https://www.scmp.com/rss/36816/feed Follow the glitz and glam as stars of the screen descend on Hong Kong to celebrate the best in film. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Edmund Lee Edmund Lee For an actress often hailed by the Taiwanese press as the “box office guarantee” of her generation, Gingle Wang Ching began her career with a startling lack of vocabulary: she had no idea what the word “action” meant on a film set. Her very first scene in her debut feature, 2017’s All Because of Love, required her to walk down a school corridor, open a classroom door and step inside. What should have taken minutes instead took 33 takes. “I didn’t understand anything at all,” Wang, 28, tells the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348889/how-gingle-wang-went-clueless-novice-one-taiwans-top-young-actresses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348889/how-gingle-wang-went-clueless-novice-one-taiwans-top-young-actresses?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 23:15:10 +0000 Ambrose Li Ambrose Li Hong Kong begins a five-day long weekend break for the Easter and Ching Ming Festival holidays on Friday, with authorities expecting busy inbound and outbound travel during the period. Mainland China marks the festival, also known as tomb-sweeping day, between Saturday and Monday. For Hongkongers remaining in the city and visitors from the mainland and elsewhere, the South China Morning Post lists key activities open to the public. Coffee festival The popular coffee festival returns to the West... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3348841/looking-easter-holiday-inspiration-heres-whats-happening-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3348841/looking-easter-holiday-inspiration-heres-whats-happening-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 13:03:18 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh One of the highlights of this year’s Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) is a collection of five animated short films from Taiwanese director Joe Hsieh Wen-ming. Awash with vivid imagery of an often erotic and violent nature, Hsieh’s work also channels a palpable sense of compassion, not least in its depictions of mother-child relationships. His latest film, Praying Mantis (2025), marks the animator’s second collaboration with celebrated Hong Kong art-house auteur Yonfan, following the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348633/why-fierce-mothers-and-violent-monsters-star-joe-hsiehs-animated-films?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348633/why-fierce-mothers-and-violent-monsters-star-joe-hsiehs-animated-films?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 11:15:08 +0000 Gavin Yeung Gavin Yeung After the dust settles following the March madness of Art Basel, Art Central and the Hong Kong Arts Festival, the Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) is due to celebrate its semi-centennial this April – a milestone that serves as a retrospective of the city’s storied cinematic output. Despite arriving at a difficult time for the local film industry, amid a slew of cinema closures, the 50th edition, which runs from April 1 to 12, strikes a hopeful note with a strong showing of the... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3347107/see-chen-kaige-and-juliette-binoche-hong-kong-international-film-festival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3347107/see-chen-kaige-and-juliette-binoche-hong-kong-international-film-festival?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 00:00:13 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh The Hong Kong International Film Festival returns in April, celebrating its 50th edition with a mouth-watering retrospective of classics from the last half-century of Chinese-language cinema. New and old works alike from masters of the art form, including Zhang Yimou, Tsai Ming-liang and Hou Hsiao-hsien, will play alongside a typically eclectic selection of some of the finest recent offerings from around the world. Acclaimed Singaporean filmmaker Anthony Chen’s latest work, We Are All Strangers,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346869/hong-kong-international-film-festival-2026-highlights-12-must-see-movies-and-programmes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346869/hong-kong-international-film-festival-2026-highlights-12-must-see-movies-and-programmes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 11:15:08 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh Every summer, the Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) stages Summer IFF, a mini showcase that presents a crowd-pleasing smorgasbord of brand new festival delights, future cult favourites and restored classics from around the world. This year’s line-up includes a number of highlights from the latest Berlin and Cannes film festivals, including It Was Just an Accident, the Palme d’Or winner from controversial Iranian auteur Jafar Panahi. The programme also includes documentary, animation... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3319989/hong-kongs-summer-international-film-festival-2025-10-must-see-movies-and-programmes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3319989/hong-kongs-summer-international-film-festival-2025-10-must-see-movies-and-programmes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Jul 2025 10:16:44 +0000 It is no exaggeration to say that Sakura Ando is one of the most important actresses of contemporary Japanese cinema. A winner of numerous accolades, including five Japan Academy Film Prize awards, the hugely popular performer has had an eclectic career since she started acting in 2006. Over those two decades, Ando has navigated deftly between indie hits from cult directors like Sion Sono and Takashi Miike, to award-winning dramas from celebrated auteurs such as Hirokazu Koreeda, to appearing in... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3306756/how-top-japanese-actress-sakura-ando-defied-traditions-and-never-had-grand-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3306756/how-top-japanese-actress-sakura-ando-defied-traditions-and-never-had-grand-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Apr 2025 04:15:07 +0000 Sit back and break out the popcorn as the 49th edition of the Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) prepares to fire up the projectors from April 10 to 21. The 2025 edition of one of Asia’s oldest cinematic events will screen nearly 200 films from 69 countries and regions, including six world premieres, two international premieres and 52 Asian premieres. HKIFF’s main draw this year is Louis Koo Tin-lok, who has become a household name over a 32-year career producing movies as well as... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3305172/catch-cinematic-gold-hong-kong-international-film-festival-2025?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3305172/catch-cinematic-gold-hong-kong-international-film-festival-2025?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Apr 2025 05:00:16 +0000 When director Gints Zilbalodis accepted his Oscar last month for his ethereal new animated film Flow, he thanked his parents and his “cats and dogs” – fitting, given that the charming cartoon follows a feline and other animals as they survive a huge flood. Then he added a rallying cry for the industry: “I’m really moved by the warm reception our film has had … and I hope that it will open doors to independent animation filmmakers around the world.” Flow’s success in beating huge American studio... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3304711/how-independent-animated-films-oscar-winner-flow-are-taking-pixar-and-dreamworks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3304711/how-independent-animated-films-oscar-winner-flow-are-taking-pixar-and-dreamworks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Apr 2025 10:15:07 +0000 Opening on April 10, the 49th Hong Kong International Film Festival is a 12-day cinematic showcase of award winners and crowd pleasers from across the globe. While there is a notable lack of new Hong Kong films debuting at this year’s edition, the exciting and eclectic line-up boasts nearly 200 films. These include more than 50 Asian premieres, a celebration of actor Louis Koo Tin-lok’s impact on the Hong Kong film industry as a producer, and a smorgasbord of restored international... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3303747/hong-kong-international-film-festival-2025-highlights-12-must-see-movies-and-programmes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3303747/hong-kong-international-film-festival-2025-highlights-12-must-see-movies-and-programmes?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Mar 2025 03:15:08 +0000 Wynna Wong Wynna Wong Japanese visitors are among thousands of people caught up in a wave of nostalgia and flocking to an exhibition linked to the Hong Kong box office hit Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In. The martial arts action film set in the 1980s earned 100 million yen (US$666,900) in three weeks after opening in Japan on January 17, making it the highest-grossing Hong Kong film there in five years. Directed by Soi Cheang Pou-soi and starring Louis Koo Tin-lok and Sammo Hung Kam-bo, the film follows a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3299754/beauty-chaos-japanese-hail-hong-kongs-kowloon-walled-city-film-exhibition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3299754/beauty-chaos-japanese-hail-hong-kongs-kowloon-walled-city-film-exhibition?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Feb 2025 04:00:25 +0000 The Hong Kong International Film Festival has unveiled the programme for its summer cinematic showcase this year, and it includes a mix of favourites from the 2024 festival circuit and lovingly restored classics of world cinema. What better excuse do you need to escape the torrential rain and suffocating heat and retreat indoors for a couple of hours of unbridled escapism? Below are the must-see films and programmes from this year’s festival, also known as Summer IFF. 1. Black Dog Following a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3272517/11-must-see-movies-and-programmes-hong-kong-summer-international-film-festival-2024?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3272517/11-must-see-movies-and-programmes-hong-kong-summer-international-film-festival-2024?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Aug 2024 01:45:09 +0000 When Malaysian filmmaker Chong Keat Aun was young, his grandmother would make sure that he came home on time at night by warning him of a mysterious “513”. “She’d say, ‘You better come home quickly. If you don’t come home and 513 happens again, you’ll lose your lives,’” Chong says. “As children, we only knew it as three numbers, so it was almost like this weird monster.” Years later, he would discover that 513 referred to the darkest day in Malaysia’s history: May 13, 1969. On that day,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3261692/why-film-malaysian-historys-darkest-day-snow-midsummer-about-deadly-1969-sectarian-riots-was-so-hard?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3261692/why-film-malaysian-historys-darkest-day-snow-midsummer-about-deadly-1969-sectarian-riots-was-so-hard?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 May 2024 10:15:14 +0000 Let’s set the scene: the year is 1987, and the president of Taiwan, Chiang Ching-kuo, has just lifted the martial law after 38 years. As Taiwan begins its path to democracy, it also enters a period of rapid economic development and immense uncertainty, with clashes between the different classes in society and a growing wealth gap becoming more evident. This era serves as the backdrop for Old Fox, the latest film from Taiwanese director Hsiao Ya-chuan and the winner of four prizes at the 60th... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3260036/message-old-fox-movie-about-social-change-taiwan-after-martial-law-according-director-hsiao-ya-chuan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3260036/message-old-fox-movie-about-social-change-taiwan-after-martial-law-according-director-hsiao-ya-chuan?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Apr 2024 23:15:13 +0000 The life of Iranian-French actress Zar Amir Ebrahimi has all the elements of a compelling biopic. For years she was a famous face in Iran thanks to her starring role in the hit TV series Nargess. That all came crashing down when an intimate video of her and her then boyfriend was leaked. A smear campaign followed. Sex outside marriage is illegal in Iran and in 2008, on the day she was due in court – where she faced up to 10 years in prison and 100 lashings – she fled Iran for France. “If I... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3258334/iranian-french-actress-zahra-amir-ebrahimi-her-films-take-aim-irans-regime-and-advocating-womens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3258334/iranian-french-actress-zahra-amir-ebrahimi-her-films-take-aim-irans-regime-and-advocating-womens?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Apr 2024 09:15:17 +0000 Japanese journalist Shiori Ito has travelled a long and emotional road to get her documentary, Black Box Diaries, to the global stage. A raw, soul-baring examination of Ito’s sexual assault by a high-profile Japanese TV journalist in 2015, as well as of the investigation and her five-year fight for justice, Black Box Diaries, based on her 2017 memoir Black Box, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, in the US state of Utah, in January. This month, it was part of the 48th Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3258396/japanese-journalist-shiori-ito-black-box-diaries-film-about-her-rape-case-shook-her-country?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3258396/japanese-journalist-shiori-ito-black-box-diaries-film-about-her-rape-case-shook-her-country?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Apr 2024 23:15:12 +0000 Hong Kong’s foremost celebration of world cinema, the Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF), is back with the first entirely in-person event since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Around 200 films will be shown in more than 300 screenings for the festival’s 48th edition and, as always, it boasts a wide variety of new features and restored classics. These are our 15 highlights of the 2024 festival. 1. All Shall Be Well (opening film) After receiving its world premiere in Berlin and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3256030/hong-kong-international-film-festival-2024-15-must-see-films-and-programmes-including-all-shall-be?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3256030/hong-kong-international-film-festival-2024-15-must-see-films-and-programmes-including-all-shall-be?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Mar 2024 22:15:16 +0000 The lifting of Covid-related restrictions has not been enough to stimulate Hong Kong’s beleaguered tourist economy, with visitor numbers last year just over half of what they were in 2019. Increasingly, Hongkongers are also going to the mainland for more affordable and even superior dining and shopping experiences, leaving the city’s hotels, shops and restaurants struggling for survival. Meanwhile, Macau appears to have surpassed Hong Kong in terms of having a more effective tourism campaign.... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3249657/how-boost-hong-kong-tourism-vouchers-now-and-vision-long-term?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3249657/how-boost-hong-kong-tourism-vouchers-now-and-vision-long-term?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Jan 2024 01:30:11 +0000 The Hong Kong International Film Festival (IFF) returns this summer with an eclectic programme. Running from August 15-30, it gives the city’s cinephiles the perfect excuse to escape the sweltering heat to sit in air-conditioned cinemas and enjoy a feast of diverse offerings. Traditionally offering a more accessible and crowd-pleasing selection than the festival’s centrepiece spring event, Summer IFF this year boasts a new Taiwanese crime comedy, a chilling Hong Kong ghost story, an acclaimed... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3230247/hong-kong-summer-international-film-festival-2023-10-must-sees-including-past-lives-back-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3230247/hong-kong-summer-international-film-festival-2023-10-must-sees-including-past-lives-back-home?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Aug 2023 03:15:17 +0000 Hong Kong is at a crossroads. The city needs to completely rethink its role globally and see how it can reinvent its brand and the way it is perceived. Hong Kong’s reputation as a residential, career or holiday destination has deteriorated over the years. We must change this for the better to be internationally competitive. We have world-class infrastructure, gorgeous beaches, beautiful mountains and glittering skyscrapers all within 1,100 sq km. As many major cities struggle with structural... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3221721/how-hong-kong-can-give-world-reasons-fall-back-love-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3221721/how-hong-kong-can-give-world-reasons-fall-back-love-it?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 May 2023 00:15:19 +0000 3.5/5 stars Part grisly murder mystery, part pitch-black absurdist comedy feverishly musing on destiny and free will, Soi Cheang Pou-soi’s follow-up to his award-winning black-and-white crime thriller Limbo sees the director again mining his flair for genre experiments in this nightmarish roller coaster ride. Mad Fate’s ridiculously funny opening sees Lam Ka-tung’s fortune-teller, credited simply as “The Master”, bury a prostitute alive in a cemetery in a feng shui ritual meant to cheat fate –... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3217567/mad-fate-movie-review-absurdist-hong-kong-murder-thriller-soi-cheang-lam-ka-tung-and-mirrors-lokman?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3217567/mad-fate-movie-review-absurdist-hong-kong-murder-thriller-soi-cheang-lam-ka-tung-and-mirrors-lokman?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Apr 2023 10:15:08 +0000 The 47th Hong Kong International Film Festival begins on March 30, in a return to normality following three years of intermittent disruption to film-going because of the Covid-19 pandemic. As ever, the 12-day event provides a vital launch pad for Hong Kong filmmakers’ latest projects, as well as featuring filmmaker retrospectives, restored classics of world cinema, and close to 200 of the best films from the past 12 months. Here are 10 highlights from the festival not to be missed. 1. Mad Fate... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3214390/hong-kong-international-film-festival-2023-10-must-see-films-and-programmes-including-local-hits-mad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3214390/hong-kong-international-film-festival-2023-10-must-see-films-and-programmes-including-local-hits-mad?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Mar 2023 09:15:08 +0000 Last week’s lifting of the mask mandate brought a palpable and collective sigh of relief that is still reverberating through the community. After almost three years, its removal was the signal we needed to confirm that our lives can begin to get back to normal, or at least the new normal. Economic recovery is definitely in sight. The timely news coincided with a host of world-class international events in Hong Kong this month alone, which will support economic recovery and stimulate... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3212829/masks-and-shows-hong-kong-back-track?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3212829/masks-and-shows-hong-kong-back-track?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Mar 2023 00:15:08 +0000 March is proving to be mayhem for events in Hong Kong, with the recent successes of events including Clockenflap and the Hong Kong Arts Festival earlier in the month, and the hot-ticketed Rugby Sevens tournament taking place at the end of this month. And with Art Basel’s 2023 iteration promising bigger names, more galleries and a whole host of new offerings, it may come as no surprise that the rest of the city is following suit. Here’s our pick of the biggest and best cultural events hitting... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/leisure/article/3212666/beyond-art-basel-11-best-cultural-events-hong-kong-month-coco-chanel-ballet-and-ms-yayoi-kusama?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/leisure/article/3212666/beyond-art-basel-11-best-cultural-events-hong-kong-month-coco-chanel-ballet-and-ms-yayoi-kusama?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Mar 2023 00:00:15 +0000 The Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) returns this month, after being bumped from its regular spring berth because of another round of pandemic-related cinema closures earlier this year. The festival’s 46th edition runs from August 15-31 at venues across the city, as well as online, with more than 200 films from 67 countries screening. This year’s line-up includes four world premieres and 32 Asian premieres, among them some of the hottest titles from this year’s Berlinale and Cannes... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3188361/hong-kong-international-film-festival-2022-10-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3188361/hong-kong-international-film-festival-2022-10-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Aug 2022 04:45:19 +0000 The Hong Kong International Film Festival has announced the line-up for its annual boutique summer offering (Summer IFF), which runs in cinemas from August 17-30, with selected titles also available online. This year’s programme includes highlights from last month’s Cannes Film Festival, as well as retrospectives of two celebrated Asian auteur filmmakers and a number of mouth-watering new films from around the world. Here are 10 highlights that are not to be missed at this year’s Summer... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3144456/hong-kong-summer-international-film-festival-2021-10?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3144456/hong-kong-summer-international-film-festival-2021-10?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Aug 2021 04:15:08 +0000 After the postponement and eventual cancellation of last year’s Hong Kong International Film Festival because of the coronavirus pandemic, the festival returns this year with a hybrid 45th edition that includes both in-person and online screenings and events. A selection of more than 50 documentaries and features will be available to watch in the comfort of your own home. Those desperate to explore treasures of world cinema both old and new in the company of like-minded cinephiles can also... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3126725/hong-kong-international-film-festival-2021-films-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3126725/hong-kong-international-film-festival-2021-films-and?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Mar 2021 09:45:05 +0000 The Hong Kong International Film Festival’s summer showpiece has arrived, with a rich and diverse selection of new offerings, many fresh from the Cannes Film Festival, together with an exciting and eclectic range of restored classics and auteur retrospectives. Here are 10 films not to miss at this month’s Summer IFF: Pain and Glory (and Almodovar series) Antonio Banderas was named best actor at this year’s Cannes Film Festival for his portrayal of a troubled filmmaker, reflecting on his life as... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3022146/hong-kong-summer-international-film-festival-2019-10-best?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3022146/hong-kong-summer-international-film-festival-2019-10-best?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Aug 2019 07:00:11 +0000 When he won his second Academy Award, for The Salesman, Asghar Farhadi was far from Los Angeles. It was February 27, 2017 and he was watching the ceremony with family and friends in his living room in the Iranian capital, Tehran. Despite having received special dispensation, Farhadi chose not to travel to the Oscars in protest at US President Donald Trump’s temporary ban on entry to the United States by people from Iran and six other Muslim nations. For someone who seldom lets politics cloud his... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3004359/double-oscar-winner-asghar-farhadi-perils-academy-awards?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3004359/double-oscar-winner-asghar-farhadi-perils-academy-awards?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Apr 2019 16:00:04 +0000 Jacques Audiard hasn’t looked back since he reached the pinnacle of world cinema with his brutal prison thriller A Prophet (2009), winner of the Cannes festival’s Grand Prix, eight Cesar Awards – the French Oscars – and more. After two equally acclaimed films (2012’s Rust and Bone and 2015’s Dheepan ), the French writer-director has come up with his first English-language feature, The Sisters Brothers. Based on Canadian Patrick deWitt’s novel of the same name, Audiard’s neo-Western was shot in... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3003498/sisters-brothers-director-jacques-audiard-being-french?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3003498/sisters-brothers-director-jacques-audiard-being-french?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Mar 2019 14:15:07 +0000 It has been 41 years since China’s Fifth Generation filmmakers started classes at the Beijing Film Academy, and 35 years since The Yellow Earth, directed by Chen Kaige and photographed by Zhang Yimou, changed the face of filmmaking in the country. The Chinese film industry has modernised so quickly that the innovations this disparate group brought to filmmaking in the country, and the courage they showed in the face of censorship by the state authorities, has been all but forgotten. A... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3001349/how-chinas-fifth-generation-filmmakers-defied-criticism-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3001349/how-chinas-fifth-generation-filmmakers-defied-criticism-and?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Mar 2019 11:00:12 +0000 Boasting more than 230 films from 63 different countries, the 43rd Hong Kong International Film Festival kicks off on March 18. A 15-day celebration of the very best in world cinema, the festival showcases world premieres from around the region, as well as the latest offerings from celebrated global auteurs. Restored classics from Sammo Hung Kam-bo, Dario Argento and Stanley Kubrick will screen alongside retrospectives of China’s lauded Fifth Generation filmmakers, and a special tribute to a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/2188652/hong-kong-international-film-festival-2019-films-you?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/2188652/hong-kong-international-film-festival-2019-films-you?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Mar 2019 05:03:27 +0000 Fronted by a clutch of international award winners from some of the year’s most prestigious festivals, this year’s Summer International Film Festival (Summer IFF), hosted by Hong Kong Cine Fan, offers a spread of cinematic treats old and new. The cousin to the Hong Kong International Film Festival, Summer IFF – which gives equal time to more commercial Western offerings and Asia’s most popular mainstream filmmakers – includes retrospective programmes of the films of Japanese animator Mamoru... https://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/2156649/hong-kong-summer-international-film-festival-preview-mamoru-hosodas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/2156649/hong-kong-summer-international-film-festival-preview-mamoru-hosodas?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Jul 2018 10:02:46 +0000 “Good girl,” exclaims Jean Lin Wing-chee, as guide dog Bella leads her to the ticketing kiosk at UA Cinemas in Maritime Square in Tsing Yi. The four-year-old Labrador retriever passes to the side as Lin takes a ticket from the girl behind the counter. Moving from behind the counter, the staff member then offers her arm to Lin, a visually impaired 50-something who has retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic disorder caused by a loss of cells in the retina, the light sensitive tissue that lines the back... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/2150854/going-movies-hong-kong-just-became-lot-easier-citys?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/2150854/going-movies-hong-kong-just-became-lot-easier-citys?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Jun 2018 02:00:00 +0000 While he remains one of the best-known art-house directors in Chinese-language cinema, the Malaysian-born, Taiwanese filmmaker Tsai Ming-liang has quietly moved away from traditional film distribution. Since his 2013 film Stray Dogs, Tsai has experimented with a variety of storytelling formats, from short films and documentaries to videos for performing arts projects. His latest work The Deserted, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September and screened to a number of very lucky... https://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/2143301/taiwanese-filmmaker-tsai-ming-liang-vr-work-deserted-showing-museums?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/2143301/taiwanese-filmmaker-tsai-ming-liang-vr-work-deserted-showing-museums?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Apr 2018 11:03:15 +0000 Xu Bing has visited Hong Kong many times as one of China’s leading conceptual artists of the past few decades. Here on this occasion for the 42nd Hong Kong International Film Festival, however, it is the first time he has come to the city to promote a movie rather than install an exhibition. “It’s surely more convenient this way,” says Xu with a smile. “But there is little convenience about the way we made this movie.” Two Chinese movies at Locarno Film Festival offer subtle commentary on the... https://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/2140251/how-chinese-artist-xu-bing-made-entire-film-out-surveillance-camera?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/2140251/how-chinese-artist-xu-bing-made-entire-film-out-surveillance-camera?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Apr 2018 07:00:50 +0000 At the age of 75, Werner Herzog has braved enough hazardous film shoots and ventured to so many far-flung places that it might be hard to picture him doing something new. But last week, the legendary German filmmaker of such classics as Aguirre, Wrath of God (1972) and Grizzly Man (2005) did finally get to experience Hong Kong for the very first time. Herzog talks to the Post in an interview during the Hong Kong International Film Festival, which is honouring him with a retrospective of his... https://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/2139267/werner-herzog-town-hong-kong-film-festival-talks-filmmaking-fish?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/2139267/werner-herzog-town-hong-kong-film-festival-talks-filmmaking-fish?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Mar 2018 08:05:24 +0000 How popular are Thai movies in Hong Kong? The answer would seem to be “not very”, judging by the fact that, despite a loyal following for Thai imports in the action and horror genres, The Iron Ladies – a film from 2000 based on the true story about a male volleyball team made up of gay men and transsexuals – had remained the highest-grossing Thai film in Hong Kong for 17 years. On August 31 last year, that wacky underdog comedy’s unlikely HK$15.25 million record was finally surpassed by Bad... https://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/2138954/bad-genius-star-shocked-sudden-rise-fame-she-ready-take-her-acting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/2138954/bad-genius-star-shocked-sudden-rise-fame-she-ready-take-her-acting?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Mar 2018 10:31:36 +0000 Featuring more than 230 films from 60 different countries, the 42nd Hong Kong International Film Festival is set to bring the finest cinematic delights from around the world to the city’s hungry throngs of dedicated cinephiles. Here are 15 films that are not to be missed: Hong Kong International Film Festival 2018: full programme line-up announced 1. The Green Fog A new film from esoteric Canadian Guy Maddin is always cause for celebration, but this project, again co-directed by Evan Johnson,... https://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/2136967/movies-you-shouldnt-miss-2018-hong-kong-international-film-festival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/2136967/movies-you-shouldnt-miss-2018-hong-kong-international-film-festival?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Mar 2018 10:00:30 +0000 Maverick German filmmaker Werner Herzog, Hong Kong screen legend Brigitte Lin Ching-hsia and iconic Japanese actress Kyoko Kagawa are but three of the esteemed guests set to attend the 42nd Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF), which announced its full programme today. In a sad but not entirely unexpected twist, no Hong Kong films have been selected to be part of the “Galas” section in this edition of the city’s top cinematic showcase. Where to watch this year’s Oscar-nominated films in... https://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/2135065/hong-kong-international-film-festival-2018-full-programme-line?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/2135065/hong-kong-international-film-festival-2018-full-programme-line?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Feb 2018 07:15:30 +0000 Veteran German filmmaker Werner Herzog, director of feature films such as Fitzcarraldo and more recently documentaries such as Grizzly Man, will be a guest at next year’s 42nd Hong Kong International Film Festival. Fifty years after his feature film debut, the festival will show a retrospective of more than 20 of Herzog’s films. A leader of the New German Cinema movement, Herzog, 75, has directed more than 50 feature films since his first, Signs of Life, in 1968. His 2005 documentary Grizzly... https://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/2125021/werner-herzog-be-hong-kong-festival-guest-2018-more-20-his-films?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/2125021/werner-herzog-be-hong-kong-festival-guest-2018-more-20-his-films?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Dec 2017 03:13:19 +0000 Ahead of the much-anticipated Summer International Film Festival, we preview seven of the programme’s best new titles. 1. Café Society There aren’t many filmmakers who divide opinions quite like Woody Allen – even if he’s been telling the same stories again and again for the better part of two decades. The American director’s latest feature, which opened this year’s Cannes Film Festival, is another nostalgic melodrama that is as amusing as it is forgettable. Set in the 1930s, Café Society... https://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/1995358/seven-must-see-movies-years-summer-international-film-festival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/1995358/seven-must-see-movies-years-summer-international-film-festival?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Jul 2016 05:01:00 +0000 The Hong Kong International Film Festival says its ability to grow audience numbers and help foster the city's film culture is handicapped by the lack of government-run auditoriums that can screen digital movies - the bulk of its offerings. It's forced to use smaller commercial venues, where fewer tickets are available. "The audience potential is limited by hardware issues," the festival's executive director Roger Garcia said. It is understood that out of the 306 films - including short films -... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1204176/government-film-venues-behind-digital-revolution-says-festival-boss?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1204176/government-film-venues-behind-digital-revolution-says-festival-boss?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 Mar 2013 16:00:00 +0000 A violent love tragedy set in Wuhan won the hearts of a jury panel at last night's Asian Film Awards, becoming the biggest winner. Korean films led the race with 16 nominations, but mainland entry Mystery won best film, best screenwriter and best newcomer. Iranian love story Rhino Season won three technical awards. GALLERY: The stars on the red carpet Mystery was Lou Ye's first mainland release in a decade. The acclaimed director was hit by a five-year filmmaking ban after submitting Summer... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1193987/wuhan-love-tragedy-wins-hearts-and-best-film-award?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1193987/wuhan-love-tragedy-wins-hearts-and-best-film-award?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Mar 2013 13:54:53 +0000 Independent artists and filmmakers in the region will get some new ideas about financing at a forum that opens today - and crowdfunding is in the spotlight. Roger Garcia, executive director of the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society, said crowdfunding would work well with the growing interest in short films, or "micro movies" as they are known on the mainland. The society organises the annual Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF), which opens today at the Convention and Exhibition... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/1193137/filmmakers-told-follow-crowd-financing-bid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/1193137/filmmakers-told-follow-crowd-financing-bid?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Mar 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Cabinet named as CY touches down New Premier Li Keqiang unveils his new cabinet team as the National People's Congress plenary approaches its conclusion. Meanwhile, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying touches down in Beijing for meetings with new ministers and senior officials. The national legislature's session comes to an end tomorrow, after which Li will meet the press for the first time since taking office.   Zimbabwe votes on new constitution Zimbabweans vote on a new constitution approved by... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1191794/talking-points?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1191794/talking-points?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Mar 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Even before the Hong Kong Arts Festival ends on March 24, some local culture vultures are already looking ahead to another of the city's annual bumper cultural events. As with previous years, this year's Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) will overlap a few days of the performing arts juggernaut. The 17-day festival, one of Asia's largest and oldest, will screen 306 feature and short films. The opening film will be a gala presentation and world premiere of Herman Yau Lai-to's Ip Man:... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1186325/hong-kong-themes-give-hometown-heroes-screen-presence-hkiff?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1186325/hong-kong-themes-give-hometown-heroes-screen-presence-hkiff?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Mar 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Seven years as a programmer with the Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) has taught Bede Cheng Tze-wang a thing or two about the sometimes harsh realities of the modern film world. Up against the marketing might of the globe's largest studios, smaller films are often lost in the shadows, unable to find a distributor or a cinema owner willing to take the risk that out there - somewhere - is an audience who believe bigger isn't always better. There's also the spectre of video on demand,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1036751/boutique-film-festivals-offer-relief-mainstream?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1036751/boutique-film-festivals-offer-relief-mainstream?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Sep 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Surveying the list of Hong Kong filmmakers appearing in the Paris Cinema International Film Festival's 'Hong Kong In Focus' programme - during which 80 films made in the past six decades will be shown - one is inevitably drawn to the veterans who have received international acclaim throughout the years. There's Johnnie To Kei-fung, who was in the French capital on Friday to preside over the opening of the Hong Kong showcase (a collaboration between the French event and the Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/article/1005524/wave-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1005524/wave-future?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Jun 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Funny man Chapman To Man-chat is also a very happy man this week. Two films he stars in have been selected for screening at the 14th Far East Film Festival, which opens next Friday in Udine, Italy. The films are Vulgaria, directed by Pang Ho-cheung, and The Bounty, directed by Andrew Fung Chi-keung. Vulgaria, which charts a film producer's hardship in finding funds on the mainland, premiered at the Hong Kong International Film Festival last month. The Bounty portrays the peculiar experience of... https://www.scmp.com/article/998150/chapman-elated-over-festival-film-picks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/998150/chapman-elated-over-festival-film-picks?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Apr 2012 16:00:00 +0000