‘Cloud in Her Room’ Wins Hong Kong Film Festival’s Virtual Competition

Jessica Kiang Once more with rather less feeling: after “Love in a Fallen City” and “Eighteen Springs,” acclaimed Hong Kong director Ann Hui returns to the work of celebrated 20th century author Eileen Chang with “Love After Love,” a not-at-all-short adaptation of a Chang short story laboring under the English title “Aloeswood Incense: The First Brazier.” Hui has assembled something of an all-star lineup, with the young leads played by rising actors Sandra Ma (“Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly

Regina King is the first Black woman to direct a movie selected to premiere at the Venice Film Festival.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefHong Kong Disneyland may reopen soon, following reduced social distancing restrictions announced Tuesday by the territory’s government.The park was closed between Jan. 23- June 18 due to precautions against the coronavirus outbreak.

As Disney's mega-budget live-action remake of Mulan prepares to roll out in theaters in select markets across Asia, pro-democracy activists in several countries in the region are calling on audiences to steer clear of the movie via the growing #BoycottMulan movement.

Mulan” is facing renewed boycott calls from Asian activists.Thai and Taiwanese activists have joined Hong Kong protestors fighting for democratic reform who first raised the call for boycotts of the film last year, after its Chinese-born star sided with the Hong Kong police and their crackdown of pro-democracy militants.“I support the Hong Kong Police,” said Liu Yifei, who is also an American citizen, sharing a post from the Beijing People’s Daily on Weibo, a Chinese blog site in August 2019.

Disney film’s online release yesterday (September 4).After the film’s initial March release date in cinemas, which was curtailed due to the coronavirus outbreak, the film finally arrived on the Disney+ streaming service this week.Fans have been calling for a boycott of the film due to star Liu Yifei’s reported support of Hong Kong police during ongoing clashes in the country.Posting on Chinese social media site Weibo (via The Los Angeles Times) last year, Liu shared a statement from reporter Fu

Cate Blanchett is encouraging the reemergence of the film industry amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, as the Jury President of the Venice Film Festival, the Hollywood actress is thrilled to be present for the annual event and she couldn’t be more proud to support and help filmmakers share their work after the worldwide health crisis has affected the film industry in a major way.The Oscar winner urges for a safe reopening of cinema gatherings, and congratulates the effort and organization of

Andreas Wiseman International EditorEmmy and Oscar-winning actress Regina King is in uncharted waters.“I am so excited and anxious – all the different forms of that word,” King tells us about unveiling her feature directorial debut One Night In Miami.“Pull up a thesaurus and look up the word anxious and I am all of those things.

attacking passengers at the station during their arrest of suspected protesters.

Hong Kong actress/producer Josie Ho is set to collaborate with French director Luc Besson and American History X helmer Tony Kaye through the Hong Kong-based 852 Films, the production company she had founded with husband Conroy Chan in 2009. Ho will star in the entire slate, she and Chan will also take up producer duties for the films.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentAbel Ferrara will be awarded the Jaeger-LeCoultre Glory to the Filmmaker Award at the Venice Film Festival.Ferrara, who is based in Rome these days, will be handed the award honoring an artist’s original mark on contemporary cinema during a ceremony on Sept.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefThe Tokyo International Film Festival will shine a spotlight on the work of internationally-acclaimed Japanese director Koji Fukada during its 33rd edition. The festival will be held in front of live audiences Oct.

Ammonite, the buzzy LGBT period romance starring Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan, is set to close the 2020 BFI London Film Festival. The film — from Brit director Francis Lee (God's Own Country) which will have its world premiere in Toronto in September — will bow in the U.K.

Tom Grater International Film ReporterThe BFI London Film Festival has set Francis Lee’s Ammonite as its closing film.Starring Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan, the film is set in the 1840s, following palaeontologist Mary Anning when she encounters a young woman recuperating from a personal tragedy,It is world premiering at Toronto and also took part in the 2020 Cannes Label selection at the cancelled French festival.The London screening will take place on October 17 at cinemas across the UK,

Hong Kong's Filmart, Asia's largest film and television content market, on Wednesday kicked off its first-ever virtual edition amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In an auspicious sign for the local industry, the event's online panel discussions and virtual dealmaking sessions got underway in earnest just after news broke that Hong Kong's movie theaters would be allowed to reopen as the third wave of novel coronavirus infection was brought back under control.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefCinemas in Hong Kong are to be allowed to reopen from Friday, as the coronavirus threat recedes once again.Early indications from ticketing app HK Movies shows booking for Korean zombie thriller “Peninsula” which had its release postponed, and for Hong Kong romance “Beyond the Dream,” which started its cinema run on July 2.

Vivienne Chow Solidly-established Hong Kong film director Soi Cheang (“Accident,” “SPL II,” “The Monkey King” series) returns to action with the new crime thriller “Limbo.” He says his ambition is to revive the former glory of the city’s action cinema by targeting international audiences outside China.Announced just ahead of the opening of Wednesday’s FilMart, which has been postponed from its usual March slot and changed to an online format due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, “Limbo” is

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentMatt Dillon will join the upcoming Venice Film Festival’s main jury, replacing Romanian director Cristi Puiu, who has bowed out for reasons that are unclear.Dillon will have no trouble traveling to Venice since he is currently in Italy.The U.S.

The Venice Film Festival, the first major in-person cinema showcase of the COVID-19 era, is requiring participants to wear face masks during screenings and take a coronavirus test if they are arriving from outside Europe. According to guidelines published Thursday, fans and the general public will be kept away from the red carpet during the Sept.

Better Together campaign is now working on behalf of the Hong Kong government to boost its international image.Rob Shorthouse, who is said to have come up with the term "Project Fear" to describe the pro-Union campaign ahead of the 2014 independence referendum, will join an international team tasked with restoring the city's reputation as a global business hub.Hong Kong has been rocked by mass protests in recent years as residents fight to preserve historic liberties in the face of tough