambassador.
With close to three decades in the business, Gong has worked extensively with Chinese director Zhang Yimou on films like "Ju Dou," ''Rise the Red Lantern" and "To Live." She also worked in Hollywood in the early 2000s, appearing in "Memoirs of a Geisha" and "Miami Vice."
When asked if a lack of roles for Asian actors has kept her from a larger Hollywood career, Gong said that the issue was less about ethnicity than gender.
"There are a lot of male roles, but not a lot of female roles. There are a lot of great actresses in the U.S. and there aren't enough roles for them. It's even hard for them to get a good female role, never mind a Chinese actress. How do you integrate that into the script? That's very hard. How do you mix a Chinese actor with a group of foreigners? It's not easy."

There may not be any Chinese films competing, but there's a lot of business deals going down with Chinese film this year, more than ever.