News

After the discovery of a grisly scene in an apartment, the police investigate into the lives of those involved. While Tai (Lam Sem), who lives in the apartment, was found unconscious, a classmate of his, Don (Kyle Li), was found holding the severed head of a prostitute named Yu Ting (Hanna Chan). As the officers interrogate the two youths, as well as their teacher (Alan Yuk), who is also somehow involved in the events, using physical torture on some of the suspects, they also find out about Xiaomei (Huang Lu), a female student whose background and cup size has made her a frequent target for her classmates’ mockery and bullying. What seemed like a clear-cut murder case at first, becomes something far more complex, leading directly into the dark heart of a country’s moral corruption and its obsession with keeping up a shiny appearance to the outside world.

“G Affairs...

“The darker the underbelly, the prettier the top layer,” says one of the main characters in “G Affairs,” a striking, metaphor-heavy excursion into corruption and moral decay in contemporary Hong Kong. This knockout debut by young director Lee Cheuk-pan revolves around half a dozen people whose lives are connected by a severed head that appears in the film’s breathtaking opening shot. Standing stylistically apart from just about everything else in recent Hong Kong cinema, “G Affairs” picked up a swag of Hong Kong Film Awards nominations ahead of a brief local release in March. Lee’s urgent and vital film ought to enjoy a long festival run, especially in light of recent events that have placed renewed focus on the Special Administrative Region’s immediate and long-term futures.

“G Affairs” is at once a pulpy crime drama and an arresting exercise in experimental storytelling. The film takes its title...

In the past decade, Hong Kong has seen a growing number of first-time or emerging filmmakers. To help young filmmakers build a long-term sustainable career and to meet the needs of an increasingly diversified audience culture and film industry, the Hong Kong Arts Centre (Hkac) sees a pertinent need to assist filmmakers to expand their professional and personal horizons, enrich their crafts, network and get recognised on local and international levels.

In 2019, coinciding with the 50th Anniversary of the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, one of the world’s most prestigious and influential breeding grounds for accomplished filmmakers, the Hkac presents New Waves, New Shores: Cannes Directors’ Fortnight 50 Meets Hong Kong Cinema. Hong Kong-based film critic, journalist and curator, Clarence Tsui, is the Hkac’s guest curator of the film screening series and will conduct discussion panels and workshops under this programme.

Venue: Louis Koo Cinema, Hong Kong Arts Centre

Date: 06.06.2019 – 23.06.2019

Schedule...

Last month’s Hong Kong Film Awards was on a special mission. In addition to the usual star-studded glamour, the event was literally a stage for newcomers. Lesser-known young actors were given the opportunity to present awards as well as giving speeches to introduce the best film contenders to the audience.

The event, with 37 years of history behind it, has never felt so young and refreshing.

The special treatment given to the young actors was seen as a response to a crisis of the Hong Kong film industry. As established stars ranging from Chow Yun-fat and Andy Lau to international action heroes Jackie Chan and Donnie Yen age well into their 50s and 60s, there’s no new generation of local younger stars to follow in their footsteps.

“Hong Kong has a lot of great young talents but times have changed and they have less exposure and opportunities to practice their crafts in bigger,...