The Golden Koala Chinese Film Festival now in its 4th year.
The Golden Koala Chinese Film Festival (GKCFF) is currently the biggest and most influential Chinese film event in Aus¬tralia. Joining hands with the City Council of Sydney, Bris¬bane and Melbourne, as well as HKETO (Hong Kong Economic Trade Office), the organizing committee by Chinese Film Festival Incorporated (CFF) has been inviting approxi¬mately 15 elite films for exhibition and competition during Chinese New Year each year since 2011. As of early 2013, CKCFF has attracted film productions from all corners of Chinese speaking regions including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Macau.
CFF is a non-profit, non-political, non-religious organization, with the aim to surface and promote outstanding Chinese films and in turn foster cultural communication between east and west. The organizing committee stand closely by the motto “justness, fairness, openness”, so as to unearth A-grade Chinese films, acknowledge the related filmmakers’ dedication, and make memorable milestones annually for Chinese film practitioners along their journey to the interna¬tional stage.
This year the film selection
THE LIST OF FILMS THIS YEAR
ALL APOLOGIES
http://vimeo.com/user15807858/review/57615031/41bc97ff85
Password: aaemily1
(original title: Ai De Ti Shen)
a film by Emily Tang
2012 / China / 88 min / 35mm / 1.85:1 / Colour / Digital 5.1 / Chinese Mandarin
Starring: Cheng Taishen Yang Shuting Liang Jing
The 60th San Sebastian Film Festival Official Competition
Vancouver International Film Festival 2012
Busan International Film Festival 2012
FILMeX Tokyo 2012
Black Movie Film Festival Geneva 2012
Vesoul Asian Film Festival 2013 Prix du public & Mention speciale du jury International (Yang Shuting)
The 37th Hong Kong International Film Festival Young Cinema Competition Jury Prize
Asian Film Festival Reggio Emilia Italy 2013 Best Film
16th Shanghai International Film Festival The China Movie Channel Media Award
Best Supporting Actress Liang Jing & Best New Actress Yang Shuting
Synopsis
28 year-old Qiaoyu, with her husband Heman and their daughter Yaya, and 38 year-old Yonggui, with his wife Yun Zhen and their only son Zhuang, live in a small village in Guangxi.
Yonggui is a chief labor contractor in the city and is often away from home. He has just succeeded in helping Zhuang obtain admission to a top primary school and is preparing to go home to bring his son to the city. But one day after school, Zhuang catches a ride in Heman’s pedicab and is killed in a traffic accident. The sudden disaster brings tragedy to both families. The seeds of a greater crisis are planted.
The court decides that Heman’s family must pay 120,000 yuan as compensation for Zhuang’s death. Heman’s legs have been seriously injured in the accident. Not only is he unable to pay the compensation to Yonggui’s family, he cannot even afford his own surgery.
To make matters worse, Yun Zhen can no longer bear children, following her previous tubal ligation surgery. Hearing the heartbroken sobs of his wife, Yonggui is at a loss. He goes to speak to Heman in the hospital but the two men end up in a bitter argument. Knowing Yun Zhen is filled with a burning hatred toward her family, Qiaoyu’s guilt is overwhelming. She has no idea how to face the cruel reality that Yonggui’s family has lost their only cherished son.
One day, an intoxicated Yonggui appears at Qiaoyu’s home. Drunk from alcohol and grief, he has only one thought in mind: he must have another child. Qiaoyu is powerless to resist Yonggui’s advances. Yonggui returns the partial compensation she submitted to him. Filled with a strong sense of guilt for Yonggui’s pain and in desperate need of funds for her husband’s surgery, Qiaoyu keeps quiet.
A sobered up Yonggui returns to the city again to work. As a last resort, Qiaoyu uses the money returned by Yonggui to pay for the surgery that will save her husband from being a cripple. Soon afterwards, Qiaoyu discovers that she’s pregnant. She goes into town alone to find Yonggui, hoping that the debt her family owes him will be cleared once and for all by the birth of the baby.
Doting and meticulous, Yonggui takes good care of Qiaoyu, who is staying with Yonggui in the city until the baby is born. During their daily life together, Yonggui feels subtle changes in his feelings towards Qiaoyu.
Yun Zhen comes to the city to visit Yonggui and is surprised by his refusal to consider adopting a child. She feels that something is amiss but cannot tell what it is. When she finally discovers her husband living with a pregnant Qiaoyu, she cannot accept it and decides to divorce Yonggui. She also tells Heman that Qiaoyu is pregnant with Yonggui’s child.
Heman, now discharged from the hospital and fully recovered, is furious to hear the news of his wife’s supposed indiscretion. He decides to see the truth for himself and finds Qiaoyu in the city. Heman punishes her in the cruelest way possible: he bans her from seeing their daughter Yaya forever.
Yonggui asks Qiaoyu to stay with him, especially given the new turn of events, but Qiaoyu refuses.
Soon after seeing her husband Heman disappear into the crowd, Qiaoyu goes into labor. Yonggui realizes, in that moment, that no matter how hard they tried, this new child would never restore life to what it had been prior to Zhuang’s death. Instead, it forced two grief-stricken families to veer away from their life paths, to move further and further away from their original course.
In the end, Yonggui was sentenced to six years in prison for rape, and the child’s custody was granted to Qiaoyu. Li gave up custody of Yaya after her divorce from Heman.
Director’s Statement
All Apologies is the most painful film I have ever made because I completely submitted to and immersed myself in the story throughout the shooting. An accident in life is like a domino. It can produce a chain reaction of consequences, it can magnify pain, it can cause the emotions of the people involved to be inextricably intertwined. The family relationships can never return to their original tracks. When you make a film like this, there’s a strong sense of pain and when you’re finished shooting, you see that this kind of pain has been translated into artistic beauty. But it was exceptionally hard to shoot.
In this movie, the hero and heroine, in order to resolve a tragedy, create an even more irreparable mistake. For me, this course of events is especially heart-wrenching because I think that it is true to life. In such a portrayal, what is good or evil, what is beautiful or ugly, can hardly be so simply judged according to ordinary values and morals. In this film, you can get deep into the story and still, in the final moments, be unable to say which of the four main characters is more innocent and which is more deserving of punishment. And you, if you were to find yourself in a similar situation, may feel as they did, dominated by a sense of fatality and despair but unable to resist fighting, though you may have no idea where your actions would take you and what fate it would bring you. All Apologies is a work that reflects the heaviness of life, the complexity of so-called morals, and the fickleness and mystery of fate…
Emily Tang – Director
Born in Sichuan province in China and raised in Beijing. Emily Tang studied French literature and language in Peking University. She continued her studies in Master of Arts in Drama at the Chinese National Institute of Arts. In 1997, she attended the directing programme at the Central Academy of Drama and paved the way for her career as a film director. In 2001, Tang directed her debut film CONJUGATION, which had its world premiere at the Locarno International Film Festival and granted her special mention in directing. On the same year, she immigrated to Hong Kong and gave birth her first child. After three years of maternal life, she returned to her director career and start up her second feature film project PERFECT LIFE, which had its premiere in Venice, and won Tigers & Dragons Award in Vancouver and Golden Digital Award in Hong Kong International Film Festival respectively. ALL APOLOGIES is her third feature film.
Chen Taishen – Main Actor
Chen graduated in 1997 from the Central Academy of Drama, China with a BA degree in Directing. In 2001, he made his acting debut in Zhu Wen’s Seafood, and got the Best Actor Award at The Festival of the 3 Continents in Nantes. Since then, he worked with important directors in China and from abroad, such as Jia Zhangke, Zhang Yimou, Johnny To and Alejandro González.
Filmography on Acting:
2012 Du Zhan directed by Johnny To.
2012 The Four directed by Gordon Chan.
2012 White Deer Plain directed by Wang Quanan. Official competition, Berlinale
2009 The Good Earth by Chaolu Hasi. Jury’s Award, 13th Shanghai International Film Festival.
2009 Biutiful by Alejandro González. Best Foreign Language Film nomination, 83rd Film Academy Award, USA.
2007 In Love We Trust directed by Wang Xiaoshuai, Silver Bear on Best Script, Berlinale.
2008 Perfect Life directed by Emily Tang. Orizzonti Competition, Venice. Best Film, Vancouver Film Festival. Best Digital Film, Hong Kong International Film Festival.
2005 Jade Soturi directed by Antti-Jussi Annila
2004 The World directed by Jia Zhangke, Competition, 61st Venice.
2001 Seafood directed by Zhu Wen. Best Actor, The Festival of the 3 Continents in Nantes. Jury’s Award, Venice.
Yang Shuting – Main Actress
New generation of actress in Mainland China, All Apologies is her acting debut in film production. She also act for TV drama in China. She is now commit in Emily Tang’s docudrama project Secret Garden, a coproduction of Atrio Media, Tianjin Film Group and Cinecittà Luce.
2009 All Apologies by Emily Tang as LI Qiaoyu
2010 Black and White Lee by PAN Jingcheng as YU Zhujun
2010 Heartbeat by Zheng Jiabei as Lin Xiang
Executive Producers: Yang Jian Zhao Haiguang
Producers: Yang Jian Chow Keung
Co-producer: Zhu Peifan Deng Liwei Wang Tongjun
Screenwriters: Han Jie Emily Tang Dong Fang
Director: Emily Tang
Director of Photography: Lai Yiu Fai
Art Director: William Kwok
Editors: Chow Keung Baek Seung-hoon
Sound Designer: Dong Xu
Composer: Roger Lin
Supporting Cast: Gao Jin
Jointly Presented by:
Sunny Sky Culture & Media Investment Co., Ltd
Beijing Xinghe Mingliang Media Investment Co., Ltd
Finding Mr. Right
password:111
SYNOPSIS
City girl Jiajia is traveling to Seattle to give birth to the son who’s going to help her win over her rich, married boyfriend. Armed with his unlimited credit card and the singular goal of bringing a little U.S. citizen back to Beijing, Jiajia knows how to play this game of modern love. But when Jiajia arrives in Seattle, the city which inspired her favorite movie Sleepless in Seattle, nothing goes right: she’s stuck sharing a small house with two other pregnant ladies, she has trouble reaching her boyfriend on the phone, and eventually, even the credit card stops working. To top that off, the only person willing to spend time with her is her driver Frank. At first, Jiajia can’t stand Frank but reluctantly, she realizes he’s not half bad. Jiajia surprises Frank too– though every bit a selfish princess on the outside, deep down he knows her heart is as big as her Birkin bag. When a crisis in her pregnancy endangers Jiajia’s life, Frank is the only one standing by her side, tirelessly taking care of her and her newborn son. When Jiajia’s boyfriend suddenly resurfaces–newly divorced and more doting than ever–Jiajia’s mission is accomplished and she can return to China. The trouble is, even as she enjoys her new upgraded life in Beijing, she can’t seem to stop thinking about Frank. Has Jiajia gone completely crazy? Frank is the opposite of everything she ever wanted in a man…or could he be exactly the kind of guy she really needs?
INTRODUCTION to KEY TALENT
XUE Xiaolu (Director/Writer)
Xue graduated from the Beijing Film Academy in 1993 and continued on to pursue a Master’s degree in screenwriting and film theory. From 1998 to 2002, she worked as a producer of education programs at China Central Television (CCTV) but returned to the BFA in 2003, this time as a professor of screenwriting and analysis. Xue is the writer of several acclaimed films from China, including Chen Kaige’s Together (2002), as well as a number of TV series. She made her directorial debut in 2010 with Ocean Heaven, a heartfelt and touching tale of fatherly love which starred Asian superstar Jet Li in his first non-action role. Ocean Heaven was selected as the Opening Film of the 13th Shanghai International Film Festival. Xue also won for Outstanding New Writer at the 14th China Huabiao Awards for the film’s screenplay.
TANG Wei (as Jiajia)
Chinese actress Tang Wei graduated from the Central Academy of Drama in 2002 and performed in stage plays, TV series and TV dramas before being hand-picked out of 10,000 actresses by acclaimed director Ang Lee to play the lead role in 2007’s Lust, Caution. Her breakout performance was recognized and lauded
internationally; she shot to fame as a result of the film’s attention and success. Tang won the Best New Performer award at the Golden Horse Awards, the Chopard Trophy at the Cannes International Film Festival, and Best New Actress award at the Venice Film Festival that year, not to mention receiving countless nominations from esteemed organizations like the Independent Spirit Awards and BAFTA. In 2010, Tang worked with Hong Kong writer-director Ivy Ho and Asian star Jacky Cheung on Crossing Hennessy and also completed Late Autumn, a love story set in Seattle with Korean heartthrob Hyun Bin. Her performance in Late Autumn was highly regarded and won her recognition from over ten of Korea’s most prestigious committees, including the Best Actress Award at the 47th Paeksang Arts Awards, the 31st Korean Association of Film Critics Awards, and the 12th Busan Film Critics Association Awards to name but a few. Tang was the first foreigner to be honored by all three events. In 2011, Tang starred in Peter Chan’s Wu Xia and Jingle Ma’s Speed Angels.
WU Xiubo (as Frank)
Considered to be one of the best actors in China, Wu is a multihyphenate whose talents also include music and producing. Wu graduated from the Central Academy of Drama in 1988 and made a name for himself playing the protagonist on Chinese TV drama “Before the Dawn”, for which he received several awards. Wu took a hiatus from film to pursue music in the late 90’s, releasing an album in 2000 which contained ten original songs. He returned to acting in 2002 and has built a reputation as a dynamic and multi-faceted actor. Wu has starred in many of China’s most popular and acclaimed TV dramas and is one of the highest paid actors working in Chinese television today.
HAI Qing (as Zhou)
Hai is a popular Chinese TV actress who has been working in television since the tender age of 7. Coming from a background in both dance and drama, Hai trained in theatre before entering the prestigious Beijing Film Academy. In 2003, she starred in Ann Hui’s Jade Goddess of Mercy, effectively launching her professional career. She has worked extensively with acclaimed Chinese TV director Teng Huatao (best known for 2011’s box office hit Love Is Not Blind) on several TV series and dramas. In 2010, she earned two prestigious Golden Eagle TV Awards, and in the following year a Feitian TV Award, for her performance in a modern family drama series which became one of the successes of 2010.
Elaine JIN (as Mrs. Huang) Celebrated and beloved Taiwanese actress Jin has been dubbed the “Supporting Actress Queen” for the numerous nominations and awards she has received from the Hong Kong Film Awards and the Golden Horse Awards over the course of her career. Both an actress of the big and small screen, Jin’s decorated filmography spans four decades. Jin has collaborated with some of the most acclaimed Asian directors, including Hou Hsiao-Hsien, Edward Yang, Stanley Kwan, and Derek Yee. Jin won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1986 and 1987 for Love Unto Waste and People’s Hero, respectively, and was also awarded the Golden Horse Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1994 for Edward Yang’s A Confucian Confusion.
FLY WITH THE CRANE
http://vimeo.com/user15807858/review/57358129/ddd4e74090
Password: flying1
(Original title: GAOSU TAMEN, WO CHENG BAHIE QU LE)
Adapted from renowned Chinese author SU Tong’s beloved story
Tell Them I’ve Gone With the White Crane
2012 / China / 99 min / HD / 1.85:1 / colour / SRD 5.1 / Chinese Northwestern dialect
A Film by Li Ruijun
Venice International Film Festival 2012
Toronto International Film Festival 2012
Busan International Film Festival 2012
53rd THESSALONIKI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Greece 2012
Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival 2012
Tertio Millennio Film Festival Italy 2012
Tromsø international film festival Norway 2013
Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) 2013
37th Hong Kong International Film Festival 2013
Kosmorama Trondheim International Film Festival Norway 2013
Chinese Film Festival Singapore 2013
Brasilia International Film Festival 2013 Best Director Award
Jointly Presented by:
Heaven Pictures (Beijing) Culture & Media Co. Ltd.
Beijing Golden Days Co. Ltd.
Li Ruijun Film Studio
Nanjing Reade Cultural Communications Limited
Synopsis:
Old Ma and Old Cao, now 73 years old, were once famous carpenters in the village. They used to partner with elders from the neighboring villages to make coffins. Old Ma was not only gifted in carpentry, he was also a good painter. Old Ma would build the coffins and meticulously paint each one.
Now, they are old. Their bodies are no longer what they once were. Recently, the government implemented the practice of cremation. Never again will the elderly call on Old Ma and Old Cao to make coffins for them. One day, Old Cao asks Old Ma to help him make his own coffin in preparation for the day to come. The two work together as before. Old Ma takes out his dusty paintbrush and his dried up pigments and painstakingly paints a white crane on the front of Old Cao’s coffin, an auspicious bird for a heavenly send off.
Every day, the old people gather near the haystack at the entrance of the village, playing cards, talking, sunning themselves and napping. Other than eating and sleeping, the elderly pass the time by gathering together here.
When the Mid-Autumn Festival draws near, Old Ma’s daughter invites him to celebrate the holiday with her. After Old Ma returns to the village, he sits near the haystack, waiting for Old Cao but Old Cao does not appear. Old Ma soon finds out that Old Cao has passed away and has been secretly buried in the cornfields on the opposite shore of Cao Zi Lake.
Old Ma believes he has seen a white crane around Cao Zi Lake, but none of his children believe him. Old Ma quickly becomes the brunt of jokes in the village. But from that moment on, Old Ma waits by the lake every day for the white crane to appear. Old Ma’s grandson asks him why he is waiting for the white crane and Old Ma replies: “I worked so hard to raise your father, uncle and aunt, and they want to turn me into a pile of ash. I want the white crane to take me to Heaven.”
Old Ma’s situation seems hopeless until one day, his little grandchildren come up with an extraordinary plan to help him realize his wish…
The Director’s Note:
An old man wishes for his soul to ascend to heaven while simultaneously being reluctant to part with the earth. The old man doesn’t avoid death as it comes but still can’t help trying to escape as it arrives. The story of this old man allowed me to, ever so slowly, understand that our time on Earth is merely an ending merged with a beginning and that it is simply a divine game, the divine game of life.
LI Ruijun – Director
Li was born in Gansu Province, China in 1983. At the age of 14, he began studying painting and music. In 2003, he graduated from the Management School of the Professional Training Academy of Radio, Film, and Television of China.
Fly With The Crane (Gao Su Ta Men, Wo Cheng Bai He Qu Le) is Li’s 3rd feature films, adapted from renowned Chinese author SU Tong’s story “Tell Them I’ve Gone With the White Crane”.
Li’s debut feature film, Summer Solstice! (Xia Zhi), was completed in 2007. It won the Special Feature Award at the 9th International Panorama of Independent Film and Video Makers.
In 2010, Li completed his second feature film The Old Donkey (Lao Lv Tou). It premiered in the New Currents Section of the Pusan International Film Festival, and was invited to the Rotterdam International Film Festival and 30 film festivals around the world
In 2011, Li’s fourth script project Where Is My Home? was selected by The 9th Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) and received The Wouter Barendrecht Award for its excellence in script & the project development. The project also got additional Script Awards from Hubert Bals Fund Rotterdam International Film Festival (2011) and Global Film Initiative 2012.
Su Tong – Original Story Novelist & Co-producer
Su Tong’s prolific and provocative oeuvre – six novels including Rice (2004) and My Life as Emperor (2006), a dozen novellas, more than 120 short stories – have earned him a place at the centre of China’s literary scene. His best known work abroad is the novella Wives and Concubines, which was made into the film Raise the Red Lantern directed by Zhang Yimou and starring Gong Li. The film garnered an Oscar (1991), and won a Bafta in 1993. Su Tong’s Binu – The Myth Of Meng Jiang Nu (2006), the tale of the girl whose tears collapsed the Great Wall, sold more than 100,000 copies in China within a month of publication. It has since been sold into 15 countries. In 2009, he was awarded the Man Asian Literary Prize for his work The Boat to Redemption, the second Chinese writer to win the prize. In 2011, Su Tong was nominated to win the “Man Booker International Prize.”
Executive producer: Gao Hong
Co-production Supervisor: Su Tong Zhang Xianmin
Artistic Consultant: Situ Zhaodun Zhang Yaxuan
Producer: Li Ruijun Yang Cheng Shen Xiaoping
Co-Producer: Jin Rui
Cast: Ma Xingchun Tang Long Wang Siyi Zhang Min
Director of Photography: Yang Jin
Sound Design: Wang Changrui
Music Composer: Xiao He
Screenplay/Director: Li Ruijun
Production Manager: Li Ruiqi Wu Renlin
Director’s Assistant: Zhang Min
Art Director: Li Ruijun
Gaffer: Xu Ming
Editor: Li Ruijun
A COMPLICATED STORY
Password: 111
SYNOPSIS
To pay off the heavy medical bill cost by her sickened brother, college student Zi (Zhu Zhiying) agrees to become a surrogate mother for Mrs. Yu (Cherrie In), former actress and wife of a billionaire who keeps his husband concealed of the whole plan. To keep things under control, Zi’s requested to sign an agreement through Yu’s family lawyer Yee (Stephanie Che).
2 months into her pregnancy, however, Mrs. Yu backs out of the deal and insists that Zi takes an abortion. Unable to comply, Zi goes into hiding and plans to bear the child herself. Elsewhere, Mr. Yu (Jacky Cheung) discovers the whole scheme; he wants custody of the baby and goes on a hunting spree for her. Meanwhile, Zi’s ex-boyfriend Ming (Zi Yi), still having strong affection for her, offers to raise her baby as his own. Zi is bewildered.
The situation can’t get any more complicated. Yee, who has been trying to help Zi resolve the whole predicament, develops a different kind of feeling for Zi …
THE CAST
Jacky CHEUNG (張學友)
Jacky Cheung has been a celebrated singer in Hong Kong since 1984 when he won one of the most important singing contests at that time. His rich baritone voice brought him huge popularity right away, and in the two decades that follow, he has consistently produced best-selling albums and numerous hits, and won countless singing awards throughout Greater China.
Cheung also starred in more than 60 movies, including many of Wong Kar-Wai’s films. He won Best Supporting Actor at Hong Kong Film Awards with Wong’s As Tears Go By (1988). Subsequently, he was also nominated Best Actor for Bullet in the Head (1990) by John Woo, The Private Eye Blues (1995), Ann Hui’s July Rhapsody (2002) and Golden Chicken 2 (2004).
ZHU Zhiying (朱芷瑩)
Graduated at Taipei National University of Arts, Zhu Zhiying started her professional career in stage plays. Her impressive performance in the stage play A Dream Like A Dream caught the eye of Oscar-winning director Ang Lee, who casted her in the pivotal female supporting role in the international hit Lust, Caution (2007). Her memorable performance has led her to more prominent and diverse film roles, such as Ismene Ting’s Finding Shangri–La (2009), Cho Li’s suspense thriller Zoom Hunting (2010), and Doze Niu’s romantic comedy Love (2012).
Cherrie IN (應采兒)
Famous for her cheerful persona, Cherrie In has proven she is more than just a pretty face, as evidenced in films such as Andrew Lau’s Dance of a Dream (2001), Johnnie To’s Fulltime Killer (2001), My Left Eye Sees Ghosts (2002), Fat Choi Spirit (2002), Throw Down (2004), Teddy Chen’s Wait ‘till You’re Older (2005), Benny Chan’s Rob-B-Hood (2006).
Stephanie CHE (車婉婉)
A Hong Kong pop singer before breaking into the movies, Stephanie Che is well-known for playing strong, icy characters, in films such as Gordon Chan’s Beast Cops (1998) and Okinawa Rendezvous (2000); Andrew Lau’s The Legend of Speed (1999); Alan Mak/Felix Chong’s Lady Cop & Papa Crook (2009); and Johnnie To’s Life Without Principle (2011). She will next be seen in Johnnie To’s Blind Detective (2013).
Zi Yi (子義)
Zi Yi has become one of the most sought-after new actors in China and Hong Kong. Over a short span of 3 years, he has appeared in high profile films such as Wang Xiaoshuai’s Cannes competition film Chongqing Blues (2010) and 11 Flowers (2011), Derek Yee’s The Great Magician (2011), Fung Chi Keung’s The Bounty (2012), Law Chi Leung’s The Bullet Vanishes (2012), Johnnie To’s upcoming Drug War (2013) and Blind Detective (2013).
THE FILMMAKERS
Director / Scriptwriter – Kiwi CHOW (周冠威)
A gifted, up-and-coming filmmaker with extensive training in film production, Kiwi Chow graduated with 1st class honors at the renowned Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA). He has directed a number of award-winning short films such as Grandma’s Room (2004), Upstairs (2006), A Good Thing (2009) and My White Balloon (2011). He is also responsible for the filming and editing of the making-of featurettes of Ronny Yu’s action epic Fearless (2006) starring Jet Li. Since 2005, Chow has become a part-time lecturer, and recently received a master degree in Fine Arts at HKAPA. A Complicated Story (2013) is Chow’s feature directorial debut.
Filmography (selected)
My White Balloon (2011, short film)
– In competition, Fresh Wave 2011
Sensitive (2010, short film)
– Best Director and Audience Awards, Hangzhou Student Film & Video Festival
A Good Thing (2009, short film)
– Winner, Kodak Film School Competition
– In competition, Brno Sixteen Short Film Festival (Czech Republic)
– Official selection, Hong Kong Asian Film Festival
Upstairs (2006, short film)
– Winner, Kodak Film School Competition
– Silver Award, HK Independent Short Film & Video Awards
– Special Statuettes and Diploma Award, World Student Film Festival (Poland)
– Best Director and Best Creativity Awards, Global Chinese University Student Film & TV Festival
– In competition, Clement-Ferrand Short Film Festival
– Official selection, Lyon Asian Film Festival
Grandma’s Room (2004, short film)
– Silver Award, Cross Strait Film Festival (China)
– Official selection, NYU Next Reel Film Festival
– Official selection, Poitiers Int’l Film Schools Festival (France)
– Official selection, Base Int’l Film Schools Festival (Spain)
– Official selection, Munich Int’l Festival of Film Schools (Germany)
COLD WAR
password: 111
SYNOPSIS
In Asia’s safest city, the police have long been untouchable. Approaching midnight in Hong Kong, police headquarters receives an anonymous call: a fully-loaded police van carrying the force’s most advanced equipment and five highly-trained officers has disappeared off the grid. The hijackers possess direct knowledge of police procedures. They’re already steps ahead. The police must meet a list of demands to ensure the hostages’ release, including the delivery of a large ransom. Any delay will cost lives. The clock has begun to tick. Rival Deputy Commissioners Sean Lau and Waise Lee fight to take charge of the rescue operation, code named COLD WAR. Lau wants to negotiate with the hijackers while covertly tracking them to their hideout. Lee is ready for an all-out aggressive attack, no matter the cost. For them, there’s much more at stake than the safety of the hostages or the reputation of the police. With the Secretary for Security
stepping down, the seat will soon be vacant. COLD WAR will decide who climbs to the top. Lau and Lee are aware that every decision is crucial, that each minute counts. But as they execute a carefully planned attack, little do they know they’ve become unwitting pawns in a bigger, more dangerous game…
INTRODUCTION to KEY TALENT
Filmmakers
Longman LEUNG & Sunny LUK (Directors/Screenwriters)
Cold War is the passion project of first time directors/writers Longman Leung and Sunny Luk, two veterans of the film industry. Leung is an award-winning Art Director/Production Designer whose credits include Magazine Gap Road (2006), Dance Subaru! (2007), Vengeance (2009), and The Legend Is Born: Ip Man (2010). Luk is a sought-after First Assistant Director with over 15 years of experience on ilms like The King of Comedy (1999), Hit Team (2000), Isabella (2006), and Batman: The Dark Knight 2008).
Main Cast (in alphabetical order)
Aaron KWOK (as Sean Lau)
Known for his singing, dancing, and acting, Aaron Kwok has been a prominent name in the Asian ntertainment world since the 1990s. Kwok began his acting career in the late 1980s with series like ise of Genghis Kahn and Twilight of a Nation. One of his most memorable roles was in the TVB series ars of Bribery in 1996. In 2006, Kwok became the second actor in Golden Horse Awards history to onsecutively win the Best Actor Award. Kwok won for his work in After This Our Exile and the year efore, he was awarded for his role in the film Divergence. His recent credits include: Storm Warriors
(2009), Love in Space (2011), and The Detective II (2011).
Andy LAU (as Philip Luk)
Andy Lau is a singer, actor, producer and one of the most established and prolific entertainers in Hong ong. With a career spanning decades, Lau has become a household name throughout Asia and nternationally, thanks to high profile roles in global hits like Infernal Affairs (2002) and House of Flying aggers (2004). Lau has acted in over 160 films to both critical acclaim and box office success. In 2006, he was awarded Asian Filmmaker of the Year at the Pusan International Film Festival and recently, he won Best Actor at the Golden Horse Awards for his performance in Ann Hui’s highly acclaimed A Simple Life (2011). Other recent credits include The Warlords (2007) and Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame (2010).
Tony LEUNG Ka-Fai (as Waise Lee)
In a career that has spanned 25 years, Tony Leung Ka-Fai is one of the most beloved actors of his generation. A three time Hong Kong Film Award winner, most recently for Election (2005), Leung’s body of work also demonstrates his versatility as an actor. In 1991, he traveled to France to work with acclaimed director Jean-Jacques Annaud on The Lover, a cult classic based on Marguerite Duras’ controversial novel. Leung’s most recent work includes Bodyguards and Assassins (2009) and Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame (2010).
Eddie PENG (as Joe Lee)
Eddie Peng hails from Taiwan and is one of the rising young stars of the Asian film industry, with two critically acclaimed hits under his belt in recent years: Hear Me (2009) and Jump Ashin! (2011). Peng’s career began in television, where he earned nominations at the Golden Bell Awards before transitioning to feature films. Peng most recently starred in the ensemble romance Love (2012), with Doze Niu directing an all-star cast. He also has a blossoming singing career.
Aarif RAHMAN (as Billy Cheung)
Aarif Rahman is an actor and Cantopop singer from Hong Kong who won numerous awards for his music before venturing into film. His rise in popularity and acclaim has been swift, with his performance in 2010’s Echoes of the Rainbow garnering the Hong Kong Film Award for Best New Performer, the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Original Song, and the Hong Kong Film Directors’ Guild for Best New Actor of the Year–Silver Award. In 2010, he also played the title character in Bruce Lee, My Brother.
Charlie YOUNG (as Phoenix Leung)
Starting in 1994 with Wong Kar-Wai’s martial arts movie Ashes of Time and Tsui Hark’s The Lovers, Young became one of the most sought-after and popular celebrities in Hong Kong. Following a hiatus which started in 1997, Young returned to the industry to star as the lead actress in Jackie Chan’s New Police Story (2004) and Tsui Hark’s Seven Swords (2005). She continues to take on challenging roles, recently starring alongside Andy Lau in Ann Hui’s All About Love (2005) and with Aaron Kwok in award-winning After This Our Exile (2006).
LAM Ka Tung (as Albert Kwong)
Gordon Lam’s career as a Hong Kong actor took off when he starred in his first TV serial, the 1997 hit “Time Before Time”. From there, Lam appeared in films like Gen-X Cops (1999), The Kid (1999), and Infernal Affairs (2002). He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Hong Kong Film Awards for Dance of a Dream (2001) and has since accrued credits in films like Mad Detective (2007), Sparrow (2008), Ip Man (2008), and Vengeance (2009).
MA Yili (as Mrs. Lau)
Ma Yili hails from Shanghai, where she attended the Shanghai Academy of Dramatic Arts. Ma’s popularity was established through her beloved and highly acclaimed performances in numerous Chinese TV series like Black Hole (2000), Princess Pearl III (2002), and the Qiao Family Garden (2005). Her feature film work has also garnered her awards, including Best Actress at the 9th Changchun Film Festival for Good Man (2007). Ma has starred in over 45 television series and feature films to date.
Andy ON (as Michael Shek)
Chinese-American Andy On is best known to audiences as a martial arts actor but when On first began his career, surprisingly, he had no background in martial arts. After extensive training with various renowned masters, and spending a period of time at the Shaolin Temple, On has become one of the top martial arts actors of his generation. For his role in the 2003 film Star Runner, On won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best New Actor. His recent credits include True Legend (2010), White Vengeance (2011), and Viral Factor (2012).
Terence YIN (as Man To)
Terence Yin’s film debut in Yonfan’s 1998 film Bishonen, opposite Daniel Wu, was the start of the close friendship and business partnership that formed between the two actors. Along with Daniel Wu, Andrew Lin, and Conroy Chan, Yin formed a boy band called Alive for their 2006 mockumentary, The Heavenly Kings, which spoofed the Hong Kong pop music industry and was a critical success. With 19 films and 2 TV dramas to his credit, Yin’s recent credits include Life Without Principle (2011) and Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (2011).
FOREVER LOVE
Password: 111
Synopsis
Zhouzhou is a twelve year old unsociable rebel who walks with a limp; Laozhou, Zhouzhou’s father, is a country vet as well as a grumpy alcoholic；Zhouzhou’smother has left long time ago……
One day, the divorce judgment came: Zhouzhou is to live with his mother.
Zhouzhou was unwilling to leave but Laozhou was anxious to get rid of him. Eventually they set off on one bicycle. On their way, they met all kinds of strange people and curious things. Meanwhile, the relationship between father and son was also gradually changing during their Silent Summer……
