Taiwan’s major awards body Golden Horse will have a consolidated presence at Cannes’ Marché du Film for the first time, under the umbrella ‘Golden Horse Goes to Cannes’.
With support from Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture under the ‘1plus4’ Taiwanese content plan, Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival Executive Committee and the Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development have collaborated to organize “Golden Horse Goes to Cannes” at the premier festival’s film market.
On May 16, the collaboration will present five upcoming projects, helmed by directors Chen Yu-hsun, Yang Ya-che, Huang Xi, Giddens Ko and John Hsu.
Paranormal comedy Dead Talents Society by John Hsu has already secured major investment from Sony Pictures International Productions alongside Taiwan’s Activator, with the former also acquiring worldwide distribution rights and global remake rights.
Hsu’s debut feature Detention topped the domestic box office with over $8 million and also won the Best...
With support from Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture under the ‘1plus4’ Taiwanese content plan, Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival Executive Committee and the Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development have collaborated to organize “Golden Horse Goes to Cannes” at the premier festival’s film market.
On May 16, the collaboration will present five upcoming projects, helmed by directors Chen Yu-hsun, Yang Ya-che, Huang Xi, Giddens Ko and John Hsu.
Paranormal comedy Dead Talents Society by John Hsu has already secured major investment from Sony Pictures International Productions alongside Taiwan’s Activator, with the former also acquiring worldwide distribution rights and global remake rights.
Hsu’s debut feature Detention topped the domestic box office with over $8 million and also won the Best...
- 4/10/2024
- by Sara Merican
- Deadline Film + TV
The Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival is to showcase five upcoming Taiwanese projects at Cannes including features from Chen Yu-hsun, Yang Ya-che, Huang Xi, Giddens Ko and John Hsu with stars such as Wu Kang-ren, Gingle Wang, Kai Ko, Caitlin Fang and Karena Lam.
The new programme, titled Golden Horse Goes To Cannes, comprises works-in-progress projects and will be presented to industry professionals on May 16 at Palais K during the Cannes Film Festival. It marks Golden Horse’s first collaboration with the Marche du Film.
See below for full project list
The collaboration was initiated by Taipei Golden Horse Film...
The new programme, titled Golden Horse Goes To Cannes, comprises works-in-progress projects and will be presented to industry professionals on May 16 at Palais K during the Cannes Film Festival. It marks Golden Horse’s first collaboration with the Marche du Film.
See below for full project list
The collaboration was initiated by Taipei Golden Horse Film...
- 4/10/2024
- ScreenDaily
Patriot Games
The Hong Kong government has licensed the broadcast rights to the Summer Olympic Games in Paris. It intends to relicense the rights to four TV broadcasters in the city – Tvb, ViuTV, Hoy TV and government-owned Rthk. While in most territories, broadcasters negotiate directly with the International Olympic Committee or its agents, the Hong Kong government previously intervened in bidding for rights to the Tokyo Olympics, held in 2021. It also organized large public screenings in shopping malls.
“By procuring the broadcasting rights for these two games in Hong Kong, members of the public will be able to enjoy the Paris Og and PG [Paralympic Games] on television free of charge, and to cheer for Mainland and Hong Kong athletes,” said Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Kevin Yeung.
While the cost of the rights was not disclosed, Yeung said that the fee was lower than the rights for Tokyo. If correct,...
The Hong Kong government has licensed the broadcast rights to the Summer Olympic Games in Paris. It intends to relicense the rights to four TV broadcasters in the city – Tvb, ViuTV, Hoy TV and government-owned Rthk. While in most territories, broadcasters negotiate directly with the International Olympic Committee or its agents, the Hong Kong government previously intervened in bidding for rights to the Tokyo Olympics, held in 2021. It also organized large public screenings in shopping malls.
“By procuring the broadcasting rights for these two games in Hong Kong, members of the public will be able to enjoy the Paris Og and PG [Paralympic Games] on television free of charge, and to cheer for Mainland and Hong Kong athletes,” said Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Kevin Yeung.
While the cost of the rights was not disclosed, Yeung said that the fee was lower than the rights for Tokyo. If correct,...
- 4/10/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Even though described by its director as semi-autobiographical, “You Are the Apple of My Eye” is probably one of the most biographical films in history. For starters, the movie is based on the semi-autobiographical, homonymous novel by the director, who used his entire savings and mortgaged his house to raise money, saying that he did it to impress his ex-girlfriend, who provided the inspiration for this film's female protagonist. Furthermore, the movie was filmed almost entirely on location in Changhua County, including the high school which Giddens attended. The result was a crowning success, with the film receiving positive reviews, a number of awards and was a huge success in the box office, both locally and in other Asian countries.
on Amazon by clicking on the image below
The film begins in 1994 and focuses on Ko Ching-teng, a mischievous and poor student who frequently gets in trouble...
on Amazon by clicking on the image below
The film begins in 1994 and focuses on Ko Ching-teng, a mischievous and poor student who frequently gets in trouble...
- 2/28/2024
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
The Taiwanese entertainment industry is quite popular for its R-rated romance shows. It’s an industry that specializes in bringing heart to all things R-rated with an extra dose of drama. Netflix welcomes you to the exciting and dramatic world of Let’s Talk About Chu, a series that throws you headfirst into the tumultuous lives of the Chu family. Chu Ai is our confused protagonist, who is a waxing technician and a part-time vlogger with a penchant for delving into the complexities of sex on her online platform. The show, spread across eight episodes of 40–50 minutes each, delves into the intricate details of familial relationships, exposing the messy entanglements of love, desire, and all the juiciness in between. We watch as each member of the Chu family navigates through the challenges of their personal relationships, not just with their partners but with the world and within the family. Chu Ai...
- 2/2/2024
- by Ruchika Bhat
- Film Fugitives
Netflix has unveiled a raft of Chinese-language titles and upcoming projects from Indonesia and Thailand as it continues to grow original content in Southeast Asia.
The streaming giant revealed four series from Taiwan, eight titles from Thailand and five from Indonesia that would debut on the platform throughout 2024.
From Indonesia, features include Monster, a dialogue-free suspense thriller directed by Rako Prijanto. The film, starring Marsha Timothy, Alex Abbad, and Anantya Kirana, premiered at the Jogja-netpac Asian Film Festival in November.
Further titles from the country include Borderless Fog, a crime thriller set in Borneo, from award-winning filmmaker Edwin; and action...
The streaming giant revealed four series from Taiwan, eight titles from Thailand and five from Indonesia that would debut on the platform throughout 2024.
From Indonesia, features include Monster, a dialogue-free suspense thriller directed by Rako Prijanto. The film, starring Marsha Timothy, Alex Abbad, and Anantya Kirana, premiered at the Jogja-netpac Asian Film Festival in November.
Further titles from the country include Borderless Fog, a crime thriller set in Borneo, from award-winning filmmaker Edwin; and action...
- 2/2/2024
- ScreenDaily
Global streaming giant Netflix has made a significant ongoing commitment to production of original content from Southeast Asia and in the Chinese language.
For 2024, Netflix has unveiled a slate of four Chinese-language series, all hailing from Taiwan. From Thailand, it detailed seven series and one film. From Indonesia, it has committed to five films and a series co-written and directed by the consistently successful Joko Anwar, marking his first partnership with the streamer.
Additionally, Netflix has confirmed the appointment of Maya Huang as its head of Chinese-language content.
The moves stand in sharp contrast to the mid-January happenings at rival global streamer Prime Video, which is cutting staff in the region and ending its brief experiment with Southeast Asian originals.
In Indonesia, Netflix says it is broadening its storytelling with a range of genres including comedy, action, fantasy, and sci-fi thrillers.
“Nightmares and Daydreams,” Anwar’s debut project for the company,...
For 2024, Netflix has unveiled a slate of four Chinese-language series, all hailing from Taiwan. From Thailand, it detailed seven series and one film. From Indonesia, it has committed to five films and a series co-written and directed by the consistently successful Joko Anwar, marking his first partnership with the streamer.
Additionally, Netflix has confirmed the appointment of Maya Huang as its head of Chinese-language content.
The moves stand in sharp contrast to the mid-January happenings at rival global streamer Prime Video, which is cutting staff in the region and ending its brief experiment with Southeast Asian originals.
In Indonesia, Netflix says it is broadening its storytelling with a range of genres including comedy, action, fantasy, and sci-fi thrillers.
“Nightmares and Daydreams,” Anwar’s debut project for the company,...
- 2/2/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Despite a series of issues the whole Chinese language movie world is experiencing, it seems, and as we also mentioned last year, the local industries are also moving intensely forward, with the productions of quality from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong increasing significantly. In that fashion, Hong Kong seems to have made a rather successful turn towards social/family dramas, Taiwan continues on the rather high level it has established for some years now, while China's local blockbusters and international, diaspora movies continue to lead the way, both locally and beyond the borders of the country.
Without further ado, here are 20 movies that highlighted all the aforementioned in 2023, in reverse order, although the difference of quality is so small here, that the order could be completely different. Some films may have premiered in 2022, but since they mostly circulated in 2023, we decided to include them.
20. Who'll Stop the Rain by Su...
Without further ado, here are 20 movies that highlighted all the aforementioned in 2023, in reverse order, although the difference of quality is so small here, that the order could be completely different. Some films may have premiered in 2022, but since they mostly circulated in 2023, we decided to include them.
20. Who'll Stop the Rain by Su...
- 12/26/2023
- by AMP Group
- AsianMoviePulse
"Bros gotta have ..." what? Courage? Fear? Or testicular fortitude? Bad Education, a forthcoming film from Taiwan by Kai Ko, an actor making his directorial debut, may sound familiar, but I like its style and attitude, which is paramount in any film about young, would-be tough guys, isn't it? The synopsis (from IMDb) intrigues: "On the night of their high school graduation, three delinquents decide to exchange their darkest, most unspeakable secret." Kent Tsai, Berant Zhu, and Edison Song star. It opened in its native Taiwan this past April and since then has played the international festival circuit: Osaka Asian; Hong Kong International; Far East in Udine, Italy; Bucheon; and the Taiwan Film Festival in Australia. Apparently, it hasn't screening yet in North America. It...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 8/31/2023
- Screen Anarchy
Giddens Ko is responsible for some of the best works we have seen coming out from Taiwan during the last decade, with “You are the Apple of My Eye”, “Mon Mon Mon Monsters” and “The Tenants Downstairs” being the most prominent samples. For his latest work, “Miss Shampoo”, he tries his hand in an intense genre mashup that includes elements of crime, comedy, romance and drama.
Miss Shampoo is screening at New York Asian Film Festival
East Asian humor frequently has to do with hair, and so having an (assistant) hairdresser as the protagonist seems a good idea for the comedy aspect. This is Fen, who apprentices in a hair salon when, one stormy night, Tai, a wounded gang underboss, rushes into the shop, stabbed, in order to avoid his pursuers. Fen does not give him away, and Tai, who has become the boss of his gang after the former one was murdered,...
Miss Shampoo is screening at New York Asian Film Festival
East Asian humor frequently has to do with hair, and so having an (assistant) hairdresser as the protagonist seems a good idea for the comedy aspect. This is Fen, who apprentices in a hair salon when, one stormy night, Tai, a wounded gang underboss, rushes into the shop, stabbed, in order to avoid his pursuers. Fen does not give him away, and Tai, who has become the boss of his gang after the former one was murdered,...
- 7/24/2023
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
4Dplex Experiences Added In Cambodia, Thailand
Korean tech firm Cj 4Dplex has struck a deal with Thailand’s Major Cineplex to add two ScreenX locations in Cambodia and Thailand. One will be located at the Aeon Mall Mean Chey, have almost 500 seats and have a 75-foot-wide central screen, making it the largest ScreenX auditorium in Southeast Asia. The other will be at Bangkok’s ICONSiam Mall location, debuting on July 27.
ScreenX is a multi-projection system with an immersive 270-degree field of view. That creates a virtual reality-like setting with cinema quality resolution. Major’s first ScreenX launched in 2022 at its Siam Paragon location in central Bangkok.
“We’ve received amazing reactions and feedback from our moviegoers for ScreenX in Thailand and expect to generate the same response at our Cambodia location,” said Vicha Poolvaraluk, CEO, Major Cineplex.
The two companies previously partnered on 4Dx installations, where viewers experience motion, vibration,...
Korean tech firm Cj 4Dplex has struck a deal with Thailand’s Major Cineplex to add two ScreenX locations in Cambodia and Thailand. One will be located at the Aeon Mall Mean Chey, have almost 500 seats and have a 75-foot-wide central screen, making it the largest ScreenX auditorium in Southeast Asia. The other will be at Bangkok’s ICONSiam Mall location, debuting on July 27.
ScreenX is a multi-projection system with an immersive 270-degree field of view. That creates a virtual reality-like setting with cinema quality resolution. Major’s first ScreenX launched in 2022 at its Siam Paragon location in central Bangkok.
“We’ve received amazing reactions and feedback from our moviegoers for ScreenX in Thailand and expect to generate the same response at our Cambodia location,” said Vicha Poolvaraluk, CEO, Major Cineplex.
The two companies previously partnered on 4Dx installations, where viewers experience motion, vibration,...
- 7/3/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Taipei Film Festival is aiming to shine an international spotlight on Taiwanese actors through a new initiative, Top Talents, that will showcase nine actors including major stars Kai Ko and Chen Bolin.
Other actors selected for the initiative include Chen Yi-wen, who won a Golden Horse Award for A Sun; Taipei Film Award winners Hsu Wei-ning and Gingle Wang; Caitlin Fang who won best newcomer awards at both Golden Horse and Taipei Film Awards for American Girl; and Golden Bell Award regulars Hsueh Shih-ling, Esther Liu and Tseng Pei-yu.
Collaborating with Taiwan Creative Content Agency (Taicca), the festival drew up a longlist from more than one hundred actors who had won prizes at Taiwan’s Golden Horse Awards, Golden Bell Awards, which focus on TV production, and Taipei Film Awards.
The final list was selected by a committee of seven filmmakers including Taipei Film Festival director Li Ya-mei, executive producer Lee Lieh,...
Other actors selected for the initiative include Chen Yi-wen, who won a Golden Horse Award for A Sun; Taipei Film Award winners Hsu Wei-ning and Gingle Wang; Caitlin Fang who won best newcomer awards at both Golden Horse and Taipei Film Awards for American Girl; and Golden Bell Award regulars Hsueh Shih-ling, Esther Liu and Tseng Pei-yu.
Collaborating with Taiwan Creative Content Agency (Taicca), the festival drew up a longlist from more than one hundred actors who had won prizes at Taiwan’s Golden Horse Awards, Golden Bell Awards, which focus on TV production, and Taipei Film Awards.
The final list was selected by a committee of seven filmmakers including Taipei Film Festival director Li Ya-mei, executive producer Lee Lieh,...
- 6/26/2023
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
Nyaff unveils first wave of features from China, Hong Kong, Japan and beyond.
The New York Asian Film Festival (Nyaff) has unveiled the first wave of features for its 22nd edition and announced that Japanese actor Ryohei Suzuki will receive the Screen International Rising Star award.
Nyaff will run from July 14-30 at the city’s Film at Lincoln Center, with a programme of more than 60 titles, and Suzuki will be presented with the award recognising emerging talent from East Asia on July 15.
Suzuki has been acting on screen for more than 15 years, with a string of roles in Japanese...
The New York Asian Film Festival (Nyaff) has unveiled the first wave of features for its 22nd edition and announced that Japanese actor Ryohei Suzuki will receive the Screen International Rising Star award.
Nyaff will run from July 14-30 at the city’s Film at Lincoln Center, with a programme of more than 60 titles, and Suzuki will be presented with the award recognising emerging talent from East Asia on July 15.
Suzuki has been acting on screen for more than 15 years, with a string of roles in Japanese...
- 6/15/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Giddens Ko directs the Taiwanese gangster comedy romance.
South Korean outfit Barunson E&a has secured international sales rights to its first non-Korean film – Miss Shampoo, a Taiwanese gangster comedy romance directed by Giddens Ko – and will launch sales at the Cannes market.
Barunson E&a, which also has Kim Jee-woon’s Cobweb playing Out of Competition at Cannes, has international sales rights to Miss Shampoo excluding theatrical rights for Taiwan, which remain with production company Machi Xcelsior Studios, Southeast Asia (Clover Films) and Hong Kong.
The film stars Daniel Hong of Bad Education alongside Vivian Sung and Kai Ko, who...
South Korean outfit Barunson E&a has secured international sales rights to its first non-Korean film – Miss Shampoo, a Taiwanese gangster comedy romance directed by Giddens Ko – and will launch sales at the Cannes market.
Barunson E&a, which also has Kim Jee-woon’s Cobweb playing Out of Competition at Cannes, has international sales rights to Miss Shampoo excluding theatrical rights for Taiwan, which remain with production company Machi Xcelsior Studios, Southeast Asia (Clover Films) and Hong Kong.
The film stars Daniel Hong of Bad Education alongside Vivian Sung and Kai Ko, who...
- 5/17/2023
- by Jean Noh
- ScreenDaily
Huang Ji and Otsuka Ryuji’s “Stonewalling” won the Chinese-language section of the Hong Kong International Film Festival’s Firebird Young Cinema competition. Lila Aviles’s “Totem” won the equivalent Firebird Award for international films.
The festival began on March 30 and concluded on Sunday evening with a world premier screening of “Vital Sign” at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre’s Grand Theatre. The screening was accompanied by cast and crew including Louis Koo, director Cheuk Wan-chi, producer Jacqueline Liu and performers Neo Yao, Angela Yuen, Ng Wing-sze, Tony Wu and So Yuet-yin.
In total, “Stonewalling” picked up three awards. In addition to the best film prize, it also collected the best actress prize for leads Huang Xiaoxiong and Yao Honggui and the Fipresci Award. The tale of an unwanted pregnancy, the film premiered at Venice and Toronto last year. The Hkiff jury said it “[reminds] us of the confusion, difficulty and...
The festival began on March 30 and concluded on Sunday evening with a world premier screening of “Vital Sign” at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre’s Grand Theatre. The screening was accompanied by cast and crew including Louis Koo, director Cheuk Wan-chi, producer Jacqueline Liu and performers Neo Yao, Angela Yuen, Ng Wing-sze, Tony Wu and So Yuet-yin.
In total, “Stonewalling” picked up three awards. In addition to the best film prize, it also collected the best actress prize for leads Huang Xiaoxiong and Yao Honggui and the Fipresci Award. The tale of an unwanted pregnancy, the film premiered at Venice and Toronto last year. The Hkiff jury said it “[reminds] us of the confusion, difficulty and...
- 4/11/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Stonewalling, co-directed by Huang Ji and Otsuka Ryuji, was the big winner at Hong Kong International Film Festival (Hkiff), taking home three prizes including best film in the Young Cinema Competition (Chinese Language) of the Firebird Awards.
While Hkiff did manage to hold some postponed, but in-theatre, editions during the pandemic, this year was the first time the festival had been able to welcome overseas guests after Hong Kong dropped it strict Covid quarantine requirements towards the end of last year. The festival wraps today (April 10) and held its awards ceremony with a screening of closing film, Cheuk Wan-chi’s Vital Sign, last night.
Part of a trilogy that focuses on the struggles of young women in contemporary China, Stonewalling also won best actress, which was shared by its two female leads, Huang Xiaoxiong and Yao Honggui, playing mother and daughter, and also picked up the Fipresci prize.
The Hkiff...
While Hkiff did manage to hold some postponed, but in-theatre, editions during the pandemic, this year was the first time the festival had been able to welcome overseas guests after Hong Kong dropped it strict Covid quarantine requirements towards the end of last year. The festival wraps today (April 10) and held its awards ceremony with a screening of closing film, Cheuk Wan-chi’s Vital Sign, last night.
Part of a trilogy that focuses on the struggles of young women in contemporary China, Stonewalling also won best actress, which was shared by its two female leads, Huang Xiaoxiong and Yao Honggui, playing mother and daughter, and also picked up the Fipresci prize.
The Hkiff...
- 4/10/2023
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
Italy’s Far East Film Festival unveiled a power-packed lineup Wednesday for its 25th anniversary edition. The largest cinema event in Europe specializing in popular moviemaking from Asia, Feff will open April 21 with an inspired double bill, He Shuming’s hit Korea-Singapore co-production Ajoomma followed by first-time Taiwanese director Kai Ko’s black comedy Bad Education. And on April 29, the curtain will come down on the festival with the Italy premiere of legendary Chinese director Zhang Yimou’s latest blockbuster, Full River Red. Between those dates, the festival will screen 78 Asian films from 14 countries, including nine world premieres.
The organizers of Feff, founded in 1999 in the picturesque northern Italian city of Udine by festival pioneers Sabrina Baracetti and Thomas Bertacche, say the 2023 selection “aims to showcase the immense complexity of Asia more than ever before.” The lineup indeed presents a compelling snapshot of a wildly diverse content’s commercial cinema in flux.
The organizers of Feff, founded in 1999 in the picturesque northern Italian city of Udine by festival pioneers Sabrina Baracetti and Thomas Bertacche, say the 2023 selection “aims to showcase the immense complexity of Asia more than ever before.” The lineup indeed presents a compelling snapshot of a wildly diverse content’s commercial cinema in flux.
- 4/6/2023
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Far East Film Festival in Italy’s Udine will open with a double bill of He Shuming’s “Ajoomma” and Kai Ko’s “Bad Education.” It will close with Zhang Yimou’s blockbuster period epic “Full River Red.”
In between, the festival will showcase a stunning 78-title array of commercial and art-house films from across East Asia. Operating according to a motto of diversity –implying cultural asymmetries and artistic multiplicities – the 25th edition of the festival will run April 21-29.
Organizers say that their selection “shows in real time how the cinemas of East and Southeast Asia have re-emerged from the gruelling period of the pandemic, not all in the same way and not all with the same results.”
They point to the impact of Covid, politics and emigration from Hong Kong, and the recent resurgence of Cantonese-language cinema.
Similarly, Udine’s organizers note the recent box office struggles of South Korean cinema,...
In between, the festival will showcase a stunning 78-title array of commercial and art-house films from across East Asia. Operating according to a motto of diversity –implying cultural asymmetries and artistic multiplicities – the 25th edition of the festival will run April 21-29.
Organizers say that their selection “shows in real time how the cinemas of East and Southeast Asia have re-emerged from the gruelling period of the pandemic, not all in the same way and not all with the same results.”
They point to the impact of Covid, politics and emigration from Hong Kong, and the recent resurgence of Cantonese-language cinema.
Similarly, Udine’s organizers note the recent box office struggles of South Korean cinema,...
- 4/5/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Osaka Asian Film Festival (Oaff) 2023, which began on March 10, has finished its 10-day screening run on Sunday March 19 with the World Premiere of “Side by Side”, a magical-realist mystery drama, the second film as director from prolific screenwriter Ito Chihiro. The screening at Osaka came ahead of its nationwide release on April 14.
Before it was screened, the award ceremony was held and the results for each of the categories were announced.
The results of each award are below, beginning with the Grand Prix for films in the Competition section.
Osaka Asian Film Festival 2023 Award Winners ★ Grand Prix (Best Picture Award)
This award is given to the best film among the Competition films, as selected by the jury. The winner receives 500,000 yen. The Oaff 2023 Jury, comprised of directors Ho Cheuk Tin, Hsieh Pei-ju, and journalist Tsukinaga Rie, having viewed all 14 films in competition, decided as follows:
Winner | “Like & Share” | Indonesia...
Before it was screened, the award ceremony was held and the results for each of the categories were announced.
The results of each award are below, beginning with the Grand Prix for films in the Competition section.
Osaka Asian Film Festival 2023 Award Winners ★ Grand Prix (Best Picture Award)
This award is given to the best film among the Competition films, as selected by the jury. The winner receives 500,000 yen. The Oaff 2023 Jury, comprised of directors Ho Cheuk Tin, Hsieh Pei-ju, and journalist Tsukinaga Rie, having viewed all 14 films in competition, decided as follows:
Winner | “Like & Share” | Indonesia...
- 3/21/2023
- by Suzie Cho
- AsianMoviePulse
“Like & Share” from Indonesia’s Gina S. Noer was named the best picture and collected the Grand Prix on Sunday at the Osaka Asian Film Festival.
“All of us on the jury were struck by the film’s clear and powerful message, which affirms young women’s sexual curiosity and desire while clearly saying no to sexual violence. The style of the film is also original. The sweet, poppy feeling that fascinates the audience in the first half of the film becomes darker as the story progresses, making us shudder. “Like & Share,” with its strong message and brilliant direction, is a film that needs to be seen now more than ever,” said the jury in a statement.
“This movie is talking about how we deal with trauma and how we deal with sexual violence. It’s not easy to tell and it’s not easy to make a movie about it,...
“All of us on the jury were struck by the film’s clear and powerful message, which affirms young women’s sexual curiosity and desire while clearly saying no to sexual violence. The style of the film is also original. The sweet, poppy feeling that fascinates the audience in the first half of the film becomes darker as the story progresses, making us shudder. “Like & Share,” with its strong message and brilliant direction, is a film that needs to be seen now more than ever,” said the jury in a statement.
“This movie is talking about how we deal with trauma and how we deal with sexual violence. It’s not easy to tell and it’s not easy to make a movie about it,...
- 3/20/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Debuting as an actor back in 2011 with Giddens Ko's “You Are the Apple of My Eye”, Kai Ko has since gone on to become a formidable name in modern Taiwanese cinema, even winning a Golden Horse Award for Best New Performer and a Taipei Film Award for Best Actor over the years. In 2022, he took over the directorial chair from Giddens Ko for “Bad Education”, a script written by Giddens that he was supposed to direct but ended up being Kai Ko's debut behind the camera. In addition to the support of his first director, Kai Ko also had the support of Midi Z, who he worked with on “The Road to Mandalay” and who acts as a producer on “Bad Education”.
Bad Education is screening at Osaka Asian Film Festival
On the night of their graduation from high school, three drunk best friends Chang, Wang and Han decide that,...
Bad Education is screening at Osaka Asian Film Festival
On the night of their graduation from high school, three drunk best friends Chang, Wang and Han decide that,...
- 3/14/2023
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
The Asian premiere of Soi Cheang’s “Mad Fate” is just one of three locally-produced movies that have been set as the opening and closing titles of the upcoming Hong Kong International Film Festival.
“Mad Fate” is joined in the festival opening slot on March 30 by “Elegies,” Ann Hui’s documentary portrayal of the topography of contemporary local poetry, which will have its world premiere. The closing film, another world premiere, is “Vital Sign,” an affecting drama directed by Cheuk Wan-chi and starring Louis Koo, Yau Hawk-sau, and Angela Yuen, which will wrap up proceedings on 10 April.
In total, the festival has programmed some 200 films from 64 countries and territories. These include nine world premieres, six international premieres, and 67 Asian premieres.
“Mad Fate,” an intense examination of murder, local superstition and the lower depths of society, premiered last month at the Berlin festival in a special section. Cheang will be a major feature of the Hkiff,...
“Mad Fate” is joined in the festival opening slot on March 30 by “Elegies,” Ann Hui’s documentary portrayal of the topography of contemporary local poetry, which will have its world premiere. The closing film, another world premiere, is “Vital Sign,” an affecting drama directed by Cheuk Wan-chi and starring Louis Koo, Yau Hawk-sau, and Angela Yuen, which will wrap up proceedings on 10 April.
In total, the festival has programmed some 200 films from 64 countries and territories. These include nine world premieres, six international premieres, and 67 Asian premieres.
“Mad Fate,” an intense examination of murder, local superstition and the lower depths of society, premiered last month at the Berlin festival in a special section. Cheang will be a major feature of the Hkiff,...
- 3/10/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Bad Education
Director: Kai Ko
Producers: Ko Yao-zong, Lu Wei-chun, Giddens Ko, Midi Z, Molly Fang
Key cast: Berant Zhu, Kent Tsai, Edison Song
Actor Kai Ko’s directorial debut revolves around three young men who decide to bond with each other as sworn brothers as they graduate from high school by sharing dark secrets. The film’s Berant Zhu won the supporting actor prize at the 2022 Golden Horse Awards.
Sales: Harvest 9 Road Entertainment
COO-coo 043
Director: Chan Ching-Lin
Producers: Lin I-ling, Lin Shih-ken
Key cast: Yu An-Shun, Hu Jhih-Ciang, Yang Li-Yin, Rimong Ihwar
Haunting family drama set against the world of pigeon racing in Taiwan. Winner of 59th Golden Horse Awards’ narrative feature in 2022 and the Golden Horse Film Festival’s Fipresci prize.
Sales: Distribution Workshop
In The Morning Of LA Petite Morte
Director: Wang Yu-lin
Producers: Patrick Mao Huang, Jan Yi-ting
Key cast: Fukuchi Yusuke, Wang Yun-zhi, Ivy Yin,...
Director: Kai Ko
Producers: Ko Yao-zong, Lu Wei-chun, Giddens Ko, Midi Z, Molly Fang
Key cast: Berant Zhu, Kent Tsai, Edison Song
Actor Kai Ko’s directorial debut revolves around three young men who decide to bond with each other as sworn brothers as they graduate from high school by sharing dark secrets. The film’s Berant Zhu won the supporting actor prize at the 2022 Golden Horse Awards.
Sales: Harvest 9 Road Entertainment
COO-coo 043
Director: Chan Ching-Lin
Producers: Lin I-ling, Lin Shih-ken
Key cast: Yu An-Shun, Hu Jhih-Ciang, Yang Li-Yin, Rimong Ihwar
Haunting family drama set against the world of pigeon racing in Taiwan. Winner of 59th Golden Horse Awards’ narrative feature in 2022 and the Golden Horse Film Festival’s Fipresci prize.
Sales: Distribution Workshop
In The Morning Of LA Petite Morte
Director: Wang Yu-lin
Producers: Patrick Mao Huang, Jan Yi-ting
Key cast: Fukuchi Yusuke, Wang Yun-zhi, Ivy Yin,...
- 2/16/2023
- by Vivienne Chow
- Variety Film + TV
Taipei- and Hong Kong-based sales agency Distribution Workshop heads to Berlin with a rich slate that includes one of the mainland Chinese hits from the recent Lunar New Year season and an anticipated supernatural horror film from Taiwan. The company will present to buyers in person at Berlin’s European Film Market next week.
Starring Tony Leung Chiu-wai and pop star turned actor Wang Yibo, Huang Lei and Zhou Xun, “Hidden Blade” is a lusciously presented espionage story that runs from the 1920s to the period Second Sino-Chinese War. It is directed by Cheng Er, who previously directed 2017’s “The Wasted Times.”
(Wang and Zhou also both appear in “All Tomorrow’s Parties,” a Chinese short film by Zhang Dalei that plays in next week’s Berlin short film competition.)
As nationalist, Communist and Japanese factions fan out across China and Japanese-occupied Manchuria, the narrative sees espionage agencies operating behind enemy lines,...
Starring Tony Leung Chiu-wai and pop star turned actor Wang Yibo, Huang Lei and Zhou Xun, “Hidden Blade” is a lusciously presented espionage story that runs from the 1920s to the period Second Sino-Chinese War. It is directed by Cheng Er, who previously directed 2017’s “The Wasted Times.”
(Wang and Zhou also both appear in “All Tomorrow’s Parties,” a Chinese short film by Zhang Dalei that plays in next week’s Berlin short film competition.)
As nationalist, Communist and Japanese factions fan out across China and Japanese-occupied Manchuria, the narrative sees espionage agencies operating behind enemy lines,...
- 2/6/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
The Osaka Asian Film Festival will return in March for its 18th edition with a lineup of current Asian feature and short films and a spotlight on works from Hong Kong.
The competition section, which selects from films that are currently unreleased in Japan, numbers 13 titles. These include: Kai Ko’s “Bad Education,” “December” from Japan-based Indian director Anshul Chauhan, and two Indian-made films Rima Das’ “Tora’s Husband” and Padmakumar Narasimhamurthy’s “Max, Min and Meowzaki.”
The indie section comprises a mix of Japanese feature and short films from challenging or emerging talents, with a winner set to receive the separate Japan Cuts prize.
A Spotlight section of other independent films by up-and-coming directors includes: Martika Ramirez Escobar’s “Leonor Will Never Die,” Mejbaur Rahman Sumon’s Bangladesh-France production “Hawa,” Thitipong Kerdtongtawee’s “Omg! Oh My Girl” and documentary “Jiseok.”
The Hong Kong spotlight, consisting of five titles, cuts...
The competition section, which selects from films that are currently unreleased in Japan, numbers 13 titles. These include: Kai Ko’s “Bad Education,” “December” from Japan-based Indian director Anshul Chauhan, and two Indian-made films Rima Das’ “Tora’s Husband” and Padmakumar Narasimhamurthy’s “Max, Min and Meowzaki.”
The indie section comprises a mix of Japanese feature and short films from challenging or emerging talents, with a winner set to receive the separate Japan Cuts prize.
A Spotlight section of other independent films by up-and-coming directors includes: Martika Ramirez Escobar’s “Leonor Will Never Die,” Mejbaur Rahman Sumon’s Bangladesh-France production “Hawa,” Thitipong Kerdtongtawee’s “Omg! Oh My Girl” and documentary “Jiseok.”
The Hong Kong spotlight, consisting of five titles, cuts...
- 1/31/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Taiwanese actor Kai Ko is said to be recovering after being struck by a camera drone on the set of Agent From Above, Netflix’s upcoming Chinese-language series.
Ko’s agent told Taiwan’s local United Daily News that the actor suffered “serious facial disfigurement,” and his wound required 20 to 30 stitches. Ko is “recuperating and actively treating” his injury with the hope of returning to work “as soon as possible,” his agent added.
The accident happened on December 27 on the Agent From Above set. The show is produced by Singapore’s mm2 Entertainment and Taiwan’s Good Films Production.
A spokesperson for the production team told local media that safety precautions were followed during the shoot, and the drone’s propellers were shielded by a protective cover.
“There was no drone explosion or blades shattering. Unfortunately, for unknown reasons, the drone accidentally hit the cheekbone area of Ko’s face and caused injuries,...
Ko’s agent told Taiwan’s local United Daily News that the actor suffered “serious facial disfigurement,” and his wound required 20 to 30 stitches. Ko is “recuperating and actively treating” his injury with the hope of returning to work “as soon as possible,” his agent added.
The accident happened on December 27 on the Agent From Above set. The show is produced by Singapore’s mm2 Entertainment and Taiwan’s Good Films Production.
A spokesperson for the production team told local media that safety precautions were followed during the shoot, and the drone’s propellers were shielded by a protective cover.
“There was no drone explosion or blades shattering. Unfortunately, for unknown reasons, the drone accidentally hit the cheekbone area of Ko’s face and caused injuries,...
- 1/11/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Leading Taiwan actor Kai Ko was seriously injured by a camera-carrying drone while filming Mandarin-language fantasy series “Agent From Above.” The show is set to play on Netflix.
The incident happened on Dec. 27, 2022, but was first reported this week by Taiwan’s United Daily News. It has subsequently been confirmed by the producers. They told Variety that production has resumed, but said that Ko (aka Ko Chen-tung) has not yet returned to work.
Ko’s manager told Taiwan media that the star had suffered “serious disfigurement” after he was hit in the face, close to his cheekbone. The manager said that he required 20-30 stitches.
The fantasy drama is produced by Singapore’s mm2 Asia and Taiwan’s Good Films Production.
“Kai Ko was involved in a drone accident during the production of ‘Agent From Above’ on 27 December 2022. The shoot was operating within standard safety guidelines. The drone’s propeller...
The incident happened on Dec. 27, 2022, but was first reported this week by Taiwan’s United Daily News. It has subsequently been confirmed by the producers. They told Variety that production has resumed, but said that Ko (aka Ko Chen-tung) has not yet returned to work.
Ko’s manager told Taiwan media that the star had suffered “serious disfigurement” after he was hit in the face, close to his cheekbone. The manager said that he required 20-30 stitches.
The fantasy drama is produced by Singapore’s mm2 Asia and Taiwan’s Good Films Production.
“Kai Ko was involved in a drone accident during the production of ‘Agent From Above’ on 27 December 2022. The shoot was operating within standard safety guidelines. The drone’s propeller...
- 1/11/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Singapore-based media and entertainment company mm2 Asia, together with Taiwan’s Man Man Er have entered into a commercial term sheet agreement with Taiwanese intellectual property company Million Star (Huaxing) Entertainment.
The yet-to-complete deal would see mm2 and Man Man Er jointly explore commercial opportunities for the more than 600 IP rights managed by Million Star. As part of the deal, Man Man Er and mm2 Asia plan to buy a strategic stake in Million Star. The details will only become available when the companies complete due diligence, but as a Singapore public company mm2 is required to inform investors of significant deals. The notification occurs a day ahead of the opening of the Asia TV Forum in Singapore.
Million Star was founded in 2011, as an agency for pop musicians and actors. It later added representation of IP rights for novels and comics, as well as for directors and scriptwriters. The...
The yet-to-complete deal would see mm2 and Man Man Er jointly explore commercial opportunities for the more than 600 IP rights managed by Million Star. As part of the deal, Man Man Er and mm2 Asia plan to buy a strategic stake in Million Star. The details will only become available when the companies complete due diligence, but as a Singapore public company mm2 is required to inform investors of significant deals. The notification occurs a day ahead of the opening of the Asia TV Forum in Singapore.
Million Star was founded in 2011, as an agency for pop musicians and actors. It later added representation of IP rights for novels and comics, as well as for directors and scriptwriters. The...
- 12/6/2022
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Author-director Giddens Ko (“You Are the Apple of My Eye”) returned to Golden Horse Award-winning form in 2021 with “Till We Meet Again”, a movie adaptation of his best-selling novel “God of Love”. Ko cleverly refreshes the run-of-the-mill romance genre with an infusion of local mythology about life and death. Ko reimagines his underworld as a chaotic dystopian realm, more frightening for its bureaucratic red tape and glitchy It when dealing with an overpopulation of human souls awaiting either reincarnation or eternal damnation. Traditional deities like Yama the King of Hell, his ghostbuster sidekicks Ox-Head and Horse-Face as well as the usual host of demons (including cameos by Sadako and Toshio) are not who they seem.
Kai Ko turns in an endearing performance as the happy-go-lucky Ah Lun. He suffers an untimely death, has amnesia and faces a choice to either reincarnate as a snail or join the underworld’s matchmaking...
Kai Ko turns in an endearing performance as the happy-go-lucky Ah Lun. He suffers an untimely death, has amnesia and faces a choice to either reincarnate as a snail or join the underworld’s matchmaking...
- 11/27/2022
- by Suzie Cho
- AsianMoviePulse
Titles include fantasy series ‘Agent From Above’.
Netflix is to boost its Chinese-language line-up of content with a slate of features and series, led by Taiwanese fantasy show Agent From Above and the acquisition of Hong Kong blockbuster Warriors Of Future.
Agent From Above will be a fantasy series rooted in traditional Taiwanese beliefs, produced by Singapore’s mm2 Entertainment and Taiwan’s Good Films Production. Directed by Donnie Lai with Good Films’ Rita Chuang as lead producer, the series will explore a universe of gods, monsters, humans, and ghosts, in which a former drug addict is recruited to do...
Netflix is to boost its Chinese-language line-up of content with a slate of features and series, led by Taiwanese fantasy show Agent From Above and the acquisition of Hong Kong blockbuster Warriors Of Future.
Agent From Above will be a fantasy series rooted in traditional Taiwanese beliefs, produced by Singapore’s mm2 Entertainment and Taiwan’s Good Films Production. Directed by Donnie Lai with Good Films’ Rita Chuang as lead producer, the series will explore a universe of gods, monsters, humans, and ghosts, in which a former drug addict is recruited to do...
- 11/3/2022
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Click here to read the full article.
Netflix unveiled a small slate of Chinese-language content Thursday, led by the Taiwanese fantasy series Agent From Above and Hong Kong sci-fi blockbuster Warriors of Future.
“We’re committed to investing in and creating high-quality Chinese-language shows that we know will appeal to more audiences in Taiwan and around the world,” said Netflix’s manager of Chinese-language content Jerry Zhang.
Produced by Singapore’s mm2 Entertainment and Taiwan’s Good Films Production, Agent From Above is rooted in a universe of “gods, monsters, humans and ghosts” inspired by traditional Taiwanese beliefs. The series follows a former drug addict who is recruited to do the bidding of legendary Chinese god San Tai Zi as redemption for his sins. Directed by Donnie Lai and produced by Good Films’ Rita Chuang, the show stars Taiwan’s Kai Ko, Wang Po-Chieh, Hsueh Shih-ling, Buffy Chen and Johnny Yang.
Netflix unveiled a small slate of Chinese-language content Thursday, led by the Taiwanese fantasy series Agent From Above and Hong Kong sci-fi blockbuster Warriors of Future.
“We’re committed to investing in and creating high-quality Chinese-language shows that we know will appeal to more audiences in Taiwan and around the world,” said Netflix’s manager of Chinese-language content Jerry Zhang.
Produced by Singapore’s mm2 Entertainment and Taiwan’s Good Films Production, Agent From Above is rooted in a universe of “gods, monsters, humans and ghosts” inspired by traditional Taiwanese beliefs. The series follows a former drug addict who is recruited to do the bidding of legendary Chinese god San Tai Zi as redemption for his sins. Directed by Donnie Lai and produced by Good Films’ Rita Chuang, the show stars Taiwan’s Kai Ko, Wang Po-Chieh, Hsueh Shih-ling, Buffy Chen and Johnny Yang.
- 11/3/2022
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Netflix has announced a slate of Chinese-language films and series, headlined by fantasy series Agent From Above, which the streamer says “boasts extensive visual effects that are seldom seen in a local series”.
Produced with Singapore’s mm2 Entertainment and Taiwan’s Good Films Production, the series is set against an oriental universe of “gods, monsters, humans and ghosts”. The story follows a former drug addict who is recruited to do the bidding of legendary Chinese god San Tai Zi as redemption for his sins.
Taiwanese star Kai Ko heads the cast of the series, which also stars Wang Po-Chieh, Hsueh Shih-ling, Buffy Chen and Johnny Yang. Donnie Lai directs with Good Films’ Rita Chuang as the lead producer.
“We’re committed to investing in and creating high-quality Chinese-language shows that we know will appeal to more audiences in Taiwan and around the world,” said Netflix Chinese-language content manager Jerry Zhang.
Produced with Singapore’s mm2 Entertainment and Taiwan’s Good Films Production, the series is set against an oriental universe of “gods, monsters, humans and ghosts”. The story follows a former drug addict who is recruited to do the bidding of legendary Chinese god San Tai Zi as redemption for his sins.
Taiwanese star Kai Ko heads the cast of the series, which also stars Wang Po-Chieh, Hsueh Shih-ling, Buffy Chen and Johnny Yang. Donnie Lai directs with Good Films’ Rita Chuang as the lead producer.
“We’re committed to investing in and creating high-quality Chinese-language shows that we know will appeal to more audiences in Taiwan and around the world,” said Netflix Chinese-language content manager Jerry Zhang.
- 11/3/2022
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
High school student drama has received four nominations at the Golden Horse Awards.
Taiwanese actor Kai Ko’s directorial debut Bad Education, which has received four nominations at the upcoming Golden Horse Awards, is being launched by Harvest 9 Road Entertainment at Busan’s Asian Contents & Film Market (Acfm).
Ko, who shot to fame through his role in You’re The Apple Of My Eye, which earned him the best new performer prize at the Golden Horse Awards in 2011, was most recently seen in last year’s Till We Meet Again. Both hit films were directed by novelist-turned-director Giddens Ko...
Taiwanese actor Kai Ko’s directorial debut Bad Education, which has received four nominations at the upcoming Golden Horse Awards, is being launched by Harvest 9 Road Entertainment at Busan’s Asian Contents & Film Market (Acfm).
Ko, who shot to fame through his role in You’re The Apple Of My Eye, which earned him the best new performer prize at the Golden Horse Awards in 2011, was most recently seen in last year’s Till We Meet Again. Both hit films were directed by novelist-turned-director Giddens Ko...
- 10/9/2022
- by Silvia Wong
- ScreenDaily
Taiwanese horror ‘Incantation’ and family drama ‘Coo-Coo 043’ also receive multiple nods.
Soi Cheang’s Hong Kong thriller Limbo leads the nominations for this year’s Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan, followed by Kevin Ko’s local horror Incantation and Chan Ching-lin’s family drama Coo-Coo 043.
Black and white crime noir Limbo, which premiered in Berlinale Special in 2021, secured 14 nods including best film and best director, while Taiwanese titles Incantation and Coo-Coo 043 each received 13 nominations.
Scroll down for full list of nominations
The 59th edition of the awards will mark a stronger representation of Hong Kong titles than in recent years,...
Soi Cheang’s Hong Kong thriller Limbo leads the nominations for this year’s Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan, followed by Kevin Ko’s local horror Incantation and Chan Ching-lin’s family drama Coo-Coo 043.
Black and white crime noir Limbo, which premiered in Berlinale Special in 2021, secured 14 nods including best film and best director, while Taiwanese titles Incantation and Coo-Coo 043 each received 13 nominations.
Scroll down for full list of nominations
The 59th edition of the awards will mark a stronger representation of Hong Kong titles than in recent years,...
- 9/27/2022
- by Silvia Wong
- ScreenDaily
For the first time in two years, the New York Asian Film Festival (Nyaff) will have a full return to big-screen viewing as they celebrate their 20th Anniversary!
Following a fully virtual 2020 edition and a hybrid 2021 edition, Nyaff is delighted to present this year’s 60+ new and classic titles fully in person at Film at Lincoln Center and the Asia Society, from July 15 to July 31. Mark your calendars now to celebrate this major cinematic anniversary in July!
We’ll be announcing more titles and exciting guests in coming weeks, but here are some initial highlights to look out for:
Thailand Fast & Feel Love © 2022 Gdh 559 Co.,Ltd.
The 20th Anniversary edition of Nyaff will kick off with the international premiere of the propulsively-paced Thai romantic comedy Fast & Feel Love, directed by Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit and starring Urassaya “Yaya” Sperbund, who will be honored on stage with the Screen International Rising Star Award.
Following a fully virtual 2020 edition and a hybrid 2021 edition, Nyaff is delighted to present this year’s 60+ new and classic titles fully in person at Film at Lincoln Center and the Asia Society, from July 15 to July 31. Mark your calendars now to celebrate this major cinematic anniversary in July!
We’ll be announcing more titles and exciting guests in coming weeks, but here are some initial highlights to look out for:
Thailand Fast & Feel Love © 2022 Gdh 559 Co.,Ltd.
The 20th Anniversary edition of Nyaff will kick off with the international premiere of the propulsively-paced Thai romantic comedy Fast & Feel Love, directed by Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit and starring Urassaya “Yaya” Sperbund, who will be honored on stage with the Screen International Rising Star Award.
- 6/17/2022
- by Grace Han
- AsianMoviePulse
Chow Yun Fat’s ‘One More Chance’ to be relaunched at the market.
Taiwan’s Distribution Workshop is set to introduce Cannes buyers to Philip Shih’s horror Antikalpa and relaunch Chow Yun-fat drama One More Chance.
Antikalpa is a Taiwanese supernatural horror that centres on a group of high school students who are lured into practicing mysterious rituals with demonic results. Adapted from a bestselling novel by Ling Jing, the film is set for a November release.
The cast includes Huang Guan-Zhi (TV series Detention), Regina Lei (The Sadness) and Tseng Wan-Ting (Gatao - The Last Stray). It marks...
Taiwan’s Distribution Workshop is set to introduce Cannes buyers to Philip Shih’s horror Antikalpa and relaunch Chow Yun-fat drama One More Chance.
Antikalpa is a Taiwanese supernatural horror that centres on a group of high school students who are lured into practicing mysterious rituals with demonic results. Adapted from a bestselling novel by Ling Jing, the film is set for a November release.
The cast includes Huang Guan-Zhi (TV series Detention), Regina Lei (The Sadness) and Tseng Wan-Ting (Gatao - The Last Stray). It marks...
- 5/16/2022
- by Silvia Wong
- ScreenDaily
A gentle tale of growing pains and self-discovery, “Mama Boy”, Arvin Chen’s third feature film, presents itself as a comedy, with a lurid poster and an odd-looking protagonist but it turns out to be more than the sum of its parts.
“Mama Boy” is screening at Udine Far East Film Festival
Xiao-hong (Kai Ko) is the classic mama boy, a cocooned young man of almost 30 years of age, with an overprotective mother, but to call him a spoiled boy would sound too derogatory as he is a sweet human being, almost a child in a man’s body, struggling in relating with fellow humans, especially girls. “A bit shy”, his mum would say. “Not normal”, her bitter co-worker would reply. Xiao-hong works with his pesky cousin in a fish and aquarium store; wearing the shop bright orange polo shirt, he looks like a giant goldfish, big eyes wide open and silent mouth.
“Mama Boy” is screening at Udine Far East Film Festival
Xiao-hong (Kai Ko) is the classic mama boy, a cocooned young man of almost 30 years of age, with an overprotective mother, but to call him a spoiled boy would sound too derogatory as he is a sweet human being, almost a child in a man’s body, struggling in relating with fellow humans, especially girls. “A bit shy”, his mum would say. “Not normal”, her bitter co-worker would reply. Xiao-hong works with his pesky cousin in a fish and aquarium store; wearing the shop bright orange polo shirt, he looks like a giant goldfish, big eyes wide open and silent mouth.
- 4/28/2022
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Director and cinematographer Ta-pu Chan is a commercially successful filmmaker in Taiwan. “Grit” comes after a stream of commercials and works for television, as well as two feature films, and it is an unconventional rom-com with an interesting set-up.
“Grit” is screening at Asian Pop-up Cinema
A newsreader’s voice from the television is the expedient the film utilises to fill us in on the protagonist’s backstory, during the opening credits. Young gang member Yu – A.K.A. Croc – (Kai Ko) was jailed at the age of 17 for a murder that sounds very dubious, and we are led to suspect he probably was forced to take the blame for someone higher-in-hierarchy, like often happens in gangs. 8 years later Yu is out of prison, determined to find a proper job and make his life better. To do so, he can only ask for help to his former gang boss (and...
“Grit” is screening at Asian Pop-up Cinema
A newsreader’s voice from the television is the expedient the film utilises to fill us in on the protagonist’s backstory, during the opening credits. Young gang member Yu – A.K.A. Croc – (Kai Ko) was jailed at the age of 17 for a murder that sounds very dubious, and we are led to suspect he probably was forced to take the blame for someone higher-in-hierarchy, like often happens in gangs. 8 years later Yu is out of prison, determined to find a proper job and make his life better. To do so, he can only ask for help to his former gang boss (and...
- 4/7/2022
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Asian Pop-Up Cinema: Season 14 will present 28 films in downtown Chicago and the north suburbs, with select films available for online streaming. The joint virtual and in-person festival opens March 13 and runs through April 10.
The diverse lineup celebrates the best of Asian cinema from South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Taiwan. Programming highlights include work from female filmmakers and an in-person special guest appearance from Sunday LEAGUEdirector Yi Sung-il.
Season 14 opens with the Midwest Premiere of Heaven: To The Land Of Happiness (AMC Niles 12) from director Im Sang-soo. Korean stars Choi Min-sik (Oldboy) and Park Hae-il (War of the Arrows) lead this crime comedy as two terminally ill men on one last, unexpected journey of their lives. The international premiere of sports comedy Sunday League will follow, a heartwarming story of a former rising soccer star who reluctantly coaches a ragtag team of amateur players. Writer/director Yi is...
The diverse lineup celebrates the best of Asian cinema from South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Taiwan. Programming highlights include work from female filmmakers and an in-person special guest appearance from Sunday LEAGUEdirector Yi Sung-il.
Season 14 opens with the Midwest Premiere of Heaven: To The Land Of Happiness (AMC Niles 12) from director Im Sang-soo. Korean stars Choi Min-sik (Oldboy) and Park Hae-il (War of the Arrows) lead this crime comedy as two terminally ill men on one last, unexpected journey of their lives. The international premiere of sports comedy Sunday League will follow, a heartwarming story of a former rising soccer star who reluctantly coaches a ragtag team of amateur players. Writer/director Yi is...
- 3/4/2022
- by Adam Symchuk
- AsianMoviePulse
Asian Pop-up Cinema Announces
Opening, Centerpiece, And Closing Films
Bright Star Award Recipient And Special Guest For Season 14
Asian Pop-Up Cinema today announces the spotlight Marquee films scheduled for the 14th Season, March 13- April 10. Additionally announced is, Kai Ko as the recipient of the festival’s Bright Star Award, and the first movie director special guest to attend the festival since the pandemic started during Season 10.
Korean star power from Choi Min-sik (Oldboy) and Park Hae-il (War of The Arrows) will open Season 14 with the Midwest Premiere of Heaven: In The Land Of Happiness from Im Sang-soo, director of The Housemaid (2010) and The President’s Last Bang. ‘Heaven’ is about a journey of two terminally ill men making a heart-throbbing finale of their lives.
Director Sung-il Yi will attend his International debut of Sunday League, a sports comedy about a once-rising high school soccer star reduced to coaching children,...
Opening, Centerpiece, And Closing Films
Bright Star Award Recipient And Special Guest For Season 14
Asian Pop-Up Cinema today announces the spotlight Marquee films scheduled for the 14th Season, March 13- April 10. Additionally announced is, Kai Ko as the recipient of the festival’s Bright Star Award, and the first movie director special guest to attend the festival since the pandemic started during Season 10.
Korean star power from Choi Min-sik (Oldboy) and Park Hae-il (War of The Arrows) will open Season 14 with the Midwest Premiere of Heaven: In The Land Of Happiness from Im Sang-soo, director of The Housemaid (2010) and The President’s Last Bang. ‘Heaven’ is about a journey of two terminally ill men making a heart-throbbing finale of their lives.
Director Sung-il Yi will attend his International debut of Sunday League, a sports comedy about a once-rising high school soccer star reduced to coaching children,...
- 2/18/2022
- by Adam Symchuk
- AsianMoviePulse
Lionsgate is set to handle the global sales of “Loveboat, Taipei” a U.S.-Taiwanese YA romance film that started production in Taiwan shortly before Christmas.
The picture is based on a best-selling novel by Abigail Hing Wen in which a young American woman is sent by her parents to a cultural immersion program in Taipei. The trip turns into a summer of romance and she has to choose between the attention of two attractive, but significantly different, young men and her true passion of dancing.
“Lionsgate is handling all global sales on the film though it’s too early to discuss specific territories,” a company spokesman told Variety in an emailed statement.
With its blend of Asian-American characters, romantic decisions and dance moves, the story has been pitched as a mix of “Crazy Rich Asians” and “La La Land.”
Taiwanese-American director Arvin Chen (“Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow...
The picture is based on a best-selling novel by Abigail Hing Wen in which a young American woman is sent by her parents to a cultural immersion program in Taipei. The trip turns into a summer of romance and she has to choose between the attention of two attractive, but significantly different, young men and her true passion of dancing.
“Lionsgate is handling all global sales on the film though it’s too early to discuss specific territories,” a company spokesman told Variety in an emailed statement.
With its blend of Asian-American characters, romantic decisions and dance moves, the story has been pitched as a mix of “Crazy Rich Asians” and “La La Land.”
Taiwanese-American director Arvin Chen (“Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow...
- 1/12/2022
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Singapore-based distributor and producer Clover Films has partnered with Taiwan’s Machi Xcelsior Studios for the worldwide theatrical rights (except Taiwan and South Korea) to Giddens Ko’s “Till We Meet Again.”
The film is a fantasy romance starring Kai Ko (“You Are The Apple Of My Eye”), Gingle Wang (“Detention”) and Vivian Sung (“Our Times”) that recently garnered eleven nominations at the Golden Horse Film Awards.
The producers will retain the rights in Taiwan. Hive Filmworks will be handling the theatrical rights in Korea. The movie, produced for a budget of $3.5 million, has been dated for release on 24 November in Taiwan.
Clover has long been a leading distributor of commercial Asian movies in both Singapore and Malaysia. It has also produced several titles in the same two territories. Taking the vastly wider package of rights outside the producer territory (and Korea) is a new step.
“We are not aiming...
The film is a fantasy romance starring Kai Ko (“You Are The Apple Of My Eye”), Gingle Wang (“Detention”) and Vivian Sung (“Our Times”) that recently garnered eleven nominations at the Golden Horse Film Awards.
The producers will retain the rights in Taiwan. Hive Filmworks will be handling the theatrical rights in Korea. The movie, produced for a budget of $3.5 million, has been dated for release on 24 November in Taiwan.
Clover has long been a leading distributor of commercial Asian movies in both Singapore and Malaysia. It has also produced several titles in the same two territories. Taking the vastly wider package of rights outside the producer territory (and Korea) is a new step.
“We are not aiming...
- 10/9/2021
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Hong Kong drama “Drifting” leads Taiwan’s Golden Horse Film Awards race with 12 nominations including best narrative feature and best adapted screenplay, organizers announced on Tuesday.
The film that revolves around the tragedy of homeless people in Hong Kong also earned a nomination for Jun Li in the best director category. Veteran actor Francis Ng, who plays a homeless drug addict battling for justice, was also nominated for best leading actor.
Since 2019, Beijing has operated a mainland Chinese boycott of the awards that for many years were seen as the highest accoladed for Chinese-language filmmaking. And in 2019 and 2020 most Hong Kong films and filmmakers also stayed away. This year’s list sees an uptick in the Hong Kong participation, but only in the cases of films that are unlikely ever to receive a release in mainland China.
The domination of “Drifting” in the race, however, is closely challenged by “The Falls,...
The film that revolves around the tragedy of homeless people in Hong Kong also earned a nomination for Jun Li in the best director category. Veteran actor Francis Ng, who plays a homeless drug addict battling for justice, was also nominated for best leading actor.
Since 2019, Beijing has operated a mainland Chinese boycott of the awards that for many years were seen as the highest accoladed for Chinese-language filmmaking. And in 2019 and 2020 most Hong Kong films and filmmakers also stayed away. This year’s list sees an uptick in the Hong Kong participation, but only in the cases of films that are unlikely ever to receive a release in mainland China.
The domination of “Drifting” in the race, however, is closely challenged by “The Falls,...
- 10/6/2021
- by Vivienne Chow
- Variety Film + TV
There is nothing less 21st century than the 21st century itself because ‘we are still protesting the same shit’, except that we also sometimes don’t, for a simple reason that there are places where protesting shit isn’t just being ignored, but also damn dangerous even if it ‘only’ means that your uncle threatens to castrate you for being gay.
Moneyboys is screening at Cannes Film Festival
Fei (Kai Ko) comes from a place where his sexual orientation isn’t something one speaks about until mid-narrative, but where we first meet him is not the village he grew up in. In a long prologue to the plot, we see him walking through a door of an apartment where he is greeted by a young man by the name of Xiolai (Jc Lin) dressed in a spectacularly all-red attire. Fei is slightly insecure about how to behave, and for a moment,...
Moneyboys is screening at Cannes Film Festival
Fei (Kai Ko) comes from a place where his sexual orientation isn’t something one speaks about until mid-narrative, but where we first meet him is not the village he grew up in. In a long prologue to the plot, we see him walking through a door of an apartment where he is greeted by a young man by the name of Xiolai (Jc Lin) dressed in a spectacularly all-red attire. Fei is slightly insecure about how to behave, and for a moment,...
- 7/17/2021
- by Marina D. Richter
- AsianMoviePulse
Actor Kai Ko, the mournful star of Un Certain Regard film “Moneyboys,” declined to jump the queue for vaccinations in his native Taiwan, and so couldn’t walk the red carpet in person at Cannes this year.
Nevertheless, his performance in first-time director C.B. Yi’s exploration of Chinese hustlers balancing the pressures of love, family and financial stability has cemented him as formidable talent to watch.
The film will likely prove a helpful boost to his now decade-long career, which was derailed despite a rapid rise after an infamous 2014 marijuana bust in Beijing alongside Jackie Chan’s son Jaycee Chan.
Ko points out that he never intended his subsequent break with entertainment world to last. “I never left! I took a break for a while, but I don’t know why people keep using the phrase ‘comeback,’” he said. Taiwan is too small a market for actors to...
Nevertheless, his performance in first-time director C.B. Yi’s exploration of Chinese hustlers balancing the pressures of love, family and financial stability has cemented him as formidable talent to watch.
The film will likely prove a helpful boost to his now decade-long career, which was derailed despite a rapid rise after an infamous 2014 marijuana bust in Beijing alongside Jackie Chan’s son Jaycee Chan.
Ko points out that he never intended his subsequent break with entertainment world to last. “I never left! I took a break for a while, but I don’t know why people keep using the phrase ‘comeback,’” he said. Taiwan is too small a market for actors to...
- 7/16/2021
- by Rebecca Davis
- Variety Film + TV
C.B. Yi’s Un Certain Regard title “Moneyboys” is a moving exploration of Chinese rural-to-urban migration that feels authentically emotional despite being peppered with incongruous moments and details.
The film follows Fei (Kai Ko), who moves from the countryside to different Chinese megacities to support his family as a hustler. When he realizes that they accept his money but not his homosexuality, their relationship breaks down. Although set in China, “Moneyboys” was filmed entirely in Taiwan. Linguistic inconsistencies also rear their head unexpectedly to jar viewers otherwise immersed in the film’s melancholic mood, with Beijing accents mingling with lilting Taiwanese intonations in the same village where neither should be at home. And while leading man Kai Ko delivers a nuanced, heart-rending portrayal of the hustler Fei and real chemistry with his male love interests Long (Bai Yufan) and Xiaolai (Jc Lin), none of them publicly identify as homosexual.
The film follows Fei (Kai Ko), who moves from the countryside to different Chinese megacities to support his family as a hustler. When he realizes that they accept his money but not his homosexuality, their relationship breaks down. Although set in China, “Moneyboys” was filmed entirely in Taiwan. Linguistic inconsistencies also rear their head unexpectedly to jar viewers otherwise immersed in the film’s melancholic mood, with Beijing accents mingling with lilting Taiwanese intonations in the same village where neither should be at home. And while leading man Kai Ko delivers a nuanced, heart-rending portrayal of the hustler Fei and real chemistry with his male love interests Long (Bai Yufan) and Xiaolai (Jc Lin), none of them publicly identify as homosexual.
- 7/16/2021
- by Rebecca Davis
- Variety Film + TV
“Moneyboys,” the China-set first feature from up-and-coming helmer C.B. Yi, dropped its first trailer Wednesday. It will play at Cannes as an official selection in the Un Certain Regard section. (Watch the exclusive trailer above.)
Chinese-Austrian director, screenwriter and producer C.B. Yi immigrated to Austria at age 13 and went on to study at the Vienna Film Academy under the guidance of Michael Haneke and Christian Berger.
“Moneyboys” depicts the culture clash between China’s urban metropolises and rural villages as seen through the eyes of a young hustler named Fei. He finds works in the city as a moneyboy, but is devastated when he realizes that his family accepts his money but not his homosexuality, leading him to struggle to build up a new life.
“Moneyboys may deal with a very specific situation — the migration of a young man from rural China — but for me it is a...
Chinese-Austrian director, screenwriter and producer C.B. Yi immigrated to Austria at age 13 and went on to study at the Vienna Film Academy under the guidance of Michael Haneke and Christian Berger.
“Moneyboys” depicts the culture clash between China’s urban metropolises and rural villages as seen through the eyes of a young hustler named Fei. He finds works in the city as a moneyboy, but is devastated when he realizes that his family accepts his money but not his homosexuality, leading him to struggle to build up a new life.
“Moneyboys may deal with a very specific situation — the migration of a young man from rural China — but for me it is a...
- 6/23/2021
- by Rebecca Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Fantasy adventure, which also stars Vivian Sung and Gingle Wang, is adapted from the director’s novel God Of Love.
Taiwanese director Giddens Ko is reuniting with actor Kai Ko in a new whimsical romance, Till We Meet Again, which is being positioned as a summer blockbuster by producer-distributor Machi Xcelsior Studios.
The film also stars popular actresses Vivian Sung (Our Times) and Gingle Wang (Detention). Kai Ko starred in Giddens Ko’s You Are The Apple Of My Eye, which was a huge hit in Taiwan and across the region in 2011.
Till We Meet Again is adapted by Ko,...
Taiwanese director Giddens Ko is reuniting with actor Kai Ko in a new whimsical romance, Till We Meet Again, which is being positioned as a summer blockbuster by producer-distributor Machi Xcelsior Studios.
The film also stars popular actresses Vivian Sung (Our Times) and Gingle Wang (Detention). Kai Ko starred in Giddens Ko’s You Are The Apple Of My Eye, which was a huge hit in Taiwan and across the region in 2011.
Till We Meet Again is adapted by Ko,...
- 3/16/2021
- by Silvia Wong
- ScreenDaily
Kai Ko and Vivian Hsu star in romantic drama, which starts shooting later this month in Taipei.
Taipei-based Distribution Workshop has picked up international rights to Taiwanese-American filmmaker Arvin Chen’s latest film Mama Boy.
The romantic drama stars Kai Ko (You Are The Apple Of My Eye) as a shy young man who finds himself attracted to a single mother, played by Vivian Hsu (Little Big Women), at a sex hotel. Filming will start at the end of March in Taipei, with a release targeted for November this year.
The key crew include producer Aileen Li, whose credits include...
Taipei-based Distribution Workshop has picked up international rights to Taiwanese-American filmmaker Arvin Chen’s latest film Mama Boy.
The romantic drama stars Kai Ko (You Are The Apple Of My Eye) as a shy young man who finds himself attracted to a single mother, played by Vivian Hsu (Little Big Women), at a sex hotel. Filming will start at the end of March in Taipei, with a release targeted for November this year.
The key crew include producer Aileen Li, whose credits include...
- 3/15/2021
- by Silvia Wong
- ScreenDaily
Company heads to debut Unifrance Rendez-vous with French Cinema in Paris and Sundance after fruitful first year.
Paris-based sales company Totem Films is moving into co-production and has expanded its team with the hire of emerging producer Elsa Payen as part of the strategy.
Payen, who recently completed the pan-European, post-graduate Atelier Ludwigsburg-Paris course, has worked on a number of high-profile international productions over the last five years, including Ford v Ferrari, The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel, Mission: Impossible – Fallout, Sense8 and Dunkirk.
Totem’s move into production comes just over a year after sales agents Agathe Valentin, Bérénice Vincent and...
Paris-based sales company Totem Films is moving into co-production and has expanded its team with the hire of emerging producer Elsa Payen as part of the strategy.
Payen, who recently completed the pan-European, post-graduate Atelier Ludwigsburg-Paris course, has worked on a number of high-profile international productions over the last five years, including Ford v Ferrari, The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel, Mission: Impossible – Fallout, Sense8 and Dunkirk.
Totem’s move into production comes just over a year after sales agents Agathe Valentin, Bérénice Vincent and...
- 1/16/2020
- by 1100388¦Melanie Goodfellow¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
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