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US$38K Grant for Short Film Projects

Hk Producer John Chong as Chief Mentor

Plus: Premiere of AFA18 Youth Ambassadors’ Visual Story A Reflection on Mesmerising Encounters in Cinema

Organised by the Asian Film Awards Academy, with patronages of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of the Hong Kong Sar Government and the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao Sar Government, and the support of the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (Ccidahk), the Film Development Fund (Fdf) of the Hong Kong Sar Government, and Sands China Limited, and Shaw Studios as sponsors, the International Film Camp (IFC) 2025 officially launched today with a press conference announcing event details and the opening of submission. The event was attended by renowned film figures, including producer John Chong; directors Stanley Kwan, Nick Cheuk, and Tracy Choi; and actors Natalie Hsu, Lam Yiu Sing, Rachel Leung, and Lo Chun Yip. A short film with...

Gambling has always been a great technique to tell stories, especially in Asian movies where the stakes are often as high emotionally as they are financially. Asian filmmakers have mastered the genre, making everything from gritty vengeance thrillers to sleek action comedy. They mix high drama, suspense, and fascinating characters into movies that people love to see, even when they’re not at the casino.

This selection is for you if you like movies that mix luck, talent, trickery, and psychological warfare. We’ve put together a list of some of the top Asian gambling movies that highlight how risky and rewarding the casino business can be. These movies have been graded or acclaimed on IMDb.

And if you want to test your luck after the credits roll, make sure to visit the best rated casino sites for a safe and exciting online gaming experience.

1. God of Gamblers (1989) – IMDb 7.2

Director:...

Anselm Chan’s The Last Dance leads the pack going into the 43rd Hong Kong Film Awards (Hkfa) with 18 nominations.

It is followed by Soi Cheang’s Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In with 14 nods and Philip Yung’s Papa with 11 nominations. All three films will face off alongside Adam Wong’s The Way We Talk and Ray Yeung’s All Shall Be Well, in both the best film and best director categories.

The 18 nominations secured by The Last Dance is the highest in Hkfa’s history since Teddy Chen’s Assassins And Bodyguards received the same number in 2010. Chan...

From a celebrated television actor to a multi-award-winning film star and the founder of One Cool Group, Koo is renowned for his outstanding performances and dedication to fostering the growth of local cinema. He has actively nurtured talent and breathed new life into the industry, cementing his legendary status through his remarkable accomplishments and lasting influence.

HKIFF49 will take place from 10 to 21 April. As a tribute to Koo’s contribution to Hong Kong cinema, it will showcase his ten most influential works, publish a commemorative book, and produce a limited-edition notebook in collaboration with long-term festival partner Moleskine. The star actor-turned-producer will also engage in a Face to Face session to share his insights and vision with the public.

Albert Lee, Executive Director of the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society (Hkiffs), paid tribute to Koo, stating, “After serving as the Hkiff ambassador for five consecutive years since 2014, we are...

Hing-Ka Chan is a rare breed of filmmaker and writer. He masterfully juggles humor, drama, and social commentary. By the end of the film you realise what an insight you’ve had into each of the characters, but during it? You never even have to work. His films are sharp, witty, and packed with surprises. Whether you’re here for the laughs, the layered storytelling, or just curious about his work, keep reading. I guarantee you’ll find out something new about this talented director.

Poker King (2009)

Poker King tells the story of a man who had no real interest in his family’s casino business until he tried to learn how to play poker online. After finding a passion for Texas Hold’em, he ends up competing to be crowned the Poker King. It doesn’t sound terribly deep, but it’s one of Hing-Ka Chan’s more poignant films.

Gambling films make for an exciting viewing experience, complete with high rollers, risky bets, crowded poker tables, and fast-paced storylines. Like online resources such as this one www.gambleonlineaustralia.com/, they are an excellent place to learn gambling strategies and see different casino plays in action. But gambling films are not limited to Hollywood. In fact, there seems to be a movie with some aspect of casino life in just about every country. Below, we review the top gambling films from the Asian continent.

God of Gamblers (1989)

God of Gamblers features some humor, which surprisingly works well with the gambling theme. The 1989 classic follows pro-gambler Ko Chun, who is so good at gambling he is considered the “god of gamblers.” Chun, like any man, has eccentricities, his being that he enjoys a piece of chocolate in every game he plays. He beats another master gambler, Tanaka, beginning a series of humorous and engaging events.

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...

Exclusive: Baseball film recenrtly premiered at Hkiff.

Hong Kong-based Golden Scene has picked up international rights to Chan Chi Fat’s Weeds On Fire, which recently premiered at the Hong Kong International Film Festival (Hkiff).

Inspired by the true story of Hong Kong’s first teenage baseball team, the film revolves around two childhood friends coming of age in the new towns of 1980s Hong Kong.

Produced by renowned scriptwriter Chan Hing Kai and cinematographer O Sing Pui, the film is the inaugural production of the First Feature Film Initiative, a scheme backed by CreateHK to support first-time feature directors in Hong Kong.

Veteran actor Liu Kai Chi plays the baseball coach with actor Lam Yiu Sing (High Noon) and Wu Tsz Tung, a member of the Hong Kong baseball team, rounding out the cast.

Golden Scene’s Cannes slate also includes Herman Yau’s The Mobfathers, which also premiered at this year’s Hkiff, and controversial...

Exclusive: Chinese star Zhang Hanyu and Japan’s Masaharu Fukuyama have been confirmed as the first leading cast for John Woo’s upcoming action thriller Manhunt.

Backed by Hong Kong’s Media Asia, the film is based on Japanese novel Hot Pursuit, from pulp fiction writer Juko Nishimura, about a prosecutor who is framed for robbery and rape and sets out on a mission to clear his name.

It was first adapted into a 1976 Japanese film, titled Kimi yo fundo no kawa wo watare, starring Ken Takakura.

Woo is directing the reboot from a script written by Chan Hing Kai (A Better Tomorrow) and Gordon Chan (Painted Skin). A third major cast member will be announced soon and production is set to begin at the end of May.

Zhang has starred in Chinese hits such as The Taking Of Tiger Mountain and Bodyguards And Assassins and will also appear in Zhang Yimou’s upcoming co-production The Great Wall, alongside...

Exclusive: Chinese star Zhang Hanyu and Japan’s Masaharu Fukuyama have been confirmed as the first leading cast for John Woo’s upcoming action thriller Manhunt.

Backed by Hong Kong’s Media Asia, the film is based on Japanese novel Hot Pursuit, from pulp fiction writer Juko Nishimura, about a prosecutor who is framed for robbery and rape and sets out on a mission to clear his name.

It was first adapted into a 1976 Japanese film, titled Kimi yo fundo no kawa wo watare, starring Ken Takakura.

Woo is directing the reboot from a script written by Chan Hing Kai (A Better Tomorrow) and Gordon Chan (Painted Skin). A third major cast member will be announced soon and production is set to begin at the end of May.

Zhang has starred in Chinese hits such as The Taking Of Tiger Mountain and Bodyguards And Assassins and will also appear in Zhang Yimou’s upcoming co-production The Great Wall, alongside...

Exclusive: Hong Kong’s Mei Ah Entertainment will unveil several projects at Filmart today, including a co-production with Wong Kar Wai’s Jet Tone Productions titled Drive Me Crazy, and a Boyhood-inspired drama, Growing Up, which will be shot over a period of 15 years.

Drive Me Crazy, a $12m romantic drama scripted by Zhou Jingzhi (The Grandmaster), tells the story of a jilted bride who pays a stranger to take her on a road trip from Beijing to Yunnan.

Chen Chang and Luodan Wang (The Continent) will head the cast of the film, which is currently in pre-production. The director has yet to be confirmed.

Produced by Manfred Wong and directed by Yu Zhong, Growing Up will follow a group of child actors as they grow up in Beijing – with the aim of capturing the growth of the city and China as a country, as well as the children.

In addition, Gordon Chan and [link...

A Better Tomorrow 2012

Stars: Jin-mo Ju, Seung-heon Song, Kang-woo Kim, Han Sun Jo, Kyeong-yeong Lee | Written by Hing-Ka Chan, Suk-Wah Leung | Directed by Hae-sung Song

A Korean remake of John Woo’s original film, A Better Tomorrow 2012 tells the story of Hyuk (Jin-mo), who lives the fast life as a high-ranking mobster in Busan, South Korea with his closest pal, fellow mobster Lee Young-Chun (Seung-heon). Hyuk is haunted by the memory of leaving behind his younger brother Chul (Kang-woo) and mother as they attempted to flee into South Korea from North Korea. Hyuk is set up by the police and jailed. Three years later, he is released and travels back to Busan to find his younger brother Chul now a high-ranking police officer. Hyuk tries to earn back the trust of his brother, but rejection and betrayal are hard to forget. Things come to a head when Young-Chun pulls Hyuk into doing one last gig.

The Descendants (15)

(Alexander Payne, 2011, Us) George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller, Nick Krause, Robert Forster. 115 mins

A sideways move from Sideways takes Payne on another tour of masculine crises, though this has mellowed and matured for longer. Family issues jolt Clooney out of his Hawaiian comfort zone. His wife's sudden coma puts him in charge of their two daughters, and brings their marriage into perspective, while his control of the ancestral estate adds to the burden. It's a well-rooted drama of great performances and big themes (and probably big awards).

Like Crazy (12A)

(Drake Doremus, 2011, Us) Anton Yelchin, Felicity Jones, Jennifer Lawrence. 90 mins

Young love sees no colour, but it must abide by visa regulations in this cross-Atlantic romantic saga, which tests a couple's endurance in an offbeat, indie style.

The Grey (15)

(Joe Carnahan, 2012, Us) Liam Neeson, Dermot Mulroney, Frank Grillo. 117 mins

Liam Neeson v wolves – seems like a good match.

Fact: I wouldn’t give a damn about this movie if Donnie Yen weren’t all over it. The guy has charisma to spare, and while it’s good to see him doing something that doesn’t require him to pummel human beings for two straight hours, I’m still not too sure about this one. I understand that the “All’s Well, End’s Well” franchise is a staple of Chinese New Year cinema, but even I have my limits when it comes to schmaltzy goofiness. You’ll see what I mean in just a second. Assuming, of course, that you’re brave enough to stuff this trailer into the oh-so tender folds of your brain. Chan Hing-ka and Janet Chun’s “All’s Well, End’s Well” stars Louis Koo, Sandra Ng, Donnie Yen, Bak-Ming Wong, Kelly Chen, Chapman To, Lynn Hung, Mi Yang, and Ni Yang. The film opens on January 19th,...

If you have seen and liked the music video for Donnie Yen's new film All's Well Ends Well 2012 that we posted just before Christmas, you may also want to check out the film's new English-subbed trailer that has become available. The comedy is directed by Chan Hing-ka and Janet Chun (All's Well Ends Well 2011, La Comedie Humaine), and features an all star cast including Donnie Yen, Louis Koo, Kelly Chen, Lynn Hung, Chapman To and Sandra Ng. All's Well Ends Well 2012 is due to be released in Hong Kong and China just before Chinese New Year. And for my fellow Australians, the film has been picked up by China Lion for distribution and will open in cinemas on Australia Day.  ...

A brand new music video has been released for Donnie Yen's new film, All's Well Ends Well 2012 (also known as Eighth Happiness). Directed by Chan Hing-ka and Janet Chun, who were responsible for All's Well Ends Well 2011 as well as La Comedie Humaine (one of the best Hong Kong comedies of 2011), the film is due for release during Chinese New Year in 2012. All's Well Ends Well 2012 features an all star cast including Yen, Louis Koo, Kelly Chen, Lynn Hung, Chapman To and Sandra Ng. In the film, Donnie plays a rock star and for this role, he has been practising his singing and dancing. The song featured in the Mv, sung by Donnie himself, is a new version of...