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Singapore's Bugis Street was renown in the 1950s-1980s for its night gathering of transgender persons, making it one of Singapore's top tourist destinations during that period.In the mid 1980's, Bugis Street went under major urban redevelopment into a modern shopping complex, as well as the construction of a subway station, which ended the area's prior nightlife for transgender persons. Yonfan came up with a movie that celebrated this bygone era and colorful aspect of Singapore, which became a minor hit at the box office, despite the sexually explicit R(A)Rating due to male full frontal nudity. In 2015, the restored version of the film was presented at the 26th Singapore International Film Festival as Bugis Street Redux at 103 minutes while a new restoration is screening this year in Venice at 4K and at 98 minutes.

“Bugis Street” is screening in Venice International Film Festival

The movie sets the tone from the beginning,...

Refugee from Vietnam who starred in Oliver Stone’s film Heaven and Earth

Hiep Thi Le, who has died aged 46 from stomach cancer, became a film star after travelling to the Us from Vietnam as a child in the late 1970s, one of hundreds of thousands of refugees known as “boat people”. In her early 20s she landed the lead role in Oliver Stone’s 1993 drama Heaven and Earth despite never having acted before.

Based on the memoirs of Le Ly Hayslip, who, like Le, had arrived in America from Da Nang, the movie was the last and least successful part of the director’s Vietnam trilogy, following Platoon (1986) and Born on the Fourth of July (1989). It was also one of the few films of his to feature a female protagonist. Le was required to age more than 30 years in the course of the movie as Hayslip, who is raped...

Hiep Thi Le, the actress best-known for her critically acclaimed role in Oliver Stone’s 1994 film Heaven and Earth, died Tuesday. She was 46.

According to Deadline, Le died of complications from stomach cancer. The actress starred opposite Tommy Lee Jones in Stone’s film and followed the story of a woman living in the aftermath of the Vietnam War.

Le was born in Vietnam but fled the country as a refugee with her younger sister at the age of 8 when she was placed on a boat by her mother in 1979 in an attempt to reunite with her father in Hong Kong,...

Hiep Thi Le, the actress known for her acclaimed role in Oliver Stone’s 1994 film Heaven and Earth opposite Tommy Lee Jones, died December 19 of complications from stomach cancer, Deadline has learned. She was 46. Born in Da Nang, Vietnam, an 8-year-old Le and her younger sister were put on a fishing boat by her mother in 1979 to try and reunite with their father in Hong Kong. After a difficult journey, they eventually met him in there and ultimately reunited with her…...

Hiep Thi Le, the actress known for her acclaimed role in Oliver Stone’s 1994 film Heaven and Earth opposite Tommy Lee Jones, died December 19 of complications from stomach cancer, Deadline has learned. She was 46. Born in Da Nang, Vietnam, an 8-year-old Le and her younger sister were put on a fishing boat by her mother in 1979 to try and reunite with their father in Hong Kong. After a difficult journey, they eventually met him in there and ultimately reunited with her…...

Karrueche's family is happy that her relationship with Chris has come to an end, according to a new report! Read on for all the details. While Karrueche Tran may be upset over her break-up with Chris Brown, which the singer confirmed to HollywoodLife.com on October 4, not everyone in her life shares her feelings. Her family is happy she's done with Chris! Karrueche's uncle Hiep Le Tran spoke with Star magazine, telling the publication that the split was for the best. "Karrueche didn't know what she was getting herself into. She was in over her head. It doesn't matter if Chris Brown is a celebrity -- enough is enough!" It doesn't sound like Chris has many fans in Karrueche's family! Do you think Karrueche is better off without Chris, HollywoodLifers? Star Magazine➚ -- Billy Nilles More Karrueche Tran: Rihanna & Karrueche Tran: Heart-To-Heart Talk Over Chris Brown? Karrueche Tran Wants Nothing...

Adding just over a dozen features and four shorts to the lists of previously announced titles (first round and Dokumente), the Berlinale announces that the Panorama program for this year's edition (February 9 through 19) is now complete. The breakdown: "53 feature films: 18 in the main program, 15 in Panorama Special and 20 in Panorama Dokumente.... 34 productions from 37 countries are screening as world premieres. Seven fictional films are directorial debuts. There are 12 German productions, and 24 women filmmakers presenting 16 films."

New narrative features:

Bugis Street Redux by Yonfan, Hong Kong. With Hiep Thi Le, Michael Lam, Greg-O and Ernest Seah.

Cherry by Stephen Elliott, USA. With Ashley Hinshaw, James Franco, Heather Graham, Dev Patel and Lili Taylor. World Premiere. The site.

Chocó by Jhonny Hendrix Hinestroza, Columbia. With Karent Hinestroza, Esteban Copete, Fabio García, Daniela Mosquera, Jesús Benavides. Wp.

Glaube, Liebe, Tod (Belief, Love, Death) by Peter Kern, Austria. With Traute Furthner, Peter Kern, Joao Moreira Pedrosa.

Fern Champion on Cameron DiazWe were working at New Line, casting 1994's "The Mask." The story that everybody knows now is that Anna Nicole Smith was the first choice because the men at New Line thought she was stunning. Didn't say she could walk and talk, but she was stunning. We needed someone to talk. The good news is Anna Nicole opted to do "Naked Gun 33 1/3." Oh, too bad. So Fern's back to the drawing board. I'm at my wit's end, because we had gone through all the top models and all the top actors, and nobody was pleasing New Line co-ceo Bob Shaye, executive producer Mike De Luca, and director and executive producer Chuck Russell.I called my girlfriend at the talent agency upstairs at the New Line building, and I said, "Is there anybody we haven't seen?" She said, "I have to tell you something: There's one gal; she hasn't done any acting.