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Michael Fetter Nathansky’s Every You Every Me scooped three prizes including best film at the 7th Malaysia International Film Festival (Miffest) while Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda and renowned Indonesian actress Christine Hakim received lifetime achievement awards.

German director Nathansky came on stage to receive the awards for best film and best screenplay and his leading lady Aenne Schwarz was in attendance to collect the best actress award. The romantic social drama, which premiered in the Panorama section of this year’s Berlinale, follows a single mother and factory worker as she falls in and out of love.

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The inaugural Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation, to be held in Phnom Penh for the first time, is set to captivate audiences with a spectacular lineup of cinematic treasures. Presented by the Asian Film Awards Academy, in collaboration with Westec Media Limited and financially supported by Hong Kong's Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (Ccida), Film Development Fund and Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, the programme will showcase 7 specially selected Hong Kong films at Fable Cinema, Factory Phnom Penh from 3 to 7 July 2024!

As part of the programme, The Dynamic Cityscapes of Hong Kong Films Exhibition will be held concurrently at Factory Phnom Penh from 4 July until 4 August 2024, 10Am – 7Pm daily. The admission is free and exhibition materials are in English and Khmer. The Dynamic Cityscapes of Hong Kong Films Exhibition is a celebration and demonstration of Hong Kong's diverse cityscapes, recreating the most memorable scenes that appeared in the specially selected films,...

Essentially a mixture of Johnnie To's cinematic style (and casting) and the story of “Infernal Affairs” plus somewhat of John Woo's heroic bloodshed, “Line Walker” aims, though, mostly at entertainment. The film is based on the homonymous 2014 TV series, and later on spawned a sequel.

“Line Walker” is available from Echelon Studios

A Hong Kong police chief who has the identities of all undercover agents in his files manages to protect them by deleting the files before he is murdered. However, this also means that a number of them continue to work unbeknownst to the body of the Force. Agent Ding Siu-ka and her handler Inspector Q are working out their names with great success, with the exception of Blackjack, an undercover agent that has been working in the most notorious drug syndicate of Hong Kong.

Two years after they have started their research, they receive a message...

Cinema Icons Hirokazu Kore-eda and Christine Hakim to be Honoured with Lifetime Achievement Awards

Kuala Lumpur, 24 June — The Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest) has announced its programme lineup for the much-anticipated 7th edition, set to transform Kuala Lumpur into a cinematic paradise from 21-28 July 2024. With an exceptional array of films, MIFFest continues to celebrate the spirit of both Malaysian and international cinema.

Opening and Closing Nights

This year's festival will kick off with the spine-tingling Malaysian horror film “Indera” by acclaimed director Woo Ming Jin, featuring the talented Shaheizy Sam and Azira Shafinaz. The festival will conclude on a high note with the double feature of “Love Lies” by Ho Miu Ki and “Peg O' My Heart” by Nick Cheung.

Honouring Cinema Masters Hirokazu Kore-eda and Christine Hakim

At the pinnacle of this year's festival, MIFFest proudly confers its esteemed Lifetime Achievement Awards upon two cinematic titans: Hirokazu Kore-eda...

“You always attack a movie scene as late as you possibly can. You always come into the scene at the last possible moment.” This bit of advice from the great screenwriter William Goldman has guided most moviemakers. The overwhelming majority of films begin with trouble already brewing and end before everything can be settled. But sometimes, a filmmaker takes the opposite approach. These visionaries begin as early as possible, even after the opening of a different movie. Thus, the prequel was born.

Seriously though, most prequels come less from the minds of creatives and more from studios trying to milk every dollar from their sweet, sweet IP. For that reason, audiences have rightly developed a general skepticism toward the concept. But every once in a while, a genuinely talented filmmaker finds value in telling the story before the story. They use the plot beats we already know to give their...

Hong Kong star Tony Leung is set to serve as president of the international competition jury at this year’s Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF).

The actor, who won best actor at Cannes in 2000 for his performance in Wong Kar-wai’s In The Mood For Love, will take part in the 37th edition, which runs from October 28 to November 6.

”From the age of 12, growing up in Hong Kong, I remember going to see all the classic Japanese movies from that time,” Leung recalled. ”These exciting trips to the cinema were the start of a great love affair between Japanese film,...

The 2000s saw the action genre in a state of flux. The Matrix revolutionized everything at the end of the previous decade, The Bourne Supremacy would make shaky cameras standard practice in 2004, and the MCU would take flight with Iron Man in 2008. At the same time, Michael Bay reached his ultimate form with Bad Boys II, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Kill Bill made kung fu classy, and Oldboy changed the way we look at hallways.

Within those changes came a host of greats that didn’t get the same attention. Some of these movies represent the first steps in the development of those who would define the genre, such as Scott Adkins and Gareth Evans. Some find stars at the height of the powers, such as Donny Yen and Michael Jai White. And some are just cool, because that’s really all an action movie needs.

If you’ve...

One of the most expensive Hong Kong movies ever made (Hk$350 million or 41 million euros), “The Goldfinger” also brings together Felix Chong, Tony Leung and Andy Lau after “Infernal Affairs”, where the first co-wrote. Set in the 80s, the script is based on the story of Carrian Group, a Hong Kong corporation which rose rapidly before collapsing shortly afterwards due to a corruption scandal.

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The movie actually starts with Henry Ching's arrest, who is based on Carrian Group founder George Tan, Lau Kai-yuen, principal investigator of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac). A bit later, the timeline changes to the mid-70s, with Henry Ching arriving in Hong Kong and trying to get a job as an engineer. Considering the place is filled with people of the particular profession, he has no luck. Although so it seems, since he is eventually employed by K.

Asian Cinema Celebration

Veteran Chinese director Zhang Yimou will be presented with a lifetime achievement award at the upcoming edition of the Festival of Far East Film in Italy’s Udine (April 24 – May 2). The lineup will include three films by Zhang: his 2023 political thriller “Under the Light” in its competition section; as well as “To Live” and “Raise the Red Lantern” in its restored classics section.

The festival’s total lineup includes 74 films in total – 47 in competition and 28 out of competition) from 11 countries. Events will kick off with a double bill of smash hit mainland Chinese movie “Yolo” and Korean action comedy “Citizen of a Kind.”

Other highlights include “13 Bombs” by Indonesia’s Angga Dwimas Sasongko; “The Goldfinger” by Hong Kong’s Felix Chong; investigative journalism drama “In Broad Daylight,” by Hong Kong’s Lawrence Kan; Ning Hao’s “The Movie Emperor”; a ten-strong Japanese selection that includes “(Ab)normal Desire,...

Let's begin by talking about the numbers of the Far East Film Festival 26. This year the Feff community will be able to watch 75 films from 11 countries. More precisely, 15 world premieres (including those of restored classics), 24 international premieres, 19 European premieres and 13 Italian premieres. Expected in Udine from 24 April to 2 May, in the historic headquarters of the Teatro Nuovo and in the spaces of the Visionario, the Far East Film Festival 26 will give life to a 9-day long full immersion and it will colour the heart of the city with Asia (there are over 100 thematic events scheduled). A real feast of cinema.

The Opening Night on Wednesday 24 April will travel between China and South Korea with two international premieres. The task of opening the curtain will fall to “Yolo”, the blockbuster that bears the signature of famous comedy star Jia Ling (here in the double role of director and protagonist). It is...

The Far East Film Festival (Feff) in Italy’s Udine has unveiled the full line-up for its 26th edition, which will honour Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou with an honorary award and world premiere restored versions of his Raise The Red Lantern and To Live.

Running April 24 to May 2, the festival will open with a double bill: Chinese box office hit Yolo and South Korean action-comedy Citizen Of A Kind.

Yolo dominated this year’s Lunar New Year releases, grossing $484m in China, and is directed by Jia Ling, who stars as an unemployed woman in her 30s whose life is...

“In Broad Daylight,” an expose of real events in a care home for the elderly, dominated the nominations for the Hong Kong Film Awards.

The Lawrence Kan-directed comedy-drama received 16 nominations, at the Tuesday nominations event, including best picture and best new director as well as others for cinematography, editing sound design and original song.

The story sees an investigative reporter go under cover to expose cruelty and other wrong-doings at the Rainbow Bridge Care Home. It premiered last year at the Shanghai film festival and was a highlight of the New York Asian Film Festival, but came away empty-handed from the Golden Horse Film Awards, where it had been nominated in five categories. It enjoyed its commercial release in Hong Kong in November.

Other contenders in the Hkfa best film category are: Nick Cheung’s “Time Still Turns the Pages,” Soi Cheang’s “Mad Fate,” Felix Chong’s “The Goldfinger...

Lawrence Kan’s newsroom drama In Broad Daylight leads the pack going into the 42nd Hong Kong Film Awards with 16 nominations.

The feature, which follows an undercover journalist who exposes the abuse of residents in a nursing home, secured nods in all but three of the 19 categories. It marks the second feature by Kan and proved the fourth highest grossing local film in 2023.

Scroll down for full list of nominations

Also gaining multiple nominations was Nick Cheuk’s emotive drama Time Still Turns The Pages and Felix Chong’s financial crime extravaganza The Goldfinger, which secured 12 nods apiece, while Jack Ng...

The financial crime drama reunites Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Andy Lau for the first time since ‘Infernal Affairs 3’.

Felix Chong’s The Goldfinger has made an impressive $3.2m (Hk$25m) in its home market of Hong Kong, reinvigorating the declining box office for local films.

The financial crime drama, which reunites superstars Tony Leung Chiu-wai with Andy Lau for the first time since closing out the hit Infernal Affairs trilogy two decades ago, has topped the Hong Kong box office since opening on December 30.

Released by Emperor Motion Pictures, it crossed $3.2m (Hk$25m) after just nine days (as...

Despite its Bond-adjacent title, The Goldfinger acts as something of a reunion from a different franchise. Re-teaming Andy Lau, Tony Leung, and writer (now writer-director) Felix Chong from the Infernal Affairs series, their newest film charts the rise and fall of a corrupt real-estate tycoon. Spanning decades, and inspired by the Carrian Group––a Hong Kong conglomerate that collapsed in the 1980s––The Goldfinger pits Lau and Leung on opposing sides, with the former playing Lau Kai-yeun, an investigator for the Icac (Independent Commision Against Corruption) and the latter as Henry Ching, an engineer who works his way through a series of shady deals to run a multi-billion dollar business.

Principally about the investigation into Ching’s company and the house of cards he built over decades, The Goldfinger is compelling in individual moments. It features two noteworthy performances by Leung and Lau. Such rich set-up notwithstanding, Chong never finds...

Universal has Blumhouse horror ‘Night Swim’; BFI has ‘Scala!!!’.

James Hawes’ Nicholas Winton biopic One Life and Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla Presley story Priscilla lead the new films on the first weekend of 2024 at the UK-Ireland box office.

Distributed by Warner Bros and opening in a sizeable 699 sites, One Life tells the story of Nicholas Winton, a London broker who rescued 669 children – predominantly Jewish – from the Nazis leading up to the Second World War. The film has £1.6m already, having opened for previews on Monday, January 1.

Johnny Flynn, a 2005 Screen Star of Tomorrow, plays the younger Winton; with Anthony Hopkins playing him in the 1980s,...

Tony Leung Chiu-wai pursued justice undercover in the first film. Now he’s a shiny gang boss cashing in before Hong Kong goes back to China

Sweaty-palmed Hong Kong thriller Infernal Affairs was one of the best films of the early 00s; in it, Tony Leung Chiu-wai played a cop undercover in a triad gang, alongside Andy Lau as a mole in the police force. The movie was remade by Martin Scorsese into The Departed with Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon. Twenty years later the Leung/Lau dream team is back for another cat-and-mouse cop thriller written and directed by the original film’s co-writer Felix Chong. Though actually this new movie shares more DNA with a couple of Scorseses: The Wolf of Wall Street and Goodfellas. Not that it fully comes up on a rollicking Scorsese cocaine high.

The Goldfinger is a slick, stylish and slightly shallow crime’n...

“If you really missed not seeing us on screen together, then ‘The Goldfinger’ is your opportunity to do so,” says Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau of his new crime movie where he is again paired with Tony Leung Chiu-wai (“In the Mood for Love”).

The film releases at the end of the month in different parts of Asia and North America (from Dec. 30). Pre-release marketing and promotional efforts make much of the Lau-Leung repairing some twenty years after the “Infernal Affairs” trio of hit movies. The movies were both critical and commercial hits and contained an iconic rooftop scene in Hong Kong’s Wanchai district with the police undercover agent and the mobster’s mole facing off guns drawn.

The pair clearly rate each other highly for their acting skills and for the kind of professionalism that has kept them both a the top of the game for more than two decades.

"Where did the money come from?" Another official trailer has arrived for the Hong Kong film called The Goldfinger, which is exactly what is listed (in English) in the title card of this trailer. The film is also going under the title Once Upon a Time in Hong-Kong, written and directed by the filmmaker Felix Chong. Set in the 1980s, the film is based on the story of Carrian Group, a Hong Kong corporation which rose rapidly before collapsing shortly afterwards due to a corruption scandal. Acclaimed actors Tony Leung & Andy Lau reunite after the seminal Infernal Affairs years ago. When a stock market crash causes the sudden collapse of a multi-billion-dollar company, an Icac investigator (Lau) uncovers a criminal conspiracy involving the company’s founder (Leung) and becomes entangled in a long-running investigation. The film's cast also includes Simon Yam, Charlene Choi, Tai-Bo, Alex Fong, Philip Keung, Kar Lok Chin,...

It’s been a long wait for The Goldfinger, which reunites Infernal Affairs stars Tony Leung and Andy Lau with writer-director Felix Chong: production began in February of 2021, our first look arrived spring 2022, and for some time it was all quiet on the eastern front. But a trailer this summer confirmed it’ll hit Hong Kong on December 30, and with only a month to go there’s a new, English-subbed preview that suggests the film will, at least for extravagance, have been worth the wait.

The thriller also stars Simon Yam, Philip Keung, Alex Fong Chung-sun, Charlene Choi, Chin Ka-lok, and Carlos Chan, and is inspired by the story of the Hong Kong conglomerate Carrian Group, which was embroiled in a scandal.

Set in the 1980s, the film depicts cut-throat machinations between Hong Kong’s jostling business elites amidst the backdrop of the tail end of British colonial rule.

Tony Leung and Andy Lau reunite in The Goldfinger, after many years apart. Here’s the trailer for the film, that arrives in the UK in December.

2002’s Infernal Affairs is one of the most iconic Hong Kong films of the early 2000s. The story of a cop who infiltrates the Triads and another officer who is secretly a spy for the same group was so popular that Martin Scorsese remade it in 2006 as The Departed. It also was followed by a couple of sequels, none of which were remade by Martin Scorsese.

Stars Tony Leung, Andy Lau and writer Felix Chong have reunited over 20 years later to make The Goldfinger, that Cine Asia has picked up for distribution in the UK.

The synopsis for The Goldfingerreads as follows:

Set in the 1980s, the film depicts cut-throat machinations between Hong Kong’s jostling business elites amidst the backdrop of the...

The crime drama will be released on December 30.

Trinity CineAsia has acquired Hong Kong tentpole The Goldfinger for the UK and Ireland after striking a deal with Emperor Motion Pictures.

The crime drama will reunite Hong Kong superstars Andy Lau and Tony Leung with writer/director Felix Chong for the first time since 2002’s Infernal Affairs. That film, co-written by Chong and directed by Lau and Alan Mak, spawned a trilogy of films and inspired Martin Scorsese’s 2006 Oscar-winning crime thriller The Departed.

UK-based Trinity CineAsia will theatrically release The Goldfinger in UK and Irish cinemas on December 30, co-ordinated with...

Tony Leung Chiu-wai has starred in three movies that have scooped the top prize Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, and today he is receiving his very own Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.

The 61-year-old Hong Kong actor and singer is one of Asia’s most successful and internationally recognized stars. Among his major global credits are Wong Kar-wai’s 2000 romantic drama In the Mood for Love, for which he won the Best Actor prize in Cannes. His other collaborations with Wong include Chungking Express, Happy Together and The Grandmaster.

Leung also starred in the Academy Award-nominated film Hero by Zhang Yimou, and the box office hits Hard Boiled by John Woo and Infernal Affairs by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak. The latter trilogy formed the basis for Martin Scorsese’s Oscar winning The Departed.

Talking with the press today, Leung beamed of the Lifetime Achievement Lion, “Finally I can have it for myself,...

"You think you'll get away with this?" The first official trailer is out for a new film from Hong Kong titled Goldfinger, which is the original direct translation of the Cantonese title. The film is also going under the title Once Upon a Time in Hong-Kong, written and directed by the veteran Hong Kong director Felix Chong. Set in the 1980s, the film is based on the story of Carrian Group, a Hong Kong corporation which rose rapidly before collapsing shortly afterwards due to a corruption scandal. Acclaimed actors Tony Leung and Andy Lau reunite after starring in the seminal Infernal Affairs years ago. When a stock market crash causes the sudden collapse of a multi-billion-dollar company, an Icac investigator (Lau) uncovers a criminal conspiracy involving the company’s founder (Leung) and becomes entangled in a long-running investigation. The film's cast also includes Simon Yam, Charlene Choi, Tai-Bo, Alex Fong,...

More than two years since the news that Tony Leung and Andy Lau would finally reunite from Infernal Affairs, with that saga’s writer Felix Chong on scripting and directing duties––and nearly 18 months since a first preview––The Goldfinger is finally prepping a December 30 release in Hong Kong. A long wait, surely, and one that is finally being rewarded with a full-length, lively English-subtitled trailer.

The thriller also stars Simon Yam, Philip Keung, Alex Fong Chung-sun, Charlene Choi, Chin Ka-lok, and Carlos Chan, and is inspired by the story of the Hong Kong conglomerate Carrian Group, which was embroiled in a scandal.

Find preview, poster, and synopsis below:

Set in the 1980s, the film depicts cut-throat machinations between Hong Kong’s jostling business elites amidst the backdrop of the tail end of British colonial rule. It tells the story of the rise and bust of a fictional Hong Kong company called Jiali Group,...

Distribution Workshop has picked up international sales duties on “A Legend,” the Jackie Chan -starring film.

As previously reported, the film is now in production.

“A Legend” is now pitched as a $50 million sequel to the 2005 action romance “The Myth” that involved both Chan and director Stanley Tong. In previous communication, producer Bona Film Group said that the film was inspired by the earlier film.

The new picture will be the tenth time that Chan and Tong have worked together, following other titles that include “Police Story 3,” “Supercop” and “Vanguard.”

“A Legend” sees Professor Chen, an archaeology expert, notice that the texture on the artifacts discovered by his students during a glacier expedition, is strikingly similar to a jade pendant he had seen in his dreams. The pendant is connecting the realm of dreams to reality. Filled with curiosity, Chen leads a research team on a journey deep into the Glacier Temple,...

The film the mark the tenth collaboration between Chan and director Stanley Tong.

Taiwan’s Distribution Workshop is to begin sales at Cannes on Jackie Chan fantasy adventure The Legend, which marks the action star’s tenth film with director Stanley Tong.

The $50m mainland China feature is a sequel to 2005’s The Myth, which was also directed by Tong, and stars Chan as an archaeologist who discovers a jade pendant that seems to connect the dream world with reality.

Produced by Bona Film Group, the feature also stars Yixing Zhang, Coulee Nazha and Aarif Lee. A release date has...

Taipei-based sales agency Distribution Workshop has picked up international sales rights to $50M action adventure A Legend, starring Jackie Chan and directed by Stanley Tong.

A sequel to Chan and Tong’s 2005 collaboration The Myth, the film also stars Zhang Yixing (Kung Fu Yoga) and Coulee Nazha (Police Story 2013), and is currently in production with no release date set.

Chan again plays the role of an archaeology expert who this time notices that the texture on the artifacts discovered by his students during a glacier expedition is similar to a jade pendant he had seen in his dreams. Filled with curiosity, he leads the research team on a journey to the Glacier Temple in search of the truth behind the dreams.

Chan’s latest Chinese action drama, Ride On, in which he ironically plays a washed up stuntman, received positive reviews and grossed $30M in China last month. His upcoming...

When a university professor Xia Wei (Wang Likun) is suspected of intentional homicide, public opinion spirals out of control and there is mounting pressure from all sides. As public procurator Li Rui (Huang Jingyu) and his colleague Zhang Youcheng (played by Wang Qianyuan) proceed to investigate the case, they discover the involvement of a wealthy but unscrupulous entrepreneur Chen Xin (Bao Beier) and an old case that has been buried for many years is revealed … intentional homicide, sexual assault and business-government collusion are all interrelated. Everyone is forcefully swept up in this whirlwind of fate. In court, Li Rui and Xia Wei’s defense lawyer Tong Yuchen (Bai Baihe) are locked in an intense confrontation. Why does Xia Wei choose to remain silent? What secret is her husband Hong Junshan (Feng Shaofeng) hiding? Just as it becomes difficult to distinguish between good and evil, an unpredictable crisis awaits everyone… (Source:...

Tony Leung Chiu-wai. Andy Lau. Together in a new feature film. Who'd have thought we'd live to see the day?! Yet here we are, exactly 20 years since they were last seen together in “Infernal Affairs 3”, and director Felix Chong has managed the casting coup to bring together these two titans in his latest feature “The Goldfinger”.

Synopsis

Set in the 1980s, the film depicts cut-throat machinations between Hong Kong's jostling business elites amidst the backdrop of the tail end of British colonial rule. It tells the story of the rise and bust of a fictional Hong Kong company called Jiali Group, following the travails of its chairman Cheng Yiyan through 15 years of investigations by the Independent Commission Against Corruption as murders are committed, billions in market value evaporate and millions are spent on litigation fees.

Felix Chong directs from a script written by himself. Additionally, the supporting cast is just as mouthwatering,...

Some 16 titles were showcased at a packed launch in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong-based Emperor Motion Pictures (Emp) presented a massive line-up of 16 titles at Filmart, including actor Nicholas Tse’s directorial debut New Police Story 2 and a further two action films also led by Tse.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the first New Police Story, which was directed by the late filmmaker Benny Chan. The new feature reunites the original cast, including Tse, Jackie Chan and Charlene Choi, from the original film. Chan will produce for Tse who will direct for the first time.

The film is set to enter production this year,...

Jackie Chan made a rare public appearance in Hong Kong on Tuesday, taking center stage and amping up the star wattage at the Filmart market when he joined local heartthrob Nicolas Tse in front of a hall packed by hundreds as the pair helped local giant Emperor Motion Pictures (Emp) launch its 2023 slate.

Emp used the platform, and the presence of so many people gathered, to officially launch Chan’s latest production, New Police Story 2, in which he takes a leading role, while also producing. The film, which promises to pretty much deliver what’s on its label, also marks the directorial debut of Tse, the genre-jumping popstar-turned-filmmaker who emerged with a string of hits across both mediums in the early 2000s.

Emp was behind Chan’s New Police Story, which also helped Tse to stardom when it was released in 2004 and itself was a reboot of the Police Story...

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The 27th Busan International Film Festival opened Wednesday night on a long overdue note of optimism with the premiere of Scent of Wind by Iranian director Hadi Mohaghegh. Festival organizers have indicated that they view the 2022 festival as a full-scale comeback edition, following two hard years of pandemic restrictions and a sequence of prior political challenges.

“We believe that the seat occupancy rates have recovered to about 80 to 90 percent compared to 2019,” said Huh Moon-young, the festival’s director, on opening night.

The opening ceremony, which took place at the festival’s main venue, the Busan Cinema Center, was attended by Asian cinema luminaries and celebrities, including Hong Kong screen icon Tony Leung, Korean star Song Kang-ho, Korean-American actor Daniel Dae Kim, Thai actor-model Mario Maurer and Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda.

Leung, who starred last year in Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of...

A marathon screening of all three “Infernal Affairs” films has been announced for the much delayed 46th edition of the Hong Kong International Film Festival.

The three films, all restored and upgraded to 4K digital prints, lead off a six- film section of Chinese-language restored classics at the festival.

The Hkiff was this year postponed from its usual March-April slot to August, due to the fifth wave of the Covid pandemic which closed Hong Kong cinemas for the first months of 2022. It will now take place from Aug. 15-31 for 17 days, again adopting a hybrid format, featuring screenings and audience-engagement events in theatres and online.

Other titles in the section include: Ann Hui’s “Boat People” from 1982; Lou Ye’s “Suzhou River” from 2000; and Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s “Millennium Mambo” from 2001.

Delivered in 2002 and featuring a narrative about an undercover cop battling a triad mole, “Infernal Affairs,” was one of the...

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...

Further titles include Herman Yau’s War Customised and Alan Mak’s Insider.

Hong Kong’s Emperor Motion Pictures (Emp) has unveiled a slate of 12 upcoming films, including a sequel to Zhang Yimou’s box office hit Cliff Walkers and new all-star features from Herman Yau and Alan Mak.

It has also released the first images of Felix Chong’s The Goldfinger, which reunites Infernal Affairs stars Tony Leung and Andy Lau for the first time in nearly 20 years (see below).

The 12 titles, along with two projects in development, equate to an investment of $191.7m (Hk$1.5b), representing the company...

Martin Scorsese’s Boston gangster movie “The Departed” was loosely based on the thrilling Hong Kong crime epic “Infernal Affairs” that starred Asian superstars Tony Leung and Andy Lau. Well, the pair of actors are reuniting for a new thriller, “Goldfinger,” aka, “Once Upon A Time In Hong Kong,” that will be written/directed by Felix Chong, who penned the “Infernal Affairs” trilogy.

A first-look image (See below) has made its way on Twitter thanks to Kevin Ma (via The Film Stage) and certainly has a striking look to it.

Continue reading ‘Goldfinger’: First Look At Tony Leung & Andy Lau’s ‘Infernal Affairs’ Reunion For New Hong Kong Thriller at The Playlist.

About a year ago we got the news that Tony Leung and Andy Lau would finally be reuniting after their trio of Infernal Affairs films. Coming from Infernal Affairs writer Felix Chong, who scripts and directs, the film was announced with the title Goldfinger (though no relation to Bond), but now some are referring to it as Once Upon a Time in Hong-Kong. Whatever it may end up being called, the first look has arrived above courtesy of Kevin Ma.

With it being 18 years since their last collaboration, the film carries much anticipation and hopefully we’ll get news about its release soon. The thriller also stars Simon Yam, Philip Keung, Alex Fong Chung-sun, Charlene Choi, Chin Ka-lok, and Carlos Chan. It’s inspired by the story of the Hong Kong conglomerate Carrian Group, which was embroiled in a scandal, and one can check out the synopsis below.

Set in the 1980s,...

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has published its list of the 101 greatest screenplays of the 21st century, topped by Jordan Peele’s “Get Out.” Peele won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay with the script for his horror movie, which also marked his solo feature directorial debut. Bong Joon Ho’s Oscar-winning “Parasite” screenplay cracked the WGA’s top five along with Charlie Kaufman’s “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” Aaron Sorkin’s “The Social Network,” and the Coen Brothers’ “No Country for Old Men.” All of these aforementioned films won screenwriting Oscars.

The remainder of the WGA’s top 10 consists of Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight,” Paul Thomas Anderson’s “There Will Be Blood,” Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds,” Cameron Crowe’s “Almost Famous,” and Christopher Nolan’s “Memento.” Anderson has three scripts in the top 101, as does Tarantino. Writers with multiple ranked scripts include Aaron Sorkin, Charlie Kaufman,...

The Hong Kong International Film Festival has announced the cancelation of its world premiere screening of crime thriller “Where the Wind Blows.” The move appears to be part of the accelerating ‘mainlandization’ of Hong Kong’s entertainment industry.

The festival said Monday evening in a statement that screenings of “Where the Wind Blows” (previously known “Theory of Ambitions”) had been cancelled at the request of the film’s owner.

“Upon request from the film owner, the screenings of ‘Where the Winds Blows’ originally scheduled at 5.30 p.m. on 1 April and 2.30 p.m. on 4 April are cancelled due to technical reasons,” the festival said in a statement in English and Chinese.

The film was produced by Hong Kong’s Mei Ah Film Production in a co-venture with mainland Chinese firms Dadi Century and Global Group. Its production budget has been reported as $38 million.

The film is directed by Philip Yung, who...

Felix Chong is directing the crime thriller, which reunites talents from the Infernal Affairs series.

Hong Kong studio Emperor Motion Pictures (Emp) has started production on crime thriller Once Upon A Time In Hong Kong, starring Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Andy Lau and written and directed by Felix Chong.

The two stars previously worked together in the Infernal Affairs series, which Chong co-wrote with Alan Mak. Chong has since directed hit crime thrillers such as the Overheard series and Project Gutenberg.

Produced by Ronald Wong, producer of the Overheard series, Once Upon A Time In Hong Kong is set in...

In 2002, Andy Lau and Tony Leung reunited for action crime feature Infernal Affairs, an instant hit which not only spawned two back-to-back sequels the following year, but also sparked the interest of Martin Scorsese, who remade it for his Best Picture-winning The Departed. Now, the Hong Kong legends are reuniting once again, 18 years after the third Infernal Affairs film, for a new thriller set in the 1980s.

They will both star in Goldfinger, which has no relation to 007 nor ska, but does come from Infernal Affairs writer Felix Chong, who scripts and directs. Variety reports the $30.8 million project will also star Simon Yam, Philip Keung, Alex Fong Chung-sun, Charlene Choi, Chin Ka-lok, and Carlos Chan. Inspired by the story of the Hong Kong conglomerate Carrian Group, who was embroiled in a scandal, check out the synopsis below.

Set in the 1980s, the film depicts cut-throat machinations between Hong Kong’s...

Tony Leung Chiu-Wai and Andy Lau will team up in a new major action movie titled “Goldfinger,” local reports said Friday.

The two beloved Hong Kong-born A-listers haven’t worked together since the end of the “Infernal Affairs” trilogy 18 years ago.

The reunion will be written and directed by Felix Chong, the screenwriter for that series. It is backed by Emperor Motion Pictures and mainland Chinese partners, with a reported budget of around $30.8 million (RMB200 million).

Chong found success in mainland China in 2018 with his counterfeiting thriller “Project Gutenberg,” which he wrote and directed. Starring Chow Yun-Fat, Aaron Kwok and Zhang Jingchu, it grossed $183 million in China and $4.3 million in Hong Kong, going on to win best film, best script, best director and four other prizes from 17 nominations at the 2019 Hong Kong Film Awards.

Other members of the “Goldfinger” cast will include fellow veteran Hong Kongers Simon Yam and Philip Keung...

Alan Mak is a Hong Kong helmer whose legacy exceeds the boundaries of national cinema. The reason is quite simple and part of common knowledge: “Infernal Affairs” trilogy that has spread the influence of the contemporary Hong Kong genre cinema to the whole world. Mak was not the only person responsible for it since he collaborated with Felix Chong, with whom he also did another trilogy, “Overheard”. On his own, Mak has envisioned yet another crime thriller trilogy named Integrity, which is tonally different from his previous work. After a smart and out of the box theatrical release last year for the Chinese New Year (the slot is usually reserved for featherweight comedies and dramas) that resulted in decent earnings on the box office, “Integrity” is now available on video.

The story revolves around the relationship between an Icac (Independent Commission Against Corruption) chief investigator named King...

After initially delivering the classic “Infernal Affairs” trilogy, the writers of that series, Felix Chong and Alan Mak, are back in the genre once again with another stellar undercover thriller. While Chong stays on as a writer, Mak has moved into the director’s chair alongside cinematographer Anthony Pun, which now moves the film away from the subdued drama-like leanings and instead finds itself charging headfirst into classic Hong Kong action cinema.

“Extraordinary Mission” screened at the New York Asian Film Festival

Still on edge following his mother’s death, determined cop Liu Haojun (Xuan Huang from “The Great Wall” and “The Golden Era”) is struggling to stay undercover in a high-level drug-smuggling ring owned and operated by master-criminal Cheng Yi (Xing Jiadong from “1911” and “Soldiers and Their Commanders”). Known as Lin Kai to the rest of the gang, his efforts to bring the gang down from within continually...

Political problems that turned violent in the last few months weighed on the theatrical box office in Hong Kong, especially in the second half of the year. But the territory’s full year outcome was a 2% dip, rather than a precipitous plunge.

Gross revenues for 2019 totaled Hk$1.923 billion ($245 million), compared with Hk$1.957 billion ($251 million) in 2018, according to data published Thursday by Hong Kong Box Office Ltd. That was achieved with the release of 326 films (of which 46 were considered as local) compared with 353 titles in 2018, of which 53 qualified as Hong Kong productions or co-productions.

Between January and June theatrical revenues had been trending upwards at over 6%, according to previous figured from Hkbo. That points to a decrease of 10% in the second half, compared to the July to December takings of 2018.

The political protests, that began in June with a popular movement against a proposed law that would have eroded differences between...

"Who painting do you want me to replicate?" Signature Entertainment in the UK has unveiled an official trailer for a Hong Kong crime thriller titled The Counterfeiter. This has gone under a few other names, including Project Gutenberg, and the original titles Mou seung (Cantonese) and Wu shuang (Mandarin). The Counterfeiter is described "action-packed, twisty and tension filled crime thriller" akin to The Usual Suspects meets Fight Club, starring Chow Yun-Fat as a criminal mastermind known as the "Painter". The Hong Kong police are hunting a masterful counterfeiting gang. In order to crack the leader "Painter's" true identity, the police recruits gang member Lee Man to unmask him. This also stars Aaron Kwok, Jingchu Zhang, Catherine Chau, Joyce Wenjuan Feng, David Yao-Qing Wang, and Kai Chi Liu. This looks cool, lots of slick counterfeiting along with some heavy action. It might be an entertaining weekend watch. Here's the first official...

Popular industry blog Yuemuchina recently named the “new big four” companies that it believes have edged out the old guard studios and now dominate the Middle Kingdom movie scene. Along with obvious choices of tech giant Tencent and Beijing Culture, a producer on a hot streak, the list also included Bona Film Group.

Given that Bona is celebrating its 20th anniversary, something that makes it one of the oldest players in the Chinese film industry, labeling it as new and influential is testament to the company’s enduring significance.

That success is in large measure attributable to founder and present-day chairman Yu Dong, who dominates through intellect, instinct and a willingness to make huge decisions that others would shy away from. His analyses of the trends in the Chinese industry are always listened to and his box office forecasts are mostly right.

Yu began his career as an intern at state-controlled behemoth China Film Group,...

After Louis Koo, Hong Kong A-list actor and producer, presented Anthony Wong with the best actor award at this year’s Hong Kong Film Awards, he smiled awkwardly as Wong referred to him in his acceptance speech as “movie mogul of the new generation.” But as Wong continued to sing Koo’s praises, the handsome actor jumped in, telling Wong to stop talking about him.

In public, Koo maintains the image of a star, appearing in blockbusters such as action-thriller “Paradox,” which won him best actor awards at both Hong Kong Film Awards and Asian Film Awards last year. His pretty face is often attached to commercial and lifestyle products as their brand ambassadors.

But behind the scenes, the 48-year-old has quietly assumed a role as one the key driving forces behind Hong Kong cinema. One Cool Film Production, which he founded in 2013, has produced a slate of commercial hits...

Among other measures, restrictions have been removed on the numbers of Hong Kong cast and crew on each production.

Chinese authorities have unveiled new rules to make it easier for Hong Kong companies to access the mainland market via official Hong Kong-China co-productions.

The mainland government has relaxed five of the restrictions currently in place for Hong Kong-China co-productions – including the number of Hong Kong actors in each production; the number of Hong Kong people working on each production; and the requirement that the story of the film is related to mainland China.

Other measures include waiving fees to set...