In “Amphetamine”, Scud's most visually polished drama about a toxic and intoxicated love between a young Australian financial executive Daniel (Thomas Price) and a straight Hong Kong jack of all trades Kafka (Byron Pang), hope is the only thing permanently absent.
Amphetamine is screening at International Film Festival Rotterdam
The melancholic Kafka is caught between working three jobs to help provide for his sick mother and a not so functional relationship with his girlfriend, who is struggling to understand his broken psyche. When she decides to break off in broad daylight in a posh bar, the boy with the sword has already caught Daniel's eye. Just to make sure we'll understand this instant crush, Scud shows us Kafka's beauty from all sides. Right at the beginning of the film, we observe him giving swimming lessons and being pestered by an elderly man who tells him “he has a body like Michelangelo's”. Soon after,...
Amphetamine is screening at International Film Festival Rotterdam
The melancholic Kafka is caught between working three jobs to help provide for his sick mother and a not so functional relationship with his girlfriend, who is struggling to understand his broken psyche. When she decides to break off in broad daylight in a posh bar, the boy with the sword has already caught Daniel's eye. Just to make sure we'll understand this instant crush, Scud shows us Kafka's beauty from all sides. Right at the beginning of the film, we observe him giving swimming lessons and being pestered by an elderly man who tells him “he has a body like Michelangelo's”. Soon after,...
- 2/2/2024
- by Marina D. Richter
- AsianMoviePulse
With the political (to say the least) issues still at large in the area, coming up with a title for this list was quite difficult, but with some help from my friend Victor Fan, I came up with the term Sinophone, which seems to be the most politically correct, as it includes the whole Chinese-speaking world.
Apart from that, and despite the recent events in Hong Kong and the overall, permanent turmoil that characterizes the Sinophone world, including the political situation in China and particularly the censorship that seems to be everywhere, a number of films of quality were released this year also, dealing with many topics and with a great variety in ways of cinematic expression.
Without further ado, and with a focus on diversity, here are the best films of 2019 from Chinese speaking countries, in reverse order. Some films may have premiered in 2018, but since they mostly circulated...
Apart from that, and despite the recent events in Hong Kong and the overall, permanent turmoil that characterizes the Sinophone world, including the political situation in China and particularly the censorship that seems to be everywhere, a number of films of quality were released this year also, dealing with many topics and with a great variety in ways of cinematic expression.
Without further ado, and with a focus on diversity, here are the best films of 2019 from Chinese speaking countries, in reverse order. Some films may have premiered in 2018, but since they mostly circulated...
- 2/25/2021
- by AMP Group
- AsianMoviePulse
Derek Tsang’s school bullying drama won eight awards including best film and best director.
Derek Tsang’s Better Days bagged eight prizes including best film and best director at this year’s Hong Kong Film Awards, which were live streamed on social media as the Covid-19 coronavirus forced organisers to scrap the physical ceremony.
Better Days, a mainland China-set drama about school bullying, also won best actress for Zhou Dongyu’s performance and best new performer for Jackson Yee. The film, produced by Goodfellas Pictures and We Pictures, also won awards for best screenplay, best cinematography, best costume & make-up design and best song.
Derek Tsang’s Better Days bagged eight prizes including best film and best director at this year’s Hong Kong Film Awards, which were live streamed on social media as the Covid-19 coronavirus forced organisers to scrap the physical ceremony.
Better Days, a mainland China-set drama about school bullying, also won best actress for Zhou Dongyu’s performance and best new performer for Jackson Yee. The film, produced by Goodfellas Pictures and We Pictures, also won awards for best screenplay, best cinematography, best costume & make-up design and best song.
- 5/6/2020
- by 89¦Liz Shackleton¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
The full list of nominations for the 39th Hong Kong Film Awards has been revealed. However, the dates are still unknown; the mid-April event in fact, will be probably postponed due to the Covid-19 (a.k.a. coronavirus). So for now let’s just have a look at the nominees.
This year’s edition sees Derek Tsang Kwok-Cheung’s “Better Days” leading the competition with an amazing 12 nominations, followed at close range by Heiward Mak’s “Fagara” with 11 nominations and Wong Hing-Fan’s “I’m Livin’ It” with 10. Moreover, Wilson Yip’s “Ip Man 4: The Finale” bagged 9 nominations, including Best Director and Best Action Choreography.
Read the full list of nominations below:
Better Days by Derek Tsang
Best Film
Better Days by Derek Tsang
Suk Suk by Ray Yeung
Fagara by Heiward Mak
I’m Livin’ It by Wong Hing-fan
The New King Of Comedy by Stephen Chow
Best...
This year’s edition sees Derek Tsang Kwok-Cheung’s “Better Days” leading the competition with an amazing 12 nominations, followed at close range by Heiward Mak’s “Fagara” with 11 nominations and Wong Hing-Fan’s “I’m Livin’ It” with 10. Moreover, Wilson Yip’s “Ip Man 4: The Finale” bagged 9 nominations, including Best Director and Best Action Choreography.
Read the full list of nominations below:
Better Days by Derek Tsang
Best Film
Better Days by Derek Tsang
Suk Suk by Ray Yeung
Fagara by Heiward Mak
I’m Livin’ It by Wong Hing-fan
The New King Of Comedy by Stephen Chow
Best...
- 2/14/2020
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Derek Tsang’s ’Better Days’ heads the awards race with 12 nods, followed by ‘Fagara’ (11) and ’I’m Livin’ It’ (10).
The Hong Kong Film Awards has announced the nominations for its 39th edition, with Derek Tsang’s Better Days leading the pack, but due to the coronavirus outbreak is considering postponing the ceremony or switching to a different format.
Usually scheduled for mid-April, this year’s awards are likely to take place the following month, ditch the red carpet and change venue away from the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Organisers say nothing has been decided at this point but the intention...
The Hong Kong Film Awards has announced the nominations for its 39th edition, with Derek Tsang’s Better Days leading the pack, but due to the coronavirus outbreak is considering postponing the ceremony or switching to a different format.
Usually scheduled for mid-April, this year’s awards are likely to take place the following month, ditch the red carpet and change venue away from the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Organisers say nothing has been decided at this point but the intention...
- 2/12/2020
- by 89¦Liz Shackleton¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
Osaka Asian Film Festival is held yearly under the theme of “From Osaka to All of Asia!” We are pleased to announce the line-up of the 15th edition of Oaff.
The number of selected films is 64 in total, the highest number ever for the festival, and they include 14 World Premieres, 12 International Premieres, and 3 Asian Premieres. Films from 23 countries and regions, including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Cambodia, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Kazakhstan, Poland, France, Germany, Denmark, Portugal, Italy, the USA, Mexico and Japan, will be screened.
Opening Film
The Garden of Evening Mists
by Tom Shu-yu Lin (Malaysia) Japan Premiere
Closing Film
Kamata Prelude
by Nakagawa Ryutaro, Akiyama Mayu, Yasukawa Yuka, Watanabe Hirobumi (Japan) World Premiere
Competition
This section will present 15 films chosen from films completed on or after 1st October 2018 and unreleased in Japan. The international jurors will choose the winners of the Grand...
The number of selected films is 64 in total, the highest number ever for the festival, and they include 14 World Premieres, 12 International Premieres, and 3 Asian Premieres. Films from 23 countries and regions, including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Cambodia, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Kazakhstan, Poland, France, Germany, Denmark, Portugal, Italy, the USA, Mexico and Japan, will be screened.
Opening Film
The Garden of Evening Mists
by Tom Shu-yu Lin (Malaysia) Japan Premiere
Closing Film
Kamata Prelude
by Nakagawa Ryutaro, Akiyama Mayu, Yasukawa Yuka, Watanabe Hirobumi (Japan) World Premiere
Competition
This section will present 15 films chosen from films completed on or after 1st October 2018 and unreleased in Japan. The international jurors will choose the winners of the Grand...
- 2/8/2020
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
The 18th edition of the Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum will run alongside Filmart from March 25-27.
The Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum has announced the 33 projects shortlisted for this year’s edition of the co-production and financing market, including 24 fictional features and nine documentaries.
The selection includes leading Asian filmmakers such as Thailand’s Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Taiwan’s Giddens Ko, Japan’s Naoko Ogigami and Singapore’s Yeo Siew Hua, as well as 11 first-time feature directors.
Seven Hong Kong projects have been selected, including Pang Ho-cheung’s The End, the story of a psychic medium who seeks help from...
The Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum has announced the 33 projects shortlisted for this year’s edition of the co-production and financing market, including 24 fictional features and nine documentaries.
The selection includes leading Asian filmmakers such as Thailand’s Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Taiwan’s Giddens Ko, Japan’s Naoko Ogigami and Singapore’s Yeo Siew Hua, as well as 11 first-time feature directors.
Seven Hong Kong projects have been selected, including Pang Ho-cheung’s The End, the story of a psychic medium who seeks help from...
- 1/20/2020
- by 89¦Liz Shackleton¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
Heiward Mak studied Creative Media at the City University of Hong Kong. She entered the movie industry early, and at the age of 24, she directed her debut film “High Noon” (2008) portraying the new generation of Hong Kong youths. With highly successful “Mad World” (2016) she debuted as a producer, sharing her wealth of experience with a debuting director. She was shooting short films, full features as well as many commercials and music videos. In addition, she authored scripts.
On the occasion of “Fagara”, her sixth feature movie, screening at the Five Flavours Asian Film Festival, we talk to her about the importance of understanding your crew, generational conflicts, family ties, her cooperation with Ann Hui, and how the recent events in Hong Kong are influencing families. Focused, attentive and analytical, she provides an in-depth look at her characters.
You are a director, writer, editor, as well as a producer. How those roles differ for you?...
On the occasion of “Fagara”, her sixth feature movie, screening at the Five Flavours Asian Film Festival, we talk to her about the importance of understanding your crew, generational conflicts, family ties, her cooperation with Ann Hui, and how the recent events in Hong Kong are influencing families. Focused, attentive and analytical, she provides an in-depth look at her characters.
You are a director, writer, editor, as well as a producer. How those roles differ for you?...
- 12/6/2019
- by Joanna Kończak
- AsianMoviePulse
“Spicy food can be a form of pain to numb another pain”
Director, producer, writer and wonder woman Heiward Mak who Amp had the pleasure to meet and interview at a previous edition of Five Flavours Film Festival, is back in excellent form with her family drama “Fagara”, named after the delicious and very hot Sichuan peppercorns, renowned for being so strong to numb your mouth (all true and tested!) Based on the popular 2011 novel “Spicy Love” by Hong Kong writer Amy Cheung Siu-han, “Fagara” is co-produced by Ann Hui.
“Fagara” is screening at Five Flavours Asian Film Festival
The sudden dead of a father is a painful and intense shock even if, like Hong Kong travel agent Acacia (Sammi Cheng), the family bond has been neglected for quite some time. Even more shocking for Acacia is learning that she has two half-sisters the father Ha Leung had with two women in other countries.
Director, producer, writer and wonder woman Heiward Mak who Amp had the pleasure to meet and interview at a previous edition of Five Flavours Film Festival, is back in excellent form with her family drama “Fagara”, named after the delicious and very hot Sichuan peppercorns, renowned for being so strong to numb your mouth (all true and tested!) Based on the popular 2011 novel “Spicy Love” by Hong Kong writer Amy Cheung Siu-han, “Fagara” is co-produced by Ann Hui.
“Fagara” is screening at Five Flavours Asian Film Festival
The sudden dead of a father is a painful and intense shock even if, like Hong Kong travel agent Acacia (Sammi Cheng), the family bond has been neglected for quite some time. Even more shocking for Acacia is learning that she has two half-sisters the father Ha Leung had with two women in other countries.
- 11/14/2019
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
International premiere of “Flowers of Evil”, Hong Kong “Fagara” as the opening film, and Japanese “Bone Born Bone” at the closure of Five Flavours 13th edition!
This year, as always, the festival will provide an opportunity to discover original voices of young and recognized directors from South Korea, Bhutan, Thailand or Vietnam. We will explore the charms and ills of Japanese peripheries: its harbour cities, outskirts and marginal territories. We will watch films highly appreciated by festival juries. Special consideration will be given to Hong Kong which today is experiencing a serious political crisis: our guest will be Fruit Chan, a star of its independent cinema. However, the Programme has also a place for juicy genre cinema: horror, action, perverse comedies are an ideal remedy for the November weather in Warsaw.
Here is the Programme in its strands:
New Asian Cinema
Like every year the competition section presents challenging, daring films,...
This year, as always, the festival will provide an opportunity to discover original voices of young and recognized directors from South Korea, Bhutan, Thailand or Vietnam. We will explore the charms and ills of Japanese peripheries: its harbour cities, outskirts and marginal territories. We will watch films highly appreciated by festival juries. Special consideration will be given to Hong Kong which today is experiencing a serious political crisis: our guest will be Fruit Chan, a star of its independent cinema. However, the Programme has also a place for juicy genre cinema: horror, action, perverse comedies are an ideal remedy for the November weather in Warsaw.
Here is the Programme in its strands:
New Asian Cinema
Like every year the competition section presents challenging, daring films,...
- 10/25/2019
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
New films by Anthony Chen, Heiward Mak and Kongdej Jaturanrasmee in New Asian Cinema competition. You are invited to the presentation of the full programme on 24 October!
Heartwarming “Fagara”, bitter-sweet “To Live to Sing”, subtle “Wet Season” and lyrical “Where We Belong” together with challenging “Heavy Craving” complete the list of films to be presented in the New Asian Cinema competition. As every year, the Five Flavours viewers will receive a perfect mixture of sincere emotions, affecting topics and interesting formal choices – so that each screening became an unforgettable experience.
The main award will be granted by People’s Jury – a group of amateurs and semi-professionals whose sincere love of cinema and Asia combined with advanced journalistic skills allow them to make competent assessment of the competition films and choose the winner of the Festival.
Presentation of the programme
On 24 October at 4.15 p.m. viewers and journalists are invited to...
Heartwarming “Fagara”, bitter-sweet “To Live to Sing”, subtle “Wet Season” and lyrical “Where We Belong” together with challenging “Heavy Craving” complete the list of films to be presented in the New Asian Cinema competition. As every year, the Five Flavours viewers will receive a perfect mixture of sincere emotions, affecting topics and interesting formal choices – so that each screening became an unforgettable experience.
The main award will be granted by People’s Jury – a group of amateurs and semi-professionals whose sincere love of cinema and Asia combined with advanced journalistic skills allow them to make competent assessment of the competition films and choose the winner of the Festival.
Presentation of the programme
On 24 October at 4.15 p.m. viewers and journalists are invited to...
- 10/17/2019
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Contemporary Chinese Cinema is a column devoted to exploring contemporary Chinese-language cinema primarily as it is revealed to us at North American multiplexes.This past weekend, inspired by the RZA, I watched a dingy, cropped, and badly dubbed copy of the 1983 Taiwanese kung fu film Shaolin vs. Lama. It’s not a great film: generic plot, mediocre acting, lame comedy; but the stunt work is extremely good. I’ve watched hundreds of Hong Kong and other Chinese language movies over the past few years, and in every case I’ve taken care to avoid this kind of shoddy presentation, going out of my way to find the best possible images with the original language soundtracks. Because of that, sometimes I forget that for most of my life cheap and dubbed was the only way to see many of the best action films in the world, while almost all of the...
- 9/11/2019
- MUBI
Approaching its 25th anniversary, iconic Hong Kong Triad effort ‘Young and Dangerous’ made a huge splash upon its initial release and spawned an equally beloved franchise as well as made stars of its hip young cast. Now reuniting the main cast cast of that effort into this unrelated new film tackling the mega-heist genre of action film, ‘Golden Job’ arrived in digital download and Blu-Ray from WellGo USA on April 9.
Pulling off a successful mission, childhood friends Lion, Crater, Ding, Bill, and Mouse decide to go their separate ways when they’re called back together again. Believing they are stealing a shipment of medical supplies to deliver to a refugee camp, the group is shocked to discover the target is actually gold bars intended to be used to fund political coups in third world countries. Realizing that they’ve been duped and double-crossed by one of their own,...
Pulling off a successful mission, childhood friends Lion, Crater, Ding, Bill, and Mouse decide to go their separate ways when they’re called back together again. Believing they are stealing a shipment of medical supplies to deliver to a refugee camp, the group is shocked to discover the target is actually gold bars intended to be used to fund political coups in third world countries. Realizing that they’ve been duped and double-crossed by one of their own,...
- 4/14/2019
- by Don Anelli
- AsianMoviePulse
Hong Kong’s leading studio Media Asia returned to FilMart on Monday with a slate of productions in the pipeline, ranging from pics with international names to daring projects helmed by homegrown talent addressing local social issues.
Headlining the line-up is “Bodies at Rest,” pictured above, the latest Chinese-language action thriller directed by Renny Harlin. Starring the award-winning Nick Cheung, Taiwanese singer-actor Richie Jen and mainland actress Yang Zi, the latest offering from the “Die Hard 2” helmer opened the 43rd Hong Kong Intl. Film Festival on Monday night.
Media Asia also recruited Japanese director Yojiro Kakita to work with a stellar Chinese cast for the first time on family drama “Silence of Smoke.” The film’s lead actors Han Geng, Zhang Guoli and actress Xu Qing said at the Media Asia event that they were thrilled to work with the famed helmer whose “Departures” (2008) won an Oscar for best foreign-language film.
Headlining the line-up is “Bodies at Rest,” pictured above, the latest Chinese-language action thriller directed by Renny Harlin. Starring the award-winning Nick Cheung, Taiwanese singer-actor Richie Jen and mainland actress Yang Zi, the latest offering from the “Die Hard 2” helmer opened the 43rd Hong Kong Intl. Film Festival on Monday night.
Media Asia also recruited Japanese director Yojiro Kakita to work with a stellar Chinese cast for the first time on family drama “Silence of Smoke.” The film’s lead actors Han Geng, Zhang Guoli and actress Xu Qing said at the Media Asia event that they were thrilled to work with the famed helmer whose “Departures” (2008) won an Oscar for best foreign-language film.
- 3/18/2019
- by Vivienne Chow
- Variety Film + TV
Two women on the cusp of the dreaded 3-0 see their two very different lives and worldviews intersect in Kearan Pang’s adaptation of her own one-woman 2005 stage play, 29+1. Pang, a theatrical performer (she had a role in Pang Ho-cheung’s Vulgaria) and writer (again, penning Pang’s Isabella), brings a much-needed female voice to the Hong Kong industry—Ann Hui, Heiward Mak and Mable Cheung being the only others regularly working who spring to mind—and though she has yet to get a handle on film as a form, her debut feature shows promise, and is a welcome departure from the martial...
- 5/17/2017
- by Elizabeth Kerr
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Cash prizes handed out at the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival Netpac award and Fpp awards.
The 2013 Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival held its traditional Night Market Party awards ceremony with Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit’s Thai film Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy taking the best Asian film prize awarded by the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (Netpac) last night (Nov 21).
Based on around 400 tweets from a high school girl in Thailand, Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy won the award “for its freshness, originality and clarity in molding a structural concept into a cinematic portrait of youth and transcending it with poetry and humor.”
Project market awards
The Golden Horse Film Project Promotion (Fpp) also handed out a raft of awards with Sung Hsin-Yin’s debut animation project On Happiness Road taking the Grand Prize of $33,800 or Nt$1m in cash (pictured).
Sung was also named the 2013 Taipei Film Festival’s Best Animation award winner...
The 2013 Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival held its traditional Night Market Party awards ceremony with Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit’s Thai film Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy taking the best Asian film prize awarded by the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (Netpac) last night (Nov 21).
Based on around 400 tweets from a high school girl in Thailand, Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy won the award “for its freshness, originality and clarity in molding a structural concept into a cinematic portrait of youth and transcending it with poetry and humor.”
Project market awards
The Golden Horse Film Project Promotion (Fpp) also handed out a raft of awards with Sung Hsin-Yin’s debut animation project On Happiness Road taking the Grand Prize of $33,800 or Nt$1m in cash (pictured).
Sung was also named the 2013 Taipei Film Festival’s Best Animation award winner...
- 11/22/2013
- by hjnoh2007@gmail.com (Jean Noh)
- ScreenDaily
Taiwan’s Golden Horse Film Project Promotion (Fpp) has unveiled this year’s selection of 25 films chosen from a record 117 submissions.
The organization stated “these projects reflect the active and engaged state of Chinese-language film industry in all corners of the world, including: Taiwan, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, UK, France, Us, Australia, and New Zealand.”
Nine sponsoring companies offer post-production service awards and this year, a number of them will be increasing their awards to equal the symbolic amount of Nt$500,000 (Us$16,900) to celebrate the Golden Horse Film Festival’s 50th anniversary.
The Fpp’s Grand Prize is a cash award of Nt$1m (Us$33,800). France’s Centre National du Cinéma (Cnc) also offers the €10,000 Cnc Award to support projects with high potential for international co-production.
The 2013 Golden Horse Fpp runs Nov 19-21 with meetings and workshops. They will announce the winners of the various prizes on the last day’s closing ceremony...
The organization stated “these projects reflect the active and engaged state of Chinese-language film industry in all corners of the world, including: Taiwan, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, UK, France, Us, Australia, and New Zealand.”
Nine sponsoring companies offer post-production service awards and this year, a number of them will be increasing their awards to equal the symbolic amount of Nt$500,000 (Us$16,900) to celebrate the Golden Horse Film Festival’s 50th anniversary.
The Fpp’s Grand Prize is a cash award of Nt$1m (Us$33,800). France’s Centre National du Cinéma (Cnc) also offers the €10,000 Cnc Award to support projects with high potential for international co-production.
The 2013 Golden Horse Fpp runs Nov 19-21 with meetings and workshops. They will announce the winners of the various prizes on the last day’s closing ceremony...
- 9/26/2013
- by hjnoh2007@gmail.com (Jean Noh)
- ScreenDaily
Last year, Chapman To proved to be far and away the best thing about Heiward Mak's Diva, a supposedly biting look at celebrity and the entertainment industry, that starred popstar Joey Yung in the title role, and To as her cutthroat manager. Something good does seem to have come out of that project however, as To's character has been spun off into his own movie, The Midas Touch. At the helm is Fung Chi Keung, who directed To in last year's admittedly rather lacklutre The Bounty, but his years of experience working with the likes of Stephen Chow and Johnnie To have earned him a second chance.Produced by Chan Hing Ka, whose previous producer credits include the rather good yet little-seen Chapman To flick La Comedie...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 6/9/2013
- Screen Anarchy
The Hong Kong music industry comes under the spotlight in “Diva” from hotly tipped director Heiward Mak, who received praise and attention for her earlier outings “High Noon” and “Ex”, and for co-scripting Pang Ho Cheung’s excellent “Love in a Puff”. Headlined and produced by Chapman To, taking the role of a ruthless and shifty manager, the film appropriately also stars real life Canto-pop chanteuse Joey Yung (“Crazy N’ the City”) and new pop talent Mag Lam (“Live in Flames”) as two rival songbirds trying to navigate the pitfalls of the business, a premise ripe for a scandalous exposé. The film opens with manager Man (Chapman To) taking a young singer called J (Joey Yung) under his wing. Fast forward to the present day, and J is now one of Hong Kong’s top Canto-pop stars, her outwardly glamorous life completely controlled by the shrewd Man, who even manipulates her relationships to his benefit.
- 12/17/2012
- by James Mudge
- Beyond Hollywood
Awards season has begun in Asia, with the nominees for the 49th Golden Horse Awards announced in Taipei this evening. Leading the pack is Yang Ya Che's period coming-of-age tale, Gf * Bf, and Lou Ye's Mystery, which both garnered seven nominations, and Doze Niu's Love with five. There was also a strong showing of Hong Kong talent, with Johnnie To's Life Without Principle being named in six categories and Pang Ho Cheung's Vulgaria bagging three noms. Also, kudos to Chapman To, who is nominated in both the Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor categories, for Vulgaria and Heiward Mak's Diva respectively. The 49th Golden Horse Awards will be presented on Saturday, 24 November 2012.Here's the full list of nominees:Best Feature Film Beijing Blues Mystery...
- 10/2/2012
- Screen Anarchy
Another day, another film festival. This week, the Hong Kong International Film Festival launches its regular seasonal sidebar, Summer Iff, featuring a rich selection of 27 new films, repertory screenings and popular favourites from this year's main festival back in March. This year's line-up boasts new works from filmmakers as diverse as Heiward Mak, Wes Anderson, Raoul Ruiz, Martin Scorsese and Hosoda Mamoru, as well as restored prints of two Kinoshita Keisuke dramas and a selection of works by Cahiers du Cinema alumnus, Eric Rohmer. Hk Summer Iff 2012 opens this year on 14 August with Taiwanese romantic drama Gf*Bf. Gwei Lun Mei, Joseph Chang and Rhydian Vaughan star in this complex love triangle, played out against the backdrop of Taipei's volatile martial law years...
- 8/13/2012
- Screen Anarchy
There is no getting away from Chapman To these days, but the guy has been on a roll of impressive form, starring in films like Wong Jing's Mr. & Mrs. Gambler, Herman Yau's Love Lifting, Pang Ho Cheung's uproarious comedy Vulgaria and Fung Chi Chiang's The Bounty. Later this summer, To will star in and also produce Diva, a vehicle for the talents of established pop star Joey Yung, as well as Mag Lam - who won Tvb's popular singing competition, The Voice, back in 2010.Diva is written and directed by young female filmmaker Heiward Mak, who has made a notable impact on Hong Kong's indie scene with films such as Ex in 2010 (also produced by To), and she also has a screenplay credit...
- 6/18/2012
- Screen Anarchy
(Giving this review a bump as the film enjoys its official world premiere tonight as opening film of the 36th Hong Kong International Film Festival) Writer-director Pang Ho Cheung's 2010 comedy Love In A Puff was something of a happy accident. During the agonising and lengthy post-production dramas that befell his Josie Ho slasher vehicle, Dream Home, Pang sought artistic refuge and revitalisation by immersing himself in a new production. Shot quickly and inexpensively, from a smart, yet foul-mouthed script he penned with Heiward Mak, the film was an honest and realistic examination of the modern Hong Kong romance. As was the case for Wong Kar Wai when he escaped the grueling rigmarol of Ashes Of Time and produced Chungking Express on the fly as...
- 3/21/2012
- Screen Anarchy
Directors Yan Yan Mak (Hu Die) and Clement Sze-Kit Cheng (Gallants) team up for a film that dares to gives some extra shine to the Hong-Kong arthouse scene. Joining others like High Noon and Ex (both by Heiward Mak), this film once again strengthens my beliefs that Hong Kong is capable of a lot more than it dares to (mass)produce. Now if only films like Merry-Go-Round would get the proper international exposure, more of them would find the light of day. Like it or not, but the Hong Kong movie scene is mostly treasured in the West for its abundance in genre film making. Sprawling martial arts epics, gritty police thrillers and some classy Triad action are all fan favorites and are easy to sell...
- 10/20/2011
- Screen Anarchy
There was no such thing as the big-budgeted local production film when it came to Hong Kong films at this year’s Hkiff and if attendees remember last year entrees they'd noticed the common link in the low budget works from filmmaker Heiward Mak. Last year she filled up the Hkiff with four films: she was the editor on Scud’s Amphetamine, she co-wrote Peng Ho Cheung’s Love in the Puff and she made both a feature (Ex) and short film (We Might as Well be Strangers). This year she was back with what was originally designed to be a simple television episode which then became the big screen project that was presented in this year's line-up. Beside(s,) Happiness might be simple in tone, but its one of the most heart-warming works that will have appeared in the Hk film scene in 11'. I sat down with Mak...
- 5/3/2011
- IONCINEMA.com
There was no such thing as the big-budgeted local production film when it came to Hong Kong films at this year’s Hkiff and if attendees remember last year entrees they'd noticed the common link in the low budget works from filmmaker Heiward Mak. Last year she filled up the Hkiff with four films: she was the editor on Scud’s Amphetamine, she co-wrote Peng Ho Cheung’s Love in the Puff and she made both a feature (Ex) and short film (We Might as Well be Strangers). This year she was back with what was originally designed to be a simple television episode which then became the big screen project that was presented in this year's line-up. Beside(s,) Happiness might be simple in tone, but its one of the most heart-warming works that will have appeared in the Hk film scene in 11'. I sat down with Mak...
- 5/3/2011
- IONCINEMA.com
Derek Kwok, Clement Cheng's Gallants Best film: Gallants Best Asian film: Confessions (Japan) Best director: Tsui Hark, Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame Best actor: Nicholas Tse, The Stool Pigeon Best actress: Carina Lau, Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame Best supporting actor: Teddy Robin, Gallants Best supporting actress: Susan Shaw, Gallants Best new performer: Hanjin Tan, Bruce Lee, My Brother Best screenplay: Pang Ho-cheung and Heiward Mak, Love in a Puff Best cinematography: Peter Pau, Confucius Best film editing: Cheung Ka-fai, Ip Man 2 Best original film score: Teddy Robin and Tommy Wai, Gallants Best original film song: Here to Stay, music, lyrics and performed by Jun Kung Best art direction: James Choo, Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame Best costume and make-up design: Bruce Yu, Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame Best action choreography: Sammo Hung,...
- 4/20/2011
- by Steve Montgomery
- Alt Film Guide
Gallants, Confucius, Ip Man 2, and the other winners of the 2011 Hong Kong Film Awards have been announced. The 30th Annual Hong Kong Film Awards, “founded in 1982, are the most prestigious film awards in Hong Kong and among the most respected in mainland China and Taiwan. Award ceremonies are held annually, typically in April. The Awards recognize achievement in all aspects of filmmaking, such as directing, screenwriting, acting and cinematography. The awards are the Hong Kong equivalent to the American Oscars and the British Baftas.” The awards were handed out on April 17, 2011 at the Hong Kong Cultural Center. “The ceremony was hosted by Teresa Mo, Vincent Kuk, and Lawrence Cheng.” The full listing of the 2011 Hong Kong Film Award winners is below.
Best Film
(Gallants), produced by Lam Ka Tung
Best Director
Tsui Hark, (Detective Dee And The Mystery Of The Phantom Flame)
Best Screenplay
Pang Ho Cheung & Heiward Mak, (Love...
Best Film
(Gallants), produced by Lam Ka Tung
Best Director
Tsui Hark, (Detective Dee And The Mystery Of The Phantom Flame)
Best Screenplay
Pang Ho Cheung & Heiward Mak, (Love...
- 4/18/2011
- by filmbook
- Film-Book
Low budget martial arts comedy Gallants was the surprise Best Picture winner at tonight's 30th Hong Kong Film Awards, also garnering Best Supporting gongs for Teddy Robin and Susan Shaw, as well as Best Score. In a rare display of good taste, the awards jury showered love upon Derek Kwok and Clement Cheng's love letter to classic kung-fu, as well as handing the Best Screenplay award to Pang Ho Cheung and Heiward Mak for Love In A Puff and favouring Tetsuya Nakashima's Confessions over Feng Xiao Gang's earthquake weepie Aftershock as Best Asian Movie of the year. The biggest winner of the evening, however, was Tsui Hark's superb medieval adventure Detective Dee And The Mystery Of The Phantom Flame, with 6 awards, including Best Director and...
- 4/17/2011
- Screen Anarchy
After the much anticipated preem for Don’t Go Breaking My Heart and Quattro Hong Kong 2, it was Yuen-Leung Poon's Hi, Fidelity’s turn to shine --- and without a doubt, veteran actress Pat Ha is the film's highlight and that's not to say that fellow thesps Carrie Ng and Michelle Ye didn't offer noteworthy takes either. Deemed a “chick flick” from the get go, this tells the tale of middle-aged women cheating on their husbands -- but as the plot soon thickens, it appears to be a lot more complex, much more of a relationship thriller than just a pure romantic film. Alongside the exploration of women’s midlife crisis and their yearning for the lost times, there are plot twists followed by more plot twists, essentially I’m not sure if it plays off so well and this despite the film's big revelation that certainly has the...
- 4/6/2011
- IONCINEMA.com
At the same time that the Hong Kong Film Festival is held (currently in full swing), Filmart (21 - 24 April) unveiled several titles that caught our eye and that we look forward to in the near future. Among the noteworthy items promoted at the event, the lineup at Emperor Motion Pictures includes four major films, "The Great Magician", "The Last Supper", "The Viral Factor" and "Diva". "The Great Magician" is now currently in production, starring Tony Leung and directed by Derek Yee, centering on a story of a magician who saves his country with his tricks and illusions. "The Last Supper" will be directed by Lu Chuan, who won the best director award of Asian Film Awards last year. He would pair up heavyweights stars Liu Ye, Chang Chen and Daniel Wu on this new historical drama. "The Viral Factor" will mark another collaboration between director Dante Lam and actor Nicholas Tse,...
- 3/26/2011
- IONCINEMA.com
Gillian Chung continues her comeback with “Ex”, an attempt to put a more mature and insightful spin on the romantic urban drama. The film was written and directed by Heiward Mak, based upon her own novel and following up from her debut, the troubled youth drama “High Noon”. Noted for her realistic and recognisable take on modern Hong Kong society Mak has been hailed as a major new talent, and here she again sticks very much to subjects which audiences are likely to relate to, dealing with relationships, infidelity, confusion, and the ways in which everyday life can get in the way of love. The film was produced by the ever busy Chapman To, who also makes an amusing cameo appearance, with William Chan (“Beauty on Duty!”) and Michelle Wai (“Girl$”) making up the other two members of the film’s central romantic triangle. The film opens at Hong Kong airport,...
- 2/15/2011
- by James Mudge
- Beyond Hollywood
[Editor's note: I've asked our team of world film correspondents to dish out their top 5 films of the year from their respective countries. Here's Milky Li Hoi Ching's take on the Best in Hong Kong Cinema in 2010.] Despite the fact that 2010 marked an emergence of several of the young directors producing quality films and hope for the future this year proved to be a disappointing one for the Hong Kong film industry. Here are the five that stood out. #5. Dream Home - Peng Ho-Cheung This much I'm sure -- this isn’t a film for the weak, faint of heart audiences. But as blood-splashing as it is, I think it strongly expresses a very current social issue that Hong Kong people would feel resonates with them. As a slasher film, it combined a dark and twisted sense of humor that might come across as surreal at times, but there hadn’t been anything like this for years. With the blood spilling and psychotic murder plot, all the violence in the film might appear to be far from groundbreaking, but it's already one of the rarest, daring films in the past few years.
- 12/24/2010
- IONCINEMA.com
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