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Ringing Korea’S Grand Bell

“Concrete Utopia,” South Korea’s Oscar contender, was Wednesday named best film at the country’s annual Grand Bell Awards. It also won prizes for best actor, best supporting actress, art direction, sound mixing and visual effects. A disaster movie set in a devastated Seoul, it makes an unusual Academy Awards selection, but has gained high praise from reviewers. Variety this week said the film felt like “’Earthquake’ crossed with ‘Lord of the Flies’.”

The Grand Bell’s best director award nevertheless went to Ryoo Seung-wan for “Smugglers,” while Ahn Tae-jin took the best new director award for “The Night Owl.”

In the other half of the event, Disney+’s “Moving” was named best series, earning Han Hyo-joo the best series actress award to boot.

The Grand Bell Awards, aka Daejong Film Awards, are organized by The Motion Pictures Association of Korea.

Cineasia Honors

The...

Warning: This article contains major spoilers for "The Menu."

Following in the class-conscious footsteps of horror comedy films like "Ready or Not" and "The Hunt," "The Menu" serves its viewers a deliciously deranged takedown of society's elite members. Centered around an exclusive dining experience on a private island, Chef Julian (Ralph Fiennes) has decided his craft (and life) will no longer be ruled by the demanding whims of wealthy people. With each course, Julian's remaining grip on reality and sanity loosens. By the film's end, he and his burnt-out crew literally go up in flames, damning his impossible-to-please clientele along the way. Director Mark Mylod crafts an impeccably paced film — something the fictional Julian would appreciate — that dials up its tension through each foreboding frame.

Pairing "The Menu" with other horror films about food is an unenviable task. No horror comedy movie balances its thrills, dark humor, and food design as well as Mylod's work.

12 – 17 July 2022, Louis Koo Cinema

New Waves, New Shores: Busan International Film Festival is back with three screenings and a masterclass! The moving image programme is presented by the Hong Kong Arts Centre (Hkac), financially supported by the Film Development Fund, Create Hong Kong, and in festival partnership with the Busan International Film Festival (Biff). Through an integrated series of screenings, talks, workshops and a masterclass, the programme aims to introduce the cross currents in Hong Kong and Korean cinema, as well as the importance of Biff as one of the leading film festivals in Asia. The screenings comprise a Hong Kong showcase curated by Maggie Lee, and a Korean showcase co-curated by Lee and Nam Dong-chul.

Previously brought to a halt by the pandemic, the programme now brings back screenings of Too Many Ways to Be No. 1, Dumplings and Thirst, and Masterclass on Screen Adaptation: A Conversation Between Chung Seo-kyung and Fruit Chan,...

Contemporary Chinese Cinema is a column devoted to exploring contemporary Chinese-language cinema primarily as it is revealed to us at North American multiplexes.Over the last few years it has become increasingly easy to see mainstream Asian films in North America at the same time they are released in their home countries. Thanks to partnerships with small, international distributors, the major multiplex chains (AMC, Cinemark, Regal) have devoted a handful of screens in major markets to showing new releases from India, Korea, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Most of these titles fall under the radar of both critics and audiences outside the diasporic communities to which they are targeted. They play for a week or two and then disappear, outside of a handful of breakout titles. Last year Stephen Chow’s The Mermaid made headlines for its high per-screen averages in North America as it shattered domestic box office records in China.

As previously announced, Thailand’s Chutimon ‘Aokbab’ Chuengcharoensukying will receive Screen International Rising Star Award.

The Film Society of Lincoln Center and Subway Cinema announced on Monday the updated roster of honourees at the upcoming 16th New York Asian Film Festival (Nyaff).

China’s Duan Yihong and South Korea’s Gang Dong-won will receive the Star Asia Award, South Korea’s Jung Byung-gil will collect the Daniel E. Craft Award for Excellence in Action Cinema, and Eric Tsang will receive the Star Hong Kong Lifetime Achievement Award.

As previously announced, Thailand’s Chutimon ‘Aokbab’ Chuengcharoensukying will receive the Screen International Rising Star Award and stars in opening night selection Bad Genius.

Duan Yihong will receive his Star Asia Award on July 1 in recognition of his entire body of work and will be presented before screenings of Extraordinary Mission and Battle Of Memories.

This is the first time a Star Asia Award has been presented to an actor...

Jeremy Renner announced as talent ambassador for this year’s festival.

The International Film Festival & Awards Macao (Iffam) has announced a partnership with the Shanghai International Film Festival (Siff).

At a press conference today [June 19], the cooperation agreement was signed for a joint effort to “inject new ideas into the future development of the film industry”.

Cecilia Tse, deputy director of Mgto and executive vice president of Iffam, believes the collaboration will help to foster exhange between the Macao and Shanghai film industries, bring local film investment projects to the mainland and expand opportunities for the industry.

“Macao is one of China’s most fascinating cities and the young Iffam exudes a dynamic vibe, that’s why Shanghai International Film Festival is pleased to partner up with Iffam to foster an innovative development of the film industry via the two platforms,” added Wang Ye, deputy general manager of Shanghai International Film & TV Festivals Co. Ltd.

It was...

Goodridge joins the International Film Festival & Awards Macao in its second year of operation.

Protagonist Pictures CEO Mike Goodridge has been appointed artistic director of the International Film Festival & Awards Macao (Iffam).

Goodridge is stepping down from Protagonist in August, but will remain on the company’s board of directors.

The second edition of the Iffam is scheduled to take place at the Macao Cultural Centre from December 8-14.

The Iffam Organising Committee has also announced that the festival’s competition programme would be dedicated to films from first and second time film-makers and that the jury would award a $60,000 prize for best feature.

“This is a young festival and we think that our international competition should consist of work from young directors who can offer fresh perspectives on the world we live in,” said Goodridge.

Meanwhile Goodridge, head of festival management Lorna Tee and head of industry June Wu will focus on developing the Iffam Industry...

“n 55!w !” this string of characters is the first thing that fills the cinema screen. It is an especially important moment, as only fans of this rom-com trilogy will feel a knowing nostalgic flutter stemming from those random letters, the seemingly unrelated horror story preceding the credits, and the in-depth intricacies and fleeting yet entirely memorable moments two fated lovers share, but, for the uninitiated, let’s go back. In 2009, Hong Kong auteur Pang Ho-Cheung introduced audiences to a quintessential Hong Kong couple Jimmy (Shawn Yue) and Cherie (Miriam Yeung). In the first film Love in a Puff, Pang uses a tool he has mastered already from previous directorial efforts (Men Suddenly in Black, Dream Home); critiquing Hk society, only this time for the...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

The love story between Cherie and Jimmy, which started in Love In A Puff (2010) and continued in Love In The Buff (2012), now comes to a new chapter in Love Off The Cuff.   Hong Kong director Pang Ho Cheung reteams with stars Miriam Yeung and Shawn Yue for the third part of this popular film series.    Thanks to Magnum Films, we have Five double passes for the film to give away to our readers.    For a chance to win, all you have to do is to follow these two steps:   1) Like the Magnum Film Facebook page, and   2) Email your name and postal address to me at: hugo[at]screenanarchy.com   Love Off The Cuff will open in Australian cinemas...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

There is a thrilling selection of Chinese-language titles at Filmart this year. Liz Shackleton picks out some of the most promising.

With very few Hong Kong or mainland Chinese sellers making the journey to this year’s European Film Market in Berlin, Filmart offers a chance for buyers to catch up with the Chinese-language titles that will be rolled out in the region for the rest of the year.

After serving up the biggest film of the Chinese New Year holiday — Kung Fu Yoga, starring Jackie Chan and directed by Stanley Tong — China’s Sparkle Roll Media has launched a Hong Kong-based sales arm that is selling Ding Sheng’s reboot of the A Better Tomorrow series.

Other high-profile action titles new to market include Distribution Workshop’s Extraordinary Mission, from the creative teams behind the Infernal Affairs and Overheard series, and Huayi Brothers’ crime drama Explosion, starring Duan Yihong.

Previously announced...

Keep up with the always-hopping film festival world with our weekly Film Festival Roundup column. Check out last week’s Roundup right here.

Lineup Announcements

– The Wisconsin Film Festival returns to Madison, running March 30 – April 6. Highlights of the program include James Gray’s “The Lost City of Z,” Terence Davies’ “A Quiet Passion,” Alex Ross Perry’s “Golden Exits,” Olivier Assayas’ “Personal Shopper,” Geremy Jasper’s “Patti Cake$” and a section dedicated to new women directors. Find out more information at their official site.

– The Denver Film Society has announced its full festival program and schedule for the 7th Women+Film Festival on International Women’s Day. The Festival will take place at the Sie FilmCenter April 4 – 9 and individual tickets and all-access passes are on sale now. The Women+Film Festival shines a spotlight on stories by and about women with a high profile, female-centric mix of documentaries, feature presentations and short films.

Pang Ho-cheung’s romantic comedy will have its world premiere at the event.

Pang Ho-cheung’s Love Off The Cuff, the third installment in the Hong Kong filmmaker’s romantic comedy series, will receive its world premiere as the opening film of this year’s Hong Kong International Film Festival (Hkiff).

Miriam Yeung and Shawn Yue are resuming their roles as star-crossed lovers Cherie and Jimmy in the film, which follows Love In A Puff (2010) and Love In The Buff (2012). In this third episode, set in Hong Kong and Taipei, the couple’s relationship is tested when Jimmy’s childhood friend asks him to donate sperm for her artificial insemination.

Hkiff also recently announced that it will screen all seven of late Taiwanese filmmaker Edward Yang’s films in a section entitled ‘Edward Yang, 10-year Commemoration’.

The festival will also present digitally restored versions of four classics directed by French auteur Robert Bresson and three from Filipino...

Directed by Ho-Cheung Pang , Love In A Puff is a romantic comedy set in the back alleys of Hong Kong, with the changes in the smoking law all of the smokers congregate in small back alley areas to grab a few puffs during work. The plot is pretty bland, the two main characters meet each other, have a few problems and the predictable story conclusion follows.

It’s nothing really new or surprising but the social appeal of the movie is undeniable as it connects with many everyday situations and anyone that has ever had a crush can relate.

The movie features a group of smokers that meet up at their nearby smoking alley and share tales and stories about their respective jobs.

The group is involved in a number of scenes and does deliver some comedy but the main focus is on the relationship between “Cherie” and “Jimmy” played by Miriam Yeung Chin Wah,...

Miriam Yeung and Shawn Yue star in third entry in Pang Ho-cheung’s film series.

Hong Kong stars Miriam Yeung and Shawn Yue are reuniting for Love Off The Cuff, the third installment in Pang Ho-cheung’s hit series about a star-crossed couple.

Pang and Subi Liang’s Making Film Productions is again producing for Media Asia, which is launching sales on the film here at Afm.

The first two films in the series won awards and were hits across Asia. Love In A Puff (2010) introduced the couple Cherie and Jimmy who meet over a cigarette in the street after Hong Kong has banned indoor smoking. The follow-up, Love In The Buff (2012, pictured), sees the couple break up and reunite in Beijing.

The third installment follows the couple to Taiwan and sees their relationship tested when Jimmy’s childhood friend asks him to donate sperm for her artificial insemination. Paul Chun Pui also stars as Cherie’s estranged...

Beloved in her native Hong Kong for a singing career encompassing more than 40 albums and for appearances in over 30 films, Miriam Yeung has come to the New York Asian Film Festival to receive their Star Asia award. Yeung hasn’t come empty-handed, she’s here with the film credited with reenergising her screen career, Pang Ho-cheung’s Love in a Puff, and her latest, an emotional story of lost chances and second lives, She Remembers, He Forgets, for which director Adam Wong was on hand. The Lady Miz Diva: Ms. Yeung, how do you feel about winning the Star Asia award? Miriam Yeung: Oh, it’s my pleasure. It’s a really great encouragement to me for my movie career. Lmd: What are...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Hong Kong-based Mei Ah Entertainment Group has announced a slate of six films at Hong Kong Filmart, including a film centred on a half-butterfly woman and China’s answer to Boyhood.

Based on Cai Jun’s popular suspense novel, Butterfly Cemetery 3D is a $12m fantasy thriller about a half-butterfly woman directed by Joe Ma and produced by Manfred Wong.

The effects-heavy film was shot mainly in Budapest and stars Zhang Li and Vivian Dawson.

Wong is the producer of a further two projects, of which the first is an untitled crime thriller by Philip Yung. Inspired by a true story, the film follows a village woman who travels across China to track down the murderer of her husband over 17 years. It is also produced by Julia Chu, who produced Yung’s critically acclaimed Port Of Call.

The second is Yu Zhong’s Growing Up, a coming-of-age drama that follows Wu Zang Suet, the child star...

One of the biggest events on Hong Kong's film festival calendar - the Hong Kong Asian Film Festival - has revealed its full line-up, which will open on 28 October with She Remembers, He Forgets, the new film from Adam Wong, who caused a splash two years ago with The Way We Dance. Also sharing opening duties this year is Jia Zhangke's Mountains May Depart. The festival will run until 22 November, closing out with the world premiere of Nick Cheung's second directorial effort, Keeper of Darkness.She Remembers, He Forgets is described as follows by the festival:Ten years into her marriage with Shing-Wah (Jan Lamb), Fung-Chi (Miriam Yeung) finds herself unhappy with her humdrum life both at work and at home. One day, a song...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Media Asia launched its new slate at Filmart yesterday, which includes Johnnie To’s heist movie Three and Adam Wong’s He Remembers, She Forgets, starring Miriam Yeung and Jan Lamb.

To’s heist drama Three stars Louis Koo, Vicki Zhao Wei and Wallace Chung in the story of doctor who finds herself in a crossfire between the police and gangsters.

To has also teamed with Yau Nai-hoi to produce Trivisa, directed by three up-and-coming filmmakers, about three notorious mainland gangsters who come together for their latest heist.

Wong’s new Media Asia project is nostalgic romantic drama He Remembers, She Forgets, produced by Teddy Robin and Svaille Chan.

Wong won best new director at last year’s Hong Kong Film Awards for his independently-produced street dance movie, The Way We Dance.

Media Asia’s 2015 slate also includes two romantic comedies: All You Need Is Love, starring Richie Jen and Shu Qi; and An Office And A Panderer...

Johnnie To may be best known for his high-octane crime thrillers, but he has also achieved considerable critical and commercial success with his romantic comedies. Needing You... and Love On A Diet are prime examples, while the more recent Don't Go Breaking My Heart saw To successfully break into the mainland Chinese market. To has directed a sequel to Don't Go Breaking My Heart, and its cast is stellar, including Louis Koo, Miriam Yeung, Daniel Wu, Gao Yuanyuan and Vic Chou. Now thanks to its Australian distributor Magnum Films, we have Five double passes to give away to our readers. For a chance to win, all you have to do is to follow these two steps:1) Like the Magnum Film Facebook page, and2) Email your name and...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

From the Toronto International Film Festival, Adam Cook and Daniel Kasman continue our series of festival dialogues. Johnnie To's Don't Go Breaking My Heart 2 had its world premiere in Tiff's Special Presentations section.

Adam Cook: Here we are again, talking To. It's frustrating how many times I've encountered a dismissive attitude towards Johnnie To's romantic comedies. I realize even the director himself disassociates from them, but, and especially with his most recent works, the rom-coms have been as formally intricate and as impressively crafted as his more revered crime films. As everyone was praising Drug War, it was Romancing in Thin Air that stood out for me. Before that there was Don't Go Breaking My Heart (written on here by Ignatiy Vishnevetsky), an impossibly entertaining love triangle in the big city movie, that while over the top and silly, had some of To's most impressive images...

The Toronto International Film Festival announced more selections Tuesday for the upcoming 2014 edition of the annual awards season kick-off. The majority of the festival's program was announced last month, but this group includes intriguing world premieres from notable directors such as Todd McCarthy ("The Cobbler") and Gina Prince-Bythewood ("Beyond the Lights"). A number of the titles revealed have screened at other festivals including the underrated "Infinitely Polar Bear" and "Laggies" from Sundance as well as Cannes players "Two Days, One Night," "The Search" and "Clouds of Sils Maria." And yes, the presence of "Sils Maria," which is a favorite of this particular writer, means Kristen Stewart will likely hit one of the festival's many red carpets. As you'd expect for Toronto, the world premieres feature some big names including Josh Hutcherson and Benicio Del Toro in "Escobar: Paradise Lost," Jean Dujardin in "The Connection (La French)," Dustin Hoffman in "Boychoir,...

The 2014 Toronto Film Festival, which begins Sept. 4, added seven Galas and 17 Special Presentations to its lineup, including a semi-serious Adam Sandler project from Tom McCarthy, the director of The Station Agent and The Visitor. In The Cobbler, Sandler plays a man who has the unique ability to walk in his customers’ shoes. The movie features Dustin Hoffman, who also stars in Boychoir, François Girard’s tale of an orphan’s steep learning curve at a prestigious music school. In Welcome to Me, Kristen Wiig plays a mentally unstable woman who wins the lottery and decides to sink her winnings into a talk show.

Expect to see a bevy of stars on the red carpet at the Toronto International Film Festival this September. Today, more Gala and Special Presentation titles were announced, with some star-studded projects in the mix. Now, Escobar: Paradise Lost, starring Benicio del Toro as the infamous drug lord, will have its world premiere at Tiff, as will The Forger, with John Travolta, Christopher Plummer and Tye Sheridan.

Other promising projects newly announced to be screening at Tiff are Win Win director Thomas McCarthy’s The Cobbler, which finds Adam Sandler taking on a rare dramatic role; Clouds of Sils Maria, which stars Juliette Binoche as an aging actress who confronts the young starlet (Chloe Grace Moretz) taking on the role that made her famous decades earlier; and Gemma Bovery, starring Gemma Arterton as the sensual object of a French food critic’s affection. Check out the full list of new...

The 39th Toronto International Film Festival added another seven Galas and 17 Special Presentations to its September fest lineup running September 4 to 14. Here are the newcomers:

Galas

Boychoir François Girard, USA World Premiere

An orphaned 12-year-old boy is sent to prestigious music school where he struggles to join an elite group of world-class singers. No one expects this rebellious loner to succeed, least of all the school’s relentlessly-tough conductor who wages a battle of wills to bring out the boy’s extraordinary musical gift. Starring Dustin Hoffman, Kathy Bates, Josh Lucas, Kevin McHale, Eddie Izzard, Debra Winger and Garrett Wareing.

The Connection (La French) Cédric Jimenez, France/Belgium World Premiere

Marseille, 1975. Pierre Michel, a young police magistrate with a wife and children, has just been transferred to help crack down on the city’s organized crime. He decides to take on the French Connection, a Mafia-run operation that exports heroin all over the world.

Hong Kong’s Media Asia has sold Johnnie To’s romantic comedy Don’t Go Breaking My Heart 2 to Magnum Films for North America.

Starring Louis Koo, Miriam Yeung and Gao Yuanyuan, the film is a sequel to To’s 2011 hit Don’t Go Breaking My Heart. Magnum also picked up two other Media Asia titles as part of a package – To’s Romancing In Thin Air and Gary Mak’s Sdu: Sex Duties Unit.

Media Asia has also sold animated feature Monkey King Reloaded to Turkey’s Saran Media and Myanmar’s Golden Yellow Tree, which also acquired action thriller Helios.

Directed by Sunny Lok and Longman Leung, Helios stars a pan-Asian cast including Jacky Cheung, Nick Cheng and Korea’s Ji Jin-hee and Choi Si-won. Media Asia has already received several offers from Korea for the film and expects to close a deal during Cannes.

Pang Ho Cheung is easily one of Hong Kong's most interesting directors. His recent films Love In A Puff, Love In The Buff and Vulgaria have all been critical and commercial successes. His latest film, Aberdeen, was one of the two opening films at this year's Hong Kong International Film Festival, and on-line tickets for its screening were sold out within 8 minutes! Starring Louis Koo, Miriam Yeung, Gigi Leung, Eric Tsang, Ng Man Tat and Carrie Ng, this is one of the must-see Hong Kong films of 2014. Now thanks to Magnum Films, we have Five double passes for Aberdeen to give away to our Australian readers. For a chance to win, all you have to do is to follow these two steps:1) Like the Magnum...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Pang Ho Cheung delivers a beautifully observed portrait of a modern Hong Kong family that fuses social commentary with fantastical imagery and his trademark cheeky humour to wonderful effect.In a notable shift in tone from his recent successes, Hong Kong director Pang Ho Cheung takes a more serious look at his home town in Aberdeen, and the myriad challenges facing its inhabitants, as experienced by the Cheng family. An increasingly despondent tour guide, Wai Ching (Miriam Yeung) wrestles with lingering grievances about her dead mother, while her doctor husband, Yau (Eric Tsang) has drifted into a steamy affair with his buxom young nurse (Jacky Choi). Meanwhile Wai Ching's brother Tao (Louis Koo), who tutors young women in using their looks to snare wealthy husbands, is struggling...

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Hong Kong’s Media Asia has unveiled a slate of new productions at Filmart, including Lawrence Cheng’s romantic comedy Break Up 100 and a big screen adaptation of hit TV series Triumph In The Sky.

Co-directed by Wilson Yip and Matt Chow, Triumph In The Sky is produced by Tommy Leung and will star Julian Cheung, Francis Ng and Louis Koo.

Starring Ekin Cheng and Chrissie Chau, Break Up 100 tells the story of couple who try to run a business together after breaking up and reuniting 99 times.

The slate also includes Johnnie To’s Don’t Go Breaking My Heart 2, starring Koo, Miriam Yeung and Vic Chou, along with romantic drama She Remembers, He Forgets, directed by Adam Wong (The Way We Dance) and produced by Teddy Robin and Saville Chan.

In addition, Leon Lai is making his directorial debut for Media Asia with action drama Wine War, in which he also stars. Lai is also...

Just how far would you go to attain physical perfection? What would you be willing to do to hold onto that beauty once it’s within your grasp? How much would a compromise like that cost: financially, morally, and physically? Being beautiful isn’t easy and there are so many factors that you need to take into consideration: the mass murder, the resurrections, the cannibalism, the head-hoarding, the upkeep of an immortal body steadily declining into rot and, of course, locating somebody tight-lipped enough who’ll supply you with fetal-flavored dumplings as a starter.

The intention of this column is to cast a net over some ladies in the horror genre whose evil grooming techniques resulted in flawless skin, great hair, a high-body count and their own inevitable annihilation.

A word of advice: don’t try any of these beauty regime at home, kids.

Hellbound: Hellraiser 2: Julia Cotton (dir:...

Pang Ho-cheung’s Aberdeen and Fruit Chan’s The Midnight After will open this year’s Hong Kong International Film Festival (Hkiff), which takes place March 24-April 7.

Starring Louis Koo, Miriam Yeung and Gigi Leung, Aberdeen is a drama revolving around different members of an extended Hong Kong family. Post-apocalyptic thriller The Midnight After recently premiered in the Panorama section of the Berlin film festival.

The festival will also screen the world premiere of Beautiful 2014, the third installment in the portmanteau series co-produced by Hkiff and Chinese online video platform Youku. This year, the short films have been directed by Australia’s Christopher Doyle, China’s Zhang Yuan, Hong Kong’s Shu Kei and Korea’s Kang Je-gyu.

Another omnibus film, Three Charmed Lives, will also receive its world premiere at the festival. The film comprises shorts directed by three actors: Hong Kong’s Francis Ng, Taiwan’s Chang Chen and Korea’s Jeong U-seong.

On March 30, the...

Hong Kong – Director Pang Ho-cheung's Aberdeen and director Fruit Chan's The Midnight After will open the 38th Hong Kong International Film Festival. Aberdeen, starring Louis Koo (The White Storm), Gigi Leung (The Monkey King), Eric Tsang (Infernal Affairs), and Miriam Yeung (Love in the Buff), will hold its world premiere at 8pm on the festival's opening night on March 24. The film sees Pang (Vulgaria) explore the difficulties faced by three generations of a Hong Kong family. Photos: China Box Office 2013: The Top 10 Movies "We choose Aberdeen because it's a film by Pang Ho-cheung, whom we

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The lineup has been announced, and two films we be officially opening this year's Hong Kong International Film Festival, which runs from 24th March to 7th April. The World Premiere of Pang Ho Cheung's Aberdeen, starring Miriam Yeung, Gigi Leung, Eric Tsang and Louis Koo (who is also this year's festival ambassador) will screen at the Hk Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui, while the Asian Premiere of Fruit Chan's The Midnight After (which debuted in Berlin) will play concurrently at the Hk Convention & Exhibiton Centre in Wan Chai.It has already been announced that Dante Lam's latest explosive action thriller, That Demon Within, which pits Nick Cheung against Daniel Wu, will close the festival, but in between is a mammoth line-up of prestige titles...

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After a dalliance on the mainland in his hugely successful sequel Love In The Buff, Hong Kong's Pang Ho Cheung has returned home for his latest directorial endeavour, Aberdeen - a comedy-drama focusing on three generations of one family as they deal with heartbreak and hardship.Pang regular Miriam Yeung stars alongside Eric Tsang, Louis Koo and Gigi Leung, and the film is slated for a May release in Hong Kong. While the official line-up has yet to be announced, it's very likely that Aberdeen will debut at the 38th Hong Kong International Film Festival, which is to be held from 24 March - 7 April.Here's the official synopsis:Life starts and ends with a breath of air. And between each breath, one goes through life's ups...

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The 4th New York Chinese Film Festival is set to present the best in Chinese cinema in the heart of Manhattan from November 5-7. Presented by the Chinese American Arts Council and the Chinese movie channel CCTV-6, the festival will screen 7 films from Hong Kong & China throughout the 3-day event and will additionally feature renowned filmmakers and performers Vicky Zhao Wei, Miriam Yeung, Xiubo Wu and Donnie Yen. Zhao Wei's directorial debut "So Young" will feature as the festival's opening night film at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall. Film screenings will take place Empire 25 followed by a closing night awards ceremony at Capitale. Check out the full 3-day festival highlights and schedule below: 4th New York Chinese Film Festival Films: So Young (Opening Night Presentation at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, 8:00pm) – Directed by Vicky Zhao Wei. So Young is the debut directorial effort of the renowned Chinese actress Vicky Zhao Wei.

Comic actor Xu Zheng's directorial debut broke a slew of box office records to become the most successful Chinese language film of all-time on home soil. But despite slick production values and a strong cast, Lost in Thailand is a private joke, funny only to a 1.3 billion-strong home crowd. Xu Zheng made a name for himself as part of director Ning Hao's comedy ensemble, appearing in the smash hit caper movies Crazy Stone (2006) and Crazy Racer (2009), as well as Ning's still unreleased Western Sunshine (aka No Man's Land). Last year, Xu appeared in Pang Ho Cheung's Hong Kong hit Love in the Buff as Miriam Yeung's rich new boyfriend, but all of that is now firmly in his past, and he is likely to...

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As local director Pang Ho Cheung is gearing up to premiere two new films at this month's Hong Kong International Film Festival, international distributor China Lion has announced that it already has one of them scheduled for release in North America at the end of the month. Love In The Buff, which is the official opening film of the 36th Hkiff on 21 March, will open in selected North American cities on 30 March. A sequel to Pang's incredibly well-received romantic comedy Love In A Puff, this second helping sees Miriam Yeung and Shawn Yue reconnect in Beijing, after the economic downturn sends them north of the border looking for work.China Lion is also expanding its release of Dante Lam's The Viral Factor into 10...

Two years ago, while struggling with the post-production troubles of his slasher flick Dream Home, writer-director Pang Ho Cheung whipped off a little rom-com called Love In A Puff. Garnering headlines for earning itself a Category III rating for its ripe Cantonese language (which means under 18s are not permitted to see the film), it turned out to be one of the year's smartest, funniest works. Miriam Yeung and Shawn Yue play office workers who meet during their regular smoking breaks and embark on a relationship. Two years later and Pang has produced a sequel, bringing back his lead couple but taking the action north to Beijing. While the title suggests something saucier this time out, that seems unlikely considering it is a mainland production and...

“Sorcerer and the White Snake” has been one of the more hotly anticipated Chinese releases of 2011, and it’s not hard to see why, given the talent in front of and behind the camera. Boasting an impressive Us$25 million budget and premiering at the Venice Film Festival, the fantasy production stars Jet Li in the lead as a Buddhist monk, butting heads with Eva Huang (“Kung Fu Hustle”) and Twins’ Charlene Choi as snake demons, with Raymond Lam (“Jade and the Pearl”) and Wen Zhang (“Ocean Heaven”) as the two young men caught in the middle, plus cameos by from the likes of Vivian Hsu, Miriam Yeung, Chapman To and Jiang Wu. Directed by legendary helmer and action choreographer Ching Siu Tung, responsible for numerous genre classics including “Swordsman”, “A Chinese Ghost Story” and others, the prestigious film was produced by Yang Zi and Chui Po Chu (“Crouching Tiger Hidden...

Produced by Hong Kong favourite Johnnie To, tough revenge drama “Punished” is the latest from the popular Milkyway Image studio, which as usual means an emphasis on character and writing along with action and thrills. The film was directed by To regular Law Wing Cheong, who recently helmed “Ptu” spinoff “Tactical Unit: Comrades in Arms” and Miriam Yeung breast cancer comedy “2 Become 1”, and who also appeared in the likes of “Vengeance” and “Sparrow”. Headlining the film are another of his usual collaborators in Anthony Wong and Richie Jen, with support from Janice Man (“Frozen”), Maggie Cheung Ho Yee (“Men Suddenly in Love”), singer Candy Lo (“Split Second Murders”), Jun Kung (“Rebellion”), Charlie Cho (“Bet to Basic”), and Wong’s own real life teenage son Wong Yat Yat. The film follows Anthony Wong as property developer tycoon Wong Ho Chiu, whose daughter Daisy (Janice Man) causes him no end of trouble with her drug taking,...

China Lion Films is going to be bringing the epic film of the story of the founding of the Chinese Communist party to Us theater screens this week when Beginning Of The Great Revival finds it's way into theaters. The film boasts "over 150 top actors" and the cast is actually quite impressive. Stars like Chow Yun Fat, Andy Lau, Fan Bingbing, Daniel Wu, Chen Daoming, Miriam Yeung... it's exhaustive. No official word on whether or not Tang Wei's scenes will also be cut out of the print shown in the Us, as they were in China, but it's probably a safe bet.

China Lion Films is going to be bringing the epic film of the story of the founding of the Chinese Communist party to Us theater screens this week when Beginning Of The Great Revival finds it's way into theaters. The film boasts "over 150 top actors" and the cast is actually quite impressive. Stars like Chow Yun Fat, Andy Lau, Fan Bingbing, Daniel Wu, Chen Daoming, Miriam Yeung... it's exhaustive. No official word on whether or not Tang Wei's scenes will also be cut out of the print shown in the Us, as they were in China, but it's probably a safe bet.

2011 will be another busy year for Pang Ho-Cheung, as it was confirmed that he planned a “Love In A Puff” sequel to shoot sometime next year. The director recently relocated to Beijing, expanding his market to the mainland China and has already planned to work on several projects - without forgetting about his local Hong Kong market. The sequel is a first for Pang, he'll basically continue from right where he left off with the conclusion of the first installment, once again employing Miriam Yeung Chin Wah and Shawn Yue. This time, it will talk about the life of Cherie, played by Miriam, and Jimmy, played by Shawn after they decide to live together, starting their cohabitation while trying hard to quit smoking. There will be another love interest for Cherie, possibly played Daniel Wu, further complicating the couple’s relationship. The project is currently in development.

Hong Kong film studios Media Asia recently held a presentation ceremony at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre to unveiled its films line-up for 2010, showcasing a diverse range of genres and boasting some of the biggest film talents in Asia. 

The action bonanzas in Media Asia's line-up include Dante Lam's cop flick Fire of Conscience, starring Leon Lai and Richie Jen; Andrew Lau's martial arts epic Legend of the Fist: the Return of Chen Zhen, starring Donnie Yen and Shu Qi; Felix Chong's action comedy Once a Gangster, starring Ekin Cheng and Jordan Chan; and Su Chao-pin's sword fighting Reign of Assassins (produced by John Woo), starring Michelle Yeoh and Jung Woo-sung.

Noir thrillers include Law Wing-cheong's Punished (produced by Johnnie To), starring Anthony Wong and Richie Jen; Johnnie To's untitled project, starring Lau Ching-wan and Richie Jen; and Gao Qunshu's Manhunt (tentative title), which...

Mark my words: If Pang Ho-Cheung's 'strangers falling in love in a smoking pit' rom-com Love In A Puff ends with the leads quitting smoking because they've found each other it's going to spark a bidding war for remake rights.  That may well happen anyway but it's got a better chance if things on a PC happy ending.

Since 2007, the Hong Kong health authority has implemented an anti-smoking law that bans people from smoking in all indoor areas, including work places, public places, restaurants, and karaoke lounges.  This pushes office smokers to take their cigarette breaks outdoors in the street.  Smokers from the same building are gradually bonded and form a new community known as "Hot Pot Pack" as they would gather around a trash bin with an ashtray, sharing small talk with raunchy jokes like they are at a hot pot dinner.

Chimney (Shawn Yue) is a mild mannered,...

Pang Ho-Cheung's much-delayed slasher picture Dream Home dropped its first teaser earlier today and also turning up is new artwork for the freshly completed romantic-comedy that Pang turned out while his trip to slasher-ville was stalled out by internal squabbling with producers.

Since 2007, the Hong Kong health authority has implemented an anti-smoking law that bans people from smoking in all indoor areas, including work places, public places, restaurants, and karaoke lounges.  This pushes office smokers to take their cigarette breaks outdoors in the street.  Smokers from the same building are gradually bonded and form a new community known as "Hot Pot Pack" as they would gather around a trash bin with an ashtray, sharing small talk with raunchy jokes like they are at a hot pot dinner.

Chimney (Shawn Yue) is a mild mannered, sneaky and smooth advertising executive in his twenties.  While smoking in an alley packed with booming...