Taiwan cinema has presented some of the best entries in the realistic/arthouse gangster film genre, with movies like “Dust of Angels”, “The Great Buddha+” and “Godspeed” highlighting the fact quite eloquently. Another standout of this approach is definitely “Goodbye South, Goodbye” a film, however that was the last of the Taiwanese auteur that was not successful.
on Amazon by clicking on the image below
Gao, an entrepreneur/gangster, rides the train to Pinghsi to set up an illegal gambling parlor, along with his friend Hsi. Also with them is his acolyte Flatty and his girlfriend, Pretzel, who works in a nightclub. Ying, Gao's girlfriend works in the same club but she does not like the people he associates with, considering them dangerous. Gao has already agreed with Hsi to open a nightclub in Shanghai but Ying pressures him to stay in Taiwan, to open a restaurant together.
on Amazon by clicking on the image below
Gao, an entrepreneur/gangster, rides the train to Pinghsi to set up an illegal gambling parlor, along with his friend Hsi. Also with them is his acolyte Flatty and his girlfriend, Pretzel, who works in a nightclub. Ying, Gao's girlfriend works in the same club but she does not like the people he associates with, considering them dangerous. Gao has already agreed with Hsi to open a nightclub in Shanghai but Ying pressures him to stay in Taiwan, to open a restaurant together.
- 3/29/2024
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Taiwanese actors Jieh-Wen King and Hsueh Shih-Ling and Indonesian actor Angga Yunanda have been cast in Lim Lungyin’s action adventure Malice, an amitious co-production between Taiwan, Czech Republic and Indonesia.
Hsueh has credits including Workers, Twisted Strings and last night he won Best Supporting Actor at Busan’s Asian Contents Awards for Disney+ series Taiwan Crime Stories. King is a veteran actor in Taiwan whose credits include Hou Hsiao-hsien’s Goodbye South, Goodbye, Lim’s Ohong Village and The Great Buddha+.
Yunanda is an Indonesian actor, model and singer who made his acting debut and rose to fame with Malu-Malu Kucing and Mermaid In Love. His recent credits include Stealing Raden Saleh (2022) and 12 Cerita Glen Anggara (2022).
The casting news was announced today at an event at the on-going Busan International Film Festival. Production companies on the film include Taiwan’s Tydal Productions and Aview Images, Czech Republic’s...
Hsueh has credits including Workers, Twisted Strings and last night he won Best Supporting Actor at Busan’s Asian Contents Awards for Disney+ series Taiwan Crime Stories. King is a veteran actor in Taiwan whose credits include Hou Hsiao-hsien’s Goodbye South, Goodbye, Lim’s Ohong Village and The Great Buddha+.
Yunanda is an Indonesian actor, model and singer who made his acting debut and rose to fame with Malu-Malu Kucing and Mermaid In Love. His recent credits include Stealing Raden Saleh (2022) and 12 Cerita Glen Anggara (2022).
The casting news was announced today at an event at the on-going Busan International Film Festival. Production companies on the film include Taiwan’s Tydal Productions and Aview Images, Czech Republic’s...
- 10/9/2023
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
Directors include Huang Hsin-yao, Tom Lin Shu-yu, Lam Sum, Ng Ka-leung and Daishi Matsunaga.
Taiwan’s Golden Horse Film Project Promotion (Fpp) has revealed a diverse selection of 46 films for its 2023 project market, including directors Huang Hsin-yao, Tom Lin Shu-yu and Hsu Chih-yen from Taiwan, Lam Sum and Ng Ka-leung from Hong Kong and Daishi Matsunaga from Japan
The market is scheduled to take place from November 20-22 during the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival with a the total prize pool of nearly $250,000 (Nt$8m), including a grand prize worth $32,000 (Nt$1m). All projects in the selection are eligible to...
Taiwan’s Golden Horse Film Project Promotion (Fpp) has revealed a diverse selection of 46 films for its 2023 project market, including directors Huang Hsin-yao, Tom Lin Shu-yu and Hsu Chih-yen from Taiwan, Lam Sum and Ng Ka-leung from Hong Kong and Daishi Matsunaga from Japan
The market is scheduled to take place from November 20-22 during the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival with a the total prize pool of nearly $250,000 (Nt$8m), including a grand prize worth $32,000 (Nt$1m). All projects in the selection are eligible to...
- 9/25/2023
- by Silvia Wong
- ScreenDaily
The 2023 Golden Horse Film Project Promotion, the project market that accompanies the Golden Horse film festival and awards in Taiwan in November, has laid out a huge 64-title selection for its 2023 edition.
These include 39 film projects at various stages of development and financing; a further seven works in progress; and the 18-previously announced series at project stage.
The event, which runs Nov. 20-22, offers a $31,000 (Nt$1 million) first prize and a total prize pool of $250,000 (Nt$8 million) from sponsors and industry sources. All selected projects are also eligible to apply to two Taicca funding initiatives: the Creative Content Development Program and the International Co-funding Program.
Among the Taiwanese filmmakers: Huang Hsin-yao, the director of “The Great Buddha+” and “Classmates Minus,” takes on the legend of Taiwanese treasure hunters in “Super-Reasoning Treasure Hunt”; Tom Lin Shu-yu, director of “Winds of September” and “The Garden of Evening Mists,” teams up with Kimi Hsia...
These include 39 film projects at various stages of development and financing; a further seven works in progress; and the 18-previously announced series at project stage.
The event, which runs Nov. 20-22, offers a $31,000 (Nt$1 million) first prize and a total prize pool of $250,000 (Nt$8 million) from sponsors and industry sources. All selected projects are also eligible to apply to two Taicca funding initiatives: the Creative Content Development Program and the International Co-funding Program.
Among the Taiwanese filmmakers: Huang Hsin-yao, the director of “The Great Buddha+” and “Classmates Minus,” takes on the legend of Taiwanese treasure hunters in “Super-Reasoning Treasure Hunt”; Tom Lin Shu-yu, director of “Winds of September” and “The Garden of Evening Mists,” teams up with Kimi Hsia...
- 9/25/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Debuting as an actor back in 2011 with Giddens Ko's “You Are the Apple of My Eye”, Kai Ko has since gone on to become a formidable name in modern Taiwanese cinema, even winning a Golden Horse Award for Best New Performer and a Taipei Film Award for Best Actor over the years. In 2022, he took over the directorial chair from Giddens Ko for “Bad Education”, a script written by Giddens that he was supposed to direct but ended up being Kai Ko's debut behind the camera. In addition to the support of his first director, Kai Ko also had the support of Midi Z, who he worked with on “The Road to Mandalay” and who acts as a producer on “Bad Education”.
Bad Education is screening at Osaka Asian Film Festival
On the night of their graduation from high school, three drunk best friends Chang, Wang and Han decide that,...
Bad Education is screening at Osaka Asian Film Festival
On the night of their graduation from high school, three drunk best friends Chang, Wang and Han decide that,...
- 3/14/2023
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
Drama marks the feature directorial debut of Singapore’s Jow Zhi Wei.
Berlin-based Pluto Film Distribution Network has acquired worldwide sales rights to Tomorrow Is A Long Time, the feature directorial debut of Singapore’s Jow Zhi Wei, ahead of its premiere in the Berlinale Generation 14plus competition.
Shot in Singapore and Taiwan, the father-son relationship drama is a coproduction between Fran Borgia’s Akanga Film Asia (Singapore), Stefano Centini’s Volos Films (Taiwan), Xavier Rocher’s La Fabrica Nocturna Cinéma (France), Jeremy Chua’s Potocol (Singapore) and Ico Costa’s Oublaum Filmes (Portugal).
The film focuses on a pest...
Berlin-based Pluto Film Distribution Network has acquired worldwide sales rights to Tomorrow Is A Long Time, the feature directorial debut of Singapore’s Jow Zhi Wei, ahead of its premiere in the Berlinale Generation 14plus competition.
Shot in Singapore and Taiwan, the father-son relationship drama is a coproduction between Fran Borgia’s Akanga Film Asia (Singapore), Stefano Centini’s Volos Films (Taiwan), Xavier Rocher’s La Fabrica Nocturna Cinéma (France), Jeremy Chua’s Potocol (Singapore) and Ico Costa’s Oublaum Filmes (Portugal).
The film focuses on a pest...
- 2/1/2023
- by Silvia Wong
- ScreenDaily
‘Chopin’
“Kung Fu” and “Never Have I Ever” star Eddie Liu and Leon Dai will head the cast of “Chopin,” an upcoming Taiwan American immigrant story set in suburban U.S. They are joined by Taiwanese veteran actress Chen Shu-Fang.
“Chopin” tells the story of Chopin Wu (played by Liu), who returns home to small-town America where he grew up to amend an estranged relationship with his workaholic father (Dai). With a sudden appearance from his ailing grandmother (Chen), he is confronted by a past he had left behind. In the midst of a health crisis and a broken family, Wu is forced to re-examine old relationships, embrace a heritage he once denied and discover the importance of family and identity.
The film is the feature directorial debut from decorated commercial director Vincent Lin of New York-based Valiant Pictures. Valiant co-founder Matthew D’Amato is set as executive producer, with Hui...
“Kung Fu” and “Never Have I Ever” star Eddie Liu and Leon Dai will head the cast of “Chopin,” an upcoming Taiwan American immigrant story set in suburban U.S. They are joined by Taiwanese veteran actress Chen Shu-Fang.
“Chopin” tells the story of Chopin Wu (played by Liu), who returns home to small-town America where he grew up to amend an estranged relationship with his workaholic father (Dai). With a sudden appearance from his ailing grandmother (Chen), he is confronted by a past he had left behind. In the midst of a health crisis and a broken family, Wu is forced to re-examine old relationships, embrace a heritage he once denied and discover the importance of family and identity.
The film is the feature directorial debut from decorated commercial director Vincent Lin of New York-based Valiant Pictures. Valiant co-founder Matthew D’Amato is set as executive producer, with Hui...
- 8/25/2022
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Chen Yi-wen started his career as an actor, repeatedly cooperating with the late Edward Yang, before he decided to become a director himself. He continued with his two capacities until 2006, with the film “Tripping” being the last he directed to date. As an actor, he has repeatedly cooperated with Chung Mong-hong, netting the Best Leading Actor Award for “A Sun” in the 56th Golden Horse Awards. Five films he starred in were released in 2021, including “The Falls”, “Increasing Echo” and “Leave Me Alone”
On the occasion of the latter screening at Osaka Asian Film Festival, we speak with him about his career and the way the industry has changed through the years, his collaborations with Edward Yang, Chung Mong-hong and Fan Yang-chung, streaming platforms and many other topics.
Leave Me Alone screened at Osaka Asian Film Festival
You have been in the movie industry since the 90s. Which are the...
On the occasion of the latter screening at Osaka Asian Film Festival, we speak with him about his career and the way the industry has changed through the years, his collaborations with Edward Yang, Chung Mong-hong and Fan Yang-chung, streaming platforms and many other topics.
Leave Me Alone screened at Osaka Asian Film Festival
You have been in the movie industry since the 90s. Which are the...
- 4/21/2022
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Chung Mong-hong is one of the most exciting voices coming out of Taiwanese cinema for years now. His work, either as a director in titles such “Godspeed” and “A Sun” or as producer in “The Great Buddha+” and “Classmates Minus” is a always a pleasure to watch, particularly for the way he manages to combine mainstream themes with an art-house approach and rich sociopolitical context. “The Falls” is not an exception.
“The Falls” is screening at Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema
Single mother Pin-Wen is a career woman working in a multinational company, while living with her teenage daughter, Xiao Jing. One day, however, things take a turn for the worse for her, as she is informed of a severe salary cut, and also that her daughter is forced to quarantine after a classmate tested positive for coronavirus. At the company’s request, Pin-Wen is also forced to stay at home,...
“The Falls” is screening at Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema
Single mother Pin-Wen is a career woman working in a multinational company, while living with her teenage daughter, Xiao Jing. One day, however, things take a turn for the worse for her, as she is informed of a severe salary cut, and also that her daughter is forced to quarantine after a classmate tested positive for coronavirus. At the company’s request, Pin-Wen is also forced to stay at home,...
- 2/3/2022
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
New York-based distributor Cheng Cheng announces the North American release of “Ever Since We Love” directed by Li Yu with a new poster and trailer. The latest collaboration between award-winning filmmaker Li Yu and pop icon Fan Bingbing will start playing in virtual cinemas in select cities on September 17th and expand in the following weeks before arriving on DVD and streaming platforms this December.
Regarded as China’s prominent woman director, Li Yu had been telling stories about women on the fringe of society in her previous documentaries and narrative features recognized by film festivals in Venice, Berlinale, and Toronto. An adaption of contemporary novelist Feng Tang’s semi-autobiographical best-seller “Everything Grows”, “Ever Since We Love” marks her first attempt at a film with a male protagonist. Starring alongside Fan Bingbing, Li Meng, and Qi Xi, K-pop sensation “Super Junior’s” former member Han Geng plays a medical school...
Regarded as China’s prominent woman director, Li Yu had been telling stories about women on the fringe of society in her previous documentaries and narrative features recognized by film festivals in Venice, Berlinale, and Toronto. An adaption of contemporary novelist Feng Tang’s semi-autobiographical best-seller “Everything Grows”, “Ever Since We Love” marks her first attempt at a film with a male protagonist. Starring alongside Fan Bingbing, Li Meng, and Qi Xi, K-pop sensation “Super Junior’s” former member Han Geng plays a medical school...
- 9/5/2021
- by Suzie Cho
- AsianMoviePulse
Golden Scene Selection – August
Golden Scene and Hong Kong Arts Centre proudly present “Golden Scene Selection”, showcasing the cherry-picked selections from around the world and bringing outstanding films to the audience at Hong Kong Arts Centre Cinema.
Venue: Louis Koo Cinema, Hong Kong Arts Centre
Date: 2021.08.25 – 2021.08.28
Price: Standard ticket: $80.
Screening Schedule
25/8 (Wed) 8pm Collective
26/8 (Thu) 8pm Dad, I’m Sorry
27/8 (Fri) 8pm Collective
28/8 (Sat) 2:15pm The Great Buddha+
28/8 (Sat) 4:30pm Classmates Minus
Collective
Director: Alexander NanauRomania, Luxembourg | 2019 | 109’ | In Romanian and English with Chinese and English subtitles | Dcp | Colour
25/8 (Wed) 8pm
27/8 (Fri) 8pm
In 2015, a fire at Bucharest’s Colectiv club leaves 27 dead and 180 injured. Soon, more burn victims begin dying in hospitals from wounds that were not life-threatening. Then a doctor blows the whistle to a team of investigative journalists. One revelation leads to another as the journalists start to uncover vast health care fraud. When a new health minister is appointed,...
Golden Scene and Hong Kong Arts Centre proudly present “Golden Scene Selection”, showcasing the cherry-picked selections from around the world and bringing outstanding films to the audience at Hong Kong Arts Centre Cinema.
Venue: Louis Koo Cinema, Hong Kong Arts Centre
Date: 2021.08.25 – 2021.08.28
Price: Standard ticket: $80.
Screening Schedule
25/8 (Wed) 8pm Collective
26/8 (Thu) 8pm Dad, I’m Sorry
27/8 (Fri) 8pm Collective
28/8 (Sat) 2:15pm The Great Buddha+
28/8 (Sat) 4:30pm Classmates Minus
Collective
Director: Alexander NanauRomania, Luxembourg | 2019 | 109’ | In Romanian and English with Chinese and English subtitles | Dcp | Colour
25/8 (Wed) 8pm
27/8 (Fri) 8pm
In 2015, a fire at Bucharest’s Colectiv club leaves 27 dead and 180 injured. Soon, more burn victims begin dying in hospitals from wounds that were not life-threatening. Then a doctor blows the whistle to a team of investigative journalists. One revelation leads to another as the journalists start to uncover vast health care fraud. When a new health minister is appointed,...
- 8/19/2021
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
After the exceptional “The Great Buddha+”, Huang Hsin-yao and his producer, Chung Mong-hong, had more money to spent, as the director himself states in the beginning of the movie, and apart from a motorcycle, they also decided to implement it in the actual production of “Classmates Minus”, which follows the same style, but on a bigger scale.
“Classmates Minus” is screening in Hong Kong Arts Centre on Saturday 28/8 at 4:30 pm
The story revolves around four, on the brink of middle age, former highschool classmates. Tom is a struggling director, who always plans his next script, but never manages to materialize anything. Eventually, his interactions with the local mayor end up with him running for Congressman under Yi-wen Chen, the former Congressman, who sees in him a man he can manipulate. Blockage, who is nicknamed as such by his intense stutter, runs a workshop that makes paper constructions like houses or cars,...
“Classmates Minus” is screening in Hong Kong Arts Centre on Saturday 28/8 at 4:30 pm
The story revolves around four, on the brink of middle age, former highschool classmates. Tom is a struggling director, who always plans his next script, but never manages to materialize anything. Eventually, his interactions with the local mayor end up with him running for Congressman under Yi-wen Chen, the former Congressman, who sees in him a man he can manipulate. Blockage, who is nicknamed as such by his intense stutter, runs a workshop that makes paper constructions like houses or cars,...
- 8/5/2021
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
(February 9th, 2021, New York, NY) New York-based distributor Cheng Cheng releases new US poster and trailer for A First Farewell by Wang Lina. The winner of the Best Film award at Berlinale’s Generation Kplus will start playing in virtual cinemas in select cities on February 19th and roll to more locations in the following weeks. The filmmaker Wnag Lina spent four years documenting the protagonist’s life in her hometown Xinjiang, delivering an awe-inspiring debut about the joys of growing up as Uyghurs on the picturesque land and the emotional costs of assimilating into the prosperous mainstream.
Aside from newcomer Wang Lina’s true-to-life writing and direction, top-notch technical works from cinematographer Li Yong, editor Matthieu Laclau (A Touch of Sin), and sound designer Li Danfeng (Long Day’s Journey into Night) solidify the gem praised by press as “another sign of independent cinema revival in China”. Since premiering at Berlinale,...
Aside from newcomer Wang Lina’s true-to-life writing and direction, top-notch technical works from cinematographer Li Yong, editor Matthieu Laclau (A Touch of Sin), and sound designer Li Danfeng (Long Day’s Journey into Night) solidify the gem praised by press as “another sign of independent cinema revival in China”. Since premiering at Berlinale,...
- 2/11/2021
- by Adam Symchuk
- AsianMoviePulse
HBO Asia is to begin screening its first original romantic comedy series “Adventure of the Ring” from mid-December.
Joining other internationally-targeted shows made in Taiwan, “Adventure of the Ring” is directed by Helmed by Nelson Yeh and Kitamura Tayoharu.
The eight-part show is adapted from mathematician and author Lai I-Wei’s romance novel “Ring of the Day,” which tells the stories of different couples who come in contact with an engagement ring. Production is by Kbro Media’s Good Image Co. with the support of Taiwan Ministry of Culture (Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development) and the Taipei Film Commission.
The first two episodes will be uploaded to HBO and HBO Go from Dec. 13, 2020, with the remaining six instalments premiering one at a time on subsequent Sunday evenings.
The series stars Chris Wang (“Time Traveler,” “Love Family”) as a baseball-loving actuary, and Allison Lin (HBO’s “The World Between Us,...
Joining other internationally-targeted shows made in Taiwan, “Adventure of the Ring” is directed by Helmed by Nelson Yeh and Kitamura Tayoharu.
The eight-part show is adapted from mathematician and author Lai I-Wei’s romance novel “Ring of the Day,” which tells the stories of different couples who come in contact with an engagement ring. Production is by Kbro Media’s Good Image Co. with the support of Taiwan Ministry of Culture (Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development) and the Taipei Film Commission.
The first two episodes will be uploaded to HBO and HBO Go from Dec. 13, 2020, with the remaining six instalments premiering one at a time on subsequent Sunday evenings.
The series stars Chris Wang (“Time Traveler,” “Love Family”) as a baseball-loving actuary, and Allison Lin (HBO’s “The World Between Us,...
- 11/12/2020
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Since premiering at last year’s Taiwan Golden Horse Film Festival, the “Chinese Oscars”, Norris Wong‘s debut dramedy “My Prince Edward” (2019) will reach North american theatres through Cheng Cheng Films starting September 4th. The film will also arrive at VOD and DVD on December 15th.
Distributor Cheng Cheng Films states: “Before “My Prince Edward,” Norris Wong had won wide admiration for her writing in some of most groundbreaking Cantonese TV series recent years. Challenging macroscale gender and social economic pressures her worldwide peers face with this directorial debut, she poured real individual experience into a microscale story set in her neighborhood in her home city. Her humane and multidimensional filmmaking soothes the disorientation and anger we consume from sensational headlines on related issues. It’s a notable cinematic contribution from a Hong Kong’s homegrown woman to the city’s global discourse. Witnessing legendary veterans William Chang, Paw Hee-ching...
Distributor Cheng Cheng Films states: “Before “My Prince Edward,” Norris Wong had won wide admiration for her writing in some of most groundbreaking Cantonese TV series recent years. Challenging macroscale gender and social economic pressures her worldwide peers face with this directorial debut, she poured real individual experience into a microscale story set in her neighborhood in her home city. Her humane and multidimensional filmmaking soothes the disorientation and anger we consume from sensational headlines on related issues. It’s a notable cinematic contribution from a Hong Kong’s homegrown woman to the city’s global discourse. Witnessing legendary veterans William Chang, Paw Hee-ching...
- 8/14/2020
- by Grace Han
- AsianMoviePulse
Taiwanese films “Classmates Minus” and “A Leg” are set to be the curtain raisers of Taiwan’s Golden Horse Film Festival, one of a handful of film festivals around the world that manages to press ahead amid the global coronavirus pandemic.
Organizers of the festival said on Monday that the festival will run Nov. 5 – 22. Both opening films are produced by veteran director Chung Mong-hong, who also served as director of cinematography for the two features.
“Classmates,” a drama involving a group of former high school pals who see their friendship put to test amid their struggles with love, marriage and careers, is directed by Huang Hsin-yao, who won the Golden Horse best new director award and best adapted screenplay for his debut feature “The Great Buddha+” in 2017. “Classmates,” starring Liu Kuan-ting, Rexen Cheng and Lin Na-dou was said to be inspired by Huang’s 2015 documentary “Bluffing,” about his own high school friends.
Organizers of the festival said on Monday that the festival will run Nov. 5 – 22. Both opening films are produced by veteran director Chung Mong-hong, who also served as director of cinematography for the two features.
“Classmates,” a drama involving a group of former high school pals who see their friendship put to test amid their struggles with love, marriage and careers, is directed by Huang Hsin-yao, who won the Golden Horse best new director award and best adapted screenplay for his debut feature “The Great Buddha+” in 2017. “Classmates,” starring Liu Kuan-ting, Rexen Cheng and Lin Na-dou was said to be inspired by Huang’s 2015 documentary “Bluffing,” about his own high school friends.
- 8/10/2020
- by Vivienne Chow
- Variety Film + TV
Both films are produced by veteran Taiwanese director Chung Mong-hong, who also served as cinematographer on the films.
Taiwan’s Golden Horse Film Festival has announced that this year’s edition of the event will open with the double bill of Classmates-, directed by Huang Hsin-yao, and Chang Yao-sheng’s A Leg.
Both films are produced by veteran Taiwanese director Chung Mong-hong, who also served as cinematographer on the films.
Huang won best new director and best adapted screenplay at the Golden Horse Film Festival in 2017 for his debut, The Great Buddha+, which also picked up prizes at the...
Taiwan’s Golden Horse Film Festival has announced that this year’s edition of the event will open with the double bill of Classmates-, directed by Huang Hsin-yao, and Chang Yao-sheng’s A Leg.
Both films are produced by veteran Taiwanese director Chung Mong-hong, who also served as cinematographer on the films.
Huang won best new director and best adapted screenplay at the Golden Horse Film Festival in 2017 for his debut, The Great Buddha+, which also picked up prizes at the...
- 8/10/2020
- by 89¦Liz Shackleton¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
New York-based distributor Cheng Cheng releases a new poster of “My Prince Edward“, the directorial debut from Hong Kong’s acclaimed scriptwriter Norris Wong. Since premiering at last year’s Taiwan Golden Horse Film Festival, the “Chinese Oscars”, the dramedy about a newly engaged Hong Kong woman trying to nullify her secret sham marriage with a mainlander has been bagging awards from the most reputed film festivals in Chinese-speaking world, including Hong Kong Film Awards, China’s Cinephile Prize and Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award. “My Prince Edward” is now one of the highest grossing and best reviewed films of the year in Hong Kong where theatrical exhibition has resumed. Cheng Cheng is planning to show this brand new title to North American audience in reopening cinemas and via virtual formats through the rest of 2020.
Norris Wong is one of the just-announced recipients of the Hong Kong Film Revival Plan Development Fund.
Norris Wong is one of the just-announced recipients of the Hong Kong Film Revival Plan Development Fund.
- 7/22/2020
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
(Left: Stephy Tang, Right: Chu Pak Hong | Cheng Cheng Films)
New York-based distributor Cheng Cheng has acquired North American rights to “My Prince Edward,” the directorial debut from Hong Kong’s acclaimed scriptwriter Norris Wong. Since premiering at last year’s Taiwan Golden Horse Film Festival, the “Chinese Oscars”, the dramedy about a newly engaged Hong Kong woman trying to nullify her secret sham marriage with a mainlander has been bagging awards from the most reputed film festivals in Chinese-speaking world, including Hong Kong Film Awards, China’s Cinephile Prize and Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award. “My Prince Edward” is now one of the highest grossing and best reviewed films of the year in Hong Kong where theatrical exhibition has resumed. Cheng Cheng is planning to show this brand new title to North American audience in reopening cinemas and via virtual formats through the rest of 2020.
“Before “My Prince Edward,...
New York-based distributor Cheng Cheng has acquired North American rights to “My Prince Edward,” the directorial debut from Hong Kong’s acclaimed scriptwriter Norris Wong. Since premiering at last year’s Taiwan Golden Horse Film Festival, the “Chinese Oscars”, the dramedy about a newly engaged Hong Kong woman trying to nullify her secret sham marriage with a mainlander has been bagging awards from the most reputed film festivals in Chinese-speaking world, including Hong Kong Film Awards, China’s Cinephile Prize and Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award. “My Prince Edward” is now one of the highest grossing and best reviewed films of the year in Hong Kong where theatrical exhibition has resumed. Cheng Cheng is planning to show this brand new title to North American audience in reopening cinemas and via virtual formats through the rest of 2020.
“Before “My Prince Edward,...
- 7/9/2020
- by Grace Han
- AsianMoviePulse
Chicago – The Asian Pop-Up Cinema (Apuc) of Chicago is highlighting their past program line up of award-winning and culturally important films with “Audience Choice Winners Rewind” – an event that allows streaming the films on specific dates throughout the next several weeks. All it takes to access the films for Free is to register at the Apuc website on the day the film is schedule to stream.
Coming up are two beautiful films, both in the way they are rendered and their human stories. “The Great Buddha +” (click here for details) has a couple of ne’er-do-wells named Belly Button and Pickle, who steals the dash cam of a statue company’s CEO (Pickle is a security guard there) because the CEO likes to film himself having sex. When the duo see more in the footage than they expect, tables begin to turn. “Still Human” (click here) is about a proud...
Coming up are two beautiful films, both in the way they are rendered and their human stories. “The Great Buddha +” (click here for details) has a couple of ne’er-do-wells named Belly Button and Pickle, who steals the dash cam of a statue company’s CEO (Pickle is a security guard there) because the CEO likes to film himself having sex. When the duo see more in the footage than they expect, tables begin to turn. “Still Human” (click here) is about a proud...
- 5/11/2020
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
New York-based distributor Cheng Cheng has picked up North American all rights to first-time filmmaker Teng Congcong’s comedy-drama Send Me to the Clouds. The film starring Yao Chen, who’s also its producer, follows an ovarian cancer patient’s desperate quest for an unforgettable sexual experience before her surgery. The picture opened in Chinese theaters last weekend after bowing at Shanghai International Film Festival and First International Film Festival. Its humorous touch on struggles faced by a generation of women born under China’s One-Child policy won it a 100% score in verified influencers’ recommendations on Weibo, China’s answer to Twitter. The distributor behind Chinese language films including The Great Buddha+, Crosscurrent and SoulMate is planning a theatrical release in fall 2019.
“Cheng Cheng has always championed films with strong female leads. Now we’d also like to show how Chinese women have contributed to Chinese language cinema from leading roles behind the scene.
“Cheng Cheng has always championed films with strong female leads. Now we’d also like to show how Chinese women have contributed to Chinese language cinema from leading roles behind the scene.
- 8/21/2019
- by Don Anelli
- AsianMoviePulse
New York-based distributor Cheng Cheng Films has acquired North American rights to first-time Chinese director Teng Congcong’s comedy drama “Send Me to the Clouds,” starring and produced by A-list actress Yao Chen. The company is planning a theatrical release for fall 2019.
“Cheng Cheng has always championed films with strong female leads,” the firm said in a statement. “We need to focus our resources and efforts on releasing women-directed films until its number is equal to that of men-directed films in our catalog. We make that commitment to ourselves and our audience. ‘Send Me to the Clouds’ is a perfect start.”
The film examines the societal pressures facing women born under China’s One Child Policy through the misadventures of a young journalist who, after a diagnosis of ovarian cancer, goes in search of sex and money before she must face an expensive surgery that will physically numb her.
The...
“Cheng Cheng has always championed films with strong female leads,” the firm said in a statement. “We need to focus our resources and efforts on releasing women-directed films until its number is equal to that of men-directed films in our catalog. We make that commitment to ourselves and our audience. ‘Send Me to the Clouds’ is a perfect start.”
The film examines the societal pressures facing women born under China’s One Child Policy through the misadventures of a young journalist who, after a diagnosis of ovarian cancer, goes in search of sex and money before she must face an expensive surgery that will physically numb her.
The...
- 8/20/2019
- by Rebecca Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Produced by Chung’s 3 Ng Film and backed by MandarinVision, the film is in post-production for delivery in October.
Taipei-based sales outfit MandarinVision is launching sales on award-winning Taiwanese filmmaker Chung Mong-Hong’s latest drama A Sun.
The film is about a family who are torn apart when the youngest son is sent to a juvenile detention centre. The older son, who has always been considered the hope of the family, then commits an act that shatters his parents. Chen Yi-Wen, Samantha Ke and rising star Wu Chien-Ho head the cast.
Produced by Chung’s 3 Ng Film and backed by MandarinVision,...
Taipei-based sales outfit MandarinVision is launching sales on award-winning Taiwanese filmmaker Chung Mong-Hong’s latest drama A Sun.
The film is about a family who are torn apart when the youngest son is sent to a juvenile detention centre. The older son, who has always been considered the hope of the family, then commits an act that shatters his parents. Chen Yi-Wen, Samantha Ke and rising star Wu Chien-Ho head the cast.
Produced by Chung’s 3 Ng Film and backed by MandarinVision,...
- 5/15/2019
- by Liz Shackleton
- ScreenDaily
On the fifth of May, “Taiwan Film Festival Berlin”has grandly taken place in Kino Central, a famous artistic cinema in Berlin. Representative Prof. Dr. Shieh, Jhy-Wey of the Taipei Representative Office in the Federal Republic of Germany (Taipeh Vertretung in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland) kindly spared time to participate in the event. Spanning ten years to finish, the opening film “Father“ records Taiwanese traditional glove puppetry crafts and cultural transmission, with the interwoven father-son relationship. Apart from director Yang Li-Chou, the glove puppetry maestro Chen Hsi-Huang also attended the after-screening sharing. When he walked onstage, the audience was struck with surprise and excitement.
At the after-screening sharing venue, director Yang brought about the motivation to shoot this documentary. It was master Chen’s show he came across more than ten years ago, he recalled, that amazed him overwhelmingly and that prompted him to do something to keep this excellent and professional art craft from dissipating.
At the after-screening sharing venue, director Yang brought about the motivation to shoot this documentary. It was master Chen’s show he came across more than ten years ago, he recalled, that amazed him overwhelmingly and that prompted him to do something to keep this excellent and professional art craft from dissipating.
- 5/10/2019
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Taiwan Film Festival Berlin is organized by Impression Taiwan, an Ngo founded by a group of Taiwanese living in Berlin. Impression Taiwan will present the film festival at Kino Central Berlin on the 5th of May.
Berlin is a captivating city. The spirits of bohemian and freedom are Berlin’s irresistible charisma. As divergent mainstream and minor cultures harmoniously co-exist in this place, you can always find a place for yourself. Apart from the annual grand Berlinale (Die Internationalen Filmfestspiele Berlin), there are numerous film festivals featuring different countries and cultures taking places. Impression Taiwan works on the visibility of Taiwan through the lens of cameras in this city of possibilities.
The theme of Taiwan Film Festival Berlin this year is “conversation”. What makes Taiwan special and precious is the open-mindedness of islander, colonized background and constitution of various ethnic origins. From ceaseless conversations, the place accepts different cultures, groups and perspectives,...
Berlin is a captivating city. The spirits of bohemian and freedom are Berlin’s irresistible charisma. As divergent mainstream and minor cultures harmoniously co-exist in this place, you can always find a place for yourself. Apart from the annual grand Berlinale (Die Internationalen Filmfestspiele Berlin), there are numerous film festivals featuring different countries and cultures taking places. Impression Taiwan works on the visibility of Taiwan through the lens of cameras in this city of possibilities.
The theme of Taiwan Film Festival Berlin this year is “conversation”. What makes Taiwan special and precious is the open-mindedness of islander, colonized background and constitution of various ethnic origins. From ceaseless conversations, the place accepts different cultures, groups and perspectives,...
- 5/2/2019
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
On 26 April 2019 Cheng Cheng Films will release “The Great Buddha+” on physical media. The bonus features will include the original short film by director Hsin-Yao Huang along with a trailer and a making-of.
Underlining the gap between have-nots’ lives and elites’ world by switching between black and white and glamorous colors, Taiwan’s 91st Oscars® entry The Great Buddha+ vividly illustrates a corrupted village in rural southern Taiwan with memorable style, heartfelt empathy, and whimsical humor. Security guard Pickle and his trash collector friend Belly Button kill time together in night shifts watching the American-educated boss’s dash-cam recordings of his various sexual encounters with women. Against the buddies’ will, something horrifying rather than erotic reveals.
Press Quotes:
“Best Directorial Debuts of 2018″
“50 Most Overlooked Films of 2018″
“Best Films of 2018″
-The Film Stage
“Top 10 Highest Rated Non-English Language 2018″
“Top 10 Ones to Watch 2018″
-Letterboxd Year in Review
“As savagely...
Underlining the gap between have-nots’ lives and elites’ world by switching between black and white and glamorous colors, Taiwan’s 91st Oscars® entry The Great Buddha+ vividly illustrates a corrupted village in rural southern Taiwan with memorable style, heartfelt empathy, and whimsical humor. Security guard Pickle and his trash collector friend Belly Button kill time together in night shifts watching the American-educated boss’s dash-cam recordings of his various sexual encounters with women. Against the buddies’ will, something horrifying rather than erotic reveals.
Press Quotes:
“Best Directorial Debuts of 2018″
“50 Most Overlooked Films of 2018″
“Best Films of 2018″
-The Film Stage
“Top 10 Highest Rated Non-English Language 2018″
“Top 10 Ones to Watch 2018″
-Letterboxd Year in Review
“As savagely...
- 4/21/2019
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Since its world premiere at the Taipei Film Festival in 2017, „The Great Buddha+“ by the first time fiction feature director Hsin-yao Huang has been travelling across the globe, receiving excellent reviews at the multitude of international festivals. Huang‘s dark comedy based on the narrative by his previous short of the same name, encapsulates the essence of the Taiwanese society marked by growing class extremes and corruption in a country that officially shouldn’t behaving any of it.
„The Great Buddha+“ was shown in Reykjavik in frames of the Stockfish Festival (February 28th – March 10th), in the first-time cooperation with the Taiwan Film Festival (March 8th – 24th) which celebrates Taiwan’s long and tempestuous history and diverse cultural heritage through the uncensored lens of independent Taiwanese filmmakers, and which will straight afterwards be launched in London as well (April 3rd – 14th). It is in Reykjavik we met up with Hsin-yao...
„The Great Buddha+“ was shown in Reykjavik in frames of the Stockfish Festival (February 28th – March 10th), in the first-time cooperation with the Taiwan Film Festival (March 8th – 24th) which celebrates Taiwan’s long and tempestuous history and diverse cultural heritage through the uncensored lens of independent Taiwanese filmmakers, and which will straight afterwards be launched in London as well (April 3rd – 14th). It is in Reykjavik we met up with Hsin-yao...
- 3/16/2019
- by Marina D. Richter
- AsianMoviePulse
How different are the lives of President Donald Trump and your favorite Starbucks barista, really?
On Tuesday at the Landmark Theatres in Los Angeles, Taiwanese director Hsin-yao Huang argued that they may be more similar than you think. Huang was at the Landmark for a screening of his black comedy “The Great Buddha+,” Taiwan’s entry into the Oscar foreign film race.
“We are all on the existential boat even though at times we all think we are so different,” Huang told TheWrap’s Steve Pond with the help of a translator.
“The Great Buddha+” aims to steer the existential boat by analyzing two lower-income Taiwanese men: Pickle and Belly Button. Pickle is a night security guard at a bronze statue factory in Taiwan who spends his free time “reading” porn magazines and playing in a local band part-time. Belly Button, who collects and sells recycling as a form of income,...
On Tuesday at the Landmark Theatres in Los Angeles, Taiwanese director Hsin-yao Huang argued that they may be more similar than you think. Huang was at the Landmark for a screening of his black comedy “The Great Buddha+,” Taiwan’s entry into the Oscar foreign film race.
“We are all on the existential boat even though at times we all think we are so different,” Huang told TheWrap’s Steve Pond with the help of a translator.
“The Great Buddha+” aims to steer the existential boat by analyzing two lower-income Taiwanese men: Pickle and Belly Button. Pickle is a night security guard at a bronze statue factory in Taiwan who spends his free time “reading” porn magazines and playing in a local band part-time. Belly Button, who collects and sells recycling as a form of income,...
- 11/28/2018
- by Omar Sanchez
- The Wrap
The early money might be on Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma” (Mexico) and Pawel Pawlikowski’s “Cold War” (Poland), but Asia appears to have a real shot at the Oscar foreign-language category, with a mixture of heavy-hitters and dark horses from an eclectic line-up.
The continent’s frontrunner is easily Japanese master Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Palme d’Or winner “Shoplifters.” The film follows a family of petty thieves and the repercussions that ensue after they take in a waif. Moving, eloquent, and with an emphasis on the family unit, this is a film that could sway even the most cynical. The film will also benefit from its Magnolia Pictures’ release in the U.S.
From South Korea, Lee Chang-dong’s “Burning,” winner of the Fipresci Prize at Cannes, is mesmerising. Beginning as a frustrated youth drama, it gradually moves into missing-person thriller territory, culminating in a cathartic finale. The film is...
The continent’s frontrunner is easily Japanese master Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Palme d’Or winner “Shoplifters.” The film follows a family of petty thieves and the repercussions that ensue after they take in a waif. Moving, eloquent, and with an emphasis on the family unit, this is a film that could sway even the most cynical. The film will also benefit from its Magnolia Pictures’ release in the U.S.
From South Korea, Lee Chang-dong’s “Burning,” winner of the Fipresci Prize at Cannes, is mesmerising. Beginning as a frustrated youth drama, it gradually moves into missing-person thriller territory, culminating in a cathartic finale. The film is...
- 11/8/2018
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
As 2018 winds down, like most cinephiles, we’re looking to get our hands on the titles that may have slipped under the radar or simply gone unseen. With the proliferation of streaming options, it’s thankfully easier than ever to play catch-up for those films you missed in a theater (or never came to your town), and to assist with the process, we’re bringing you a rundown of the best titles of the year available to watch.
Curated from the Best Films of 2018 So Far list we published for the first half of the year, it also includes films we’ve enjoyed the past few months and some we’ve recently caught up on. This is far from a be-all, end-all year-end feature (that will come at the end of the year), but rather something that will hopefully be a helpful tool for readers to have a chance to seek out notable,...
Curated from the Best Films of 2018 So Far list we published for the first half of the year, it also includes films we’ve enjoyed the past few months and some we’ve recently caught up on. This is far from a be-all, end-all year-end feature (that will come at the end of the year), but rather something that will hopefully be a helpful tool for readers to have a chance to seek out notable,...
- 10/24/2018
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Just when you think 2017 has been a good year for Taiwanese cinema, here comes a movie that upgrades “good” to “excellent”. “The Great Buddha +” is the debut feature film of Taiwanese director Huang Hsin-yao and it’s an extended version (hence the “+”) of his 2014 short movie “The Great Buddha”. Previously a documentary director focused on social and environmental issues, Huang has been helped in his new enterprise by fellow director Chung Mong-hong, in the role of producer and Dop. “The Great Buddha +” scooped several awards at the Taipei Film Festival and later the prestigious New Director Award at the Golden Horse Awards, along with Best Original Film Score, Best Cinematography and Best Adapted Screenplay.
The Great Buddha + is screening at Art Film Fest Kosice
Like in his documentaries, the storytelling is aided by the director’s own voice-over commentary, punctuating the movie here and there with dark jokes,...
The Great Buddha + is screening at Art Film Fest Kosice
Like in his documentaries, the storytelling is aided by the director’s own voice-over commentary, punctuating the movie here and there with dark jokes,...
- 6/16/2018
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Chicago – Season Six is one of the most successful for Chicago’s Asian Pop-Up Cinema (Apuc), as they present gems from the Asian film world that provide mind and cultural expansion. Recently, as part of their Taiwan Cinema Days, Apuc brought in director Huang Hsin-yao of “The Great Buddha +,” a meditation on class, religion and the ever present eye-in-the-sky video of the current era.
“The Great Buddha +” (the “+” sign is a mischievous wink at the film’s beginnings as a short) focuses on a life survivor named Belly Button, who collects recyclables for a living and uses his free time to hang with Pickle, the night guard at a statue factory that specializes in images of the Buddha. The factory CEO is Kevin, who specializes in having sex with as many women as possible. He also has a dash camera in his Mercedes, which Belly Button and Pickle...
“The Great Buddha +” (the “+” sign is a mischievous wink at the film’s beginnings as a short) focuses on a life survivor named Belly Button, who collects recyclables for a living and uses his free time to hang with Pickle, the night guard at a statue factory that specializes in images of the Buddha. The factory CEO is Kevin, who specializes in having sex with as many women as possible. He also has a dash camera in his Mercedes, which Belly Button and Pickle...
- 4/14/2018
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Just when you think 2017 has been a good year for Taiwanese cinema, here comes a movie that upgrades “good” to “excellent”. “The Great Buddha +” is the debut feature film of Taiwanese director Huang Hsin-yao and it’s an extended version (hence the “+”) of his 2014 short movie “The Great Buddha”. Previously a documentary director focused on social and environmental issues, Huang has been helped in his new enterprise by fellow director Chung Mong-hong, in the role of producer and Dop. “The Great Buddha +” scooped several awards at the Taipei Film Festival and later the prestigious New Director Award at the Golden Horse Awards, along with Best Original Film Score, Best Cinematography and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Great Buddha+ is screening in the Us at the moment, released by Cheng Cheng Films
Like in his documentaries, the storytelling is aided by the director’s own voice-over commentary, punctuating the movie here and there with dark jokes,...
Great Buddha+ is screening in the Us at the moment, released by Cheng Cheng Films
Like in his documentaries, the storytelling is aided by the director’s own voice-over commentary, punctuating the movie here and there with dark jokes,...
- 1/26/2018
- by Adriana Rosatti
- AsianMoviePulse
Cheng Cheng Films has acquired North American rights to The Great Buddha +, part of Amp’s 10 Best Chinese Language Movies of 2017.
The film received the Netpac award at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival and was a frontrunner with 10 nominations at the 54th Taiwan Golden Horse Film Awards, the Oscars of the Chinese-speaking world.
The distributor specialized in acclaimed Chinese language films has planned a limited theatrical release starting on 1/26/2018 followed by a VOD release in February. The acquisition deal was negotiated by Tony Yin from Cheng Cheng Films and Desmond Yang from Taiwan-based Mandarin Vision.
The film received the Netpac award at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival and was a frontrunner with 10 nominations at the 54th Taiwan Golden Horse Film Awards, the Oscars of the Chinese-speaking world.
The distributor specialized in acclaimed Chinese language films has planned a limited theatrical release starting on 1/26/2018 followed by a VOD release in February. The acquisition deal was negotiated by Tony Yin from Cheng Cheng Films and Desmond Yang from Taiwan-based Mandarin Vision.
- 1/18/2018
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Cheng Cheng Films has acquired North American rights to The Great Buddha +, part of Amp’s 10 Best Chinese Language Movies of 2017.
The film received the Netpac award at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival and was a frontrunner with 10 nominations at the 54th Taiwan Golden Horse Film Awards, the Oscars of the Chinese-speaking world.
The distributor specialized in acclaimed Chinese language films has planned a limited theatrical release starting on 1/26/2018 followed by a VOD release in February. The acquisition deal was negotiated by Tony Yin from Cheng Cheng Films and Desmond Yang from Taiwan-based Mandarin Vision.
The film received the Netpac award at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival and was a frontrunner with 10 nominations at the 54th Taiwan Golden Horse Film Awards, the Oscars of the Chinese-speaking world.
The distributor specialized in acclaimed Chinese language films has planned a limited theatrical release starting on 1/26/2018 followed by a VOD release in February. The acquisition deal was negotiated by Tony Yin from Cheng Cheng Films and Desmond Yang from Taiwan-based Mandarin Vision.
- 1/18/2018
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
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