Pingyao Film Festival Unveils New Chinese Works in Progress Ahead of Oct. 10 Kickoff

Tom Grater International Film ReporterBAFTA has unveiled the jurors for its Breakthrough initiative, the talent showcase that from this year is expanding to include participants from the U.S., China and India.The UK and U.S. selectees will be unveiled on November 16, with applications opening for India and China later this year.

Tom Grater International Film ReporterProminent Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke has announced he is departing the Pingyao International Film Festival, which he co-founded four years ago.The fest has not yet made an official statement but the director made the surprise announcement yesterday during the closing day of the fourth edition, telling local media he was looking for the event to “get rid of Ji Zhangke’s shadow and let it gain independent vitality” and that he was opting to “leave when it

Vivienne Chow Chinese director Jia Zhangke has quit the Pingyao International Film Festival that he co-founded four years ago. The festival will be handed over to the Pingyao city government, sparking speculation and concerns over how the reputable young festival will next develop.The internationally-renown auteur dropped the bombshell at Sunday’s press conference that concluded the fourth edition of the festival.

Rebecca Davis editorThe competition section of China’s Pingyao Intl. Film Festival on Friday awarded top prizes to Russia’s Philipp Yuryev, Serbia’s Ivan Ilkic, and Chinese directors Li Dongmei and Wang Jing.

Kaleem Aftab The Lumiere Film Festival paid homage to Greek actress, singer and politician Melina Mercouri this week with a mini-retrospective on what would have been the centenary of her birth.The centerpiece event was a screening Thursday of “Never on Sunday,” the 1960 musical drama directed by and co-starring her regular collaborator, husband Jules Dassin, who was put on the Hollywood Blacklist for being a member of the Communist Party, and moved to Europe.Mercouri and Dassin met at the

Jake Kanter International TV EditorEXCLUSIVE: Oscar-nominated 12 Years A Slave actor Chiwetel Ejiofor is to narrate a film about the world’s water shortage crisis, which is funded by an executive from Chinese tech giant Tencent and co-directed by Emmy-winner Kevin Sim.Housed at Keo Films and OoS Pictures, Day Zero is the brainchild of Tencent’s chief exploration officer David Wallerstein, who personally financed the production after becoming fascinated by the status of Earth’s water

coronavirus pandemic, featuring musicians from the outbreak's initial epicenter in an attempt to aid in the psychological and emotional healing process.Zou Ye, a composer from Wuhan, the central Chinese city where the virus was first detected late last year, said that Saturday night’s concert is part of an effort to work through frustration and helplessness on the way toward love and tolerance and, hopefully, some meaning to what he calls “nature’s tremendous revenge.”Musicians from the Wuhan

The live-action remake of “Mulan” has not been the wide success anyone expected, especially Disney. Not only did the film get a lukewarm critical reception, but the film was met with political controversy nearly as soon as “Mulan” debuted on Disney+ last month, when viewers noticed the end credits included “special thanks” to several government entities in the Xinjiang region in China, which has been the site of several human rights abuses.

Take The Wizard of Oz, add a touch of Up, a splash of Frozen and toss well with the cultural specificity of a Coco and you’ll get a reasonable facsimile of Over the Moon, a CG-animated musical fantasy that still manages to infuse sufficient charm and genuine warmth into the inescapable familiarity.

Tattu, in Hardman Square, in Spinningfields, is celebrating the new season with the launch of its latest winter a la carte menu.Developed in partnership with executive chef Andrew Lassetter, it features 11 new and returning favourite dishes from dim sum and small plates, as well as a host of indulgent desserts.The Winter at Tattu menu has been inspired by the Chinese waterfall legend, which tells a story of overcoming adversity and showing resilience and strength, which Tattu felt delivers a

Dave McNary Film ReporterScreen Media has bought all North American rights to “Skyfire,” China’s first big-budget disaster movie, from Highland Film Group and plans to release the film in theaters and on demand in December.“Skyfire” is directed by Simon West and stars Jason Isaacs (“Hotel Mumbai”), Hannah Quinlivan (“Skyscraper”), Xueqi Wang (“Iron Man 3”) and Shawn Dou (“Wolf Totem”).

Battered by the pandemic and growing political headwinds, Hollywood’s business prospects in China are becoming bleak.

Dave McNary Film ReporterThe American Film Institute has unveiled its lineup of 124 films, adding notable titles including the documentaries “Belushi,” “Citizen Penn” and “Hopper/Welles” and the Albert and Allen Hughes 1995 thriller “Dead Presidents.”AFI Fest, which is going virtual this year without the usual glitzy Hollywood premieres at the TCL Chinese Theatre, had announced previously that Rachel Brosnahan’s crime drama “I’m Your Woman” had been selected as its opening night title on Oct.

Rebecca Davis editorThe Pingyao International Film Festival, founded by Chinese helmer Jia Zhangke and former Venice head Marco Muller, has released its full lineup of global and local films. The selections in the two main sections focus on first or second features.

Rebecca Davis editorChinese audiences didn’t fall in love with Disney’s live-action “Mulan,” but a Chinese firm is betting that its own retelling of the famous ballad may storm the box office in its stead with depictions of traditional values that better appeal to mainland viewers.Gold Valley Film is set to release its feature animation “Kung Fu Mulan” over the National Day holiday from Oct.

Netflix has hit back at criticism levelled at a new TV series helmed by Game Of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B.

Holdover local war epic The Eight Hundred dominated Mulan over the weekend in China, as the Disney tentpole continued its precipitous decline in its most important theatrical market. The Eight Hundred, which has been in cinemas for a month, earned $17.7 million, lifting its total gross to $423.2 million, according to data from local box office tracker Artisan Gateway.

Emiliano Granada After having premiered at the First International Film Festival in Xining, China, “Slow Singing” now plays at San Sebastian’s prestigious New Directors section, its main sidebar. The debut film of Dong Xingyi is, as its title promises, a slow paced observation of the life of Junsheng, a former prison inmate who, after release, struggles to readjust to life in his hometown.

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Transactions with two popular Chinese-owned social media platforms will soon be banned in the United States.Both TikTok - the video-sharing social networking service - and WeChat - a multi-purpose messaging, social media and mobile payment app - will be affected.The US Commerce Department will be rolling out a ban of transactions using the two services from Sunday, September 20.The order that was put into place earlier today aims to "combat China's malicious collection of American citizens'