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I’m old enough to remember when Jacques Rivette films were the domain of dark-web networks and substandard DVD rips, a conspiratorial network worthy of his cinema. It’s still a little strange seeing that April will feature a 10-film, one-short Criterion Channel program that combines of his canonized masterpieces with decidedly lesser-seens––plus Va Savoir, which I really hope is the recently unearthed four-hour cut for which there’s no substitute. Penélope Cruz is also subject of a retrospective in April, which––more than making me pine for a Rivette collab that never was––will include both Abre Los Ojos and Vanilla Sky, some Almodóvar, and another in the Channel’s ongoing let’s-add-a-Woody-Allen-movie campaign, Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

For themed series, J. Hoberman has curated a series on the dangers of ’60s and ’70s New York that runs from Michael Roemer’s recently restored The Plot Against Harry and...

Acceptance is sometimes nothing but tolerance in sheep’s clothing. The “family comes first” trope holds weight in many cultures, but this may not matter when one fails to conform to a heteropatriarchal understanding of the concept. Ray Yeung‘s newest film, “All Shall Be Well”, takes one such instance of this — the case of an older same-sex Hong Kong couple — and unravels a spool of familial complexities embedded deep in the sociocultural landscape. What if your late partner wished to be buried at sea, but her family believes that doing so will spiritually unsettle them all? Do your partner’s wishes even matter when you, her life partner, are considered nothing but a mere outsider? This is the first hurdle that our protagonist must face in “All Shall Be Well”, which just made its world premiere in the Panorama section of the 2024 Berlinale to a sold-out crowd at the Kino International.

The 31st Vesoul International Film Festival Asian Cinema, chaired by the international jury of the great Chinese director Jia Zhang-ke, presents the complete feature films of Jia Zhang-ke, in the presence of his muse, the actress Zhao Tao.

Two honorary Cyclos d’or are awarded to them during the opening ceremony at the Théâtre Edwige Feuillère.

92 films, including 47 unreleased ones, make up the official selection.

The fiction and documentary competitions offer a selection of 17 films from Bhutan, China, Korea, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Philippines, Malaysia, Yakutia, etc., judged by 7 juries and presented by the film teams:

Bhutan: I The Song by Dechen Roder – French premiere

Burma: Ma – Cry of silence by The Maw Naing – French premiere

China (Hong Kong): To Kill a Mongolian Horse by Jiang Xiaoxuan – French premiere

Korea: The Land of Morning Calm by Park Ri-woong – French premiere

Iran: The Witness by Nader Saeivar – French premiere

Japan:...

The New York Asian Film Foundation and Film at Lincoln Center announce the 23rd edition of the New York Asian Film Festival (Nyaff), running July 12–22 at Film at Lincoln Center, with additional screenings from July 22–28 at the Sva Theatre and July 13–15, 18–21, and 23–25 at Look Cinemas W57, plus a special collaborative presentation of films at the Korean Cultural Center New York.

“For so many, Asian films start and end with Parasite or Everything Everywhere All At Once (who could blame them?), but the real action is happening in the trenches of Asian cinema, where audacious auteurs and daring debutantes are unleashing a tidal wave of talent that's about to crash on American shores,” said Samuel Jamier, festival director and president of the New York Asian Film Foundation. “This year's festival is like sriracha sauce – it's spicy, it's tangy, it's got a kick that'll wake up your senses. And it's hard to find right now!

The annual New York Asian Film Festival is about to kick off this summer.

Presented by the New York Asian Film Foundation and Film at Lincoln Center, the 23rd edition of the festival will take place from July 12 through 22 at Film at Lincoln Center, with additional screenings from July 22 through 28 at the Sva Theatre and July 13–15, 18–21, and 23–25 at Look Cinemas W57, plus a special collaborative presentation of films at the Korean Cultural Center New York.

This year’s lineup marks the largest list of premieres, with 20 films debuting including the North American premiere of “Fly Me to the Moon” and “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In,” which debuted at Cannes.

The opening night selection is the world premiere of Park Beom-su’s “Victory,” a cheerleading epic that’s billed as “Bring It On” meets “Parasite.” Lee Hye-ri (of 3rd-gen K-pop band Girl’s Day) will be in attendance with co-star Park Se-wan and director Park.

Strand Releasing has acquired the North American rights to Ray Yeung’s “All Shall Be Well,” which world premiered at this year’s Berlinale and won the Teddy Prize for best film. The movie played last week as the opening film at the Hong Kong International Film Festival.

“All Shall Be Well” chronicles the lives of two women, Angie and Pat, a couple living in Hong Kong who have been together for over four decades. After Pat’s unexpected death, Angie finds herself at the mercy of her extended family as she struggles to retain both her dignity and the home that they shared for over 30 years.

A universal tale, the movie also explores the limitations of Hong Kong’s laws, which don’t allow same-sex marriage. Patra Au Ga Man and Maggie Li Lin Lin star in the lead roles of Angie and Pat, respectively.

The deal was done...

Shreyom Ghosh’s “The Vampire of Sheung Shui” is unique in that it is a Hong Kong-set horror-comedy with a protagonist of Indian origin.

It has been selected for the 22nd Hong Kong — Asia Film Financing Forum (Haf), the project market that operates concurrently with FilMart.

Written by D.F.W. Buckingham (“Finding Love in Sisters”), the film will follow Lokesh, a slacker in his 30s, living with orthodox Jain parents in a sleepy Hong Kong suburb, waiting to take over the family jewellery store and move to the U.K. after selling it. When his father announces his retirement, Lokesh must show that he can be responsible and adhere to the values of his family’s traditions or lose the store to his annoying cousin. The problem is that Lokesh is turning into a bloodthirsty vampire. Now he must find a way to survive on blood without hurting people, while also...

As Filmart gets underway, Hong Kong’s major production companies, including Edko Films, Emperor Motion Pictures (Emp), Media Asia, One Cool Group and Universe Entertainment, will be unveiling their new titles in enormous booths at the front of the trade show floor, some of which will be as elaborate as film sets.

Many of the films they are launching are big-budget Hong Kong-China co-productions, featuring top Hong Kong stars and directors, and aimed at audiences in both China and Hong Kong. Emp has Derek Kwok’s Raging Havoc, starring Andy Lau and Nicholas Tse; Mandarin Motion Pictures has The Prosecutor, starring and directed by Donnie Yen; and Media Asia is launching four new titles headed by Behind The Scene, produced by Infernal Affairs director Andrew Lau. One Cool’s slate includes a trio of action films starring Louis Koo and produced by Soi Cheang.

But behind all the glamour, stars and action,...

With a title that itself feels like a soothing murmur, Hong Kong director Ray Yeung’s “All Shall Be Well” returns to the social and lifestage milieu of his well-received 2019 later-life gay romance “Suk Suk,” and occupies a similarly melancholic, placatory register. But those hoping for a renewal, or maybe even an amping up of “Suk Suk”s restrained interrogation of internalized and externalized homophobia within Hong Kong’s economically advanced but culturally conservative middle class, may be a little disappointed. Although his fourth film revolves around a sixty-something lesbian couple, Yeung’s focus is broader, not sharper. The disappointment will however be mild, not just because there are plenty of other plaintive insights on offer, but because everything here is mild.

Angie (Patra Au Ga-man) and Pat (Maggie Li Lin-lin) have been a settled, loving couple for more than 40 years. They are now enjoying the simpler, slower pleasures of...

Boasting a track-record of finely observed and touching films with LGBT themes, Hong Kong director Ray Yeung is back at the Berlin Film Festival after a previous appearance with “Suk Suk” (aka “Twilight’s Kiss” in some markets). It launches in the Berlin Film Festival’s Panorama section and is eligible for the Teddy Award.

Hong Kong society can be tolerant, conservative and pragmatic all at the same time. But, as a place where the pressure is always on, things can snap out of joint quickly. Yeung’s new film, “All Shall Be Well” describes the unravelling of previously-assumed familial relations following the death of one half of a lesbian couple.

Variety spoke to Yeung on the eve of the festival.

The English title of the film changed from ‘Today.. Tomorrow’ to ‘All Shall Be Well.’ What does that reflect?

The Chinese title has constant been throughout. The decision on a...

Acceptance is sometimes nothing but tolerance in sheep's clothing. The “family comes first” trope holds weight in many cultures, but this may not matter when one fails to conform to a heteropatriarchal understanding of the concept. Ray Yeung's newest film, “All Shall Be Well”, takes one such instance of this — the case of an older same-sex Hong Kong couple — and unravels a spool of familial complexities embedded deep in the sociocultural landscape. What if your late partner wished to be buried at sea, but her family believes that doing so will spiritually unsettle them all? Do your partner's wishes even matter when you, her life partner, are considered nothing but a mere outsider? This is the first hurdle that our protagonist must face in “All Shall Be Well”, which just made its world premiere in the Panorama section of the 2024 Berlinale to a sold-out crowd at the Kino International.

Editor’s Note: This review was originally published during the 2024 Berlin Film Festival. Strand Releasing opens “All Shall We Bell” on Friday, September 20.

Partway into “All Shall Be Well,” the main character meets a lawyer friend in a bar one night. “Why did you wait so long to see me?,” the lawyer asks the other woman sitting across from her, regarding an ongoing dispute over an inheritance. “I thought we were all family,” replies the lead. After a light chuckle, the friend says, “Even mother and son fall out when money’s involved.” Set in Hong Kong, this deeply moving fourth feature from writer-director Ray Yeung tenderly explores the aftermath of unexpected loss, where the uncertainty and chaos of the immediate grieving period is compounded by delicate negotiations that need addressing amid a very specific set of circumstances.

Both in their late sixties, Angie (Patra Au Ga Man) and Pat...

What happens when one half of a longstanding lesbian couple dies in a place where same-sex relationships are not fully recognized by the law and have been tolerated, rather than accepted, by society?

In Ray Yeung’s “All Shall Be Well,” which premieres this month in the Panorama section of the Berlin Film Festival, the answer seems to be an unseemly scramble in which rights, friendships and morals are all trampled on.

“The problem is particularly emphasized in a place like Hong Kong, where property prices are out of reach for most people, especially for the younger generation. What would you do if suddenly a decent apartment falls into your lap? Would you give it away to somebody you maybe considered as a stranger?” Yeung tells Variety. “Would the obligations be different in the case of an unmarried heterosexual couple, which society is more accepting of?”

“My film is more...

Leading Asian film directors including Josh Kim, Fukada Koji and Patiparn Boontarig line up to pitch their in-development projects at the March edition of the Hong Kong – Asia Film Financing Forum (Haf).

Leading directors Wang Xiaoshuai and Zhang Lu will also be on the ground at Haf, operating as producers. So too will established producers Yamamoto Teruhisa (“Drive My Car”) and Michael J. Werner.

The 22nd edition of the Haf project market will run March 11-13 and sit alongside the four-day FilMart (March 11-14) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Haf is operated by The Hong Kong International Film Festival Society and this year will showcase 26 in-development projects. This year it will also be accompanied by the first edition of the Hkiff Industry – CAA China Genre Initiative (Hcg), which aims to support the development of Chinese language genre films.

Among the highlights: Wang Xiaoshuai will produce Zhang Yushan...

Berlin-based company handled sales for Yeung’s previous film ‘Suk Suk’

Berlin-based sales outfit Films Boutique has snapped up world sales rights to Ray Yeung’s All Shall Be Well which is set to world premiere in the Berlinale’s Panorama strand.

The film centres on Angie and Pat, a couple living in Hong Kong who have been together for over four decades. After Pat’s unexpected death, Angie finds herself at the mercy of her extended family as she struggles to retain both her dignity and the home that they shared for over thirty years.

Written and directed by Yeung,...

Guangzhou-based director Choy Ji has filmed Hong Kong from a perspective we’ve rarely seen before in his debut feature Borrowed Time, which played at Pingyao film festival this week after screening in Busan’s New Currents competition.

Produced by Mo Jinjin and executive produced by Stanley Kwan, the Cantonese-language drama follows a young girl from Guangzhou (capital of China’s Guangdong province) who travels to Hong Kong to look for the father she hasn’t seen in 20 years – and who she knows has an entirely separate family on the other side of the border.

During the visit, she bumps into an old acquaintance as a typhoon is closing in on the city and they embark on a fantastical journey together while spending the night in a rundown tenement apartment.

Apart from Hong Kong actor Tai Bo (Twilight’s Kiss), the cast of the film mostly comprises non-professional actors, including Lin Dongping playing the young girl.

Season 17 (September 8 – October 7) kicks off with a screening of director Masayuki Suzuki's Yudo, architect Shiro Miura's (Toma Ikuta) and his return to his family-owned public bathhouse. Intent on modernizing the outdated establishment, Shiro faces unexpected challenges from both his brother Goro (Gaku Hamada) and a fire that lands him as the bathhouse's temporary manager. As he immerses himself in the role, Shiro connects with customers and begins to understand the happiness and democratizing power the place offers. The film will be presented at AMC Newcity 14, 1500 N. Clybourn, (September 8).

Centerpiece film Harvest Moon is Mongolian actor Amarsaikhan Baljinnyam's debut feature as director. An award-winning screenwriter, he adapted this father-son story from a short novel by T. Bum-Erden, following a city chef who must fulfill the harvesting in his village after his father dies. Representing Mongolia in the international feature 2022 Oscar submission, the film will be presented at AMC Newcity...

Discoveries have been endless this past year, as Hong Kong Film Festival (UK) continues to explore a newfound fluidity alongside the Hong Kong community in the UK. Adrift are the stories of Hong Kong, a wavering sense of identity alongside an uncertain history. Memories fluid, imaginations of a drifting home.

Hong Kong Film Festival’s second edition is titled “Home Away From Home”. Distance and disparity unveils a world of possibility; between Hong Kongers in the UK and those in Hong Kong, between the Hong Kong we once lived in, but can now only watch from afar. Between the Hong Kong in our dreams, and the Hong Kong laid bare to us now; between your Hong Kong and history’s Hong Kong, between a colonial Hong Kong and post-colonial Hong Kong. A pre-1997 versus a post-2019 Hong Kong, a Hong Kong under the world’s watchful eyes, and that under our own scrutinising gaze…...

GLAAD today announced the nominees in 30 categories for its 33rd Annual Media Awards.

In a flip-flip of last year’s top leaders, the combined HBO/HBO Max scored the most nominations of any network with 19, followed by Netflix with 17. That’s a lot closer than last year, when Netflix ran away with 26 noms, while HBO was a distant second with nine.

Streaming services saw a total of 63 nominations, with cable receiving 39 and broadcast networks receiving 17. Hulu received seven nominations, while ABC, MSNBC and Peacock all saw four. In the Spanish-language categories, Univision and Telemundo both received two nominations.

The GLAAD Media Awards honor media for fair, accurate and inclusive representations of LGBTQ people and issues.

During a year when anti-transgender violence rose and lawmakers across the U.S. introduced an unprecedented number of bills attempting to stop transgender youth from participating in sports and accessing gender-affirming healthcare, many of the...

Teresa Kwong is the programme director of the Hong Kong Arts Centre. Her producing titles include “Addicted to Love”, “Big Blue Lake” and “Flowing Stories”, “Dot 2 Dot” and “Napping Kid”, and “Suk Suk”, which was screened in the Panorama section of the Berlin International Film Festival 2020.

On the occasion of the second edition of the program series, “New Waves, New Shores” in cooperation with the Busan International Film Festival, we speak with her about her work as a producer and how the profession has changed through the years, co-productions, the Hong Kong Arts Centre and her role in it, the particularly program, Hong Kong and Korean cinema, and many other topics

You have been working as a producer for almost a decade now. What are the most significant changes you have witnessed in the field?

I believe there are three major differences, but let me start with how I got into producing first,...

After the success of 2019’s “Suk Suk,” in which he examined the late blooming love of two elderly men, Hong Kong based filmmaker Ray Yeung is proposing to take an adjacent track in his upcoming film “Today… Tomorrow…”

After the death of her partner, a 60-something lesbian finds herself at the mercy of the partner’s family as she struggles to fight for the home that the two women had shared for over thirty years.

Yeung aims to shoot the $600,000 project early next year. And having assembled 40% of that total, he is now seeking to complete the budget by pitching it at the Busan International Film Festival’s Asian Project Market. Remarkably, it has also been selected for three other project events – Rome’s Mia, the Tokyo Gap-Financing Market, and the Golden Horse Film Project Promotion market – in quick succession.

Production is by Michael J. Werner and Teresa Kwong through New Voice Film Productions.

A total of 44 film projects, including one executive produced by the Oscar-winning Cate Blanchett, have been selected shortlisted for this year’s Golden Horse Film Project Promotion, organizers announced on Monday. The Chinese-language project market takes place on the sidelines of the prestigious Golden Horse Film Festival in Taiwan.

Among the selections, 37 are works in development. Seven are works-in-progress that are still searching for finishing funds or partners for co-production. Together with the 19 TV series projects announced earlier, this year’s Golden Horse Fpp boasts a total of 63 projects. Last year, the Fpp counted 40. In pre-covid 2019, it counted 39 development projects and 8 works in progress.

The majority of the projects originate from Taiwan and there are plenty of big names attached. Drama “I Feel You” directed by Hsiao Ya-chuan is executive produced by Hou Hsiao-hsien and Osaka Fumiko. “The Ancient Tree” is the latest narrative feature offering from multiple Golden Horse Award nominee Singing Chen,...

Hudson Pacific Properties has announced the separate acquisitions of Star Waggons and Zio Studio Services, two companies that provide transportation and logistics services to studio productions, for a combined $222 million.

Star Waggons and Zio Studio Services collectively comprise a fleet of more than 1,100 luxury location trailers, specialized vehicles, and other transportation assets, as well as complementary equipment for the entertainment production industry.

The two transactions, which will be immediately accretive to 2021 and long-term financial targets, significantly expand production services as part of Hudson Pacific’s global studio platform.

“Bringing Star Waggons and Zio Studio Services together under the same umbrella with our Sunset Studios business enables us to capture a greater share of production services revenue at our facilities as well as other studios and on location,” said Jeff Stotland, head of global studios for Hudson Pacific. “A broader offering of high-quality production services both streamlines content creation for and...

A selection of 26 titles from 15 different countries.

South Korea’s Busan International Film Festival (Biff) has confirmed a 26-title line-up for the 2021 Asian Project Market (Apm).

Projects at the Apm include Siren Vanishes, directed by Harumoto Yojiro, whose feature A Balance won the New Currents Award at Biff last year before going on to the Berlinale this year.

The 26 projects from 15 different countries also includes titles from House Of Hummingbird director Kim Bora, The Mirror Never Lies director Kamila Andini, and Twilight’s Kiss (Suk Suk) director Ray Yeung.

Organisers announced Apm received a record-breaking 429 film submissions this year, up approximately...

"If we don't speak for ourselves, then who will?" Strand Releasing has unveiled an official US trailer for an indie queer drama from Hong Kong titled Twilight's Kiss, originally known as Suk Suk, both written & directed by filmmaker Ray Yeung. This originally premiered at the Busan Film Festival in 2019, and played at numerous other fests including the New Zealand & Prague Film Festivals last year. The film is a quiet portrayal of a gay relationship between two men in their twilight years. Pak, 70, a married taxi driver who refuses to retire meets Hoi, 65, a retired single father. Although both are secretly gay, they are proud of the families they have created through hard work and hardship over the years. As Pak and Hoi fall in love they contemplate a possible future together. Suk Suk studies the subtle day-to-day moments of the two men as they struggle between conventional morals and their personal desires.

Twenty-nine projects from across Asia have been selected to take part in March’s Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (Haf), which will go virtual for the second time.

Scheduled to take place March 15-17, 2021, Haf will run concurrently with the Hong Kong FilMart. Both events were postponed last year to August due to the pandemic and eventually migrated online.

They will return to their usual March slot this year in tweaked virtual format. A new online meeting platform “requiring no download or additional log-on” will be set up for participants this year, said Haf director Jacob Wong.

The 29 shortlisted projects, including nine documentaries, were selected from 321 submissions from 80 countries and regions, Haf said on Monday.

Shortlisted projects include those to be directed by established filmmakers as well as emerging talent. The strongest presences are from Hong Kong, mainland China and India.

Two of the eight mainland Chinese projects are produced...

The London East Asia Film Festival (Leaff) celebrates its fifth edition in 2020. In keeping with the times, Leaff presents a unique approach to our programme between 10th and 13th December. Leaff 2020 opens with the gripping Korean box office hit, Beasts Clawing At Straws, directed by Kim Yong-hoon which was awarded the Special Jury Prize at Rotterdam Film Festival earlier this year. The Festival closes the Official Selection with acclaimed director Yonfan’s first film in a decade, No.7 Cherry Lane, an exquisite animation painting the portrait of late 1960s Hong Kong.

The five titles in Official Selection are cinematic offerings from Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. From Japan, Director Naomi Kawase’s latest feature True Mothers was selected at Cannes Film Festival, and will be screened as a UK premiere. From China, Director Derek Tsang’s powerful adaptation of Jiu Yuexi’s novel In His Youth, In Her Beauty,...

The London East Asia Film Festival (Leaff) will be partnering for the very first time with ‘The Cinema at Selfridges’ for Leaff 2020.

This beautiful, boutique screen will be the perfect setting for the ‘Special Focus’ strand, showing five handpicked titles from the 11-13th December.

To celebrate the 5th edition of the festival, the team have carefully chosen five unique titles from across East Asia. They are:

Light For the Youth, by Shin Su-won, Korea

Seyeon, a manager at a call centre, faces a crisis at work after her 19-year-old trainee June disappears. Seyeon’s daughter, Mi-rae, struggles with a job interview and the expectations of her mother. Later, Seyeon begins to receive suspicious messages from June.

I WeirDo, by Liao Ming-yi, Taiwan

Intensely obsessive-compulsive and highly phobic of germs, Po-Ching lives a very precisely scheduled but lonely life. That is until he encounters Chen Ching, a young woman whose...

Five Flavours Asian Film Festival invite you for a journey through taste, colors, and sounds of the Asian continent, hoping they can provide food for your thoughts and solace for your spirits.

The Programme of this year’s Festival comprises more than forty titles representing the extreme variety of Asian cinemas – from horror cinema to sweet melodramas, from grasping auteur cinema to relaxing journeys around the continent.

All the films will be presented online between November 25 and December 6.

Preparing this year’s edition forced the organisers to face up to completely new challenges – from the matters of logistics to finding new ways of thinking about their mission, priorities, building bridges between filmmakers and audiences outside the screening rooms. The online edition of the Festival is not a compromise, but a different way to reach the, perhaps even wider, audiences, discover the rich variety of Asian cultures, and explore the contemporary...

Chicago – The Chicago International Film Festival (Ciff) is competitive, and the 56th edition presented its awards on October 23rd, 2020, as a live virtual and online event on the Ciff YouTube page. The winner of the Gold Hugo as Best International Film was “Sweat” (France), directed by Magnus von Horn.

The 56th Chicago International Film Festival Celebrates Day Ten of the movie extravaganza, with films available for 2020 virtually and online. Click here for a complete how-to guide on navigating the 2020 Ciff. Go to Page Two for the schedule of October 23rd, 2020.

The awards were presented by the various jury members in each film category, and were hosted by Artistic Director Mimi Plauché, Managing Director Vivian Teng, as well as programmers Anthony Kaufman and Sam Flancher. The Festival’s highest honor is the Gold Hugo, named for the mythical God of Discovery.

International Feature Film Competition

‘Sweat’

Photo credit: Chicago International Film...

Review by Ray Yeung

When it comes to queer cinema, we do not see the romance between two older people, especially not in the surrounding that is quite traditional and family values-driven as it is, or at least was, the case with Hong Kong. “Suk Suk”, the third featured film directed by Ray Yeung, who is considered to be one of the important figures of queer cinema because of his earlier works “Cut Sleeve Boys” and “Front Cover”, is one of the rare films that deals with the topic. The film premiered last autumn at Busan, while the European Premiere took place at Berlinale.

“Suk Suk” is screening at Slovak Queer Film Festival

Pak, played by the legendary Taiwan-based Hong Kong actor Tai-Bo (known for his work in Jackie Chan movies with “Police Story” being the highlight), is a seventy-year-old cab driver. He still works not because of the financial needs,...

Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning “Parasite” leads the race of this year’s Asian Film Awards, which will be hosted in his home country South Korea for the first time since the prize ceremony’s inception in 2007. The acclaimed drama picked up 10 nominations, including best film, best director and best screenplay.

“Parasite” was closely followed by Wang Xiaoshuai’s drama “So Long, My Son” from mainland China, and Taiwan drama “A Sun” by Chung Mong-hong. They each scored seven nominations including best film and best director, organizers of the 14th Asian Film Awards announced on Wednesday. A total of 39 films from 11 countries and regions are competing for the awards.

Founded by the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society, the AFAs have been staged in Hong Kong and Macau since their launch. In 2013, three major film festivals in Asia — Busan, Hong Kong and Tokyo — joined hands to launch the non-profit Afa Academy,...

Films including Peninsula and Unhinged will be on offer this weekend as cinemas reopen on August 28.

Hong Kong’s cinemas are set to reopen on Friday (August 28) as the city appears to have brought under control a third wave of the Covid-19 coronavirus that emerged in mid-July.

Films set to play this weekend include Unhinged and Yeon Sang-ho’s zombie hit Peninsula, which both had their releases postponed when the virus reappeared, along with several titles that were playing in July including Disney’s Onward and When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit.

Several Hong Kong movies that had their run interrupted...

New titles from Fruit Chan, Wong Hing Fan and Chan Kin Long will be launched at the upcoming Filmart Online.

Hong Kong-based Edko Films has picked up international rights to three new titles from Hong Kong directors, including an as-yet-untitled satirical horror anthology from veteran filmmaker Fruit Chan.

The other two films are from up-and-coming talents – action drama Disconnect’d, which is the second film directed by Wong Hing Fan, following i’m livin’ it, and Chan Kin Long’s debut feature, Hand Rolled Cigarette. All three films are currently in production.

Starring Lam Ka Tung and Bipin Karma, Hand...

Outfest Los Angeles is going virtual this year and they have unveiled their stacked lineup for the 11-day festival which kicks off August 20.

The LGBTQ film fest fest will include over 160 films with 35 world premieres, 10 North American premieres and 4 U.S. premieres to Los Angeles for 2020. The fest will live on http://www.outfestla2020.com and there will also be “Outfest LA Under the Stars”, a drive-in experience will take place at the stunning Calamigos Ranch in Malibu, where for two extended weekends the Festival will be hosting a series of drive-in screenings across six-nights on two lots, including both kick-off and closing events. The drive-in screenings will start with the Sundance pic The Nowhere Inn starring musicians Annie Clark and Carrie Brownstein. Other screenings will be announced in the upcoming weeks.

Over 70% of films at Outfest LA directed by female, trans, and Poc filmmakers. The Breakthrough Centerpiece will be...

Kelly Reichardt’s “First Cow” is set as the opening movie of the Melbourne International Film Festival. The event was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak, before being revived online under the label Miff 68 ½. The festival will unspool virtually Aug 6-23, 2020.

“First Cow” is an unlikely story of friendship and free enterprise on the American frontier, involving a skilled cook, a Chinese immigrant and a wealthy landowner’s prized milking cow. It previously played at the Telluride, New York and Berlin festivals.

In total, the festival will present 60 feature films, including 3 in a retrospective section, and 44 shorts. They hail from 56 countries and territories and 49% include at least one female director. All film screenings are geo-blocked to play only within Australia, but are available nationwide.

“Despite the extraordinary circumstances of 2020, Miff’s ‘radical act’ is to keep going and continue on our mission to bring (to audiences) the world through unforgettable screen experiences,...

Hong Kong box office receipts plunged by more than 70% in the first six months of 2020 as audiences stayed away and cinemas shut down amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Hong Kong government closed all cinemas on March 28 as the second wave of Covid-19 brought by returnees began to spread. Cinemas reopened six weeks later, on May 8, as the number of cases in the city came under control and social distancing measures began to be relaxed.

The impact on the box office however was felt before cinemas closed and continued after their reopening.

According to figures provided by the Hong Kong Box Office Ltd., a company under the Hong Kong Motion Pictures Industry Association, box office income totalled just $37.8 million (Hk$293 million) in the first six months of 2020. That was 72% down on the $135 million (Hk$1 billion) recorded during the equivalent period last year.

While the number of local titles released fell from...

Films Boutique has sold Mohammad Rasoulof’s Berlinale Golden Bear winning “There Is No Evil” nearly worldwide in the run-up to the movie’s screening at Cannes’ virtual Marché du Film.

Acquired by Kino Lorber in the U.S. and Pyramide in France following its world premiere at Berlin, “There Is No Evil” charts the ordeal of four men who are put in front of an unthinkable but simple choice that, whatever they decide, will directly or indirectly affect themselves, their relationships and their entire lives.

The Berlin-based sales company has now sold “There Is No Evil” in Australia (Madman), in Austria (Stadtkino), Baltics (Kino Pavasaris), in Benelux (September Films), in Bulgaria (Beta Film), in Canada (Acéphale), in China (Time-In-Portrait), in Russia and the Cis (Kinofon), in Czech Republic and Slovakia (Film Europe), in Denmark (Camera Film), in Germany (Grand Film), in Hong Kong (Edko), in Latin America (Impacto), in...

Strand Releasing has acquired North American rights to Ray Yeung’s “Twilight’s Kiss” (“Suk Suk”) which world premiered at Busan and played at this year’s Berlin Film Festival.

Sold by Films Boutique, “Twilight’s Kiss” tells the story of two closeted married men in their twilight years, Pak, a 70 year-old taxi driver who refuses to retire, and Hoi, a 65 year-old retired single father. Despite years of societal and personal pressure, they are proud of the families they have created through hard work and determination. Yet, when they meet, something that had been suppressed for so many years is unleashed in them.

Strand Releasing, whose roster is packed with renowned world auteurs, previously handled Yeung’s film “Front Cover” with Jake Choi (“Single Parents”). “The delicate and beautiful story of two older men finding love later in life is a refreshing and realistic story and although uniquely Asian, is universal,...

The festival will play 46 features from eight Asian countries.

Udine’s Far East Film Festival (Feff) has revealed a lineup of 46 features including four world premieres, for the online-only edition of the event that will run from June 26 until July 4.

It will open with the international premiere of Lee Hae-jun and Kim Byung-seo’s disaster action film Ashfall, available to viewers in Europe only.

The film was a blockbuster hit in South Korea over Christmas, grossing almost $60m (£47.9m) by the end of January.

The world premieres are Ning Yuanyuan’s Chinese title An Insignificant Affair; Daigo Matsui’s Japanese...

Exclusive: Some international box office markets that are up and running — even if not at full steam — saw increases this weekend while others faced drops given good weather in some spots and an overall lack of new product. However, Disney floated Kristen Stewart-starrer Underwater into Korea for the first time with a No. 1 start at $402K which is one of the better overseas openings for the underperformer that began rolling out globally in January. Disney/Pixar’s Onward also continued to lead Taiwan in its second week.

Local titles in Germany and Czech Republic were still atop the charts and the former continues to see strong drive-in business. Overall, however, there’s evidence that new releases — scant though they may be — are the ones drawing the most attention from moviegoers. (See market snapshots below.)

There was good news this week out of France where it was announced that cinemas...

Award-winning drama opened on more than 60 screens in Hong Kong this weekend.

Films Boutique has sold Hong Kong filmmaker Ray Yeung’s Suk Suk to a slew of further territories, including Vitrine Filmes for Spain and Epicentre Films for France.

The award-winning romance has also gone to Vitrine Filmes for Brazil, while a deal for North America is expected to be closed shortly. Films Boutique has also sold the film to further Asian territories, including M Pictures for Thailand and Filmgarde Cineplex for Singapore.

It was previously sold to Cai Chang International for Taiwan and Golden Scene for Hong Kong,...

The coronavirus disrupted both the festival and commercial careers of Hong Kong drama film “Suk Suk.” But as the film’s narrative suggests, a late blooming is still possible.

Written and directed by Ray Yeung, the film chronicles the gay romance between two aging men who had lived much of their younger lives hiding their sexuality. It had its world premiere at the Busan festival in October and competed for the Teddy Award in February as part of the Berlin festival’s Panorama section. But a planned series of other festival releases in key territories was abruptly halted when the Covid-19 outbreak became a global pandemic.

The film’s sales agent, Films Boutique is now trying to develop a new festival strategy that stretches through 2020 and early 2021.

Films Boutique is also pushing ahead with license deals. In Asia, “Suk Suk” has been licensed to Cai Chang International for Taiwan, M Pictures for Thailand,...

Hong Kong Arts Centre: Moving Images announces their May programme, which includes their Golden Scene Selection, “Hong Kong Short Film: New Action Express” Online Short Film Selection: And Here Comes the Dawn, Hong Kong Arts Centre x Hong Kong Independent Film Festival – Independently Yours: Memories to Choke On, Drinks to Wash Them Down and Independently Yours – May.

Golden Scene Selection – May

Venue: Louis Koo Cinema, Hong Kong Arts Centre Date: 2020.05.26 – 2020.05.31Price: Standard ticket: $80. Tickets are now available at Putyourself.in.

“Golden Scene Selection”, proudly presented by the Hong Kong Arts Centre (Hkac) and Golden Scene Company Limited, will bring the audience a series of cherry-picked selections from around the world at the Hkac.Screening Schedule26/5 (Tue) 8pm Suk Suk (Preview)27/5 (Wed) 8pm Beyond The Dream (Preview)28/5 (Thu) 8pm My Prince Edward (Preview)29/5 (Fri) 8pm Tora-san, Wish You Were Here*30/5 (Sat) 3pm Beyond The Dream (Preview)30/5 (Sat) 7pm Suk Suk31/5 (Sun) 3pm Tora-san,...

Chinese romantic crime drama “Better Days” directed by Hong Kong’s Derek Tsang, scooped eight awards at this year’s Hong Kong Film Awards, including best film, best director, best screenplay and best actress. Critically acclaimed elderly gay drama “Suk Suk” took the best actor and best supporting actress awards, organizers announced on Wednesday afternoon.

Winners, however, were unable to give acceptance speeches on stage as the awards ceremony was cancelled due to the coronavirus epidemic. The results were announced instead via a 25-minute live streaming event hosted by awards chairman Derek Yee.

Dressed in black tie, Yee appeared to be sitting in a dimly lit VIP cinema among the awards statuettes, yet to be presented to the recipients. He said despite the cancellation of the star-studded awards ceremony, organizers kept the polling going and received 1,675 votes from industry practitioners, about 57% of registered voters.

“Better Days” was yanked by mainland...

Derek Tsang’s school bullying drama won eight awards including best film and best director.

Derek Tsang’s Better Days bagged eight prizes including best film and best director at this year’s Hong Kong Film Awards, which were live streamed on social media as the Covid-19 coronavirus forced organisers to scrap the physical ceremony.

Better Days, a mainland China-set drama about school bullying, also won best actress for Zhou Dongyu’s performance and best new performer for Jackson Yee. The film, produced by Goodfellas Pictures and We Pictures, also won awards for best screenplay, best cinematography, best costume & make-up design and best song.

Ray Yeung is a filmmaker whose previous feature film “Front Cover” (2015) made a splash on the festival circuit, winning a number of awards in process. He is about to continue the award-winning tradition with his newest film “Suk Suk“, which is also Yeung’s first film made in his home country of Hong Kong and in Cantonese language. After the premiere at last year’s Busan International Film Festival and making a mark at the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival, “Suk Suk” had its European premiere at Berlinale’s section Panorama. Asian Movie Pulse sat with the director and the trio of actors for an interview.

Asian Movie Pulse: According to Urban Dictionary, Suk Suk has a certain meaning: quick hook-up and quick sex…

Ray Yeung: No, no, no. Suk suk is a Cantonese word, it means “uncle” or “uncles.” It is not Urban Dictionary type of meaning. It does...

When it comes to queer cinema, we do not see the romance between two older people, especially not in the surrounding that is quite traditional and family values-driven as it is, or at least was, the case with Hong Kong. “Suk Suk”, the third featured film directed by Ray Yeung, who is considered to be one of the important figures of queer cinema because of his earlier works “Cut Sleeve Boys” and “Front Cover”, is one of the rare films that deals with the topic. The film premiered last autumn at Busan, while the European Premiere took place at Berlinale.

Pak, played by the legendary Taiwan-based Hong Kong actor Tai-Bo (known for his work in Jackie Chan movies with “Police Story” being the highlight), is a seventy-year-old cab driver. He still works not because of the financial needs, but as a mean to keep himself active. While at home, with...

Director Rey Yeung’s most recent production “Suk Suk” was recently released in Taiwan after debuting at the Busan International Film Festival back in October, 2019. With the film still awaiting wider distribution, including Hong Kong release set for April, 2, 2020, ‘Golden Scene’ recently made a trailer available, which can be viewed below. Subsequently, you can read our interview with Director Ray Yeung discussing the film here.

Synopsis

With practised movements, Hong Kong taxi driver Pak gets ready, polishes the traditional bright red paint of his car to a high shine and picks up his granddaughter from school. After years of driving a cab to support his family, he has now come to the end of his career, but he refuses to fully quit his job. In search of anonymous sex, he meets Hoi, who is retired, divorced and also a grandfather. After a first fleeting encounter, they begin to spend time together more often.

After an extremely successful five days, the 13th edition of CinemAsia Film Festival has come to a close. The festival had its highest seat occupancy ever and the program also enjoyed great public acclaim. As is tradition, during the Closing Ceremony of the 13th edition of CinemAsia Film Festival, the Competition Jury Award and the new Tao Kae Noi Young Critics Award were presented last night. The winners received an award specially designed by Megan Carapezza (artist and designer). The Taiwanese film Heavy Craving, which represents a strong female narrative of body shaming for international women’s day and was screened as Closing Film, was particularly well received by the audience.

Competition Jury Award

The Competition Jury, consisting of Aileen Li (Producer Detention), Inge de Leeuw (Programmer Iffr), Julian Ross (Programmer Iffr / Locarno), Floortje Smit (Film Journalist De Volkskrant) and Pete Wu (Writer and journalist), unanimously chose the Chinese “Balloon“, directed by Pema Tseden.