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With the upcoming release of I’m A Cyborg, But That’s Okay on 4 April, director Park Chan-wook talks to the Guardian’s Ryan Gibley about how he can’t stand watching violence…

Read the article on the Guardian Online »

The 53rd London Film festival runs from 14 to 29 October, with plenty of Asian premieres on offer…

One definite highlight of the festival must be Lu Chuan’s film remarkable film on the ‘rape of Nanking’, City of Life and Death. Almost exactly three years ago the director talked enthusiastically about the project to easternKicks whilst promoting his fantastic Kekexili: Mountain Patrol, and it’s great to see this project has come to fruition.

Bong Joon-Ho’s Mother debuts at the festival too, about a herbalist and acupuncturist turns ‘detective’ to prove her son’s innocence when he’s charged with murder. With such great films as The Host and Memories Of Murder under his belt, one can only look forward to what he has in store for us this time.

Other films to arouse our curiosity are Hirokazu Kore-eda’s live-action adaptation of Yoshie Gouda’s avant-garde manga The Pneumatic Figure of a Girl, Air Doll – starring Korean star Bae Doo-Na, it tells of an inflatable sex-doll suddenly finds herself with a soul; and Kamui from Korean-Japanese director Yoichi Sai – again another live-action adaption from a manga – which BFI critic Tony Ryans declares is ‘probably the best ninja movie ever made’.

Also watch out for include Pan Jianlin’s Feast of Villians, Joko Anwar’s Forbidden Door and Ho Yuhang’s multinational production At the End of Daybreak. We’ll probably do another round-up soon, once we’ve had a chance to digest the programme fully – but is it just me or is there a lack of real Asian, if you’ll pardon the phrase, ‘crowd pleasers’ this year?

» Find out more on the official LFF website

With Takeshis’ finally on a limited release in the UK (we originally reviewed it back at the 2005 London Film Festival!) Guardian writer David Thompson recently posted a brief guide to the man himself, Takeshi Kitano. (But it may leave you wanting to know much more!)… (more…)

Director of Lust, Caution and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Ang Lee, is to head the jury this year’s Venice Film Festival, organisers have said. The festival takes place from 2 to 12 September.

Read more on this story on BBC News Online »

Ang Lee’s highly charged period thriller Lust, Caution got off to a record-breaking start this week in the director’s native Taiwan as well as Hong Kong. Read more about Ang Lee’s latest hit on the Guardian online.

The BFI to screen the entire filmography from one of the finest and most inventive filmmakers in the world – Bong Joon-ho – including a preview of his latest offering Mother, followed by a conversation with the man himself… (more…)

The BFI will screen the entire filmography of one of the finest and most inventive filmmakers in the world – Bong Joon-ho – including a preview of his latest offering Mother, followed by a conversation with the man himself… (more…)

This year at Cannes sees the real heavy hitters come out to play, as the world’s greatest auteur directors gather to compete for the coverted Palme d’Or. As well as the latest films from Pedro Almodóvar, Ken Loach, Quentin Tarantino, Francis Ford Coppola, Jane Campion, Lars von Trier, Michael Haneke, and Terry Gilliam, there’s a strong Asian presence. Highlights include Park Chan-wook’s new vampire flick Thirst; Lou Ye’s Tiananmen Square-themed Summer Palace, which has incensed authorities to the point of them slapping a five-year ban on him; Tsai Ming-Liang’s film within a film Face; Johnnie To’s Vengeance; and Ang Lee’s Taking Woodstock. Other films screening include Kore-eda Hirokaz’s Air Doll; the latest from The Host and Memories Of Murder director Bong Joon-Ho, Mother; and Petiton by Zhao Liang.

See the Guardian’s gallery guide to directors vying for the Palme d’Or »

This last Monday (17 August) you might have noticed the Japanese horror film Grotesque, by director Koji Shiraishi, did not appear on our shelves as originally planned – and now comes the reason why: the British Board of Film Classification has refused to grant an 18 certificate due to it’s graphic torture scenes! (more…)

That’s the question Time journalist Tim Youngs asks in his well-informed article The China Syndrome. A Tim points out, the Hong Kong film industry has been in decline for many years now, not helped piracy, internet and shrunken local markets.

Under a 2003 trade pact, Chinese co-productions are recognized in mainland market as Chinese films, not as imports subject to tight quotas, but what concessions are directors ready to make towards strict censorship in order for a slice of that market?

Read Tim Youngs article, The China Syndrome, in full »

Arguably it would have been unimaginable 20 years ago, when his crowning glory The Killer was originally released – if only because few filmmakers from Hong Kong were lauded at the time – yet next year John Woo will be presented with a lifetime achievement honour at the Venice Film Festival.

Some may indeed scoff (and some of Woo’s back catalogue, such as Payback, may well be better glossed over) but his influence over cinema in the last 30 years, particularly action films, is undeniable.

Organisers praised him for being “an innovator of the contemporary language of cinema”. Continuing: “Woo is considered a master who has changed the language of contemporary film for generations of filmmakers.”

The award will be presented next September.

Read more on the BBC News website »

The 21st Tokyo International Film Festival is to include a tribute screening to Japanese director Jun Ichikawa, who died last month, of his latest film Buy A Suit. His work included the adaptation of Haruki Murakami’s Tony Takitani, and easternKicks was fortunate enough to talk to him about the film. It’s sad news to hear about his passing, especially as the years had not lessened his pushing of creative methods, both in telling a story and technology. In person he was reserved but quite charming. You can read our interview here, and read more about the tribute at TIFF on their site.

Though he might not have walked away with the celebrated Palme d’Or, Park Chan-wook’s latest film Thrist, an erotic thriller about a priest who is turned into a vampire after a botched medical experiment, did get the Cannes Jury Prize, shared with UK’s Andrea Arnold for her second feature Fish Tank.

Read more about the Cannes winners on the Guardian website »

Director Ang Lee has criticised a reported Chinese media ban on the leading actress, Tang Wei, in his award-winning erotic spy thriller Lust, Caution.

Read more on this story on the BBC News Online »

An intelligent directorial debut from acclaimed actress Nandita Das… (more…)

‘I am Quick Gun Murugan. Mind it.’ Fast and silly, Shashanka Ghosh’s Tamil Nadu western spoof is a whole lot of fun… (more…)

The programme for the 52nd London Film Festival has been released, and this years has plenty of Asian films on show from China, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Philippines and India. In fact, only Hong Kong seems absent, even if you count Peter Chan’s epic The Warlords, starring Jet Li and Andy Lau.

Other highlights include Kim Jee-woon’s (Ji-woon) The Good, The Bad, The Weird, Jia Zhangke’s 24 City, Yim Phil-Sung’s take on fairy tale Hansel and Gretel, Li Hongqi’s Routine Holiday, Hong Sang-So’s Night And Day, Nandita Das’ Firaaq, the fun spoof Quick Gun Murugan by Shashank Ghosh, and of course the latest obligatory Takeshi Kitano film, Achilles And The Tortoise.

The festival runs from 15 – 30 October, with non-BFI members able to book from 27 September. For more information see the BFI’s site »

The annual festival is back for another feast of new features, events and animations, running for the third year at the Barbican, in partnership with the Korean Cultural Centre and the Korean Content and Culture Agency (KOCCA).

This year the spotlight will be taken by an exclusive screening of director-of-the-moment Yang Ik-june’s Breathless, followed by a Q&A with the director himself. There’s plenty from Korea’s master directors, including Park Chan-wook’s Thirst, Kim Ki-duk’s Dream and Yoo Ha’s A Frozen Flower. There’s also a celebration of one of Korea’s most-loved directors, the late Yoo Hyun Mak, best known for Aimless Bullet, and a focus on Korea’s burgeoning independent scene. Other events and screenings include sleeper hit Scandal Makers and a Korean Animation Day.

The season also includes the afore mentioned Bong Joon-Ho retrospective showing at the BFI Southbank.

» Visit www.koreanfilm.co.uk for more information

The annual festival is back for another feast of new features, events and animations, running for the third year at the Barbican, in partnership with the Korean Cultural Centre and the Korean Content and Culture Agency (KOCCA).

This year the spotlight will be taken by an exclusive screening of director-of-the-moment Yang Ik-june’s Breathless, followed by a Q&A with the director himself. There’s plenty from Korea’s master directors, including Park Chan-wook’s Thirst, Kim Ki-duk’s Dream and Yoo Ha’s A Frozen Flower. There’s also a celebration of one of Korea’s most-loved directors, the late Yoo Hyun Mak, best known for Aimless Bullet, and a focus on Korea’s burgeoning independent scene. Other events and screenings include sleeper hit Scandal Makers and a Korean Animation Day.

The season also includes the afore mentioned Bong Joon-Ho retrospective showing at the BFI Southbank.

» Visit www.koreanfilm.co.uk for more information

Slightly old news now, but it seems the upcoming remake of Oldboy, directed by Steven Speilberg and starring Will Smith (don’t even get me started on the suitability of Smith in the lead!) has hit a bit of a sticking point…

The Hollywood Reporter says Futabasha, publisher of the original manga by Nobuaki Minegishi and Garon Tsuchiya on which Park Chan-wook’s film was based, has filed a case against Show East in Seoul, alleging the Korean company never had the right to negotiate a remake. The issue is further complicated by the fact that Show East has closed down and its CEO has disappeared. (Which itself sounds like it could be out of a Korean thriller?)

Despite this the production is moving ahead. An original US adaption of Oldboy was muted as far back as 2006, eventually with Justin Lin attached as director.

The BFI kicks off the New Year with an exhaustingly comprehensive season celebrating the work of the acclaimed film director Yasujiro Ozu. Promising nearly every surviving work by Ozu (over 30 films!), the season runs throughout January and February – starting with a nationwide UK release for his masterpiece Tokyo Story.

Best known for tales of family tensions and troubles, such as Tokyo Story itself and other films like An Autumn Afternoon, Story of Floating Weeds, Late Autumn and Brothers and Sisters of the Toda Family, the season also offers the chance to see lesser known comedies (like Days Of Youth) and gangster films (Dragnet Girl). The BFI are also running a special offer, buy tickets for four films, get a fifth free!

The retrospective will be accompanied by a season highlighting Ozu’s influence on filmmakers throughout the world, including Ang Lee’s Eat Drink Man Woman, Jim Jarmusch’s Mystery Train and Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s Three Monkeys.

Read more about the Ozu season at the BFI »

The BFI kicks off the New Year with an exhaustingly comprehensive season celebrating the work of the acclaimed film director Yasujiro Ozu. Promising nearly every surviving work by Ozu (over 30 films!), the season runs throughout January and February – starting with a nationwide UK release for his masterpiece Tokyo Story.

Best known for tales of family tensions and troubles, such as Tokyo Story itself and other films like An Autumn Afternoon, Story of Floating Weeds, Late Autumn and Brothers and Sisters of the Toda Family, the season also offers the chance to see lesser known comedies (like Days Of Youth) and gangster films (Dragnet Girl). The BFI are also running a special offer, buy tickets for four films, get a fifth free!

The retrospective will be accompanied by a season highlighting Ozu’s influence on filmmakers throughout the world, including Ang Lee’s Eat Drink Man Woman, Jim Jarmusch’s Mystery Train and Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s Three Monkeys.

Read more about the Ozu season at the BFI »

The 33rd Hong Kong International Film Festival is now in full swing, after a gala premiere of Ashes Of Time Redux (yes, I know – well after the rest of the world?). There was a rare public appearance from Brigitte Lin Ching-hsia, long retired from the film industry. Director Wong Kar-wai also attended, with Tony Leung and his wife Carina Lau, and Charlie Yueng.

Elsewhere, John Woo and Tsui Hark celebrated the 25th anniversary of the production company they set up, Film Workshop, best known for 80s classics A Better Tomorrow and Zu: Warriors From The Magic Mountain.

See the official 33rd HKIFF site »

Vengeance has dominated the work of director Park Chan-wook’s last three films, but it seems his obsession with the subject which has kept audiences on the edge of their seats – with their stomachs churning – is at an end… (more…)

Palisades Tartan, the reborn imprint of the Tartan Films label, are offering a chance for two to attend their UK premiere of Park Chan-wook’s Thirst and meet the director in person… (more…)

The BFI continues to support Asian cinema in the UK with a special preview of Xiaolu Gu’s She, a Chinese on Wednesday 10 February, which will feature a Q&A with the director and novelist himself whose previous work includes How is Your Fish Today and A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers. The film concerns an enigmatic young Chinese woman raised in a backwater, longing for a different life.

Find out more and book tickets »