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Many first-time directors adopt a very minimalist approach. However, mastering the technical and narrative challenges of a minimalist setting can often be the downfall of a project, especially when it lacks a thematic foundation. Seasoned editor Zhang Qi, or Sagara, chooses a minimalist, at times even claustrophobic setting for his debut feature “Trapped”, while simultaneously portraying a world in which the downfall of an ideology has paved the way for corruption, crime and violence. Drawing inspiration from the Western genre, Sagara tells the story of a siege in which the heroes have to fend off a group of bandits searching for their treasure buried somewhere in the almost deserted border town of Mangya.

Trapped is screening at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival

Once Mangya was a booming town with many inhabitants and two mines, but ever since the mines have closed, the town has become nearly deserted. Xia Ran...

Norway’s “Loveable” swept the 15th Beijing International Film Festival’s Tiantan Awards, claiming best feature film, best director for Lilja Ingolfsdottir, and best actress for Helga Guren. Best screenplay went to Ingolfsdottir and Sahaja and Sagara for “Trapped.”

Pierre Bastin and Benjamin Lambillotte shared the best actor prize for their performances in the Belgian feature “Vitrival – The Most Beautiful Village in the World.”

China made a strong showing in the supporting categories. The best supporting actor award was shared by Hai Yitian for “Better Me, Better You” and Geng Le for his role in “Trapped.” Mara Bestelli took home best supporting actress for her work in “The Message,” which also triumphed with the best artistic contribution award and best cinematography award for Gustavo Schiaffino, signaling a standout night for the Argentine production.

Marc Bastien won best music for Italy’s “The Great Ambition.” “Nawi: Dear Future Me” was accorded a special jury honor.

After several sun-kissed days, Beijing brought out the stars on Saturday night as Lilja Ingolfsdottir’s debut feature, Norwegian marital drama Loveable, won the best feature film honor, plus three additional awards, at a closing ceremony full of Chinese stars and music that wrapped up the 15th edition of the Beijing International Film Festival on a high.

With director Ingolfsdottir not in attendance, it was up to her star Helga Guren to collect not only the best actress award but also the other honors.

Iván Fund’s The Message left the evening with three Tiantan Awards, while Chinese filmmaker Sagara’s Trapped picked up honors in two categories.

Other award winners included Noëlle Bastin and Baptiste Bogaert’s Vitrival – The Most Beautiful Village in the World, Hao Ming and Li Peiran’s Better Me, Better You, and Nawi: Dear Future Me, directed by Tobias Schmutzler, Kevin Schmutzler, Apuu Mourine,...

"You ran away faster than anyone." Films Boutique has unveiled an early promo trailer for a Chinese film titled Girls on Wire, which is premiering at the 2025 Berlin Film Festival underway now. Girls on Wire is the third feature film directed by Chinese filmmaker Vivian Qu, following Trap Street and Angela Wears White some years ago. The story follows a young woman who works as a stuntwoman in China’s largest film studios (hence "girls on wire"). Tian Tian, the single mother of a five-year-old daughter, kills a drug dealer and is then pursued for vengeance. The only person she can turn to for help is her female cousin, Fang Di. This film is about a pair of cousins' life journey from strangers to familiarity, from conflict to mutual help. It shows the hard work that contemporary young people have made for their dreams, and eulogizes the sincere emotions between people.

Screen can reveal the exclusive first trailer for Vivian Qu’s Chinese drama Girls On Wire, ahead of its premiere in the Berlinale Competition on Monday, February 17.

Girls On Wire followsTian Tian and Fang Di, two cousins separated by family struggles. When Fang Di moves away to work as a stuntwoman at China’s largest film studios, Tian Tian stays behind to deal with her father’s addiction; but soon finds herself forced to escape to find her cousin in the Film City.

Films Boutique handles international sales on the film, which is produced by Sean Chen, Qin Hong and Xu Jiahan,...

Mainland Chinese actor Max Zhang Jin is no stranger to martial arts movies. He started his film career in “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000) as a stunt double. Although Zhang later won the Best Supporting Actor award for his role in “The Grandmaster” (2014), he became best known as Zhang Tin Chi in “Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy” (2018), the Ip Man film series spin-off. More films followed, like the odd Hollywood production “Escape Plan: The Extractors”, Fruit Chan’s “The Invincible Dragon” and Mainland’s “Wolf Pack”, but they still failed to make him a major star.

Set in the Ming Dynasty in Chang’an city, “The Wild Blade of Strangers”, from the streaming service iQIYI sees Zhang having a go in a wuxia adventure and wielding a huge blade. The power hungry Prince of Qi has seized the throne after killing the Crown Prince. Since the deceased prince has a...

The Korean War has been a fertile ground for epic war features over the past few decades. Predominantly these have emerged from South Korea where the war is part of the national subconscious. Chinese cinema had tended to focus more on the impact of World War 2 and its aftermath until the release of “The Battle at Lake Changjin” in 2021. A huge success at the box office and another in the current trend of “Melody” blockbusters that incorporate patriotic themes in amongst the entertainment. With the endeavor requiring three directors, it comes as no surprise that the sequel was shot back-to-back to make the most of the production costs.

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The 7th Company headed by Qianli (Wu) accompanied by his brother Wanli (Jackson Yee) attack the airfield protected by the American 1st division, supported by the artillery battalion headed by Yang...

Exclusive: Streaming giant is fully-financing the debut feature as a director from actor Lu Yulai.

Aggressively expanding online platform iQiyi has moved into fully financing its own productions, starting with Lu Yulai’s My Town, which was selected as a Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (Haf) project in 2015.

Currently in production, the film stars Geng Le (Beijing Love Story) and Qi Xi (Mystery) in a story about a love triangle.

Lu, who is making his feature directorial debut with the film, is best known as an actor with credits including Gu Changwei’s Peacock. His short Brother screened at Busan in 2013.

iQiyi is also fully financing Jiang Kaiyang’s crime action film Even Stronger (working title) and Zhang Xiao’s comedy I Am Your Mom.

Even Stronger is currently shooting, while I Am Your Mom, starring Yan Ni (The Wasted Times) as a single mother raising a rebellious child, is in post-production.

Since launching...

Stars: Scott Adkins, Dolph Lundgren, Yi Huang, Nathan Lee, James Lance, Lydia Leonard, Geng Le, Murray Clive Walker, Viktor Sobtchak, Tom Austen, David Thomas Jenkins, Li Shengye, Yang Caiyu, Paul Philip Clark, Ivan Kotik | Written by Andy Briggs | Directed by Eric Styles

Take one 80s action star and one current kick-ass action movie icon and throw in a strange, mythical creature and you get Legendary (aka Legendary: Tomb of the Dragon, aka Legendary 3D). A family-friendly, Indiana Jones-style monster movie that follows cryptozoologist Travis (Adkins) who, after the death of one of his team whilst chasing down an undiscovered prehistoric bear, travels to China in search of what isn’t supposed to exist: a mythical creature, a Cryptid, which is wreaking havoc in a remote village where a new pipeline is being laid. However standing in their way is bounty-hunter Harker (Lundgren) whose plan – as it was when he teamed...

In Lionsgate’s Legendary, a deadly mythical creature is on the loose and leaving a blood trail. One man wants to kill it and another wants to study it. Dolph Lundgren plays the former in this creature feature now available on DVD and VOD platforms, and we have an exclusive clip in which the enduring actor explains the “old-school hunter” personality of his character Jim Harker.

“Prepare for an epic battle between man and beast when action stars Scott Adkins and Dolph Lundgren collide in Legendary, arriving on DVD (plus Digital UltraViolet), Digital HD, Video on Demand and Pay-Per-View July 29. Directed by Eric Styles (Miss Conception, True True Lie), the action-thriller follows the battle between two rivals to capture a mythical creature that shouldn’t exist. The Legendary DVD includes a “making of” featurette and will be available for the suggested retail price of $26.98.

Travis Preston assembles his team for...

Title: Shanghai Calling Director: Daniel Hsia Starring: Daniel Henney, Eliza Coupe, Geng Le, Zhu Zhu, Alan Ruck, Bill Paxton A vibrant, fun, cross-cultural romantic comedy with echoes of “Jerry Maguire,” writer-director Daniel Hsia’s “Shanghai Calling” tells the story of a multimillion-dollar business deal gone sideways, and a man scrambling to make things right while also incrementally, almost subconsciously, experiencing an attitudinal shift in priorities. Offbeat scenarios, a fresh backdrop and warm performances enliven this surprising, Chinese-shot treat, which makes great use of its cast without ever sacrificing the integrity of its characters. Sam Chou (Daniel Henney) is a white-collar corporate lawyer who’s completely comfortable with his cutthroat mentality. Tasked by [ Read More ]

The post Shanghai Calling Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

“Shanghai Calling”, from writer/director Daniel Hsia is a play it by the books “classic fish out of water” romantic comedy. It stars Daniel Henney, who we last saw in “X-men Origins: Wolverine” as Sam Chao, an ambitious Manhattan attorney sent to Shanghai to start a new branch office for his big powerful law firm. Things fall apart quickly though, as he quickly digs himself a hole by refusing to adapt to the customs of his new location. The film is filled with an excellent international cast: Eliza Coupe, Alan Ruck and Bill Paxton lead the ex-pat Americans in Shanghai. Zhu Zhu (“What Women Want”) and Geng Le (“Desires of the Heart”) round out the Chinese characters. The social and cultural faux pas are so stereotypical that to be honest, this movie could have been “insert foreign country here” Calling. Sam tries to give directions to a taxi driver, while...