easternkicks.com » Festivals

2010 Tokyo International Film Festival to commemorate Bruce Lee

Andrew Heskins — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:00:46 +0000

The 2010 Tokyo International Film Festival will commemorate the life and enduring influence of Bruce Lee with a special tribute at the festival’s Winds of Asia Middle-East section, entitled The 70th Anniversary: Bruce LEE to the Future.

Screenings will include the film that finally catapulted him into the mass populace, Enter The Dragon, sadly released just after his death, and a rare chance to see the Japanese version of Game Of Death, distributed in 1978. There will also be exciting new films that pay homage to Lee nearly 30 years after his death, including Derek Kwok and Clement Cheng’s Gallants and Luu Huynh Luu’s The Legend Is Alive.

The 23rd TIFF will be held from October 23-31, 2010 at Roppongi Hills and other venues in Tokyo.

Hong Sang-soo retrospective at the BFI Southbank, London

Andrew Heskins — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:00:44 +0000

It’s often easy to forget korean cinema has much more to offer than taught thrillers and action films, and Hong Sang-soo is a great example of a much ‘quieter’ filmmaker whose work is often overlooked, despite his film Hahaha being awarded the Un Certain Regard prize this year at Cannes this year.

From Wednesday 1 to 28 September, the BFI Southbank celebrates his work with a complete overview of his work, including a preview of Hahaha and a personal appearance by Hong Sang-soo himself this Friday. Curated by the ICO, the 10-film retrospective will tour major cities in the UK over the next few months.

For more information on the retrospective and to book, see the BFI’s website »

Venice Film Festival line-up revealed, including Takashi Miike’s new samurai film

Andrew Heskins — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 09:00:11 +0000

The full programme for the Venice Film Festival has been announced, including new films by Takashi Miike and Tsui Hark, and the adaptation of Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood

There are several upcoming treats in store at the Venice Film Festival, which is often host to a first glimpse of some of the more interesting Asian films (and, in some cases, the nearest to the mainstream that they get).

There’ll be a lot of interest in Takashi Miike’s latest film, a (doubtlessly very personal) take on a samurai tale, 13 Assassins, which also happens to be a co-production with the UK. Also on show will be the highly-anticipated version of Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood by Tran Anh Hung, the first full length novel Murakami has allowed to be adapted.

Hong Kong stalwart Tsui Hark is also in competition with Detective Dee and the Mystery of Phantom Flame. I, for one, have fingers crossed that we see a true return to form.

Out of competition there’s more from Miike, Zebraman and Zebraman 2: Attack on Zebra City; the latest from Infernal Affairs director Andrew Lau, The Return of Chen Zhen; The Child’s Eye 3D, the first Chinese/Hong Kong 3D film(?) from (who else but) the Pang Brothers; Reign of Assassins by John Woo and Su Chao-Pin starring Michelle Yeoh; Shock Labyrinth 3D by Ju-on: The Grudge director Takashi Shimizu; and Space Guy by Zhang Yuan.

The festival runs from 1 to 11 September, and hopefully we should get to see some of the fallout soon afterwards…

See the official Venice Film Festival site »

First Thai filmmaker wins Cannes Palme d’Or

Andrew Heskins — Mon, 24 May 2010 09:00:12 +0000

Director Apichatpong Weerasethakul has become the first Thai filmmaker to win the coveted Palme d’Or at this years Cannes. The 63rd Cannes Film Festival closed yesterday evening with the announcement of the jury prizes, led by US director Tim Burton.

Weerasethakul’s film Lung Boonmee Raluek Chat (Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives) concerns a dying man who is visited by his late wife and his missing son, who has become an ape. Uncle Boonmee is played by Thanapat Saisaymar, a roof welder from north-east Thailand whose previous acting experience was limited to TV commercials. The director had previously won the third-place jury prize at Cannes with his 2004 film Tropical Malady.

Lee Chang-Dong won best screenplay for Poetry. And another Korean filmmaker, director Hang Sangsoo, won the Un Certain Regard Prize for Hahaha.

Find out more on the official Cannes website »

Anime weekend at the BFI Southbank, London

Andrew Heskins — Fri, 21 May 2010 09:00:27 +0000

The BFI’s biennial Anime celebration returns from today with a weekend of screenings and special guests including director Koji Masunari and producer Tomonori Ochikoshi for Welcome to the Space Show. Other screenings include Evangelion 1.11: You Are (Not) Alone and Evangelion 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance, a re-imagining of the classic Neon Genesis Evangelion series, and K20: The Fiend with Twenty Faces, a live-action manga-based tale.

Find out more on screenings and how to book from the BFI website »

Terracotta Far East Film Festival opens tonight

Andrew Heskins — Thu, 06 May 2010 16:30:07 +0000

Just a reminder that the Terracotta Far East Film Festival gets under way from 6pm tonight…

Highlights include: the opening film gala, Jackie Chan’s Little Big Soldier, accompanied by a book signing from Chan friend, author and editor Richard Cooper; a book signing with Jasper Sharp, co-founder of Midnight Eye and author of ‘Midnight Eye’s Guide to New Japanese Cinema’ as well as ‘Behind the Pink Curtain’; a screening of the fab (!) Accident, with a Q&A from soundtrack composer Xavier Jamaux; In the Mood for Doyle about everyone’s favourite cinematographer Christopher Doyle, with a Q&A with director Yves Montmayeur; a screening of Johnnie To’s Vengeance, out next month on DVD from Optimum; and the closing screening of Bodyguards And Assassins, with a reception in honour of director Teddy Chan beforehand.

Find out more about the Terracotta Far East Film Festival »

The Terracotta Far East Film Festival returns to London

Andrew Heskins — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 09:00:24 +0000

Still glowing from last years success, the Terracotta Far East Film Festival for a second run with a fantastic lineup of 15 hand-picked films from Hong Kong, China, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand.

The festival begins with the UK premiere of Little Big Soldier starring Jackie Chan. Set during the tumultuous period when China had yet to be born from the unification of seven warring states, this story follows Big Soldier (Jackie Chan), an ex-farmer and reluctant conscript from the state of Liang.

Phobia features four chilling tales from modern-day Thailand by four masters of horror. In the last decade, Thai filmmakers have brought a new and refreshing perspective to the face of horror.

Other UK premieres include the documentary In The Mood For Doyle, which follows the life Wong Kar-wai’s favourite cinematographer (and possibly the most influential of the last 20 years) Christopher Doyle; and 2oth Century Boys 3, the epic conclusion to the trilogy.

There’s also a chance to see Soi Cheang’s fantastic Accident, starring Louis Koo, a superb thriller produced by Johnnie To with all the hallmarks of being an instant classic (do you think we’re gonna give up going on about it till it gets a UK distributor?) as well as To’s own Vengeance.

The closing night film is the multi-award winning Bodyguards and Assassins and another UK premiere. Hong Kong, 1905. Revolution instigator Sun Yat Sen is about to visit Hong Kong for five hours only, for a covert meeting with the leaders of a planned coup from all the provinces in China. On hearing this, the Imperial Court dispatches an elite team of assassins to Hong Kong to deal with him. Fervent revolutionary and Sun’s contact in Hong Kong, Chen Shaobai (Tony Leung Ka Fai), is alerted, and out of desperation he assembles a motley crew of inexperienced fighters to escort Sun safely to his meeting and back.

With other big names like Donnie Yen and Leon Lai, Bodyguards and Assassins is brilliantly shot with large-scale recreations of Hong Kong during the turn of the 20th century – a fast-paced cat-and-mouse game which will have you on the edge of your seat.

Find out more about the Terracotta Far East Film Festival »

The Terracotta Far East Film Festival

Andrew Heskins — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 07:21:30 +0000

THE TERRACOTTA FAR EAST FILM FESTIVAL IS BACK IN LONDON, UK TO PRESENT ITS SECOND ROUNDUP OF CHOICE FILMS FROM THE FAR EAST!

From Thursday 6th to Sunday 9th May 2010, there’s fantastic lineup of 15 hand-picked films from Hong Kong, China, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand – http://terracottafestival.com/

The festival opens with the UK premiere of Little Big Soldier starring Jackie Chan. Set during the tumultuous period when China had yet to be born from the unification of seven warring states, this story follows Big Soldier (Jackie Chan), an ex-farmer and reluctant conscript from the state of Liang.

A brilliant comedy and touching tale reportedly 20 years in the making, Little Big Soldier looks set to be a new favourite for fans of Jackie Chan fans, action flicks and road trip movies and will be released theatrically later in the year, courtesy of Cine Asia.

Phobia (out on DVD from 10th May 2010 courtesy of Icon Home Entertainment) features four chilling tales from modern-day Thailand by four masters of horror. In the last decade, Thai filmmakers have brought a new and refreshing perspective to the face of horror. Black magic, superstition and the scary side of the supernatural abound in this collective of four tales, which are sure to take root in the more terrifying depths of your imagination.

The closing night film is the multi-award winning Bodyguards and Assassins and another UK premiere. Hong Kong, 1905. Revolution instigator Sun Yat Sen is about to visit Hong Kong for five hours only, for a covert meeting with the leaders of a planned coup from all the provinces in China. On hearing this, the Imperial Court dispatches an elite team of assassins to Hong Kong to deal with him. Fervent revolutionary and Sun’s contact in Hong Kong, Chen Shaobai (Tony Leung Ka Fai), is alerted, and out of desperation he assembles a motley crew of inexperienced fighters to escort Sun safely to his meeting and back.

Brilliantly shot with large-scale recreations of Hong Kong during the turn of the 20th century, this film is a fast-paced cat-and-mouse game which will have you on the edge of your seat. Bodyguards and Assassins will be playing at selected UK cinemas and is available to buy on DVD (courtesy of E1 Entertainment) on 31st May 2010.

Cannes Film Festival line-up announced

Andrew Heskins — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 09:00:48 +0000

The line-up for the years Cannes Film Festival has been announced. As always, there’s a strong selection of new Asian cinema including Takeshi Kitano’s Outrage, Lee Chang-Dong’s Poetry, Hideo Nakata’s new horror Chatroom, Hong Sangsoo’s Ha Ha Ha, Xiaoshuai Wang’s Rizhao Chongqing (Chongqing Blues) and Im Sangsoo’s Housemaid. The festival takes place between 12 and 23 May.

For more information on the Cannes Film Festival »

Cannes Film Festival 2010

Andrew Heskins — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 08:41:32 +0000

For more information on the Cannes Film Festival »

easternkicks.com » Festivals

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