News

Although there seem to be fewer Kung Fu movies released lately, many of the Kung Fu movies released in recent years have been of excellent quality. These movies feature meticulously choreographed fight scenes and are filled with action and stunts. Some of these modern films are so good that a few years later, they might even be considered Kung Fu classics, like many Kung Fu films from the '90s.

Originally associated with Hong Kong, many more traditional Kung Fu movies were created in China. These Kung Fu films created incredible action stars, with countless Kung Fu classics that even include animated films. Still, while the Kung Fu films recognized as classics are generally older, many of the Kung Fu films released nowadays will be contenders for such a title down the line.

Raging Fire (2021) Benny Chan's Final Film Was A Hit

Directed by the iconic late Benny Chan in his final film,...

Tubi boasts a vast collection of martial arts films, including obscure gems and cult classics you won't find elsewhere. "The Paper Tigers" is a Kickstarter success with a unique premise, offering a fun-filled martial arts experience that stands out from the crowd. Tony Jaa's "The Protector" showcases breathtaking action sequences and serves as a great introduction to his outstanding martial arts skills.

Everyone loves a good martial arts movie every once in a while. There's something inherently appealing about them. Maybe it's the physicality and choreography on display, or maybe it's the hidden storytelling that goes on in every fight. Either way, they're a staple of the action genre, and they're still going strong after hundreds of separate titles.

Tubi just so happens to have every martial arts movie under the sun, even including some of the most obscure and legally-dubious productions in all of their grainy glory. If...

Exclusive: Grant Feely (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Connor DeWolfe (The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers) and Mykel Shannon Jenkins (The Paper Tigers) have been tapped for roles alongside Luke Hemsworth, Morgan Freeman and Joseph Baena in the upcoming actioner, Gunner.

The film from writer-director Dimitri Logothetis (Jiu Jitsu), which is currently shooting in Alabama, follows Special Ops veteran Lee Gunner (Hemsworth) as he takes his two sons on a fishing trip to reconnect. The trip soon turns awry when the boys stumble upon a massive drug running operation and are kidnapped by Dobbs (Jenkins), the son of gang kingpin Kendric Ryker (Freeman) who runs his organization from prison. With no one but himself to retaliate and with elite combat skills they won’t see coming, an enraged Gunner wreaks havoc to rescue his two sons from Ryker’s gang.

Feely is repped by A3 Artists Agency, Aligned Stars and Pkm Talent...

Netflix subscribers only have until the end of February to watch Harrison Ford’s U.S. president tell Gary Oldman’s terrorist to “get off my plane!”

Wolfgang Petersen’s Air Force One, which also stars Glenn Close, is set to depart the streaming service at the end of the month.

Also leaving on Feb. 28, is Scream 4, less than two weeks before Hayden Panettiere’s Kirby Reed returns to the horror franchise in Scream 6.

And March 1 will see Netflix lose acclaimed indies Sorry to Bother You, written and directed by Boots Riley and starring Lakeith Stanfield as a telemarketer; the Wall Street drama Margin Call; and Jennifer Aniston starrer Cake.

Earlier this month, Netflix will drop the 2015 action rom-com Mr. Right, starring Sam Rockwell as an assassin and Anna Kendrick as the woman who falls for him.

The streamer is also saying goodbye to stand-up specials from Zach Galifianakis and Bert Kreischer.

In February 2023, Netflix will remove a bunch of movie and TV series from its library,

Netflix UK and Netflix US takes down numerous titles each month without fanfare, meaning that many things on your watchlist could suddenly disappear.

These removals are due to licencing deals coming to an end. Often, the titles make their way back to Netflix in the following year, but sometimes they leave to go to other platforms.

This month sees a selection of Netflix Originals being taken down, also.

To minimise surprise, we have put together a comprehensive list of everything being removed in both Netflix UK and US.

Find a full list of every movie and TV series being added to Netflix this month here.

Nb: The Independent compiled this list with help from What’s on Netflix.

UK

Movies

1 February

Amélie

Biking Borders

Christmas Under Wraps

The Cider House Rules

Collateral (2004)

Equilibrium

Event Horizon...

In February 2023, Netflix will remove a bunch of movie and TV series from its library,

Netflix UK and Netflix US takes down numerous titles each month without fanfare, meaning that many things on your watchlist could suddenly disappear.

These removals are due to licencing deals coming to an end. Often, the titles make their way back to Netflix in the following year, but sometimes they leave to go to other platforms.

This month sees a selection of Netflix Originals being taken down, also.

To minimise surprise, we have put together a comprehensive list of everything being removed in both Netflix UK and US.

Find a full list of every movie and TV series being added to Netflix this month here.

Nb: The Independent compiled this list with help from What’s on Netflix.

UK

Movies

1 February

Amélie

Biking Borders

Christmas Under Wraps

The Cider House Rules

Collateral (2004)

Equilibrium

Event Horizon...

As Netflix makes room for rom-com galore this February, a slate of classic flicks and beloved favorites, from Boots Riley’s “Sorry to Bother You” to the Samuel L. Jackson-led “Coach Carter,” will be exiting the platform.

“Air Force One” and “Walking Tall” and join the slate of action movies exiting the streaming service this month. Even spookier, several thrillers, including “Scream 4,” “Shutter Island,” “The Forest,” “Term Life” and “Margin Call” are also leaving Netflix this month.

Other notable titles that won’t be available on the streaming platform after February include “Cake,” “Mr. Right,” seasons 2 and 3 of “H2O: Just Add Water,” seasons 1 and 2 of “Versailles,” “The Paper Tigers,” “No Escape Room,” “Dragonheart: Vengeance” and several editions of “One Piece.” Catch up while you can!

Here’s the full list of what’s leaving Netflix in February 2023 below, and check out what’s new on Netflix here.

Also...

In February 2023, Netflix will remove a bunch of movie and TV series from its library,

Netflix UK and Netflix US takes down numerous titles each month without fanfare, meaning that many things on your watchlist could suddenly disappear.

These removals are due to licencing deals coming to an end. Often, the titles make their way back to Netflix in the following year, but sometimes they leave to go to other platforms.

This month sees a selection of Netflix Originals being taken down, also.

To minimise surprise, we have put together a comprehensive list of everything being removed in both Netflix UK and US.

Find a full list of every movie and TV series being added to Netflix this month here.

Nb: The Independent compiled this list with help from What’s on Netflix.

UK

Movies

1 February

Amélie

Biking Borders

Christmas Under Wraps

The Cider House Rules

Collateral (2004)

Equilibrium

Event Horizon...

February is for lovers. But with its list of new releases for February 2023, Netflix is unveiling another season of arguably its least romantic show.

That’s right: Joe is returning in You season 4 part 1 on Feb. 9. This time around our central stalker played by Penn Badgley is across the pond in jolly old England, living an unassuming life as a bearded professor and looking for his next target. If you don’t get your fill of You this month, stay tuned for the second part of season 4 in March.

You will be joined in February by a third season of another buzzy Netflix original. The kids of Outer Banks return on Feb. 23 to find their literal and metaphorical treasure once and for all. Other originals this month include rich dog docuseries Gunther’s Millions on Feb. 1 and animated family title My Dad the Bounty Hunter on Feb. 9.

Netflix is also bringing...

In February 2023, Netflix will remove a bunch of movie and TV series from its library,

Netflix UK and Netflix US takes down numerous titles each month without fanfare, meaning that many things on your watchlist could suddenly disappear.

These removals are due to licencing deals coming to an end. Often, the titles make their way back to Netflix in the following year, but sometimes they leave to go to other platforms.

This month sees a selection of Netflix Originals being taken down, also.

To minimise surprise, we have put together a comprehensive list of everything being removed in both Netflix UK and US.

Nb: The Independent compiled this list with help from What’s on Netflix.

UK

Movies

1 February

Amélie

Biking Borders

Christmas Under Wraps

The Cider House Rules

Collateral (2004)

Equilibrium

Event Horizon

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

Guest House

Holmes & Watson

Hostel

The King’s Speech

Letters to Juliet

Love Happens...

Exclusive: Emmy nominee Rain Valdez (Razor Tongue) has rounded out the cast for her first feature Re-Live, with Yoshi Sudarso (Bullet Train), Jamie Clayton (20th/Hulu’s upcoming Hellraiser), Vico Ortiz (Our Flag Means Death), Nicky Endres (The Dropout), Chris Renfro (Queer as Folk), Sydney Viengluang (Z Nation) and Benjamin Alves (Mystery of the Night) signing on for roles.

Valdez leads the cast, which also includes Rachel Leyco, Maricel Soriano and Rosario Dawson, as previously announced.

The film going into production early next year tells the story of Rowena (Valdez), a transgender actress who returns to her home on Guam for her high school reunion’s “do-over week,” to live out a big regret… her childhood dream of becoming a cheerleader. But she must then confront a different kind of reunion, with her estranged family.

Sudarso plays Matthew, a former wallflower turned Dilf. Guam’s most eligible bachelor. He reconnects with Rowena,...

Really, this one’s all about Pig isn’t it? The film in which Nicolas Cage plays a chef who embarks on a mission to retrieve his kidnapped best friend – a truffle-foraging pig. If you don’t want to watch that at least twice in January, then you may be beyond help. Other than that, Sky Cinema in the UK is offering the sequel to acclaimed horror A Quiet Place, which stars Cillian Murphy this time around, as well as videogame adaptation Monster Hunter.

Other than those three, check out what’s coming to Sky Cinema this month below.

Movie Premieres & Sky Originals

The Croods 2: A New Age – 1st January

Animated sequel about a prehistoric family featuring the voices of Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds and more.

Naked Singularity – 2nd January

A comedy crime-drama starring Star Wars’ John Boyega as a New York public defender who gets tangled up with a drug heist.

It’s Scene 1, Take 1 for the 2021-22 class of ViacomCBS’ Directors Initiative. This year’s group, which is guaranteed to helm an episode of television on CBS, includes Julie Herlocker, Joy T. Lane Steven J. Kung, Pat Santana and Bao Tran.

The initiative provides a platform for experienced directors to gain access to showrunners, executives, managers and agents and the opportunity to shadow CBS Television Network and CBS Studios shows throughout the year. The program helps directors develop meaningful relationships with industry professionals that are essential to getting hired.

“The ViacomCBS Directors Initiative gives television directors the access, exposure and opportunity to be successful in this industry,” said Tiffany Smith-Anoa’i, EVP Entertainment Diversity and Inclusion, Global Inclusion, at ViacomCBS. “The success of this initiative has created a growing community of support, where past participants, who are now in positions of influence, are mentoring and hiring current participants.”

One of last year’s participants,...

The Fighting Spirit Film Festival is a unique festival dedicated to Martial Arts films. Through martial arts cinema the organisers aim to entertain and inspire people, promote martial arts culture, and support those who have chosen it as a career. Now in its sixth year, the London edition returns with a full action-packed weekend at Stratford East Picturehouse! The 2021 edition and its poster are dedicated to martial artist Max Repossi and filmmaker/musician Steven Santa Cruz, who prematurely died this past year.

In addition to screening five feature films, it will also be showcasing 32 short films by independent film makers and artists from all over the world. On top of that, there will be live Martial Art demonstrations from various clubs throughout the two days. Attendees will be able to meet and mingle with all the performers, and also with actors and production staff from the films who will be at the event.

The 44th Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF44) announced the award winners of this year. Sinophone – especially Taiwanese – films did especially well this year. The award of Emerging Director – Narrative Feature went to Keff, director of “Taipei Suicide Story”, and the award of Emerging Director – Documentary Feature went to Wei Deng, director of “Father”. The full list of award winners and nominees is highlighted below. A hybrid festival combining in-person events with online screenings, AAIFF44 took place from Aug. 11-22.

AAIFF44 celebrated storytelling by the Aapi community with 102 feature and short films, in-person events such as Comedy Night Out and Music Video Showcase, as well as in-person and livestreamed panels including Americanish: A Case Study in American-Muslim Representation, 35 Years of Taipei Stories, and A Paradise Lost: Hollywood’s Effect on Hawai’i. 13 jury prize award winners were determined by leading industry professionals including Isabel Sandoval, director/producer/screenwriter of “Lingua Franca”, Bao Tran,...

(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they’ve been watching, why it’s worth checking out, and where you can stream it.) The Movie: The Paper Tigers Where You Can Stream It: Netflix The Pitch: Three former martial arts geniuses known as the “Three Tigers” have grown into disillusioned middle-aged men who […]

The post The Daily Stream: ‘The Paper Tigers’ is a Cornball Martial Arts Dad Comedy appeared first on /Film.

“F9” (Universal/$19.99) is #1 on all four VOD charts we follow. It leads both on FandangoNow and Vudu, which list by rental revenue, and iTunes and Google Play, which rank by volume of renters. That suggests total dominance of home interest, but there’s a big caveat with “Jungle Cruise,” which opened #1 at the box office. It’s also available on Disney+ for $29.99 and the studio reported worldwide PVOD revenue of over $30 million for its first weekend. How much of that came from the U.S.is unclear, but the guess is most since VOD penetration is still lacking overseas.

Universal typically allows three weeks before opening the PVOD box office, but “F9” is the studio’s first title to wait five weeks. It grossed over $50 million on its opening weekend and under Universal’s agreement with theaters that meant a minimum 31 days for VOD.

“A Quiet Place Part II” made...

New Indie

Emma Seligman’s impressive “Shiva Baby” (Utopia) premieres on Blu-ray this month, and it’s a blisteringly funny, character-based comedy about a young Danielle (played by Rachel Sennott) whose rootless life when she attends a shiva with her parents (Fred Melamed and Polly Draper), only to encounter the boyfriend who’s financially supporting her, his wife — whom Danielle didn’t know existed — and Danielle’s ex-girlfriend. It’s a full buffet of misunderstandings, awkward encounters, and scene-stealing character actors, with a cast that also includes Jackie Hoffman, Dianna Agron, and Molly Gordon.

Also available: A jaded clickbait reporter has an unforgettable encounter in the indie comedy “15 Things You Didn’t Know About Bigfoot” (Kino Lorber); over-the-hill kung fu disciples rouse themselves from mid-life torpor to avenge the death of their master in the martial-arts comedy “The Paper Tigers” (Well Go USA Entertainment).

New Foreign

Eytan Fox’s cultural-generational...

A simple price change created this week’s biggest shift in VOD viewing. “The Little Things,” the Denzel Washington-starring serial killer thriller that debuted day-and-date in theaters and on HBO Max, dropped its $19.99 premium VOD to $5.99. It rose to #1 at Apple TV and gained top-10 showings at FandangoNow and Google Play. Spectrum Cable’s chart should pick it up this week.

In its second week of PVOD play, “The Marksman” notched #1 at FandangoNow, #2 at Apple TV, and #3 at Google Play. That’s a strong response for the last two which, unlike FandangoNow, list by number of rentals rather than revenue.

“Nomadland,” newly reduced in price at Spectrum, placed #1 there. The Best Picture winner fell elsewhere, notching lower slots at Apple TV and GooglePlay. Original Screenplay winner “Promising Young Woman,” a presence for four months in PVOD and now VOD, was the only other Oscar recipient to remain on the lists.

Martial arts movies remain contentious in Asian American cinema. On one hand, the likes of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan have made major breakthroughs in the US; thanks to their kung fu movies from the 20th century, Hollywood realized that Asians too are excellent leads. On the other hand, however, the same films have molded into an unbreakable ceiling for Asian American actors. Stereotypes of sagely shifu and nunchuck-wielding warriors have since been well baked-in, the most recent “Mortal Kombat” (2021) notwithstanding.

Quoc Bao Tran’s “The Paper Tigers” (2020) enters the fray with a charming spin on an age-old trope. This production too had initially faced funding resistance. Critics denounced “yet another” Asian American martial arts movie, clamoring for other forms of representation. Upon viewing, however, these arguments seem redundant, if not ironic. “The Paper Tigers” is anything but. While it plays with the usual tropes of kung fu comedy, the...

Game of Thrones alum Emilia Clarke toplines Lionsgate’s Above Suspicion, the Phillip Noyce-directed crime thriller that debuts in select theaters and on digital and on-demand platforms Friday. Jack Huston, Sophie Lowe, Austin Hébert, Karl Glusman, Chris Mulkey, Omar Miller, Kevin Dunn, Thora Birch and Johnny Knoxville also co-star in the film, which is based on a true story of one of the most notorious crimes in FBI history.

Clarke plays Susan Smith, a woman desperate to escape a seedy life of crime and drugs in a Kentucky coal mining town. When newly minted FBI agent Mark Putnam (Huston) recruits Susan as his informant for a high-profile case, she believes her bad luck may finally be changing. But as Susan and Putnam’s relationship deepens, so does the danger, setting them both on a collision course with deadly consequences.

“Shot in the area in which the real story took...

With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options—not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves–each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit platforms. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

The Columnist (Ivo van Aart)

Never read the comments—a universal rule for all writers who publish, share, or create on the internet. No matter what you say or how you say it, there will always be a troll ready to disparage your work or you personally. They don’t need a reason beyond their ability to do so. They don’t need a salient point either. And it’s precisely because they possess neither that they ultimately live rent-free inside the minds of everyone they attack with artificial anonymity. One doesn’t even have to read their words to feel their pain because knowing they exist eats at you regardless.

There is a scene in The Paper Tigers in which Hing (Ron Yuan) details how one can tell a certain kick is special. Not the technique or style, but the sound. At that moment, everything else falls away, and Danny (Alain Uy), Jim (Mykel Shannon Jenkins), and Hing listen for the sound. It’s a special detail in a film full of them, thanks in large part to writer/director Tran Quoc Bao.

Both a comedy and a drama full of expertly-built fight sequences, The Paper Tigers is a welcome surprise as the pandemic begins to wane in the United States. Ahead of the film’s theatrical and VOD release this Friday, The Film Stage spoke with Tran Quoc Bao and producer Yuji Okumoto about finishing the film during quarantine, maintaining the kind tone of the picture throughout, and constructing fight scenes that would stand out amongst the fray.

This...

The first thing you should know about Tran Quoc Bao’s “The Paper Tigers” is that his low-budget kung fu comedy — the heartfelt tale of three arthritic middle-aged Seattle men reuniting to avenge the murdered sifu who mentored them as teenagers — is often just as winning and delightful as you would hope from its premise. Unfolding like , Tran’s debut feature delivers a ton of charm for a kung fu throwback, and kicks a lot of ass for a broad comedy about some old guys relearning how to honor each other and fight for themselves.

If “The Paper Tigers” sags around the middle and loses its focus as it limps towards a finale that doesn’t hit with the force that it should, well, perhaps that’s to be expected from a martial arts movie whose heroes can’t throw a punch without pulling a muscle.

Tran establishes his old-school...

Aging Kung Fu prodigies come together in a fun action/comedy that manages to find humor and a ton of heart in an old-school martial arts style. I know I shouldn’t start this way, and make you read just a little bit more, but….I Love The Paper Tigers. It’s definitely one of the best films I’ve […]

The post The Paper Tigers is a Genuine Martial Arts Masterpiece (Review) appeared first on Cinelinx | Movies. Games. Geek Culture..

With only a couple of clicks of the dial and a little dash of hybrid vigor, the hackneyed can be made fresh again, a point proven by Tran Quoc Bao’s silly and special little kung fu comedy “The Paper Tigers.” Balancing the naive structure of an old Shaw Brothers movie (a vengeance mission with an escalating series of fights en route to the Big Boss showdown) with the kind of male-midlife-comedy schtick that bought Judd Apatow a house or six, Tran’s irresistibly good-humored debut is a diverting blend of Hong Kong and Hollywood that delivers, on a slender, Kickstarter-enhanced budget, a rousing roundhouse hug to both traditions.

Danny (Alain Uy), Hing (Ron Yuan) and Jim (Mykel Shannon Jenkins) have become estranged in the 25 years since they were “The Three Tigers,” disciples of kung fu master Sifu Cheung (Roger Yuan) — scenes that play out with younger actors in lovingly re-created garage VHS footage.

The Fantasia International Film Festival will be celebrating its 25th edition as a virtual event accessible to audiences across Canada, with a

dynamic program of scheduled screenings and premieres, panels, and workshops running from August 5 through August 25, 2021, once again using the leading-edge platform created by Festival Scope and Shift72.

As the summer approaches, the festival will be following advice from local health authorities, with the possibility of also adding a range of flagship physical events to the lineup.

Last summer’s virtual edition was a phenomenal success, screening to 85000 spectators and amassing a record amount of media coverage, with 475 accredited journalists from around the world covering Fantasia and its titles. The lineup showcased 104 features, a quarter of which were World Premieres, with the majority securing distribution out of the festival, with highlights including “The Block Island Sound” selling to Netflix, “Come True” to IFC, “The Paper Tigers” to WellGo USA,...

"When the hands cross... all will be revealed." Well Go USA has released an official trailer for a martial arts action comedy titled The Paper Tigers, marking the feature directorial debut of filmmaker Quoc Bao Tran. This premiered at the Fantasia Film Festival last year, then stopped by numerous other festivals in the fall including the Busan, Hawaii, and Asian American Film Festival. Three Kung Fu prodigies have grown into washed-up, middle-aged men, now one kick away from pulling their hamstrings. But when their master is murdered, they must juggle their dead-end jobs, dad duties, and old grudges to avenge his death. The film stars Alain Uy, Ron Yuan, Mykel Shannon Jenkins, Matthew Page, Andy Le, and Yuji Okumoto. This already looks like an indie cult classic!! Seems like a fun throwback and a clever Kung Fu dark comedy. Here's the official US trailer (+ posters) for Quoc Bao Tran's The Paper Tigers,...

Exclusive: The Hawai‘i International Film Festival (Hiff) has unveiled its lineup for its 40th anniversary of the festival which will be a hybrid of in-person and virtual screenings. This marks the fiest time that Hiff will be accessible to audiences across the nation. The fest will focus on Hawai‘i-made films and Kanaka Maoli filmmakers and will take place November 5-29.

“This has been an enormously difficult year for nonprofits, artists and arts organizations, and creative entrepreneurs in Hawai’i. While our 40th anniversary isn’t the grand experience we had been planning, I could not be more proud and excited to announce our Festival lineup.” says Hiff Executive Director, Beckie Stocchetti. “For our 40th anniversary, the Hiff lineup is a statement on the perseverance and resilience of Hawaii’s community and entrepreneurial spirit. In an unexpected Festival year, we are proud to have pivoted our theater experience into a top-tier streaming experience,...

Exclusive: Well Go USA Entertainment has acquired the North American rights to Bao Tran’s action comedy The Paper Tigers and has slated a theatrical release in Spring 2021.

Written and directed by Tran, the movie is an homage to Seattle’s martial arts scene from the 1970s and 1980s as well as the legendary Bruce Lee. The story follows Danny (Alain Uy of Helstrom), Hing (Ron Yuan of Mulan) and Jim (Mykel Shannon Jenkins of Undisputed III) who, as teenagers were kung fu prophecies and were inseparable. After graduation, the trio drifted apart due to a mysterious fallout at an overseas tournament. Fast forward 25 years, and they are now adults — washed up middle-aged men to be specific. They are one kick away from pulling a hamstring and not at all preoccupied with thoughts of martial arts or childhood best friends. That all changes when their old master is murdered and...

Stars: Mykel Shannon Jenkins, Alain Uy, Ron Yuan, Joziah Lagonoy, Matthew Page, Jae Suh Park, Ken Quitugua, Roger Yuan | Written and Directed by Bao Tran

Essentially The Paper Tigers is a feel-good movie that uses martial arts as a vehicle for a story about finding oneself, re-discovering not only friendships of youth but also one’s self-esteem. In this case self-esteem that comes with martial arts – the quite strength, the feeling a of power that comes from the discipline that one needs to fully learn and be in control of your skills.

As teens, friends Danny (Alain Uy), Hing (Ron Yuan) and Jim (Mykel Shannon Jenkins) were inseparable. Loyal disciples to their Sifu, Master Cheung (Roger Yuan), they trained together, fought together and planned to become the next great martial arts masters. Life, as they say, has other plans, and when Danny left to take part in a tournament in Japan,...

The Fantasia International Film Festival closed out its 2020 edition yesterday, having successfully transitioned to a cutting-edge digital event in the wake of the global Covid-19 pandemic. Canadian audiences proved dedicated to the long-running festival, and flocked to the digital edition, which saw over 85,000 spectators watch films and special events across the country and beyond. Of special interest to audiences were the fest’s twenty-five World Premiere features, including bows for Come True, The Block Island Sound, Hunted, Undergods, Tiny Tim: King For A Day, The Paper Tigers, The Curse Of Audrey Earnshaw, Pvt Chat, Slaxx, The Oak Room, and Unearth.

The 24th edition of the festival also saw a record amount of media coverage, with 475 accredited journalists from around the world promoting Fantasia and its ground-breaking content. From Canadian and U.S. media to popular, top-tier outlets as far away as Japan and Portugal, Fantasia’s media presence has never been stronger.

Fallen legends, faded friendships, and a heartwarming homecoming; The Paper Tigers hits a lot of the familiar touchstones for Kung Fu cinema while making them feel fresh, funny, and full of heart. The new underdog martial arts comedy from debut feature filmmaker Quoc Bao Tran follows three former friends who used to be kings of their local Kung Fu scene, known as the unbeatable “Paper Tigers”, and find their way back to each other after the death of their former master. Fueled by a tremendous trio of leads, Tran’s light touch, and tightly choreographed fight scenes, The Paper Tigers …...

The virtual edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival had a killer lineup that included feature-length and short genre films from around the world, and they have officially announced their award winners:

03 September 2020 - Montreal, Quebec - The Fantasia International Film Festival closed out its 2020 edition yesterday, having successfully transitioned to a cutting-edge digital event in the wake of the global Covid-19 pandemic. Canadian audiences proved dedicated to the long-running festival, and flocked to the digital edition, which saw over 85,000 spectators watch films and special events across the country and beyond. Of special interest to audiences were the fest’s twenty-five World Premiere features, including bows for Come True, The Block Island Sound, Hunted, Undergods, Tiny Tim: King For A Day, The Paper Tigers, The Curse Of Audrey Earnshaw, Pvt Chat, Slaxx, The Oak Room, and Unearth.

The 24th edition of the festival also saw a record amount of media coverage,...

The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, presented by Visual Communications, has announced that its 36th edition will take place virtually from Sept. 24 to Oct. 31.

The festival postponed its original in-person presentation in May due to the Covid-19 pandemic, holding in its place the first-ever Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival Virtual Showcase. But now, the festival is ready to present its full lineup of 225 filmmakers over the course of five weekends.

This year’s festival will include the world premieres of “I’ll Meet You There,” “One Meal,” “Accept the Call,” “The Girl Who Left Home,” “Finding Yingying” and “The Celine Archive.” Other selections include Ramona S. Diaz’s “A Thousand Cuts,” Baljit Sangra’s “Because We Are Girls,” Bao Tran’s “The Paper Tigers” and Ursula Liang’s “Down a Dark Stairwell.”

Beyond Los Angeles, the festival is also screening international films like “Death of Nintendo” and “Patutiki: The Guardians of Marquesan Tattoo.

Exclusive: After postponing its in-person festival that was originally slated for May, the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (Laapff) is ready to return — virtually, of course. Visual Communications (Vc) will present the 36th Annual Laapff from September 24 to October 31.

“Visual Communications is grateful for these storytellers who believe in the power of media to build and connect communities,” said Francis Cullado, Executive Director of Visual Communications. He added, “Vc thanks these artists and community members for utilizing their creative powers to oppose racism and amplify change.”

The fest will include the World Premiere of Mallorie Ortega’s musical dramedy The Girl Who Left Home as well as the U.S. Premiere of Bao Tran’s martial arts action-comedy The Paper Tigers.

Laapff will also include special screenings of Ursula Liang’s Down A Dark Stairwell, Iram Parveen Bilal’s I’ll Meet You There as well as Ramona S. Diaz...

Danny, Hing and Jim are the Paper Tigers, three Gung Fu prodigies who have lost their way and grown into washed-up, middle-aged men. Danny works in insurance and struggles to fulfill his shared time with his son. Hing is hobbled and collects disability checks. Jim has left Gung Fu and now teaches Jiu Jitsu and Mma. The horror. These three ‘brothers’ are forced to reunite after twenty-five years apart when their master is murdered. They must overcome old age and old grudges if they are to find their master’s killer and get justice for his murder. The Paper Tigers is a rare contemporary martial arts film. It follows the type of traditional structure we would find in a classic Shaw Brothers film, that of...

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

Most fans of martial arts cinema are expected to witness plenty of hard-hitting action and intense themes of loyalty and brotherhood in their films, not heartwarming tales about getting older. While there’s still plenty of the former on display, director Bao Tran attempts to mix together some unexpected elements into his new martial arts effort Paper Tigers, now screening at Fantasia International Film Festival.

“The Paper Tigers” screened at the Fantasia International Film Festival:

After growing up as tight-knit friends, Danny (Alain Uy), Hing (Ron Yuan) and Jim (Mykel Shannon Jenkins) have all grown apart as adults with their own lives and responsibilities. When the death of their former sifu occurs, the group is reunited once again and decide to set out to look into his death when something doesn’t sit well with the proclamation of what happened to him is revealed. The closer the group gets to the truth about what happens,...

Ron Yuan, Alain Uy and Mykel Shannon Jenkins as The Three Tigers Photo: Mark Malijan

Made on a small budget but prepared to make a big splash as part of this year’s Fantasia line-up, Bao Tran’s Paper Tigers follows three middle-aged former martial artists who have to brush up their old skills when suspicions develop about the sudden death of their old sifu. They’re not as fit as they used to be but they soon realise that they’ll need to improve if they’re to have any hope of getting to the truth, defending the honour of their school or even staying alive. Fighting and comedy come together in this entertaining indie. I asked its director why he decided to make a martial arts film about men of this age.

He laughs. “I think I was really interested because I was starting to become that man of a certain age.

Tran Quoc Bao is preparing to make a big splash with his debut feature film, the martial arts comedy flick The Paper Tigers. While we work on our review of this flick we have the pleasure of sharing an exclusive clip with you today. Three childhood Kung Fu prodigies have grown into washed-up, middle-aged men – now one kick away from pulling their hamstrings. But when their master is murdered, they must juggle their dead-end jobs, dad duties, and overcome old grudges to avenge his death. In this clip our heroes - Danny, Hing and Jim - have been challenged by a trio of punk martial artists to a duel for reasons I will leave for you to discover when you see the...

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

Few things are as scary as real life these days, but for those seeking more refined thrills and chills, this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival continues to provide the best in “genre” entertainment. While the “genre” moniker is wide-ranging enough to stir up images of everything from slasher films to kung fu epics, the annual Canadian festival has consistently stretched the concept to embrace all sorts of off-beat features that go somehow beyond the norm of mainstream cinema.

This year’s lineup is no different, encompassing not just terrifying horror movies and wild martial arts action, but true stories about unique people, unexpected romantic dramas, even a careful examination of how a cute cartoon frog became a symbol of hate. If it’s weird or wacky, it just might land at Fantasia.

This year’s festival runs August 20 through September 2, though it is only available online to Canadian audiences.

Exclusive: Mulan actor Ron Yuan will sit in the director’s chair for the upcoming untitled 47 Ronin sequel. The action-fantasy pic will be produced by Universal 1440 Entertainment, a production entity of Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.

“I’m incredibly excited to be working with Universal and the producing team on this genre-blending, martial arts, action, horror and cyber-punk film,” said Yuan. “This will be a fun, intense, supercharged thrill ride for viewers globally.”

The original film was directed by Carl Rinsch and written by Chris Morgan and Hossein Amini from a story conceived by Morgan and Walter Hamada. Keanu Reeves, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tadanobu Asano, Rinko Kikuchi and Ko Shibasaki starred in 47 Ronin, which was based on Chūshingura. The pic tells a fictionalized account of the titular 47 rōnin, a real-life group of samurai in the 18th century who set out to avenge the death of their master who was killed by a merciless shogun.

With cinemas closed in much of the world and viewers watching films via streaming platforms, genre filmmakers at this week’s Frontières could be forgiven for primarily looking to Ott services to distribute their projects.

Genre films, of course, have increasingly found a home in recent years on SVODs. Mainstream platforms like Netflix have enjoyed success with the likes of sci-fi thriller “Bird Box,” while specialist platforms like AMC Networks-owned streamer Shudder, which features horror, thriller and supernatural fiction titles, have emerged as significant buyers at festivals and markets.

Yet, despite the inexorable rise of streaming platforms and the struggles of theaters amid Covid-19 cinema shutdowns, many of the producers and directors pitching projects on June 25 at Frontières – the annual Cannes Film Market dedicated to genre film – say they remain keen on a theatrical release alongside streamer distribution.

“We’re keen to find the best home for our film,...

Projects about biohacking, werewolves, Kung-Fu and even killer fingernails and the menopause are among those being presented at this week’sFrontières Platform Cannes for genre films.

A co-presentation between the Cannes Film Market and Canada’s Fantasia International Film Festival, this year’s Frontières selection is also notable for featuring a large number of genre projects by female filmmakers and centered on female characters. The projects also come from as far afield as Argentina, Israel and Russia, well as the U.S., U.K. and Canada.

Taking place online on June 25, the 4th Frontières has two distinct strands. The Buyers Showcase will present six projects that have recently been completed or are in post-production, and screens footage for buyers, sales agents and festival programmers. The Proof of Concept Presentation, meanwhile, will screen teaser trailers for seven projects looking for financing partners.

Surveying the 13 projects, newly appointed Frontières executive director Annick Mahnert...

Works include The Paper Tigers represented by Xyz Films, Amp International.

Frontières has announced the final selection of projects for its annual Cannes platform as it prepares to return for the fourth year to the Marché du Film as part of the upcoming online edition.

They include proof of concepts for Rules For Werewolves, a feature-length adaptation of the SXSW short entry with Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things) attached to star, Argentinian filmmaker Tamae Garateguy’s Dogman, and Buyer’s Showcase sales title The Paper Tigers represented by Xyz Films and Amp International.

The 2020 slate focuses on emerging voices in...

Works include The Paper Tigers represented by Xyz Films, Amp International.

Frontières has announced the final selection of projects for its annual Cannes platform as it prepares to return for the fourth year to the Marché du Film as part of the upcoming online edition.

They include proof of concepts for Rules For Werewolves, a feature-length adaptation of the SXSW short entry with Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things) attached to star, Argentinian filmmaker Tamae Garateguy’s Dogman, and Buyer’s Showcase sales title The Paper Tigers represented by Xyz Films and Amp International.

The 2020 slate focuses on emerging voices in...

Genre industry initiative Frontières has unveiled the titles taking part in its 2020 Cannes showcase, which this year will be held online as part of the Marché du Film’s digital incarnation.

Presented by the Montreal fest Fantasia and the Marché on June 25, the event involves a buyers’ showcase featuring six projects recently completed or in post, and proof of concept presentations of a further eight early-stage projects.

Among those selected os the Xyz and Amp repped The Paper Tigers, female-driven and directed werewolf thriller Bloodthirsty from the producer of Harpoon, and Rules For Werewolves starring Stranger Things’ Finn Wolfhard.

Access to the showcases will be available to professionals accredited to this year’s Marche, as well as select industry representatives invited by Frontières organizers. There are also networking events planned.

Here’s the full list of projects.

Buyers’ Showcase

Bloodthirsty (Canada)

Director: Amelia Moses

Producer: Michael Peterson (775 Media Corp...

Exclusive: Tran Quoc Bao’s The Paper Tigers has set its cast with Alain Uy, Ron Yuan, and Mykel Shannon Jenkins toplining the kung fu action comedy and Jae Suh Park (Friends from College) and Raymond Ma (Always Be My Maybe) stepping into supporting roles. The film is currently in production in Seattle.

Bao’s feature debut features Yuan, Uy, and Jenkins playing former Kung Fu prodigies who are now washed-up middle-aged men, one kick away from pulling their hamstrings. When their master is murdered, they must escape their dead-end jobs and overcome old grudges to avenge his death. The feature is an homage to Seattle’s martial arts scene from the 1970s and 1980s as well as the legendary Bruce Lee — a name that has been making headlines due to Quentin Tarantino...