Renowned Directors Gather at The 35th Hong Kong International Film Festival
The 35th Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) slated for 20th March 2011, focuses on prominent directors from around the globe again this year: JIA Zhangke from China, Abbas KIAROSTAMI from Iran and KUEI Chih-Hung from Hong Kong.
World Premiere – YULU - JIA Zhangke
The new project of internationally acclaimed Chinese director, JIA Zhangke, is Yulu which he produced and also part directed. Six young directors were invited to interview 12 outstanding persons from the fields of finance, culture and social community in Mainland China about the greatest difficulties they have confronted and their wisdom and courage in overcoming the barriers. The full-length feature comprises 12 segments with a total running time of 90 minutes. JIA himself filmed two of the segments.
Yulu will have its world premiere at the 35th HKIFF. HKIFF has the great opportunity of having JIA Zhangke to attend the “Master Class” where he will interact and share his previous experience with movie goers and fans.
Master Class – Jia Zhangke
Apart from attending the world premiere of Yulu, director JIA Zhangke will also conduct a Master Class with audiences. Participants will have an opportunity to share the experience of this world-class filmmaker and discuss his work with him in person. The Master Class will be held at 2:30 pm on 21 March 2011, and conducted in Mandarin with simultaneous interpretation in English and Cantonese. The Master Class is free of charge, and places are subject to availability.
Date: 21 March 2011
Time: 2:30pm
Location: Meeting Room S221, 1 Expo Drive, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
For registration: http://jcca.hkiff.org/app.php/mc_form/register?lang=eng
Distinguished Iranian Director – Abbas KIAROSTAMI
The films of Abbas KIAROSTAMI are filled with strong political and philosophical thought, in-depth exploration of the meaning of life and death and the dialectic of falsehood and truth. Since 1970, KIAROSTAMI has been involved in the production of more than 40 films, including shorts and documentaries.
The 35th Hong Kong International Film Festival will screen Kiarostami’s latest work – Certified Copy, a romantic story between a British writer (William SHIMELL) and a French woman (Juliette BINOCHE) in Italy. Certified Copy competed for the Palme d'Or at the 63rd Cannes Film Festival, where Juliette BINOCHE was awarded the Best Actress Award for her outstanding performance.
To celebrate the breakthrough that KIAROSTAMI has made in his latest production, HKIFF will present a selection of KIAROSTAMI’s films from different periods of time, offering the public an opportunity to review his classic productions over the past 40 years, including:
• The Bread and Alley (Noon va Koucheh) 1970
• The Traveller (Mosafer) 1974
• Where is the Friend's Home? (Khane-ye doust kodjast?) 1987
• Homework (Mashgh-e Shab) 1989
• Close-up (Nema-ye Nazdik) 1990
• And Life Goes On… (Zendegi va digar hich) 1991
• Through the Olive Trees (Zire darakhatan zeyton) 1994
• Taste of Cherry (Ta'm-e gilass) 1997
• The Wind Will Carry Us (Bād mā rā khāhad bord) 1999
• ABC Africa 2001
• Ten (Dah) 2002
• Five (Panj) 2004
• 10 on Ten 2004
• Shirin 2008
• Certified Copy 2010
KUEI Chih-hung –Hong Kong Cult Meister!
Hong Kong filmmaker KUEI Chih-hung, was a contract director at Shaw Brothers Studio in 1970s with one of the most unusual and personal styles of his generation. The tribute, co-curated by Hong Kong International Film Festival and Hong Kong Film Archive provides a rare opportunity to discover one of Hong Kong’s distinctive cult filmmakers who blended a personal vision with the demands and conventions of commercial cinema KUEI’s work covers an extensive range of genres, including crime thrillers, bizarre horror movies of witchcraft and superstition, swordplay action, and erotic films. KUEI is probably best known for the period noir, Killer Constable, and the psycho reptilian horror of The Killer Snakes. The following cult movies will be screened at the 35th HKIFF:
• The Delinquent1973
• The Killer Snakes1974
• The Teahouse1974
• The Deaf Mute Killer / Arson 1976-1977
• Killer Constable1980
• Hex1980
• Hex After Hex1982
• The Boxer’s Omen1983
A book on Kuei Chih-hung containing essays and interviews with KUEI’s collaborators will also be published as part of the tribute.
About the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society (HKIFFS)
The Hong Kong International Film Festival Society (HKIFFS) is a charitable, non-profitable and non-governmental organisation dedicated to the discovery and promotion of creativity in the art and culture of film.
Through its year-round programmes, the mission of HKIFFS is to strengthen global appreciation of Chinese film culture and to promote inspiring films from around the world, enriching the cultural life of Hong Kong.
Committed to the development of a vibrant film culture in Hong Kong and Asia, HKIFFS presents three annual flagship events in March and April: Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF), Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) and Asian Film Awards (AFA). Passionately believing in the power of films to unite cultures and generations, HKIFFS is devoted to giving thousands of film lovers direct access to the most inspiring films in the world all year round.