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Watching a critic becoming a director is always an interesting endeavor, and much more in Freddie Wong, who seems to have dealt with a number of other capacities in cinema before he shot his own film. The movie in question is “The Drunkard”, a film based on the homonymous novel by the late Liu Yichang, who is is considered the founder of Hong Kong’s modern literature.

The story revolves around Lau, an author and article writer who struggles to maintain his integrity and sustain himself financially in the midst of the economic boom Hong Kong experienced in the late 1950s and early ’60s. As the wuxia wave started to take over all aspects of art and particularly cinema and literature, Lau found himself being criticized for the lack of action in his works, and subsequently, fired. Having no alternative, and after a script he wrote for a movie is stolen,...

Title: Lost for Words Fabrication Films/ Studio Strada Director: Stanley J. Orzel Screenwriter: Stanley J. Orzel, Joseph Bendy Cast: Sean Faris, Grace Huang, Joman Chiang, Will Yun Lee Screened at: Critics’ link, NYC, 10/11/13 Opens: October 18, 2013 While auditioning for a solo role in a Hong Kong ballet production, Anna (Grace Huang) is called “adequate” by the artistic director, but is chosen because the instructor, who has a romantic interest in the dancer, supports her. “Adequate” is the best word to describe Stanley J. Orezel’s movie “Lost for Words,” a painfully slow-moving romantic drama about star-crossed lovers. The male lead, Michael, played by Sean Faris, is star-crossed (if you [ Read More ]

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And here's the rest fo them which includes loads of world premiers, plenty of Asian flare, and lot's of film makers I've never heard of before..

Check the list after the break.

Panorama Main Programme

Dongbei, Dongbei (A North Chinese Girl) by Zou Peng, People’s Republic of China (Wp)

With Tian Yi-Wen, Wu Rui-Peng, Liu Xing-Ping

Rabioso sol, rabioso cielo (Raging Sun, Raging Sky) by Julián Hernández, Mexico (Wp)

With Jorge Becerra, Javier Oliván, Guillermo Villegas, Giovanna Zacarias

Rossiya 88 (Russia 88) by Pavel Bardin, Russian Federation (Wp)

With Petr Fyodorov, Vera Strokova, Kazbek Kibizov

Schläft ein Lied in allen Dingen (Sleeping Songs) by Andreas Struck, Germany (Wp)

With Stefan Rudolf, Chulpan Khamatova, Traute Hoess, Paula Kalenberg, Barnaby Metschurat

Strella by Panos H. Koutras, Greece (Wp)

With Mina Orfanou, Yiannis Kokkiasmenos, Minos Theoharis, Betty Vakalidou

Vingança (Retribution) by Paulo Pons, Brazil

With Bárbara Borges, Erom Cordeiro, Branca Messina, Guta Stresser, Marcio...

Hong Kong International Film Festival

HONG KONG -- In director Tsang Tsui-shan's feature debut a directionless woman confused in her emotional life honors the time-worn tradition of a fresh start in a new location. Tsang's slight portrait of a city and a person is the kind of council-funded, independent, festival-ready film that programmers love. Thus it should have a life on the festival route. Beyond that, domestic release even in Hong Kong seems unlikely, though a DVD release is sure bet.

A couple, Lei (Joman Chiang) and Lau (Dick So), troubled by infidelity, head to Beijing from Hong Kong to smooth out their rocky relationship. He has a job as a graphic designer, but her days are spent mostly wandering the streets and feeling like an outsider, having no friends and unable to speak the language fluently. Things look up when she meets Masa (Otsuka Masanobu), a Japanese man living in Beijing for no apparent reason. Eventually, she hits upon the idea of creating a chronicle of life in the capital from the point of view of other foreign residents like herself. Later, Lei and Masa make a trip to Shanxi. She is forced to confront her feelings of alienation, for Masa, and ultimately for Lau.

"Lovers on the Road" is rife with the kind of extended tracking shots that come close to defining Asian indies these days. Though barely feature length, the slow pace of any forward momentum brings the film to a near halt on more than one occasion. Staying focused on Lei's developmental journey becomes a taxing chore. The DigiBeta photography (by Eric Hui Chung-yin) gives the film a dreamy tone that only fleetingly comes to life despite the vivid color palette.

The bright spot is Chiang, who brought a dose of realist gravity to the alarmist "Besieged City". Once again she provides a grounded, sympathetic presence, this time with little to work with in Tsang and Luk BoBo's underwritten script. She's in almost every scene, and never once does she slip into indulgent melancholy. Her performance is one of understated bewilderment.

LOVERS ON THE ROAD

A Tsang Tsui-shan production

Sales: Ying E Chi

Credits:

Director: Tsang Tsui-shan

Writer: Tsang Tsui-shan, Luk BoBo

Producer: Tsang Tsui-shan

Director of photography: Eric Hui Chung-yin

Production designer: Siu Man Wong Liang-yih

Music: Rose Mansion

Editor: Kattie Fan Ho-ki.

Cast:

Chiang Lei: Joman Chiang

Lau: Dick So

Masa: Otsuka Masanobu

Gao: Kou Chin-ngai

Xiao Yin: Li Yan

Wang Yung: Gao Qi Lun

Running time -- 75 minutes

No MPAA rating...