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The sequel to Death Note, Death Note - The Last Name, is released on DVD in the UK by 4Digital Asia on 13 October.

Asia House in partnership with Curzon Cinemas launches the inaugural Asia House Festival of Asian Film beginning 22 August. It will premiere films from Singapore, South Korea, Iran, Indonesia and China, including 881, Seven Days and Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon. The festival celebrates the best in Asian cinema, showcasing films that have been critically acclaimed at recent film festivals and providing the first and possibly only opportunity to see these films in the UK.

All screenings take place at 6.30pm at the RENOIR Cinema, The Brunswick in London. See www.asiahouse.org for more details »

John Woo’s new Chinese epic Red Cliff, starring Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Takeshi Kaneshiro, has been chosen to open the 21st Tokyo International Film Festival running from October 18 to 26.

Read more on the official Tokyo International Film Festival site »

Based on one of the most popular and most frequently adapted modern stories in Japanese literature (‘Paprika’ author Yasutaka Tsutsui’s 1965 novel ‘Toki o Kakeru Shojo’), the award winning, feature-length anime The Girl Who Leapt Through Time comes to the UK boasting an unrivalled pedigree of creative talent.

Produced by Madhouse Studio (Paprika; Millennium Actress; Perfect Blue), directed by Studio Ghibli veteran Mamoru Hosoda (director of Digimon: The Movie and the originally intended director of Howl’s Moving Castle before Hayao Miyazaki took the reins), with art direction by longtime Ghibli art director Nizou Yamamoto (Princess Mononoke; Little Nemo: Adventures In Slumberland) and character design by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (Neon Genesis Evangelion), The Girl Who Leapt Through Time was the first ever recipient of the Japanese Academy’s newly formed Best Animation Film Award in 2007.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (cert. PG) is released by Manga Entertainment and will open at selected UK cinemas on 19th September 2008.

Triangle, featuring the combined directing talents of Tsui Hark, Ringo Lam and Johnny To, is released Manga Entertainment at selected cinemas on 29 August.

Protégé, the latest film by One Night In Mongkok and 2 Young director Derek Yee, is released on DVD by Liberation Entertainment on 8 September. To celebrate its release we have THREE copies to giveaway…! (more…)

Bit slow bringing you this news, but the Tartan label – whose responsible Asia Extreme label was responsible for exposing many of us to Asian classics such as Ring, Audition and Happiness of the Katakuris – has closed as of the end of last month… (more…)

The new film by director Derek Yee (One Night In Mongkok) and starring Andy Lau (House of Flying Daggers, Infernal Affairs) and Daniel Wu (One Night In Mongkok, Purple Storm) is released on DVD in the UK on 8 September by Liberation Entertainment.

Read our review of the film here »

The competition is now over and the winners will be receiving their package in the post soon. Thanks to everyone else that entered, we’ll be hosting other competitions in the future so you might be luckier next time!

Hong Kong actor Tony Leung has married long term partner Carina Lau in a Buddhist-inspired ceremony in Bhutan, according to reports.

Tony Leung came to the attention of Western audiences in Wong Kar-wai’s In The Mood For Love, and Infernal Affairs, which was remade by Martin Scorsese as The Departed. He also appeared with Carina Lau in Kar-wai’s 2046. He most recently appeared in Ang Lee’s controversial Lust, Caution.

Read more on the BBC news online »