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Chicago – The 19th Edition of the Asian Pop-Up Cinema (Apuc) concluded on April 13th. 2025, with the presentation of their first competitive film awards, on the heels of their 10th Anniversary gala a week before. HollywoodChicago.com was on the Red Carpet at the gala, reports on the award honorees and did interviews.

The first ever competition Apuc film festival presented the following at their screening hub in Chicago’s AMCNewCity … Grand Jury Feature Film Award to “Yen and Ai-Lee” (Taiwan) a relationship film between an estranged mother and daughter (see interview below); the Best Short Film Award went to “Wanna Die Wanna Kill” (South Korea), a shocking black comedy that spotlights filmmaker Jaehee Jeong, a striking new talent; and the Francis Kwong Memorial Award for best new or emerging director was given to Gao Peng for “A Long Shot.” (China). This second feature for Peng features an ensemble cast maneuvering...

Asian Pop-Up Cinema is set to hold its 10th anniversary gala on Saturday, April 5, 2025, with filmmakers, actors, and cinephiles in attendance to celebrate the milestone, emceed by Fox 32’s Joanie Lum at CineCity Studios Chicago (2429 W. 14th St.). The centerpiece of the event features a conversation with the directors of six films in this year’s 19th Asian Pop-Up Cinema festival, representing six different regions throughout Asia. Tickets (starting at $350) available at www.asianpopupcinema.org/2025-Gala.

Behind The Lens: Six Directors, Six Perspectives

Moderated by Asian Pop-Up Cinema founder and executive director Sophia Wong Boccio, “Behind the Lens: Six Directors, Six Perspectives” presents a wide-ranging conversation about the Asian film industry and its role in global cinema. The panel guests include:

Anselm Chan, director of The Last Dance: Extended Version (Hong Kong) Junichi Yasuda, director of A Samurai In Time (Japan) Tom Lin Shu-Yu, director of Yen And AI-lee (Taiwan) Lee Mi-Rang,...

Screen Rant is proud to present the trailer for Uncork’d Entertainment's new revenge thriller, End of Loyalty. The film premieres On Demand and on DVD Tuesday, March 7th, and follows two best friends who abide by two completely different sets of rules. When Grant's father is killed by a rival crime family, it's up to the federal agent, Ray Rose, to keep him from starting down a path he can't come back from. However, as Grant's need for revenge continues to grow with his grief, they are forced to weigh the value of their friendship against their contrasting codes of ethics.

Directed by Avatar: The Way of Water sculptor, Hiroshi Katagiri, End of Loyalty stars Vernon Wells, Michael Pare, Braxton Angle, Justice Joslin, Simon Phillps, Sho Ikushima, and Tenley Kellog. Katagiri has worked in the special effects and make-up department for projects such as The Mandalorian, Captain Marvel,...

End of Loyalty, the latest feature directed by Hiroshi Katagiri, a special effects and makeup expert whose long list of credits includes The Mandalorian, Captain Marvel, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Pacific Rim, The Hunger Games and James Cameron’s latest blockbuster, Avatar: The Way of Water, has been picked up by Uncork’d Entertainment for the U.S.

The shoot-’em-up stars genre icons Vernon Wells (Mad Max II : The Road Warrior) and Michael Pare (Streets of Fire), alongside Braxton Angle, Justice Joslin, Simon Phillips, Sho Ikushima and Tenley Kellogg, and follows a man seeking retribution after his father, the head of a notorious crime family, is killed by a rival. But as his grief turns into violence and destruction, his best friend, a federal agent, does everything he can to keep him from going off the deep end. Their friendship is tested as both men cling to their conflicting moral codes.