Blind Beast (盲獣)
BLIND BEAST (盲獣)
CO-PRESENTED WITH FETISH FILM FORUM
Japan | Drama | 1969 | 86 minutes
In Japanese w/ English Subtitles
DIRECTORS: Yasuzo Masumura
SCREENWRITER: Yoshio Shirasoka
STARRING: Eiji Funakoshi, Mako Midori, Noriko Sengoku
FILM SOURCE: Kadokawa Corporation
SYNOPSIS:
A blind sculptor kidnaps young model Aki as muse for his magnum opus. But when Aki falls for her captor, they indulge in dangerous sadomasochistic games. Based on the novel by Rampo Edogawa, this erotic drama is a surreal erotic arthouse film filled with outlandish symbolism and riveting psychodrama.
Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025
7:00 p.m.
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Location:
Leather Archives & Museum
6418 N Greenview Ave Chicago, IL 60626
OFFICIAL TRAILER
Meeting With Pol Pot
MEETING WITH POL POT
FRANCOPHONIE 2025 SCREENING
France, Cambodia, Taiwan, Qatar, Turkey | Drama | 2024 | 112 mins.
In French and Cambodian w/ English subtitles
DIRECTOR: Rithy Panh
WRITERS: Pierre Erwan Guillaume, Rithy Panh
STARRING: Irène Jacob, Grégoire Colin, Cyril Gueï, Bunhok Lim, Chhel Chamrong, Roeun Narith
SYNOPSIS:
This is the Cambodian-French director’s fourth submission to the Oscars including a nomination in 2013 for THE MISSING PICTURE. The film is inspired by journalist Elizabeth Becker’s book WHEN THE WAR WAS OVER and follows three French people: two journalists and an academic, travel to Democratic Kampuchea in 1978, in the midst of Pol Pot's dictatorship after accepting an invitation from the regime, embarking on a dangerous journey to the heart of the brutal government.
The film first showed in May 2024 at Cannes in Premiere and also screened in competition at Mediterrane festival.
Please Note: Ticketing for this free screening does not guarantee entry. Entry is on a first-come, first-serve basis and subject to available seating.
Thursday, March 6, 2025
6:30 p.m.
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Location:
Alliance Française de Chicago
54 W Chicago Ave Chicago, IL 60610
OFFICIAL TRAILER
SPECIAL THANKS
This screening is co-presented with Alliance Française de Chicago.
Dead Talents Society (鬼才之道)
Opening Night Film
Special Guests: Director John Hsu and actor Chen Bo-Lin are scheduled to appear in-person to introduce the film and participate in a post-film Q&A
Dead Talents Society (鬼才之道)
Even ghosts have to become influencers to get ahead in the world.
OPENING NIGHT FILM
Taiwan | Supernatural Comedy | 2024 | 110 minutes
In Mandarin w/Chinese and English Subtitles
Director: John Hsu
Screenwriters: John Hsu, Vincent Tsai
Starring: Chen Bo-Lin, Sandrine Pinna, Gingle Wang, Eleven Yao, Bai Bai, Soso Tseng
Film Source: Mandarin Vision
An Opening Night reception will precede this screening, starting at 6:00 PM.
Actor Chen Bo-lin will be joining us to receive the festival's Bright Star Award, appearing with director John Hsu. They will also participate in a post-show Q&A.
SYNOPSIS:
In the ghost realm, a ghost’s value is determined by the fear they instill in the living. When ghost talent agent Makoto meets a rookie with weak scaring abilities, he convinces his client — forgotten superstar Catherine — to take her in as a disciple to challenge her former protégé.
John Hsu’s follow-up to horror blockbuster Detention is a raucous mash-up of Monsters Inc. and All About Eve. A hilarious satire of influencer culture and horror tropes, as well as a moving ode to underachievers, it won the Audience Award at Fantastic Fest and the People's Choice Award at Sitges Film Festival.
John Hsu, Director
Always interested in digital culture, video games, comedy and sci-fi genres, Hsu won the “Best Director Award” at Golden Bell Awards 2005, the biggest television award in Taiwan, with his TV movie debut Real Online.
Hsu’s feature debut Detention, an adaptation of an internationally-acclaimed Taiwanese indie game, was released in 2019 and became the best-selling Taiwanese film of the year. It was also among the biggest winner at the Golden Horse Awards, with twelve nominations and five wins, including Best New Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Visual Effects.
Chen Bo-Lin, Actor
Viewed as one of the most gifted young actors in Asia Pacific, Chen was recognized for his acting debut Blue Gate Crossing. His career climbed toanother height with TV drama In Time with You, which won him Best Leading Actor of the Golden Bell Awards. Recent film works include The Dreaming Man, Trick or Treat, Day Off and Breaking and Re-Entering.
Thursday, March 20, 2025
Opening Night Red Carpet Reception
6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Film Screening & Q&A Session
7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Location:
AMC NEWCITY14
1500 N. Clybourn Ave.
Chicago, IL 60610
OFFICIAL TRAILER
Little Red Sweet (紅豆)
Little Red Sweet
(紅豆)
A traditional Chinese dessert unites a family in crisis in this bittersweet family drama
Hong Kong | Drama | 2024 | 92 minutes
In Cantonese w/ Chinese and English Subtitles
Director: Vincent Chow
Screenwriters: Joey Lok, Cao Guojian
Starring: Stephy Tang, Simon Yam, Jeffrey Ngai, Kevin Chu, Mimi Kung
Film Source: Distribution Workshop
SYNOPSIS:
For decades, Cheung Hing’s dessert shop has attracted customers with his signature red bean soup. When Hing’s wife dies, his daughter May leaves her flight attendant job to help the shop, but Hing’s inability to communicate with his children puts the business in jeopardy.
Like family, red bean soup is such a staple in Chinese culture that it’s easy to take it for granted. In this bittersweet drama, a family divided by tragedy learn that the key to enduring legacy is to accept change. As one character says, “It’s not about the place; it’s the people.”
Screening Date:
Friday, March 21, 2025
2:30 p.m.
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Location:
Chinese American Museum of Chicago
238 W 23rd St
Chicago, IL 60616
OFFICIAL TRAILER
Hit N Fun (臨時決鬥)
Special Guest: Director Albert Mak is scheduled to attend in-person to introduce the film and participate in a post-film Q&A.
Hit N Fun (臨時決鬥)
Three women fight for pride and glory in this rousing Hong Kong Lunar New Year comedy
Hong Kong | Sports Comedy | 2025 | 108 minutes
In Cantonese w/Chinese and English Subtitles
Director: Albert Mak
Screenwriters: Albert Mak, Jessica Lam, Link Ling, Julie Lau
Starring: Louise Wong, Gigi Leung, Louis Koo, Chrissie Chau, Tony Wu, Peter Chan, German Cheung, Philip Ng
Film Source: Entertaining Power/Illume Films
Director Albert Mak will attend in-person to introduce the film and participate in a post-film Q&A.
SYNOPSIS:
When Elsa learns that her boyfriend is cheating on her with Muay Thai champion Surewin, she challenges Surewin to a fight. With no Muay Thai experience, she turns to Surewin’s mentor Bruce for help. However, Bruce also has to train his actress wife Carrie for her comeback role.
The team behind sleeper hit Rob N Roll reunite for this lively female-led sports comedy. Deviating from the traditional nonsensical humor of Lunar New Year comedies for an inspirational message about the indomitable spirit of sports(wo)manship, the star-studded film’s message is also a heartfelt encouragement for the ailing Hong Kong film industry.
Screening Date:
Friday, March 21, 2025
7:30 p.m.
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Location:
AMC NEWCITY14
1500 N. Clybourn Ave.
Chicago, IL 60610
OFFICIAL TRAILER
Twilight Of the Warriors: Walled In (九龍城寨之圍城)
Twilight Of the Warriors: Walled In
(九龍城寨之圍城)
Hong Kong’s biggest action blockbuster is a nostalgic trip back to an infamous landmark
Hong Kong | Action | 2024 | 126 minutes
In Cantonese w/ English Subtitles
Director: Soi Cheang
Screenwriters: Au Kin-yee, Shum Kwan-sin, Chan Taili, Lai Chun
Starring: Raymond Lam, Louis Koo, Sammo Hung, Philip Ng, Terrance Lau, Kenny Wong, Tony Wu, German Cheung, Richie Jen
Film Source: Well Go USA
SYNOPSIS:
After getting into trouble with Mr. Big’s gang, refugee Lok-kwun stumbles into the infamous Kowloon Walled City. Helped by Walled City community leader Cyclone, Lok-kwun is able to get a new start. However, the secrets of his past threaten everyone in the Walled City.
Hong Kong’s highest-grossing local action film ever, this ambitious blockbuster places a classic story of brotherhood on a wide historical canvas. The impressive recreation of the infamous Kowloon Walled City – made using both CGI and stunning art direction - provides the stage for electrifying action sequences that will take breaths away and leave jaws dropped.
Screening Date:
Friday, March 21, 2025
Showtime:
8:00 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Location:
AMC NEWCITY14
1500 N. Clybourn Ave.
Chicago, IL 60610
OFFICIAL TRAILER
Belonging (とりつくしま)
Belonging
(とりつくしま)
Reincarnation gets an unlikely twist in this charming omnibus film
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Japan | Drama | 2024 | 90 minutes
In Japanese w/ English Subtitles
Director/Screenwriter: Kahori Higashi
Starring: Tsumugi Hashimoto, Yuto Kasuda, Maki Isonishi, Yoko Yasumi, Kyoko Koizumi
Film Source: Nikkatsu
SYNOPSIS:
If you can choose to return to your loved ones as an inanimate object after your death, what would you choose? Based on a novel by Naoko Higashi, this omnibus film presents the choices made in four different stories.
The question of what awaits us after death has always fascinated us. Writer-director Kahori Higashi offers an inventive twist to the age-old reincarnation mythos with this clever and moving omnibus film. With these four stories of “inanimate object reincarnation”, the film asks us to rethink the idea of “sentimental value” and what each object in our lives means to us.
Screening Date:
Saturday, March 22, 2025
2:00 p.m.
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Location:
AMC NEWCITY14
1500 N. Clybourn Ave.
Chicago, IL 60610
OFFICIAL TRAILER
Sunset Sunrise (サンセット・サンライズ)
Sunset Sunrise
(サンセット・サンライズ)
A young girl tries to defy traditions with chicken curry in this gentle satire
Japan | Comedy-drama | 2024 | 139 minutes
In Japanese w/ English Subtitles
Director: Yoshiyuki Kishi
Screenwriter: Kankuro Kudo
Starring: Masaki Suda, Mao Inoue, Masatoshi Nakamura, Pistol Takehara
Film Source: Free Stone
SYNOPSIS:
During the COVID pandemic, Shinsaku leaves Tokyo and moves to a rural town in northeastern Japan to work remotely. Despite a rough welcome, he tries to win the townspeople over with his inherent positivity and initiative.
Fame screenwriter and northeastern Japan native Kankuro Kudo pays tribute to the resilience of his hometown in this earnest comedy-drama. Drawing from his interactions with victims of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami as a documentary filmmaker, Yoshiyuki Kishi authentically captures the northeasterners’ way of life, particularly their ability to find joy from the everyday even in rough times.
Screening Date:
Saturday, March 22, 2025
Showtime:
7:00 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Location:
AMC NEWCITY14
1500 N. Clybourn Ave.
Chicago, IL 60610
OFFICIAL TRAILER
Mimang (미망)
Mimang (미망)
An enigmatic and lyrical ode to one of Seoul’s oldest neighborhoods
S. Korea | Drama | 2023 | 92 minutes
In Korean w/ English Subtitles
Director/Screenwriter: Kim Tae-yang
Starring: Lee Myung-ha, Ha Seong-guk, Park Bong-jun, Baek Seung-jin, Jung Su-ji
Film Source: Finecut
SYNOPSIS:
In Korean, the word “mimang” has multiple meanings. This triptych — all shot on location in the historical Jongno District of Seoul — presents three parts of a story that span an unspecified timeline. Each section reflects the different meanings for “mimang”.
Shot over four years, director Kim Tae-yang captures the transformations of both people and places in this enigmatic, but quietly captivating drama. As the unnamed characters occupy Jongno’s streets, an old cinema and a dingy old-school bar, the film uses the changing landscapes of a modern metropolis to reflect on time’s effect on human relationships and memories.
Screening Date:
Saturday, March 22, 2025
Showtime: 7:30PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Location:
AMC NEWCITY14
1500 N. Clybourn Ave.
Chicago, IL 60610
OFFICIAL TRAILER
Yukiko a.k.a (雪子 a.k.a)
Yukiko a.k.a
(雪子 a.k.a)
An elementary school teacher finds her voice by turning to hip-hop
Japan | Drama | 2024 | 98 minutes
In Japanese w/ English Subtitles
Director: Naoya Kusaba
Screenwriter: Ayako Suzuki
Starring: Rio Yamashita, Hina Higuchi, Fusako Urabe, Daichi Watanabe
Film Source: TBD
SYNOPSIS:
Yukiko, a timid 29-year-old elementary school teacher, struggles with student communication and personal insecurities. However, when she begins to dabble in hip-hop, she finds confidence and begins to discover the things that truly define her.
It’s easy to pick up a hobby, but finding the things that define your life is another matter altogether. Rather than depicting another musical genius who miraculously achieves excellence, Naoya Kusaba’s indie drama follows a character who embraces her flaws and limitations in art while using it to find a voice of her own. The result is a heartwarming and grounded feel-good film.
Screening Date:
Saturday, March 22, 2025
Showtime:
8:00 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Location:
AMC NEWCITY14
1500 N. Clybourn Ave.
Chicago, IL 60610
OFFICIAL TRAILER
Doubles Match (乒乓男孩)
Doubles Match
(乒乓男孩)
Two young table tennis players go from friends to rivals in this lively sports drama
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Taiwan | Drama | 2024 | 112 minutes
In Mandarin w/Chinese and English Subtitles
Director: Hung Po-hao
Screenwriters: Yu Wen-hsing
Starring: Benjamin Peng, Lucas Lee, Vivian Hsu, Rexen Cheng, Shih Ming-shuai
Film Source: Rise Pictures Co.
SYNOPSIS:
Guan-yu and his best friend Huang Xuan dream of making the national team for table tennis. But when their coach leaves for greener pastures, Huang Xuan is sent to a school in the city for better opportunities. Without his best friend and doubles partner, Guan-yu falls into a slump.
In sports, the road to greatness is never straight. This lively youth sports drama traces the obstacles that face young athletes on and off the court, as well as the dedication needed to overcome them. More importantly, this sports drama offers insightful lessons about the importance of friendship and passion.
Screening Date:
Sunday, March 23, 2025
2:00 p.m.
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Location:
Illinois Institute of Technology Michael Paul Galvin Tower
(Schulz Auditorium)
10 West 35th Street
Chicago, IL 60616
OFFICIAL TRAILER
Like a Rolling Stone (出走的决心)
Like a Rolling Stone
(出走的决心)
Two young table tennis players go from friends to rivals in this lively sports drama
MIDWEST PREMIERE
China | Drama | 2024 | 106 minutes
In Mandarin w/ English Subtitles
Director: Yin Lichuan
Screenwriters: A Mei, Yin Lichuan
Starring: Yong Mei, Jiang Wu, Wu Qian, Zhang Benyu, Ma Su
Film Source: Parallax/Midnight Blur Films
SYNOPSIS:
After decades of dedicating her all to her family, 50-year-old Li Hong decides to learn driving so she can go fulfil her lifelong dream of traveling. Flashbacks of Li Hong’s life show the decades of misogyny and oppression she endured in the name of tradition.
Based on the true story of a middle-aged woman whose solo cross-country trip went viral, Like a Rolling Stone exposes the distorted gender roles forced upon generations of Chinese women. The powerful film galvanized and inspired audiences who saw the suffering of their daughters and mothers in Li Hong’s story, reigniting feminist discourse in China.
Screening Date:
Sunday, March 23, 2025
4:15 p.m.
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Location:
Illinois Institute of Technology Michael Paul Galvin Tower
(Schulz Auditorium)
10 West 35th Street
Chicago, IL 60616
OFFICIAL TRAILER
How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies (หลานม่า)
How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies
(หลานม่า)
This Oscar-shortlisted Thai blockbuster is an affecting look at modern family dynamics and generation gaps
Thailand | Comedy-Drama | 2024 | 125 minutes
In Thai w/ English Subtitles
Director: Pat Boonnitipat
Screenwriters: Thodsapon Thiptinnakorn, Pat Boonnitipat
Starring: Putthipong “Billkin” Assaratanakul, Usha Seamkhum, Sanya Kunakorn, Sarinrat Thomas
Film Source: Well Go USA
SYNOPSIS:
M is a lazy college dropout. When he hears that his grandmother has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, he becomes her career in hopes of inheriting her fortune. However, M’s grandmother isn’t an easy one to please.
Despite its seemingly cynical setup, this brilliantly insightful drama finds plenty of laughs and tears while exposing everything that families don’t talk about when they talk about family. Not only was the film a critical and commercial hit across Asia, it is also the first Thai film to be shortlisted in the final 15 of the Academy Awards’ Best International Film race.
Screening Date:
Thursday, March 27, 2025
Showtime:
7:30 p.m.
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Location:
AMC NEWCITY14
1500 N. Clybourn Ave.
Chicago, IL 60610
OFFICIAL TRAILER
Harbin (하얼빈)
Harbin (하얼빈)
Superstar Hyun Bin stars as a legendary independence fighter in this gripping spy thriller
S. Korea | Spy Thriller | 2024 | 108 minutes
In Korean w/ English Subtitles
Director: Woo Min-ho
Screenwriter: Kim Kyoung-chan, Woo Min-ho
Starring: Hyun Bin, Park Jeong-min, Jeon Yeo-been, Jo Woo-jin, Lee Dong-wook
Film Source: Well Go USA
SYNOPSIS:
In 1909, several years after Korea is forced into becoming a Japanese colony, freedom fighters — led by the heroic Ahn Jung-geun — plot the daring assassination of Japan’s prime minister in the Chinese city of Harbin during their quest for independence.
Woo Min-ho, the director of blockbusters Inside Men and The Man Standing Next, turns one of the most important events in modern Korean history into a masterfully taut and handsomely mounted spy thriller. Most importantly, it’s a stark reminder that the fight for freedom is a long and difficult road that can only be completed in solidarity.
Screening Date:
Thursday, March 27, 2025
Showtime:
8:00 p.m.
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Location:
AMC NEWCITY14
1500 N. Clybourn Ave.
Chicago, IL 60610
OFFICIAL TRAILER
True Love, For Once In My Life (淺淺歲月)
True Love, For Once In My Life (淺淺歲月)
A stylistically radical telling of a timeless love story
Hong Kong | Drama | 2024 | 109 minutes
In Cantonese and Mandarin w/Chinese and English Subtitles
Director: Siu Koon-ho
Screenwriters: Lou Shiu-wa, Tse Shuk-fun
Starring: Cecilia Yip, Tse Kwan-ho, Hui Yuet-sheung, Himmy Wong
Film Source: Golden Scene
SYNOPSIS:
Sabrina believes that her love with childhood sweetheart Andrew is eternal, but their marriage crumbles when Andrew has an affair. When Andrew is diagnosed with cancer years later, Sabrina returns to care for him because she believes that true love comes only once in a lifetime.
Produced by indie pioneer Fruit Chan, this insightful exploration into true love and traditional marriage employs a radical visual style reminiscent of the groundbreaking avant-garde Dogme 95 movement. By shooting on iPhones, the cast is given ample room to perform without the distraction of large cameras, resulting in remarkable performances by the stars.
Screening Date:
Friday, March 28, 2025
Showtime:
7:30 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Location:
AMC NEWCITY14
1500 N. Clybourn Ave.
Chicago, IL 60610
OFFICIAL TRAILER
Shambhala (༄༅ཤམ་བྷ་ལ།)
Shambhala (༄༅ཤམ་བྷ་ལ།)
A woman endures a harrowing journey to find the love of her life in this epic tale
Nepal, France, Norway, Hong Kong, Turkey, Taiwan, USA | Drama | 2024 | 150 minutes
In Nepalese and Tibetan w/ English Subtitles
Director: Min Bahadur Bham
Screenwriters: Min Bahadur Bham, Abinash Bikram Shah
Starring: Thinley Lhamo, Sonam Topden, Tenzin Dalha, Karma Wangyal Gurung
Film Source: Best Friends Forever
SYNOPSIS:
In the Nepalese Himalayas, Pema is in a polyandrous marriage with Tashi and his two younger brothers. When Tashi fails to return from a trading trip, the legitimacy of Pema’s unborn child is questioned. To prove her love and purity, she sets out to find Tashi.
The first Nepali film selected for the competition of the Berlin Film Festival, this harrowing adventure depicts a woman’s physical and spiritual liberation with rich cultural details and breathtaking visuals. Shot on location in the Upper Dolpo region of the Himalayas, the film is a remarkable achievement for Nepal’s growing film industry.
Screening Date:
Saturday, March 29, 2025
Showtime:
3:00 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Location:
AMC NEWCITY14
1500 N. Clybourn Ave.
Chicago, IL 60610
OFFICIAL TRAILER
Sunday Special (Naale Rajaa Koli Majaa)
Sunday Special (Naale Rajaa Koli Majaa)
A young girl tries to defy traditions with chicken curry in this gentle satire
India | Comedy-Drama | 2024 | 91 minutes
In Kannada w/ English Subtitles
Director/Screenwriter: Abhilash Shetty
Starring: Prabhakar Kunder, Radha Ramachandra, Samrudhi Kundapura
Film Source: Plan A Films
SYNOPSIS:
On the day of Gandhi Jayanti, when meat sale is prohibited nationwide, an 11-year-old girl goes on a quirky adventure in pursuit of a forbidden chicken curry.
While Abhilash Shetty’s comedy-drama can charm audiences as a family-friendly film about a young girl’s quest for a seemingly simple dish, the film is also a subtle satire that gently exposes hypocrisy on issues surrounding tradition, law and commerce in contemporary India. More than simply questioning the need for tradition, it asks whether stubbornly sticking to old ways makes sense when they so often contradict with the realities of modern life.
Screening Date:
Sunday, March 29, 2025
Showtime:
5:00 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Location:
AMC NEWCITY14
1500 N. Clybourn Ave.
Chicago, IL 60610
OFFICIAL TRAILER
Welcome to the Village (嗤う蟲)
Welcome to the Village (嗤う蟲)
Rural traditions are pushed to the extreme in this creepy thriller
Japan | Thriller | 2024 | 99 minutes
In Japanese w/ English Subtitles
Director: Hideo Jojo
Screenwriter: Eisuke Naito, Hideo Jojo
Starring: Mai Fukugawa, Ryuya Wakaba, Tomoworo Taguchi
Film Source: Pony Canyon
SYNOPSIS:
Anna and her husband Terumichi leave the city for a new life in Asamiya Village. While they find the residents too nosy and too devoted to their community leader, they do their best to fit in to avoid being ostracized from their neighbors. However, the psychological pressure eventually turns physical.
In Japan, many urbanites are moving to the countryside for cheap real estate, but affordable living comes at a price. Based on true cases of ostracization in Japanese rural communities, Hideo Jojo’s spellbinding thriller shows the sobering reality of what happens when forced assimilation turns into bullying.
Screening Date:
Saturday, March 29, 2025
Showtime:
7:00 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Location:
AMC NEWCITY14
1500 N. Clybourn Ave.
Chicago, IL 60610
OFFICIAL TRAILER
Stranger Eyes (默視錄)
Stranger Eyes (默視錄)
An award-nominated thriller that explores the terror of scopophilia in the digital age
Singapore, Taiwan, France, U.S.A. | Thriller | 2024 | 125 minutes
In Chinese w/ English Subtitles
Director/Screenwriter: Yeo Siew Hua
Starring: Wu Chien-ho, Lee Kang-sheng, Anicca Panna, Vera Chen, Pete Teo
Film Source: Film Movement
SYNOPSIS:
After the mysterious disappearance of their baby daughter, a married couple begin to receive strange videos of their daily life. The police set up surveillance around their home to catch the voyeur, but the family start to crumble as secrets unravel under the scrutiny of eyes.
In the age of TikTok and YouTube, we’ve become used to looking at others through our screens, but we seldom think about what it feels like to be constantly seen. Yeo Siew Hua explores modern scopophilia in an age of constant surveillance with this Golden Horse-nominated thriller about paranoia and fetishism.
Screening Date:
Saturday, March 29, 2025
Showtime:
7:30 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Location:
AMC NEWCITY14
1500 N. Clybourn Ave.
Chicago, IL 60610
OFFICIAL TRAILER
Hunter Brothers (獵人兄弟)
Hunter Brothers
(獵人兄弟)
A brotherhood is torn apart by the clash of modernity and tradition in this Taiwanese thriller
Taiwan | Drama | 2024 | 109 minutes
In Mandarin and Truku w/Chinese and English Subtitles
Director: Su Hung-en
Screenwriters: Chen Ping, Su Hung-en
Starring: Bokeh Kosang, Umin Boya, Nolay Piho, Hsu Ling-yun
Film Source: Eric Chou
SYNOPSIS:
Yuci and Siring are brothers whose lives were turned upside down by a hunting accident that took their father’s life. Years later, Siring’s release from jail for the accident threatens Yuci’s peaceful life, especially when the fate of the family hunting ground is at stake.
The devastating aftermath of an unspeakable tragedy tears a family apart in this heartbreaking story of brotherhood. As much a tense thriller about familial discord as it is a fascinating exploration into the ways of the modern Taiwanese indigenous community, the film depicts a world pulled apart between the opposite pulls of modernity and tradition.
Screening Date:
Saturday, March 29, 2025
8:00 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Location:
AMC NEWCITY14
1500 N. Clybourn Ave.
Chicago, IL 60610
OFFICIAL TRAILER
To Be Continued (尚未完場)
To Be Continued (尚未完場)
Hong Kong| Documentary | 2023 | 80 minutes
In Cantonese and English w/ Chinese and English Subtitles
Directors: Dora Choi, Haider Kikabhoy
Film Source: Vincent Chui
SYNOPSIS:
Directors Dora Choi and Haider Kikabhoy began this project as a conservation campaign to save the iconic State Theatre in Hong Kong. Along the way, their research into the legendary life of founder Harry Odell revealed an indomitable pioneer and a soul-searching journey of what defines Hong Kong.
This eye-opening documentary uncovers a forgotten chapter of modern Hong Kong history, tracing the life of a man whose impact on Hong Kong’s arts and culture scene is still felt today. Unfolding like a detective story in the film, Odell’s twist-filled life was so amazing that it could only be true.
Screening Date:
Sunday, March 30, 2025
Showtime:
12:30 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Location:
AMC NEWCITY14
1500 N. Clybourn Ave.
Chicago, IL 60610
OFFICIAL TRAILER
The Glassworker (شیشہ گر)
The Glassworker (شیشہ گر)
Pakistan’s first hand-drawn animated film is a Ghibli-inspired take on Romeo and Juliet
Pakistan, USA, S. Korea, Lithuania, Spain, Canada, The Philippines | Animation | 2024 | 98 minutes
In English
Director: Usman Riaz
Screenwriters: Usman Riaz, Moya O’Shea
Starring: Art Malik, Sacha Dhawan, Anjli Mohindra
Film Source: Charades
SYNOPSIS:
Vincent and his father Tomas run the finest glass workshop in the country, until an approaching war upends their lives. However, Vincent ends up falling in love with Alliz, an army colonel’s daughter. As their love blossoms, the young lovers must find courage to confront their respective fathers.
Pakistan’s first hand-drawn animated film is a vibrant and colorful star-crossed romance inspired by the visual style of Studio Ghibli. Like the Japanese animation studio’s films, the groundbreaking film — which took a decade to produce — takes a fantastical approach to a sobering question: Can love blossom amidst the chaos of war?
Screening Date:
Sunday, March 30, 2025
Showtime:
2:00 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Location:
AMC NEWCITY14
1500 N. Clybourn Ave.
Chicago, IL 60610
OFFICIAL TRAILER
FAQ (막걸리가 알려줄거야)
FAQ
(막걸리가 알려줄거야)
A young girl under pressure makes an unlikely friend in this sci-fi fantasy tale
MIDWEST PREMIERE
S. Korea | Drama | 2023 | 92 minutes
In Korean w/ English Subtitles
Director/Screenwriter: Kim Da-min
Starring: Park Na-eun, Park Hyo-ju, Kim Hie-won
Film Source: Finecut
SYNOPSIS:
Dong-chun is an elementary school student overwhelmed with tutoring and afterschool activities. When she stumbles upon a mysterious bottle of rice wine that emits strange sounds like Morse code, she sets out to unravel its identity and discovers the secrets of the world.
It’s no secret that excessive academic demands can take a toll on children’s mental health. Kim Da-min’s moving and whimsical coming-of-age tale criticizes the rise of predatory private education institutions with a unique sci-fi fantasy twist. Empathetic and charming, this offbeat crowd-pleaser about self-discovery and letting kids be kids will delight and inspire viewers of all ages.
Screening Date:
Sunday, March 30, 2025
3:00 p.m.
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Location:
AMC NEWCITY14
1500 N. Clybourn Ave.
Chicago, IL 60610
OFFICIAL TRAILER
Old Fox (老狐狸)
Old Fox (老狐狸)
A young boy is caught between empathy and selfishness in this timely award-winning drama
Taiwan | Drama | 2023 | 112 minutes
In Mandarin w/Chinese and English Subtitles
Director: Hsiao Ya-chuan
Screenwriters: Hsiao Ya-chuan, Chan I-wen
Starring: Bai Run-yin, Liu Kuan-ting, Akio Chen, Eugenie Liu, Mugi Kadowaki, Tie-Hsian Ban
Film Source: Ablaze Image
SYNOPSIS:
In 1989, Taiwan saw rapid economic development following political reforms. Eleven-year-old Liao Jie’s dream is for his nice-guy father to own a home. When he befriends his landlord, a Machiavellian businessman nicknamed Old Fox, the boy learns lessons that will change his life’s trajectory.
Produced by legendary filmmaker Hou Hsiao-hsien, Old Fox is a thought-provoking morality tale about choosing between self-preservation and benevolence. This winner of four Golden Horse Awards — including Best Director and Best Supporting Actor (for Akio Chen) – also features a fantastic performance by Bai Run-yin, the best young actor currently working in the Taiwanese film industry.
Screening Date:
Sunday, March 30, 2025
Showtime:
4:00 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Location:
AMC NEWCITY14
1500 N. Clybourn Ave.
Chicago, IL 60610
OFFICIAL TRAILER
The Last Dance (破·地獄) (Director’s Cut)
Special Guests: Director Anselm Chan and actress Michelle Wai are scheduled to attend this screening in-person to introduce the film and participate in a post-film Q&A.
Centerpiece Film
The Last Dance
(破·地獄
(Director’s Cut)
This record-breaking blockbuster is an emotional drama about the catharsis of death
CENTERPIECE FILM
Hong Kong | Drama | 2024 | 139 minutes
In Cantonese w/ Chinese and English Subtitles
Director: Anselm Chan
Screenwriters: Anselm Chan, Cheng Wai-kei
Starring: Dayo Wong, Michael Hui, Michelle Wai, Chu Pak-hong
Film Source: Emperor Motion Pictures
Director Anselm Chan and actress Michelle Wai are scheduled to attend this screening in-person to introduce the film and participate in a post-film Q&A.
Wai is the honoree of the Extraordinary Actors Award in recognition of her exceptional performance in this film.
SYNOPSIS:
After losing his business during the pandemic, Dominic takes over a coffin shop to make ends meet. But to make it in the funeral business, he must earn the approval of his co-owner, stern and vehemently traditional Taoist priest Master Man, and learn about the true purpose of funerals.
Despite featuring two of Hong Kong’s biggest comedy legends, The Last Dance is a deeply emotional drama about catharsis after trauma that has moved Hong Kong audiences to tears. In addition to the two stars’ impressive dramatic turns, Michelle Wai also shines in a career-defining performance as Master Man’s long-suffering daughter.
Anselm Chan, Director
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Anselm Chan Mou Yin is a renowned screenwriter within the Hong Kong film and television industry, an up-and-coming director, and a member of the Hong Kong Screenwriters’ Guild. Debut film is Ready O/R Knot (2021) and the second is the sequel Ready O/R Rot (2023). The Last Dance is his third film.
Michelle Wai, Actress
Michelle Way was a Nominee for Best Actress at the 42nd Hong Kong Film Awards for Ready O/R Rot.
Date:
Friday, April 4, 2025
Showtime:
6:30 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Location:
AMC NEWCITY14
1500 N. Clybourn Ave.
Chicago, IL 60610
OFFICIAL TRAILER
A Samurai in Time (侍タイムスリッパー)
Special Guests: Director Junichi Yasuda and actress Yuno Sakura are scheduled to introduce the film and participate in a post-film Q&A.
APUC Competition - This film is in the running for the APUC Grand Jury Feature Film Award
A Samurai in Time
(侍タイムスリッパー)
A time-traveling samurai finds his calling as an actor in the Japanese sleeper hit of 2024
MIDWEST PREMIERE
Japan | Fantasy Comedy | 2024 | 74 minutes
In Japanese w/ English Subtitles
Director/Screenwriter: Junichi Yasuda
Starring: Makiya Yamaguchi, Norimasa Fuke, Yuno Sakura, Rantaro Mine, Ken Shonozaki
Film Source: Third Window Films
Director Junichi Yasuda and actress Yuno Sakura are scheduled to introduce the film and participate in a post-film Q&A.
SYNOPSIS:
In the Edo period, a samurai is struck by lightning and transported to the present day. Thanks to his “authentic” outfit and speaking style, the samurai ends up finding his calling as a “kiraeyaku,” a swordsman in the samurai genre whose job is to get killed on-screen.
A tribute to Seizo Fukumoto, the late samurai genre actor who died more than 50,000 times on-screen, Junichi Yasuda’s high-concept comedy is a refreshing twist on both the time-traveling and the samurai genres. The self-funded film opened on one screen and slowly grew in popularity on word-of-mouth, becoming the sleeper hit of 2024.
Screening Date:
Saturday, April 5, 2025
Showtime:
2:00 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Location:
AMC NEWCITY14
1500 N. Clybourn Ave.
Chicago, IL 60610
OFFICIAL TRAILER
Concerning My Daughter (딸에 대하여)
Director Lee Mi-rang is scheduled in-person to introduce the film and participate in a post-film Q&A.
APUC Competition - This film is in the running for the 2025 APUC Grand Jury Feature Film Award
Concerning My Daughter
(딸에 대하여)
An honest and sincere drama about mothers, daughters, lovers and caregivers
U.S. PREMIERE
S. Korea | Drama | 2024 | 106 minutes
In Korean w/ English Subtitles
Director/Screenwriter: Lee Mi-rang
Starring: Oh Min-ae, Heo jin, Lim Se-mi, Ha Yoon-kyung
Film Source: M-Line Distribution
Director Lee Mi-rang is scheduled in-person to introduce the film and participate in a post-film Q&A.
SYNOPSIS:
After she is evicted from her apartment and fired from her job, lesbian professor Green is forced to move back in with her mother with her lover in tow. Meanwhile, Green’s mother devotes her energy into her elderly home caregiver job, helping a resident who has lost her savings.
While the disapproving parent has always played a significant role in LGBTQ stories, writer-director Lee Mi-rang takes a nuanced approach to the subject. Lee’s moving script and Oh Min-ae’s empathetic performance offer a possibility that understanding and compassion are possible in a society that lacks support for diversity and marginalized people.
Screening Date:
Sunday, April 6, 2025
3:00 p.m.
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Location:
AMC NEWCITY14
1500 N. Clybourn Ave.
Chicago, IL 60610
OFFICIAL TRAILER
Silent City Driver (Чимээгүй хотын жолооч)
Silent City Driver
(Чимээгүй хотын жолооч)
An enigmatic hearse driver seeks revenge in a city plagued by corruption and hate
Mongolia | Drama | 2024 | 138 minutes
In Mongolian w/ English Subtitles
Director: Sengedorj Janchivdorj
Screenwriters: Sengedorj Janchivdorj, Nomuunzul Turmunkh
Starring: Tuvshinbayar Amartuvshin, Narantsetseg Ganbaatar, Bat-Erdene Munkhbat
Film Source: Nomadia Pictures
SYNOPSIS:
After surviving 14 brutal years in prison, Myagmar lives in isolation with only his stray dogs as his companions. His life is changed for the better when he finds a job as a hearse driver, but an incident forces him to revert to his violent ways.
Sengedorj Janchivdorj’s follow-up to his breakout film The Sales Girl is a unique vision of Ulaanbaatar’s underbelly. Compelling and deliberately paced, this study of an outcast pushed to the edge by his society’s plagues also features striking visuals that must be seen on the big screen. Grand Prix, 2024 Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.
Screening Date:
Sunday, April 6, 2025
6:30 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Location:
AMC NEWCITY14
1500 N. Clybourn Ave.
Chicago, IL 60610
OFFICIAL TRAILER
A Long Shot (老枪)
A Long Shot (老枪)
A hard-boiled crime drama that looks at the price of breakneck economic reform in China
MIDWEST PREMIERE
China | Drama | 2023 | 117 minutes
In Mandarin w/ English Subtitles
Director: Gao Peng
Screenwriters: Gao Peng, Wang Ang, Wang Wen, Fang Chang
Starring: Zu Feng, Qin Hailu, Zhou Zhengjie, Shao Bing, Feng Lei
Film Source: Parallax/Midnight Blurs Films
SYNOPSIS:
After losing his hearing, former sharpshooter Gu Xuebing takes a job as a security guard at a factory. When he catches his neighbor’s son stealing scrap metal, Xuebing takes the young man under his wing. However, as poverty rears its ugly head in the industrial town, it’s hard to resist turning to crime.
Capturing the desperation of those who were left behind by China’s rapid economic reforms, Gao Peng’s slick directorial debut brilliantly combines a hard-boiled crime drama with social commentary. The engrossing film shows a pressure cooker society that, like Xuebing’s homemade gun, can go off at any time.
Screening Date:
April 10, 2025
7:30 p.m.
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Location:
AMC NEWCITY14
1500 N. Clybourn Ave.
Chicago, IL 60610
OFFICIAL TRAILER
Teki Cometh (敵)
Teki Cometh (敵)
A retired professor faces an invisible enemy in one of the most acclaimed Japanese films of 2024
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Japan | Drama | 2024 | 108 minutes
In Japanese w/ English Subtitles
Director/Screenwriter: Daihachi Yoshida
Starring: Kyozo Nagatsuka, Kumo Takiuchi, Asuka Kurosawa, Yumi Kawak
Film Source: Happinet Phantom
SYNOPSIS:
Gisuke is a widowed retired college professor who lives alone and occasionally receive visits from his students. One day, he finds a post on the internet about an approaching enemy. The more he sees it, the more he feels an ominous feeling growing inside.
Director Daihachi Yoshida successfully turns what many believe to be an “unfilmable” novel into a compelling character study about paranoia and aging that is eerily dreamy, multi-layered and beautifully cinematic. This widely acclaimed drama won an unprecedented three prizes at the Tokyo International Film Festival – the Grand Prix, Best Director and Best Actor.
Screening Date:
Friday, April 11, 2025
7:30PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Location:
AMC NEWCITY14
1500 N. Clybourn Ave.
Chicago, IL 60610
OFFICIAL TRAILER
The Beetle Project
The Beetle Project
A beetle becomes an unlikely catalyst bringing the two Koreas together in this sweet family film
WORLD PREMIERE
S. Korea | Comedy | 2025 | 102 minutes
In Korean w/ English Subtitles
Director: Jim Kwang-kyo
Screenwriter:
Starring: Sung Dong-il, Kim Bo-min, Jung Hye-sun
Film Source: Finecut
SYNOPSIS:
In North Korea, torrential rains force the dams open, sending floodwater into the south. Later, two kids in South Korea pick up a plastic bag carrying a beetle in the stream. When they learn that the beetle is a North Korean child’s school project, they raise the beetle for him.
Showing kids grappling with similar issues on both sides of the border (sibling rivalry, absent parents, bullying, etc.), The Beetle Project is a compassionate film that transcends political or economic divide. Seeing children band together to raise the delicate beetle will undoubtedly melt even the hardest of hearts.
Screening Date:
Saturday, April 12, 2025
Showtime:
12:00 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Location:
AMC NEWCITY14
1500 N. Clybourn Ave.
Chicago, IL 60610
OFFICIAL TRAILER
The Uniform (夜校女生)
The Uniform (夜校女生)
A celebration of young female friendship and living free of labels
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Taiwan | Youth Drama | 2024 | 109 minutes
In Mandarin w/Chinese and English Subtitles
Director: Chuang Ching-Shen
Screenwriters: Hsu Hui-Fang, Wang Li-Wen
Starring: Chen Yan-fei, Chloe Xiang, Chiu Yi-tai, Chi Chin
Film Source: Sanling Chang
SYNOPSIS:
The year is 1997. Ai is forced to enroll in the night school of an elite girls’ high school, but night students are often inferior by their day school counterparts. Nevertheless, Ai becomes close friends with her day school desk-mate, Min.
Chuang Ching-Shen’s coming-of-age drama explores the obsession with elitism and privilege in an education system riddled with inequalities while portraying a friendship between girls whose camaraderie transcend class. In addition to featuring two of Taiwan’s best up-and-coming young actresses in outstanding performances, Chi Chin also shines as a Ai’s single mother.
Screening Date:
Saturday, April 12, 2025
Showtime:
5:00 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Location:
AMC NEWCITY14
1500 N. Clybourn Ave.
Chicago, IL 60610
OFFICIAL TRAILER
Love Lies (我談的那場戀愛)
Love Lies
(我談的那場戀愛)
An online romance scam changes two strangers’ lives in this Hong Kong sleeper hit
Hong Kong | Comedy-Drama | 2024 | 116 minutes
In Cantonese w/ Chinese and English Subtitles
Director: Ho Miu-ki
Screenwriters: Ho Miu-ki, Chan Hing-kei
Starring: Sandra Ng, Michael Cheung, Stephy Tang, Chan Fai-hung
Film Source: One Cool Films
SYNOPSIS:
Widowed doctor Veronica falls for a French engineer named “Alain” on a dating app. However, what she doesn’t know is that “Alain” is actually a young man who works for an online romance scamming ring. But when “Alain” begins to feel sorry for Veronica, an unlikely connection starts to form.
Screenwriter Ho Miu-ki’s exploration of bonds forged in deception looks at online dating scams with empathy for both sides of the crime. With a splendid award-nominated performance by Sandra Ng and a charismatic turn by pop star Micheal Cheung, the film touches on loneliness and emotional trauma with poignancy.
Screening Date:
Saturday, April 12, 2025
6:30 p.m.
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Location:
AMC NEWCITY14
1500 N. Clybourn Ave.
Chicago, IL 60610
OFFICIAL TRAILER
The Land of Morning Calm (아침바다 갈매기는)
The Land of Morning Calm
(아침바다 갈매기는)
An angry exposé of prejudice and xenophobia in modern Korea
S. Korea | Drama | 2024 | 114 minutes
In Korean w/ English Subtitles
Director/Screenwriter: Park Ri-woong
Starring: Yoon Joo-sang, Yang Hee-kyung, Khazsak, Park Jong-hwan
Film Source: Hive Filmworks
SYNOPSIS:
To escape his life, a young fisherman fakes his disappearance. His boss, a cranky boat captain, reluctantly plays along so that the fisherman’s Vietnamese wife can receive the insurance payout. However, racism rears its ugly head as the investigation progresses.
Winner of the New Currents Award at Busan International Film Festival, Park Ri-woong’s follow-up to the acclaimed Girl with a Bulldozer is another angry indictment of the woes plaguing Korean society. At the center of this riveting story of small-town xenophobia is a captivating performance by Yoon Joo-sang as the furious boat captain who surprisingly become the story’s moral compass.
Screening Date:
Saturday, April 12, 2025
Showtime:
7:30 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Location:
AMC NEWCITY14
1500 N. Clybourn Ave.
Chicago, IL 60610
OFFICIAL TRAILER
Brush of the God (カミノフデ ～怪獣たちのいる島)
Closing Night Film & Awards Night
Brush of the God (カミノフデ ～怪獣たちのいる島)
A love letter to tokusatsu films by a true legend of the genre.
CLOSING NIGHT FILM
Japan | Fantasy | 2024 | 74 minutes
In Japanese w/ English Subtitles
Director: Keizo Murase
Screenwriter: Takeshi Nakazawa
Starring: Rio Suzuki, Takeru Narahara, Takumi Saitoh, Shinji Higuchi, Shiro Sano
Film Source: Kaminofude Film Partners
3:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.:
APUC will present awards for Best Film, Best New Director & Best Short for our first-ever APUC Film Competition!
3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.:
Producer Daisuke Sato will attend the screening to accept a posthumous award for Keizo Murase. The screening will begin shortly afterwards.
5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.:
There will be a closing night party following the film.
SYNOPSIS:
While attending the funeral of her special effects artist grandfather, Akari and her classmate Takuya, a tokusatsu fanatic, come across a film prop that sucks them into the world of fearsome giant monsters. To find their way home, they must unlock the secrets of this fantasy world.
On his first and last directorial effort, Keizo Murase used all six decades of his experience as a suit-maker and sculptor on classic kaiju films to create one to beat them all. This heartfelt love letter to old-school tokusatsu films will thrill devoted fans and inspire young audiences to get into the genre.
ABOUT KEIZO MURASE:
Keizo Murase was the President of Twenty Ltd. and one of the leaders in Kaiju model making field of Japan. He joined Toho, a Japanese film company in 1958 and started his career with Varan, le monstre géant (1958). He also worked a lot of production created in the golden era of Toho’s Tokusatsu films including Mothra (1961) and King Kong contre Godzilla (1962). In addition to Toho films, in Gamera (1965), a Daiei film, he was responsible for making suits for another famous Kaiju, Gamera. Through his creations, he build a foundation of model making technics. Inthe Hong Kong film, Le Colosse de Hong Kong (1977), he worked for model making as well as directing and stunting for some special effect scenes. In addition to sculpting King Ghidorah and Mothra in the Heisei era, he sculpted the monster suit for Howl from beyond the Fog (2019) and supervised the hero suit for the American film Iké Boys (2021). Brush of the God was his first movie as general director.
ABOUT DAISUKE SATO:
Daisuke Sato began his career in the special effects field as a modeling assistant for Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: The Great Monsters All-Out Attack (2001). He has been involved in the creation of practical effects for such productions as GodzillaFinal Wars (2004), Gamera (2006), Ultraman Moebius & Ultra Brothers (2006), and Tokusatsu Kigeki Oki Yuzo: The Greatest Battle of My Life (2010). He directed the short film The Land of Fog (2019), then worked as cinematographer on Kaike Neko Kyousoukyoku (2021), as co-director and SFX/cinematographer on Hoshi 35 (2023), and directed SFX scenes for the American film Ikè Boys (2024). He served as the special effects director and producer of the NYAFF 2024 film Brush of the God.
Date:
Sunday, April 13, 2025
3:00 p.m.
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Location:
AMC NEWCITY14
1500 N. Clybourn Ave.
Chicago, IL 60610
OFFICIAL TRAILER
Successor (抓娃娃)
For a chance to receive a "Year of the Snake Gift Packet", post a review of the film after attendance. (See info below).
SUCCESSOR
(抓娃娃)
YEAR OF THE SNAKE SCREENING
China | Comedy/Drama | 2024 | 133 mins.
In Mandarin w/ English subtitles
DIRECTOR: Yan Fei, Peng Damo
STARRING: Shen Teng, Ma Li
SYNOPSIS:
Shen and Ma play a high-powered couple that own a successful business and are determined to groom their son Ji-ye to take over the company. Worried that he will turn into a useless rich kid, they decide to raise him in something resembling poverty so that Ji-ye could develop qualities such as hard work, knowledge, careful budgeting, physical fitness, and perseverance.
Directed by Fei Yan and Da-Mo Peng and co-stars Shen Teng and Ma Li — the comedic duo behind previous smash hits “Goodbye, Mr. Loser” (2015) and “Hello, Mr. Billionaire” (2018), “the film has also touched a nerve in China with its tale of wealthy, controlling “tiger parents” (or helicopter parents in America) that fuses elements of the hit HBO show “Succession” with the 1998 comedy feature “The Truman Show”- Sixthtone.com
Please Note: Ticketing for this free screening does not guarantee entry. Entry is on a first-come, first-serve basis and subject to available seating.
Reserved seats tickets holders must redeem their tickets no later than 15 minutes before showtimes. The festival has the right to release any unclaimed reserved seats 15 minutes before showtimes.
To guarantee seating, we offer a donation option on our ticketing page. Thank you for the support.
“Year of the Snake Gift Packet” Giveaway (Limited Quantity)
Step 1: Follow one of the accounts below:
X: @ChinaConsulate, @CG_WangBaodong
Facebook: Chinaconsulatechicago
TikTok: ChinaConsulateChicago
Step 2: Post a film review about SUCCESSOR (抓娃娃) on social media and tag the Consulate account.
Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025
2:00 p.m.
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Chicago Cultural Center
(Claudia Cassidy Theater)
78 E Washington Street, Chicago
OFFICIAL TRAILER
SPECIAL THANKS
This screening is co-presented with The Chicago Film Office of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) and sponsored by the Consulate General of The People's Republic of China in Chicago.
FOR ALICE (給愛麗絲)
FOR ALICE
(給愛麗絲)
MAKING WAVES MONTREAL
CLOSING NIGHT FILM / CANADIAN PREMIERE
Hong Kong | Drama | 2024 | 82 mins.
In Cantonese w/ English subtitles
DIRECTOR: Chow Kam-Wing
STARRING: TAI BO, Kuku So
FILM SOURCE: Movie Addict
INTRO/Q&A by actors TAI BO and Kuku So.
A compact neo-noir bathed in neon and shadows, set in the faded opulence of Tsim Sha Tsui’s Mirador Mansion, 1st-time feature director Chow Kam-Wing tells the story of the unlikely bond between a mysterious stranger with a shady past and a teenager running away from her mother’s abusive partner. Veteran actor and Jackie Chan regular, TAI BO (THE GOLDFINGER, DRUNKEN MASTER II) and newcomer Kuko So create a dynamic and natural chemistry of the duo.
FOR ALICE (給愛麗絲) – Film de clôture – Première canadienne Situé dans l’opulence usée du Mirador Mansion de Tsim Sha Tsui, ce premier long-métrage de Chow Kam-Wing raconte l’histoire du lien improbable entre une adolescente fuyant son beau- père abusif et un mystérieux étranger au passé trouble. Tai Bo (THE GOLDFINGER, DRUNKEN MASTER II), acteur vétéran et habitué des films de Jackie Chan, et la nouvelle venue Kuko So créent un duo à l’alchimie dynamique et naturelle dans ce néo-noir compact baigné d’ombres et de néons.
Please Note: Ticketing for this free screening does not guarantee entry. Entry is on a first-come, first-serve basis and subject to available seating.
Reserved seats tickets holders must redeem their tickets no later than 15 minutes before showtimes. The festival has the right to release any unclaimed reserved seats 15 minutes before showtimes.
To guarantee seating, we offer a donation option on our ticketing page. Thank you for the support!
Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024
9:00 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Cinéma Cineplex Forum et VIP
2313 St. Catherine St. West Suite 101, Montréal, QC, H3H 1N2
DIRECTOR
Chow Kam-Wing, Director
Chow Kam Wing, born in 1972, completed his education at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Following graduation, he initially pursued a career at a 4A advertising agency before shifting gears to join The Film Factory, a film production company. There, he assumed the role of an advertising director, primarily focusing on commercial shoots. "For Alice" stands as his maiden venture into feature-length filmmaking.
SPECIAL GUESTS
TAI BO, Actor
Cheung Ka-lin, born on October 21, 1950, and known by the nickname TAI BO, is a prominent actor in the Hong Kong and Taiwanese film industries. He embarked on his career in Hong Kong at the age of eighteen, initially working behind the scenes in various capacities such as script supervision, film marketing, assistant director, and executive director before transitioning into acting.
In 2000, he clinched the Best Supporting Actor award at the 37th Golden Horse Awards for his performance in “The Cabbie". Then, in 2007, he earned the Best Drama Supporting Actor accolade at the 42nd Golden Bell Awards for his role in "Sago Palm Blossoms". His portrayal in "The Pluto" garnered him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the British Independent Film Festival in 2018. Furthermore, in 2019, his outstanding performance in "Uncle" led to him securing the Best Actor title at the 26th Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards AND 39th Hong Kong Film Awards, while also earning him a nomination for Best Actor at the 56th Golden Horse Awards.
The film in which TAI BO (太保) participated ( The last ferry from grass island ) was selected for the Cinéfondation section of the Cannes Film Festival and "All Shall Be Well", which won the Teddy Bear Award at the 2024 Berlin Film Festival.
Kuku So, Actress
Kuku So Tsz Yan, during her academic years, specialized in the field of photography. Following her graduation, she embarked on a career in the industry, initially working behind the scenes. However, her talent was soon discovered when she took on a part-time role as a ticketing officer at a concert.With her exceptional skills, Kuku quickly established herself as a prominent figure in the industry, excelling in both still modeling and acting.
Beyond her professional pursuits, Kuku finds great pleasure in playing basketball. Furthermore, she aspires to lead a serene existence, seeking solace in the countryside and reuniting with her beloved cat.
Kuku's ultimate aspiration is to evoke love and inspiration through her performances, leaving a profound impact on her audience.
OFFICIAL TRAILER
FLY ME TO THE MOON (但願人長久)
FLY ME TO THE MOON
(但願人長久)
MAKING WAVES MONTREAL
MONTREAL PREMIERE
Hong Kong | Drama | 2023 | 113 mins.
In Cantonese w/ English subtitles
DIRECTOR: Sasha Chuk
STARRING: Wu Kang-Ren, Sasha Chuk, Angela Yuen, Yoyo Tse Wing-Yan, Natalie Hsu
FILM SOURCE: Golden Scene
INTRO/Q&A by actor Yoyo Tse Wing-Yan.
Winner of several prestigious awards from the Golden Horse Film Festival and Hong Kong Film Critics Society, rising filmmaker Sasha Chuk wrote, directed and co-starred in her acclaimed feature debut adapted from her own semi-autographical novella. Starting in 1997, a turning point in Hong Kong history, the narrative spans two turbulent decades in the lives of two sisters, and their relationship with the delinquent dad played by award-winning Wu Kang-Ren (ABANG ABDIK).
FLY ME TO THE MOON (但願人長久) – Première montréalaise
Lauréate de plusieurs prix prestigieux décernés par le Golden Horse Film Festival et la Hong Kong Film Critics Society, la cinéaste Sasha Chuk écrit, réalise et tient le rôle principal dans son tout premier long-métrage, adapté de son propre roman semi-autographique. Commençant en 1997, à un tournant important de l’histoire de Hong Kong, le récit couvre deux décennies turbulentes dans la vie de deux sœurs, et leur relation avec un père délinquant interprété par l’acteur primé Wu Kang-ren (ABANG ABDIK).
Please Note: Ticketing for this free screening does not guarantee entry. Entry is on a first-come, first-serve basis and subject to available seating.
Reserved seats tickets holders must redeem their tickets no later than 15 minutes before showtimes. The festival has the right to release any unclaimed reserved seats 15 minutes before showtimes.
To guarantee seating, we offer a donation option on our ticketing page. Thank you for the support!
Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024
6:15 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Cinéma Cineplex Forum et VIP
2313 St. Catherine St. West Suite 101, Montréal, QC, H3H 1N2
DIRECTOR
Sasha Chuk, Director
Sasha Chuk majored in Chinese literature and Sociology at the University of Hong Kong. Her short film ‘The Dropout of Her’ (2019) won Best Cinematography at the 13th Fresh Wave International Short Film Festival. Her next short film, ‘Plain Sailing’ (2022) won the Gold Award at the 27th ifva Awards (Asian Open Category) and was also selected in the 2022 Osaka Asian Film Festival. In 2020, she won the 6th First Film Initiative by Create Hong Kong with her screenplay 'Fly Me to the Moon', an adaptation from her novel. ‘Fly Me to The Moon’ is her feature directorial debut, which earned her a ‘Best Adapted Screenplay’ nomination at the 60th Golden Horse Awards.
SPECIAL GUEST
Yoyo Tse Wing-Yan, Actress
Yoyo Tse Wing Yan (Chinese: 謝咏欣; born 4 March 2002) is a Hong Kong actress best known for her debut role in the drama film Fly Me to the Moon (2024), which earned her Best New Performer in the 60th Golden Horse Awards and Best New Performer in the 42nd Hong Kong Film Awards.
OFFICIAL TRAILER
ALL SHALL BE WELL (從今以後)
ALL SHALL BE WELL
(從今以後)
MAKING WAVES MONTREAL
MONTREAL PREMIERE
Hong Kong | Drama | 2024 | 93 mins.
In Cantonese w/ English subtitles
DIRECTOR: Ray Yeung
STARRING: Patra Au, Maggie Li Lin-Lin, Chiyu Liu, TAI BO
FILM SOURCE: Strand Release
INTRO/Q&A by actor TAI BO.
Winner of the coveted Teddy Award (Queer Film Award) at the Berlinale and the Audience Award for Best Film at Frameline, director Ray Yeung tells a powerful call to action, social commentary about the urgent need for legal reforms through the predicaments of an older lesbian couple in Hong Kong after one of them passes away despite being together for 30 years. Featuring Patra Au (from last year’s NARROW ROAD), Maggie Li Lin-Lin and TAI BO (PORT OF CALL, Fantasia Festival 2015).
ALL SHALL BE WELL (從今以後) – Première montréalaise
Lauréat du convoité Teddy Award (prix Queer) à la Berlinale et du Prix du public pour le meilleur film au festival Frameline, le réalisateur Ray Yeung propose un puissant appel à l’action sur le besoin urgent de réformes juridiques à Hong Kong, à travers l’histoire d’un couple de lesbiennes d’un certain âge dont l’une décède après plus de 30 ans de vie commune. Mettant en vedette Patra Au (NARROW ROAD, présenté l’dernier), Maggie Li Lin-Lin et Tai Bo (PORT OF CALL, Festival Fantasia 2015).
Please Note: Ticketing for this free screening does not guarantee entry. Entry is on a first-come, first-serve basis and subject to available seating.
Reserved seats tickets holders must redeem their tickets no later than 15 minutes before showtimes. The festival has the right to release any unclaimed reserved seats 15 minutes before showtimes.
To guarantee seating, we offer a donation option on our ticketing page. Thank you for the support!
Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024
4:00 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Cinéma Cineplex Forum et VIP
2313 St. Catherine St. West Suite 101, Montréal, QC, H3H 1N2
DIRECTOR
Ray Yeung, Director
Ray Yeung is a Columbia University MFA graduate. He has written and directed four features and eight short films. Ray’s third feature SUK SUK (TWILIGHT’S KISS) World Premiered at the Busan International Film Festival 2019 and had its European Premiere in Panorama at the Berlin International Film Festival 2020. The film subsequently screened in over 50 film festivals worldwide.
SUK SUK earned 5 Golden Horse Award nominations. It was also nominated for 9 Hong Kong Film Awards including Best Film. The film collected 2 Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress. SUK SUK picked up 8 additional Awards and nominations from prestigious organizations including Hong Kong Film Critics Society, Hong Kong Directors Guild, Hong Kong Screenwriters Guild, and the Asian Film Awards.
Ray is also the Chairman of the Hong Kong Lesbian and Gay Film Festival since 2000, currently the longest running lesbian and gay film festival in Asia.
SPECIAL GUEST
TAI BO, Actor
Cheung Ka-lin, born on October 21, 1950, and known by the nickname TAI BO, is a prominent actor in the Hong Kong and Taiwanese film industries. He embarked on his career in Hong Kong at the age of eighteen, initially working behind the scenes in various capacities such as script supervision, film marketing, assistant director, and executive director before transitioning into acting.
In 2000, he clinched the Best Supporting Actor award at the 37th Golden Horse Awards for his performance in “The Cabbie". Then, in 2007, he earned the Best Drama Supporting Actor accolade at the 42nd Golden Bell Awards for his role in "Sago Palm Blossoms". His portrayal in "The Pluto" garnered him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the British Independent Film Festival in 2018. Furthermore, in 2019, his outstanding performance in "Uncle" led to him securing the Best Actor title at the 26th Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards AND 39th Hong Kong Film Awards, while also earning him a nomination for Best Actor at the 56th Golden Horse Awards.
The film in which TAI BO (太保) participated ( The last ferry from grass island ) was selected for the Cinéfondation section of the Cannes Film Festival and "All Shall Be Well", which won the Teddy Bear Award at the 2024 Berlin Film Festival.
OFFICIAL TRAILER
TIME STILL TURNS THE PAGES (年少日記)
TIME STILL TURNS THE PAGES
(年少日記)
MAKING WAVES MONTREAL
MONTREAL PREMIERE
Hong Kong | Drama | 2023 | 95 mins.
In Cantonese w/ English subtitles
DIRECTOR: Nick Cheuk
STARRING: Lo Chun Yip, Ronald Cheng, Hanna Chan, Rosa Maria Velasco, Sean Wong
FILM SOURCE: Illumine Films
TIME STILL TURNS THE PAGES is a poignant tale of emotional torture, regret and redemption told through a student contemplating ending his own life. Within a mere 95 minutes, writer-director Nick Cheuk (PARADOX), who picked up the Best New Director’s Award at the 60th Golden Horse Awards, depicts a complex family drama with strong gut punch.
TIME STILL TURNS THE PAGES (年少日記) – Première montréalaise
Une histoire poignante de torture émotionnelle, de regrets et de rédemption, racontée du point de vue d’un étudiant qui envisage de mettre fin à ses jours. En 95 minutes à peine, le scénariste et réalisateur Nick Cheuk (PARADOX), lauréat du prix du meilleur nouveau réalisateur à la 60e édition des Golden Horse Awards, propose un drame familial complexe avec une grande force de frappe.
Please Note: Ticketing for this free screening does not guarantee entry. Entry is on a first-come, first-serve basis and subject to available seating.
Reserved seats tickets holders must redeem their tickets no later than 15 minutes before showtimes. The festival has the right to release any unclaimed reserved seats 15 minutes before showtimes.
To guarantee seating, we offer a donation option on our ticketing page. Thank you for the support!
Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024
9:15 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Cinéma Cineplex Forum et VIP
2313 St. Catherine St. West Suite 101, Montréal, QC, H3H 1N2
DIRECTOR
Nick Cheuk, Director
Nick Cheuk (born in October 21, 1987) is a member of the Hong Kong Screenwriters' Guild, he is also the scriptwriter of “Paradox” and “Zombiology: Enjoy Yourself Tonight”. He is the Creative Director of the 38th Hong Kong Film Awards.
Graduated from the School of Creative Media of the City University of Hong Kong in 2013, majoring in Film Arts, in 2022, Nick wrote his directorial debut “Time Still Turns The Pages”.
OFFICIAL TRAILER
LOVE LIES (我談的那場戀愛)
LOVE LIES
(我談的那場戀愛)
MAKING WAVES MONTREAL
MONTREAL PREMIERE
Hong Kong | Comedy | 2024 | 116 mins.
In Cantonese w/ English subtitles
DIRECTOR: Ho Miu-Ki
STARRING: Sandra Ng, Stephy Tang, Cheung Tin-Fu
FILM SOURCE: One Cool Pictures
An absorbing debut from Ho Miu-Ki and fresh from its Asian debut in September, the film probes the question about the good, bad and the ugly destructiveness of “romance scams.” Through the charming performances of famous comedy actress Sandra Ng (CHILLI LAUGH STORY, TWINKLE TWINKLE LUCKY STARS) and Cheung Tin-Fu, we see the unlikely emotional connection formed between a lonely young man and a vibrant older woman through an on-line dating app.
LOVE LIES (我談的那場戀愛) – Première montréalaise
Ce premier long-métrage de Ho Miu-ki, qui faisait ses débuts en Asie en septembre dernier,pose la question du bien et du mal à travers un récit « d’arnaque sentimentale ». Grâce aux charmantes performances de Cheung Tin-fu et de la célèbre actrice comique Sandra Ng (CHILLI LAUGH STORY, TWINKLE TWINKLE LUCKY STARS), nous assistons au lien émotionnel improbable qui se forme entre un jeune homme solitaire et une femme plus âgée par le biais d’une app de rencontre.
Please Note: Ticketing for this free screening does not guarantee entry. Entry is on a first-come, first-serve basis and subject to available seating.
Reserved seats tickets holders must redeem their tickets no later than 15 minutes before showtimes. The festival has the right to release any unclaimed reserved seats 15 minutes before showtimes.
To guarantee seating, we offer a donation option on our ticketing page. Thank you for the support!
Friday, Oct. 25, 2024
7:00 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Cinéma Cineplex Forum et VIP
2313 St. Catherine St. West Suite 101, Montréal, QC, H3H 1N2
DIRECTOR
Ho Miu-Ki, Director
Miu Ho started working as a film screenwriter in 2008.
She has written screenplays for films such as "La Comédie humaine", "Naked Ambition 2" and "The Mermaid".She was nominated for Best Screenplay at the 36th Hong Kong Film Awards for “The Mermaid.”
"Love Lies" is her directorial debut.
OFFICIAL TRAILER
"ROB N ROLL (臨時劫案)"
ROB N ROLL
(臨時劫案)
MAKING WAVES MONTREAL
OPENING NIGHT FILM
Hong Kong | Comedy | 2024 | 98 minutes | In Cantonese w/ English subtitles
DIRECTOR: Albert Mak
STARRING: Aaron Kwok, Lam Ka Tung, Richie Ren
FILM SOURCE: Vision Niu
INTRO/Q&A by actor Gordon Lam.
An exhilarating, outrageously funny and gripping heist thriller produced by renowned Derek Yee (VIVA EROTICA) and directed by Albert Mak. An all-star cast featuring award winning Gordon Lam (INFERNAL AFFAIRS) along with Richie Ren and Aaron Kwok who reunite after appearing in the Hong Kong kung fu sensation TWILIGHT OF THE WARRIORS: WALLED IN (Fantasia Festival 2024). A special encore presentation in honor of Gordon Lam’s personal attendance.
ROB N ROLL (臨時劫案) – Film d’ouverture
Un thriller policier à la fois hilarant et captivant, produit par le célèbre Derek Yee (VIVA EROTICA) et réalisé par Albert Mak. Mettant en vedette l’acteur primé Gordon Lam (INFERNAL AFFAIRS), ainsi que Richie Ren et Aaron Kwok, qui se retrouvent après avoir joué dans le film hongkongais à succès TWILIGHT OF THE WARRIORS : WALLED IN (Festival Fantasia 2024). Présentation spéciale en rappel, pour honorer la présence de Gordon Lam.
Please Note: Ticketing for this free screening does not guarantee entry. Entry is on a first-come, first-serve basis and subject to available seating.
Reserved seats tickets holders must redeem their tickets no later than 15 minutes before showtimes. The festival has the right to release any unclaimed reserved seats 15 minutes before showtimes.
To guarantee seating, we offer a donation option on our ticketing page. Thank you for the support!
Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024
6:45 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Cinéma Cineplex Forum et VIP
2313 St. Catherine St. West Suite 101, Montréal, QC, H3H 1N2
DIRECTOR
Albert Mak, Director
Albert Mark is a longtime director and Hong Kong film industry veteran. ROB N’ ROLL, released during Chinese New Year 2024, is Mak’s return as a lead director since his last solo directing effort FORGET ME NOT back in 2010.
SPECIAL GUEST
Gordon Lam, Actor
Gordon Lam Ka Tung, one of today’s most versatile and prolific actors in the Hong Kong cinema.Gordon is a household name and has starred in over 60 TV drama series. In 2001, he began to concentrate on his film career and performed in over 70 films. He starred in a number of Johnnie To’s films including YESTERDAY ONCE MORE (2004), ELECTION I & II (2005, 2006), EXILED (2006), MAD DETECTIVE (2007), TRIANGLE (2007), SPARROW (2008), and VENGEANCE (2009). Other acclaimed films including INFERNAL AFFAIRS I & III (2002, 2003), IP MAN (2008), COLD WAR (2012), FIRESTORM (2013), and TRIVISA (2016), for which he received the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor.Gallants (2010), is Gordon’s producing debut, which received 4 awards in the Hong Kong Film Awards. In 2021, he stars in a new role where he serves as producer and screenwriter on Ricky Ko’s film Time.And Patrick Tse Yin, the actor of Time won the Best Actor award in 2022 at the 40th Hong Kong Film Awards.
OFFICIAL TRAILER
NURSE UNSEEN
ASIAN POP-UP CINEMA PRESENTS
NURSE UNSEEN
FILIPINO AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH
Director Michele Josue and producer Carlo Velayo will appear in-person for an introduction and post-film Q&A.
** Due to increased demand, we have added a second screening (7:30 p.m.) on the same night. Director Josue and producer Velayo will also participate in a Q&A for the second screening. **
CHICAGOLAND PREMIERE
U.S.A. | Documentary | 2024 | 93 mins.
DIRECTOR: Michele Josue
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Jeffrey Schneider
PRODUCED BY: Michele Josue & Carlo Velayo
SYNOPSIS:
Nurse Unseen follows the unsung Filipino nurses who risked their lives on the frontlines of the Covid-19 pandemic. Featuring personal narratives from medical workers, grieving families, journalists and more, the feature-length documentary examines resilience, dedication and sacrifice during an unprecedented time of crisis. The film unearths the colonial ties between the Philippines and the United States that have led to Filipino-American nurses becoming the unknown backbone of the American health industry.
MICHELE JOSUE, DIRECTOR
Michele Josue is an Emmy Award-winning Filipino filmmaker whose feature debut MATT SHEPARD IS A FRIEND OF MINE won 10 Best Documentary and Audience Awards from film festivals worldwide and boasts a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Michele is also the Executive Producer, Director, and Lead Editor of HAPPY JAIL, the award-winning Netflix Original documentary series about the Cebu jail that is home to the world-famous “Dancing Inmates.”
CARLO VELAYO, PRODUCER
Carlo Velayo is a Film Independent Spirit Award-nominated Producer, a Berlinale VFF Talent Highlight Awardee, and was the inaugural SFFILM New American Fellow. Carlo has produced two narrative features, including Isabel Sandoval's LINGUA FRANCA and Jessica M. Thompson's THE LIGHT OF THE MOON. In the non-fiction space, Carlo was Senior Producer on Michele Josue's Netflix Original documentary series HAPPY JAIL and is collaborating again with Michele on the documentary feature NURSE UNSEEN.
SCREENINGS:
Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024
7:00 PM Showtime
Low Ticket Alert
Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024
7:30 PM Showtime
SOLD OUT
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
AMC OAKBROOK CENTER 12
600 Oak Brook Center
(Top Level of the Purple Garage)
OakBrook, IL
OFFICIAL TRAILER
OUR COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS FOR THIS PRESENTATION:
ALL SHALL BE WELL
ALL SHALL BE WELL (從今以後)
CHICAGO SCREENINGS
Hong Kong | Drama | 2024 | 93 minutes | In Cantonese w/English subtitles
DIRECTOR: Ray Yeung
STARRING: Patra Au, Li Lin Lin
SYNOPSIS:
Winner of the coveted Teddy Award at the Berlin Film Festival and the Audience Award for Best Film at Frameline, ALL SHALL BE WELL is a masterful film that offers a rare and poignant look at an older lesbian couple in Hong Kong. This critically-acclaimed film follows Angie and Pat, who have been together for over four decades. After an unexpected turn of events, Angie finds herself at the mercy of Pat's family, struggling to retain her dignity and the home they shared for over thirty years. Inspired by real-life stories of older LGBTQ+ individuals, the film underscores the urgent need for legal reforms. Set against the backdrop of Hong Kong’s socially conservative culture, ALL SHALL BE WELL is a heartfelt and powerful call to action, filled to the brim with emotional depth and critical social commentary.
SCREENINGS:
Fri, Sep 27, 6:00 pm
Fri, Sep 27, 8:15 pm
Sat, Sep 28, 4:45 pm
Sat, Sep 28, 7:00 pm
Sun, Sep 29, 12:30 pm
Sun, Sep 29, 6:30 pm
Mon, Sep 30, 8:15 pm
Tue, Oct 1, 6:15 pm
Wed, Oct 2, 8:30 pm
Thu, Oct 3, 6:15 pm
The Gene Siskel Film Center
164 N. State Street
Chicago, IL
OFFICIAL TRAILER
THE MIDSUMMER’S VOICE
This screening is co-presented with The Chicago Film Office of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) and sponsored by the Consulate General of The People's Republic of China in Chicago.
THE MIDSUMMER’S VOICE
Celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival with Chicago Asian Pop-Up Cinema! Join us for a free with screening of “The Midsummer’s Voice”, a coming-of-age film about teenage Peking Opera performers.
Prior to the screening of the film — Susanna Sun, who is a Ph.D. student studying East Asian Languages and Civilizations and Theatre and Performance Studies at The University of Chicago, will conduct an in-person 20-minute presentation about Peking Opera.
Free mooncakes will be distributed after the screening!
Please Note: Ticketing for this free screening does not guarantee entry. Entry is on a first-come, first-serve basis and subject to available seating. Doors open 30 minutes prior to showtime. To guarantee seatings, we offer a donation option on our ticketing page. Thank you for the support! See you then!
CHICAGO PREMIERE
China | Drama | 2024 | 105 minutes | In Mandarin w/English subtitles
DIRECTOR: Yudi Zhang
STARRING: Cheng Bian, Meijun Zhou, Chi Zhang, Shaoxi Chen
SYNOPSIS:
Sun Xiaolei, a Peking Opera student, is facing his first life-changing competition, but his delayed voice change might jeopardize everything. Fortunately, during this anxiety-inducing preparation period, he unexpectedly befriends two competitors - the tomboyish girl Shi Jiahui and the rebellious “Nepo baby,” Xie Tianci. Together, these three young adults navigate the “voice change” of adolescence during a transformative summer.
Director Bio: Yudi Zhang
Graduated from the University of Southern California. The short film was nominated for the Florida Film Festival, and the Newport Beach Film Festival.
The short film “The Midsummer’s Voice” won the Special Jury Award-Best Live-Action Short Under 15 Minutes for Palm Springs International Film Festival, and was nominated for the Cork International Film Festival, Philadelphia International Film Festival, Hangzhou Youth Film Program, etc.
The feature film “The Midsummer’s Voice” won the first venture capital award at the FIRST International Film Festival, and won “China’s Good Story” award at the China Golden Rooster & Hundred Flowers Film Festival.
SCREENING:
Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024
Doors open at 1:30pm
Opening Remarks & Peking Opera presentation at 2:00pm
Screening at 2:30pm
Claudia Cassidy Theater
78 E. Washington St.
Chicago, IL
OFFICIAL TRAILER
“INU-OH”
ASIAN POP-UP CINEMA x FAN EXPO Chicago
PRESENT
“INU-OH”
SPECIAL SCREENING
Japan | Anime/Rock Opera | 2022 | 97 minutes | In Japanese w/English subtitles
DIRECTOR: Masaaki Yuasa
SCREENPLAY: Akiko Nogi
CHARACTER CREATION: Taiyo Matsumoto
A post-film discussion will immediately follow the film with APUC founder Sophia Wong Boccio and guest moderator Patrick McDonald.
SYNOPSIS:
From visionary director Masaaki Yuasa, hailed by IndieWire as “one of the most creatively unbridled minds in all of modern animation,” comes a revisionist rock opera about a 14th-century superstar whose dance moves take Japan by storm.
Born to an esteemed family, Inu-oh is afflicted with an ancient curse that has left him on the margins of society. When he meets the blind musician Tomona, a young biwa priest haunted by his past, Inu-oh discovers a captivating ability to dance. The pair quickly become business partners and inseparable friends as crowds flock to their electric, larger-than-life concerts. But when those in power threaten to break up the band, Inu-oh and Tomona must dance and sing to uncover the truth behind their creative gifts.
Featuring character creation by Taiyo Matsumoto (Tekkonkinkreet, Ping Pong the Animation) and awe-inspiring vocals by Avu-chan (Queen Bee) and Mirai Moriyama, INU-OH is a glam-rock ode to the power of music and a forceful statement on artistic freedom from one of animation’s singular talents.
Masaaki Yuasa, Director
Aug. 17, 2024
10:30 AM Showtime
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
A post-film discussion will immediately follow the film with APUC founder Sophia Wong Boccio and guest moderator Patrick McDonald.
Donald E. Stephens Convention Center
5555 N River Rd,
Rosemont, IL
OFFICIAL TRAILER
“CONFETTI”
ASIAN POP-UP CINEMA x THE WILMETTE THEATRE
PRESENT EXCLUSIVE SCREENINGS OF
“CONFETTI”
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Japan | Drama | 2024 | 80 minutes | In Japanese w/English subtitles
DIRECTOR: Naoya Fujita
STARRING: Shion Matsufuji, Jun Saito, Sara Hayama, Hinako Saeki, Hirona Murata, Reiko Takashima, Toru Kizu
SYNOPSIS:
Fujita Naoya’s feature debut, Confetti is a fresh, sweet-spirited take on the venerable seishun eiga (youth film) genre. The setup of a boy transferring to a Tokyo middle school is a genre staple, but almost everything else about the film, based on an original script by Kaneko Suzuyuki, is not. The protagonist, Yuki (Matsufuji Shion), plays female roles for his father’s traveling taishu engeki (popular theater) troupe.
Reflecting director Fujita’s extensive research, Confetti is an informed and sympathetic look at a theatrical genre that doesn’t get a lot of critical respect, but still moves and amuses Japanese audiences in ways that seem little changed since Tokyo was Edo. So give Fujita, Matsufuji and company a well-deserved confetti shower.
- Mark Schilling, The Japan Times
Director’s Statement
“I had a wonderful opportunity to work with Shion Matsufuji, Jun Saito, Sara Hayama. Those three fresh and powerful casts have influenced me and affected me every day throughout the shooting process. I am sure each of their characteristics are strongly reflected to the screen. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Japan Culture and Taishu Engeki Association for their interviews and precious experience, as well as the theatre performance troupe Gekidan Mimatsu for their cooperation to produce this film. I hope this story of the youth, as well as the culture of theatre will reach many people through this film. I am thankful for being able to produce the film with a great help from wonderful casts and staffs.”
Naoya Fujita, Director
SCREENINGS:
Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024
2:40PM Showtime
Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024
7:30PM Showtime
Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024
2:40PM Showtime
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
Wilmette Theatre
1122 Central Avenue
Wilmette, IL
OFFICIAL TRAILER
"ROB N ROLL"
HONG KONG CINEMA SHOWCASE
ROB N ROLL
(臨時劫案)
MIDWEST PREMIERE
Hong Kong | Drama | 2023 | 95 minutes | In Cantonese w/English subtitles
DIRECTOR: Albert Mak
STARRING: Aaron Kwok, Lam Ka Tung, Richie Jen, Maggie Cheung Ho Yee, Lam Suet, Nina Paw, Lo Hoi Pang, Nancy Wu Ting Yan, Leung Chun Hang
SYNOPSIS:
ROB N ROLL is a Hong Kong action-comedy film produced by Derek Yee and directed by Albert Mak. The film stars Aaron Kwok as a robber who forces two dispirited, middle-aged men, played by Gordon Lam and Richie Jen, to participate in a heist.
“[Director Albert Mak] successfully navigates each character’s predicaments and parallel storytelling with a mix of gritty and quirky crime-comedy tones.” - Screen HK.
“An exhilarating, funny and gripping crime thriller.” - NYC Movie Guru.
“The performances of Aaron Kwok, asa unstable bandit, Lam Ka-tung, as a put-upon taxi driver, and Richie Jen as an indebted business owner, are the draw here.” - South China Morning Post.
Albert Mak, Director
Sunday, April 21, 2024
7:00 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
AMC NEWCITY 14
1500 N. Clybourn Avenue Chicago, IL 60610
OFFICIAL TRAILER
THIS SCREENING IS PART OF OUR HONG KONG CINEMA SHOWCASE AND IS PRESENTED WITH THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC & TRADE OFFICE NEW YORK.
"Time Still Turns The Pages"
HONG KONG CINEMA SHOWCASE
TIME STILL TURNS THE PAGES
(年少日記)
MIDWEST PREMIERE
Hong Kong | Drama | 2023 | 95 minutes | In Cantonese w/English subtitles
Director & Writer: Nick Cheuk
Starring: Lo Chun Yip, Ronald Cheng, Hanna Chan, Rosa Maria Velasco, Sean Wong
SYNOPSIS:
High school teacher Cheng looks back to his repressed childhood memories as he finds an anonymous suicide note in the classroom. He strives hard to prevent another tragedy from happening, while facing a series of family problems: his wife is divorcing him, and his father is dying.
“TIME STILL TURNS THE PAGE” is a poignant tale of emotional tortune, regret and redemption told through a student contemplating ending his own life. Writer-director Nick Cheeks gem of a film is relatively short at 95 minutes, but full of feeling - watch out for the third act’s emotional gut punch.” - South China Morning Post.
The film won the Audience Choice Award and the Best New Director for Nick Cheuk at the 60th Golden Horse Awards. It has now received 12 nomination at the upcoming Hong Kong Film Awards that includes the Best film, Best New Director, Best Actor, Best Screenplay. Winners will be announced on April 14. The film is a good example how a new generation of filmmakers in Hong Kong reflect on their city, its land, space, edge and people.
Nick Cheuk, Director
Cheuk is a member of the Hong Kong Screenwriters' Guild, he is also the scriptwriter of PARADOX and ZOMBIOLOGY: ENJOY YOURSELF TONIGHT. He is the Creative Director of the 38th Hong Kong Film Awards. Graduated from the School of Creative Media of the City University of Hong Kong in 2013, majoring in Film Arts, in 2022, Nick wrote his directorial debut TIME STILL TURNS THE PAGES.
Sunday, April 21, 2024
5:30 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
AMC NEWCITY 14
1500 N. Clybourn Avenue Chicago, IL 60610
OFFICIAL TRAILER
THIS SCREENING IS PART OF OUR HONG KONG CINEMA SHOWCASE AND IS PRESENTED WITH THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC & TRADE OFFICE NEW YORK.
"Elegies"
HONG KONG CINEMA SHOWCASE
ELEGIES
(詩)
MIDWEST PREMIERE
Hong Kong | Documentary | 2023 | 101 minutes | In Cantonese w/English subtitles
DIRECTOR: Ann Hui
SYNOPSIS:
Venice Career Golden Lion-winning auteur Ann Hui finally films a topic she holds most dear - poetry as she is always the most literarily inclined of the great directors of her generation, the Hong Kong New Wave. Through her personal encounters with some of Hong Kong’s most notable poets, Hui shows the topography of contemporary poetry of the city.
Here is an audience member’s review with the penance “smile” who says, “A love letter to Hong Kong, Taiwan and China, comprised of poems that are individual love letters to the same. Interviews with and profiles of the poets contextualize their work and enrich one’s understanding of their respective cultures. I know this probably sounds dry and boring, but it’s really a quietly beautiful movie.”
Ann Hui, Director
Hui is one of the most critically acclaimed filmmakers of the Hong Kong New Wave. She is known for her films about social issues in Hong Kong which include literary adaptations, martial arts, semi-autobiographical works, women's issues, social phenomena, political changes, and thrillers. She served as the president of the Hong Kong Film Directors' Guild from 2004 to 2006. Hui has won numerous awards. She won Best Director at the Golden Horse Awards three times (1999, 2011, 2014); Best Film at the Asia Pacific Film Festival; and Best Director at the Hong Kong Film Awards six times (1983, 1996, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018). Only two films have won a Grand Slam (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, and Best Actress) at the Hong Kong Film Awards; they are SUMMER SNOW and A SIMPLE LIFE, both directed by Hui. In 2020, Hui was awarded an Honorary Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 77th Venice International Film Festival.
Sunday, April 21, 2024
2:00 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
AMC NEWCITY 14
1500 N. Clybourn Avenue Chicago, IL 60610
OFFICIAL TRAILER
THIS SCREENING IS PART OF OUR HONG KONG CINEMA SHOWCASE AND IS PRESENTED WITH THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC & TRADE OFFICE NEW YORK.
"We Are Family"
CLOSING NIGHT
WE ARE FAMILY
(出租家人)
MIDWEST PREMIERE
Hong Kong | Comedy | 2022 | 100 minutes | In Cantonese w/English subtitles
Director: Benny Lau
Scriptwriters: Ashley Cheung Yin Kei, Wong Wing Hong, Benny Lau
Starring: Eric Tsang, Carlos Chan, Catherine Chau, Tien Niu
Director Benny Lau & actor Carlos Chan are scheduled to appear in-person for a film introduction and a post-film Q&A.
Additionally, Chan is the recipient of our BRIGHT STAR AWARD and the award ceremony will take place before the feature presentation.
SYNOPSIS:
RENT-A-FAMILY (出租家人) specializes in offering family and friends for rent. The company consists of Carlos, the founder; Catherine, the drama coach; and Chi Kwong, the passionate small-time actor. Carlos and Catherine disapprove of Chi Kwong's overwhelming care for their clients, but they begin to rethink the meaning of "Rent-a-Family" when they see the results of Chi Kwong's kindness...
Carlos Chan
Hong Kong actor Carlos Chan began his entertainment career in 2003, when he joined the International Chinese New Talent Singing Championship and subsequently signed with Emperor Entertainment Group. In 2008, he made his film acting debut with HAPPILY EVER ACTOR, playing the second male lead. He has since acted in over 40 films and television series. In 2016, his co-starring performance alongside Kara Wai in 2016’s HAPPINESS was praised as a major breakthrough performance for Chan, earning him the Best New Actor of the Year award at the 11th Chinese Young Generation Film Forum and a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the 7th Macau International Movie Festival. His performance in the 2018 TV series DADDY COOL made his popularity soar. His most recent performances in films such as READY O/R KNOT, RAGING FIRE, DETECTIVES VS SLEUTHS and THE GOLDFINGER have also been well-received.
Benny Lau
Benny Lau is a film director and screenwriter based in Hong Kong who is best known for exploring love and family relationships in his films. He made his first directorial debut with the feature film WONG KA YAN (2015), winning Lau the Best Director Award at the Mexico International Film Festival. In 2017, Lau made his second feature film WHEN SUN MEETS MOON, continuing the theme of capturing and exploring relationships with realism. The film won the Audience Award in the East Winds Film Festival. In September 2018, Lau filmed YOUR WORLD, WITHOUT ME in Sichuan, which was based on a true love story. The film was selected for the 2019 Hong Kong Asian Film Festival. In 2020, Lau took up the challenge of directing suspense movie BURNING. Later on, Lau tried his hand at television and directed the TV drama Parents League in 2021. The drama series, featuring the stories of kindergarten students and their parents in facing various challenges, was a critical and commercial success.
Saturday, April 20, 2024
7:00 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
AMC NEWCITY 14
1500 N. Clybourn Avenue Chicago, IL 60610
TEASER
THIS SCREENING IS PART OF OUR HONG KONG CINEMA SHOWCASE AND IS PRESENTED WITH THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC & TRADE OFFICE NEW YORK.
“Pai Niang Niang: The Last Osmanthus Blossom”
HONG KONG CINEMA SHOWCASE
PAI NIANG NIANG: THE LAST OSMANTHUS BLOSSOM
U.S. PREMIERE
Hong Kong | Documentary | 2023 | 65 minutes | In Cantonese/Mandarin & English with Chinese & English Subtitles
DIRECTOR: Isabel Wong
Director Isabel Wong is scheduled to appear in-person for an intro and post-film Q&A.
Additionally, Rebecca Pan will be a virtual recipient of our APUC Lifetime Achievement Award.
SYNOPSIS:
In March 1972, Rebecca Pan self-financed the production of the first ever Mandarin musical, PAI NIANG NIANG (1972) and performed for 60 times at Princess Theatre, Tsim Sha Tsui. This is not only a piece of history of Hong Kong art and culture, but also the most important milestone of Rebecca’s oeuvre. This work used the Broadway musical model to adapt the famous Chinese myth Legend of the White Snake. Bringing together Eastern and Western theatrical styles, the production combined Chinese traditional music, dance, costume and stage design with modern Western concepts. Despite this bold attempt, the resulting work was ahead of its time and was not a commercial success. Also, it was thought to have not been captured on film and faded into obscurity. In April, 2024, however, a partial film record of the performance was miraculously discovered. The restored surviving footage has become the finale of this documentary, PAI NIANG NIANG: THE LAST OSMANTHUS BLOSSOM.
This documentary is directed by director Wong Tsui-Wah, Isabel. During the years of observation and excavation, Isabel has been looking for various aspects of PAI NIANG NIANG, and through this documentary, she recorded every detail of PAI NIANG NIANG.
Isabel Wong, Director
Wong Tsui-Wah, Isabel is a screenwriter, director, multi-media producer, and curator.
She has worked in television as a script reviewer for drama content and as a programme producer for variety shows. She has written more than 20 drama series, and she has produced music programmes and award ceremonies. In 2021, she was appointed Content Director of TVB Music Group, with a focus on album and concert production. She founded the studio Artcanteen and is passionate about documentary filmmaking. In 2022, she curated a photo exhibition of Ms Rebecca Pan - Rebecca Pan Wan Ching Will The Orange Blossom Smile Photo Journey. She is working on a documentary celebrating the achievements of Filipino musicians in Hong Kong.
Saturday, April 20, 2024
5:00 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
AMC NEWCITY 14
1500 N. Clybourn Avenue Chicago, IL 60610
OFFICIAL TRAILER
THIS SCREENING IS PART OF OUR HONG KONG CINEMA SHOWCASE AND IS PRESENTED WITH THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC & TRADE OFFICE NEW YORK.
"Band Four"
HONG KONG CINEMA SHOWCASE
BAND FOUR
(4拍4家族)
U.S. PREMIERE
Hong Kong | Drama, Family, Music | 2023 | 107 minutes | In Cantonese w/English subtitles
DIRECTOR: Lai Yan Chi
STARRING: Kay Tse, Teddy Robin, Rondi Chan, Anny
Director Lai Yan Chi is scheduled to appear in-person for a film introduction and a post-film Q&A.
SYNOPSIS:
Cat admired her father King, who left home when she was ten. Years later, they meet again in a crematorium, where Cat is with her nine-year-old son Riley. King is with Cat’s half-blooded sister Lok Yin. After a period, the four of them decide to live together. This newly formed family has four different voices, each with their past lives, secrets, and fears. As the once-broken family members begin to set aside their differences and support one another, they will face even greater hardships with Cat’s genetic disease.
Directed by the celebrated theater actress and playwright, Mo Lai Yan-chi, “BAND FOUR is an amiable Hong Kong music drama that is far more comfortable costing on the natural charisma of its fresh-faced performers. Lai’s story may be fanciful in multiple ways, but the emotions she evokes with this music-driven film do mostly feel genuine.” - South China Morning Post.
Lai Yan Chi, Director
Lai is a professional theatre and film writer, director, actress, instructor of a theatre and video workshop, and coordinator of arts programs, also specializing in arts administration, stage supervision, video production, photography, and translation.
She is a Ten Outstanding Young Persons Selection awardee, the Hong Kong Spirit Ambassador and winner of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council’s Award for Young Artist (Film). Lai is also the chief actress with the independent theatre company named FM Theatre Power.
Saturday, April 20, 2024
2:00 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
AMC NEWCITY 14
1500 N. Clybourn Avenue Chicago, IL 60610
OFFICIAL TRAILER
THIS SCREENING IS PART OF OUR HONG KONG CINEMA SHOWCASE AND IS PRESENTED WITH THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC & TRADE OFFICE NEW YORK.
"It Remains"
HONG KONG CINEMA SHOWCASE
IT REMAINS
(釀魂)
U.S. PREMIERE
Hong Kong | Suspense, Drama | 2022 | 100 minutes | In Cantonese w/English subtitles
DIRECTOR: Kelvin Shum
STARRING: Anson Lo, Summer Chan, Chui-Yi Kwok, Siu Hin Ng, David Chiang, Pak Hon Chu, Yiu-Sing Lam, Angela Yuen
Director Kelvin Shum is scheduled to appear in-person for a film introduction and post-film Q&A.
SYNOPSIS:
Four colleagues reunite after the tragic death of a friend and set out to hike on a remote island. On this trip, they come across an ancient evil that exists and stalks them at every turn. The four friends are forced to revisit the past that haunts them.
Anson Lo Hon-ting of the popular Cantopop boy band Mirror acquits himself more convincingly in IT REMAINS, playing a guilt-ridden boyfriend trapped in a sinister dreamscape.
APUC has previously shown DELIVERANCE, director Kelvin Shum’s first feature that clearly demonstrated his strength at “creating strikingly stylized imagery.” With his second feature, “Shum transcends this by creating an atmosphere of sustained spookiness, as well as some of the most beautifully staged images and montages seen in Hong Kong horror cinema in many a long year.” - South China Morning Post.
Kelvin Shum, Director
Kelvin Shum, since early 2011 he has been involved in multiple theatre productions in Melbourne, taking up roles as actor & director.
In 2020 Kelvin returned to Hong Kong and in the following year of 2021 he directed his first cinema feature film “Deliverance” with Asia renowned actors Simon Yam, Ron Ng, Kenneth Tseng, Nina Paw etc. This film marked his debut as a feature film Director in the Hong Kong and Asia Film Industry. The film went on showcasing and winning multiple awards around the world entering esteem festival of 28th Minsk International Film Festival, Chicago, San Francisco Festival for “Best Director”, “Best Film” , “Best Actor” (Simon Yam) and “Best Actress”, also best screenplay of Macau International Film Festival.
In early 2022, he directed his second feature, a fantasy thriller “It Remains”, winning him “Critics’ Award for Best Directing” in Italy’s renowned fantastic film festival, Ravenna Nightmare FilmFest.
Friday, April 19, 2024
7:00 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
AMC NEWCITY 14
1500 N. Clybourn Avenue Chicago, IL 60610
TRAILER
THIS SCREENING IS PART OF OUR HONG KONG CINEMA SHOWCASE AND IS PRESENTED WITH THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC & TRADE OFFICE NEW YORK.
“Ready O/R Rot” (Virtual Cinema)
HONG KONG CINEMA SHOWCASE
Ready O/R Rot
(不日成婚2)
U.S. PREMIERE
Hong Kong | Dark Comedy | 2023 | 124 minutes | In Cantonese w/English subtitles
DIRECTOR: Anselm Chan
STARRING: Carlos Chan, Michelle Wai, Tommy Chu, Rachel Leung
SYNOPSIS:
This sequel to the 2021 film, Ready O/R NOT, that premiered as the closing night film during our Season 12, explores a series of heart-wrenching realities encountered by modern men and women, who are at different stages of their relationships. The story revolves around three couples dealing with accidental pregnancy, unfaithfulness, and the planning of a wedding with a meddling mother-in-law. Will they call it quits or remember why they fell in love in the first place? READY O/R ROT includes much of the cast of the first film and is sure to be a hit with audiences, whether they have seen the first installment or not. Director Chan masterfully combines romance with darkly comedic moments in a twisted exploration of love and commitment.
Anselm Chan, Director
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Anselm Chan Mou Yin is a renowned screenwriter within the Hong Kong film and television industry, an up-and-coming director, and a member of the Hong Kong Screenwriters’ Guild.
Please rent your films during the availability, and once you unlock the films you will have 24 hours to finish watching the film.
OFFICIAL TRAILER
THIS VIRTUAL SCREENING IS PART OF OUR HONG KONG CINEMA SHOWCASE AND IS PRESENTED WITH THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC & TRADE OFFICE NEW YORK.
“Ready O/R Knot” (Virtual Cinema)
HONG KONG CINEMA SHOWCASE
Ready O/R Knot
(不日成婚1)
U.S. PREMIERE
Hong Kong | Comedy | 2023 | 113 minutes | In Cantonese w/English subtitles
DIRECTOR: Anselm Chan
STARRING: Carlos Chan, Michelle Wai, Tommy Chu, Hedwig Tam, Kaki Sham, Renci Yeung
This film is available for streaming from April 15-21, 2024.
SYNOPSIS:
The story follows Guy and Heidi five years into their relationship and faced with a serious dilemma: whether or not it is time to marry and form a family. They're equally in love, and their relationship is strong. But while Heidi is ready to settle down and believes that marriage is proof of one’s everlasting love, Guy holds the belief that marrying Heidi will result in him being tied down to a woman whom he will one day grow distant from. Heidi consults her girlfriends for advice, and Guy consults the guys. What follows is an outright battle of the sexes, as Heidi plots devious ways of getting pregnant—with marriage as an end goal—as quickly as possible, and Guy schemes up a handful of contraceptive counterstrategies.
Anselm Chan, Director
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Anselm Chan Mou Yin is a renowned screenwriter within the Hong Kong film and television industry, an up-and-coming director, and a member of the Hong Kong Screenwriters’ Guild
Please rent your films during the availability, and once you unlock the films you will have 24 hours to finish watching the film.
OFFICIAL TRAILER
THIS VIRTUAL SCREENING IS PART OF OUR HONG KONG CINEMA SHOWCASE AND IS PRESENTED WITH THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC & TRADE OFFICE NEW YORK.
"Takano Tofu"
JAPAN CINEMA SHOWCASE
TAKANO TOFU
(⾼野⾖腐店)
U.S. CONTINENT PREMIERE
Japan | Drama | 2023 | 120 minutes | In Japanese w/ English subtitles
DIRECTOR: Mitsuhiro Mihara
PRODUCER(S): Shoji Masui, Takao Tsuchimoto, Masahiko Yamakawa
STARRING: Tatsuya Fuji, Kumiko Aso, Kumi Nakamura, Yu Tokui, Sugawara Daaikichi
SYNOPSIS:
Tatsuo and his daughter Haru run the Takano Tofu Store in Onomichi, Japan. They begin their work before dawn every day, carefully selecting beans to make their tofu. While the days are peaceful, Tatsuo learns he is in poor health and worries about Haru, who has returned home after a divorce, being alone after his death. With the help of some friends, he sets about planning a secret matchmaking strategy to find Haru a partner. At the same time, as Tatsuo prepares for the inevitable, he gets friendly with Fumie, who he bumps into during a hospital visit. TAKANO TOFU is a father-daughter story, a heartfelt drama about lifelong old friends, and a love letter to the bucolic Japanese ‘small town’ life.”- Excerpt from Hawaii International Film Festival.
“Played by Tatsuya Fuji, star of Nagisa Oshima’s notorious X-rated drama IN THE REALM OF SENSES, has made a late-career speciality of playing grumpy old men. At 82, Fuji “adds layers and nuances that set Tstsuo apart from the cinematic elderly crowd, just as his tofu, which we see Tatsuo lovingly make in mouthwatering details, is a cut above the rest.” - Japan Times, Mark Schilling.
Mihara Mitsuhiro, Director
Born in Kyoto in 1964. Started independently film shooting by 8mm and 16mm while he is in Osaka University of Arts. 2005 "The Village Album 村の写真集", Won the 8th Shanghai International Film Festival Best Film and Best Actor (Tatsuya Fuji). Currently, he is a specially appointed professor at Osaka University of Arts(OUA), Department of Film and Media and OUA Junior College.
OFFICIAL TRAILER
Saturday, April 13, 2024
5:00 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
AMC NEWCITY 14
1500 N. Clybourn Avenue Chicago, IL 60610
THIS SCREENING IS PART OF OUR JAPAN CINEMA SHOWCASE.
"Good Autumn, Mommy"
CENTERPIECE FILM
Good Autumn, Mommy
(寻她)
MIDWEST PREMIERE
China | Drama | 2023 | 107 minutes | In Cantonese with English subtitles
DIRECTOR & SCRIPTWRITER: Shizhong Chen
STARRING: Shu Qi, White K, Lang Yueting, Zhang Benyu, Tian Niu, Yuan Xiangren, Shao Weitong
SYNOPSIS
Set in a quiet southern cane village, Fong-tai's (played by award-winning actress Shu Qi (舒淇) is heavily pregnant, and together with her husband their first daughter,, they are waiting in earnest to welcome a new family member. But, when their newborn daughter disappears without a trace, Fang-tai embarks on a transformative journey of awakening to find her family and herself. The film was honored with the Outstanding Artistic Achievement Award at the 25th Shanghai International Film Festival in 2023.
As a prolific actress who successfully transitioned from a model to a film star, Shu Qi has made over 80 films and 5 TV series in 20 years. Shu Qi, who has not starred in a film for four years, has changed her fashionable and beautiful image this time, playing the role of a rural woman in a Southern China town, showing another kind of resolute and simple feminist beauty.
DIRECTOR CHEN SHIZONG
Chen Shizhong is a director, screenwriter, cinematographer, and a Guangdong native. He graduated from Shenzhen University in 2017. He obtained a full scholarship to attend Shanghai Vancouver Film School, majoring in cinematography. He was selected as one of the top five directors of CFDG Young Director Support Program in 2020. GOOD AUTUMN, MOMMY is his first feature film. The film entered the main competition of the Golden Goblet Award at the 25th Shanghai International Film Festival and won the Outstanding Artistic Achievement.
Saturday, April 13, 2024
2:30 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
AMC NEWCITY 14
1500 N. Clybourn Avenue Chicago, IL 60610
TRAILER
STILLS
"The Coffin Painter"
Asian Pop-Up Cinema at the Block Museum
THE COFFIN PAINTER
(异乡来客)
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
China | Fiction | 2021 | 95 minutes | In Mandarin w/ English subtitles
DIRECTOR & SCREENWRITER: Da Fei
STARRING: Luosangqunpei, Zimu Zhang, Lu Liu
SYNOPSIS:
In his second feature film, director Da Fei tells a warm story of the cross-generational friendship between two strangers: Jia, an older man who has lost his son, and Seven, a middle school girl who runs from debt with her mother. As a coffin painter, the traditional Chinese craftsman who draws religious symbols on coffins, Jia observes people’s different attitudes towards their families living and dead. As time passes, the three characters with distinct personalities drift closer and bring company and warmth to each other. By depicting the mundane daily life in a remote town, Da Fei embodies people’s loneliness in an indifferent world. The sincere and gloomy tone of the film drives us to feel the characters’ burdens and sorrow. As Jia and Seven understand and heal each other with their kindness, their lives begin to turn around…
“While the majority of the Chinese Mainland films that screen in festivals are rather bleak, both in their main subject and in their overall presentation, with this film Da Fei tries to tone it down a bit by including some elements of European cinema in his narrative.” - The Asian Movie Pulse.
Da Fei, Director
Da Fei is a Chinese film writer and director who graduated from Shanxi Media College in 2007. In 2018, his film SILENT WINTER was selected in the First Time Filmmaker Section of the 42nd Montreal International Film Festival. The film won more than 20 nominations and awards including Best Film, Best Screenwriter at South Africa Independent Film Festival, and Best Original Screenplay at the London International Film Festival in 2019.
OFFICIAL TRAILER
Ticketing Note: For free screening ticket holders, seats on the day of the screening are subject to availability on a first-come, first-serve basis. Seats can be guaranteed with a suggested donation of $5 or more. Any guaranteed seats unclaimed 15 minutes prior to showtime will be released.
Thursday, April 11, 2024
5:30 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
BLOCK MUSEUM OF ART
(AUDITORIUM)
40 Arts Circle Drive
Evanston, IL 60208
"Shankar's Fairies"
Asian Pop-Up Cinema at the Block Museum
SHANKAR’S FAIRIES
SPECIAL ENCORE
India | Fiction | 2021 | 93 minutes | In Hindi w/ English subtitles
DIRECTOR: Irfana Majumdar
SCREENWRITER: Nita Kumar
STARRING: Jaihind Kumar, Shreeja Mishra, Gaurav Saini, Irfana Majumdar, Adwik Mathur
Director Irfana Majumdar is scheduled to appear in-person for a film introduction and post-film Q&A moderated by Ron Falzone.
SYNOPSIS:
India, 1962. Shankar is the indispensable servant on the estate of the parents of little Anjana and her brother. The little girl loves the brother’s fantastical stories and follows him around. Newly independent India is still class bound and exploitative. The mother manages the servants with a tough hand and the father commands his force with authority. Meanwhile, in the village, Shankar’s daughter gets sick .…
“SHANKAR’S FAIRIES is an absolutely stunning piece of filmmaking, a detailed and beautiful ode to the art of telling stories and the value of learning about the world through these small but significant encounters.” - International Cinephile Society.
Irfana Majumdar, Director
Irfana Majumdar is the founding Artistic Director of the NIRMAN Theatre and Film Studio in Varanasi, India. She studied Performance at the University of Chicago, and has been awarded fellowships for her commitment to themes of social justice and process of collaborative creation. She now directs and teaches, creates solo performances, and program annual arts events, residencies, and internships. At NIRMAN’s International Education Program, she teaches and mentors undergraduate and post-graduate students. She also leads the vision committee for the development of NIRMAN’s riverside campus, which is a site of arts, education, research, and environmental change. She has directed three documentaries.
SHANKAR’S FAIRIES is her debut film.
FILM EXCERPT
Ticketing Note: For free screening ticket holders, seats on the day of the screening are subject to availability on a first-come, first-serve basis. Seats can be guaranteed with a suggested donation of $5 or more. Any guaranteed seats unclaimed 15 minutes prior to showtime will be released.
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
5:30 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
BLOCK MUSEUM OF ART
(AUDITORIUM)
40 Arts Circle Drive
Evanston, IL 60208
“The Cord of Life” (Virtual Cinema)
CHINA CINEMA SHOWCASE
THE CORD OF LIFE
(脐带)
MIDWEST PREMIERE
Inner Mongolia, China | Drama/Family | 2022 | 96 minutes | In Mongolian w/ English subtitles
DIRECTOR & SCREENWRITER: Qiao Sixue
STARRING: Badma, Yider
Available for streaming April 9-24, 2024 for U.S. viewers.
SYNOPSIS:
Alus is a Mongolian electronic musician confused about what he wants in life. He also cannot bear to see his mother, who suffers from Alzheimer’s, living like a captive in his brother’s city apartment. He decides to take her back to the grassland in search of the home for which she yearns. As his mother’s condition worsens, Alus tries to prevent her from getting lost by tying his mother to him with a rope. The rope is like an umbilical cord that reconnects him to his mother’s thoughts, his hometown and his native culture.
The audience is invited to “travel with the film through the city’s electronic music night to the dancing and laughter accompanied by the horsehead violin music on the Mongolian grasslands. The cord that ties son to mother serves as a metaphor that binds the two generations and allows them to revisit the sounds of the past and the scent of the grassland in their memories. The loosening of this cord represents the physical demise of nomadic culture and the new generation's embrace and acceptance of their roots.” - Excerpt from the Asia Society.
Qiao Sixue, Director
Qiao Sixue was born in Inner Mongolia, China. After graduating from 3IS Ecoles & Formations d'audiovisuel à Paris de la France Academy, at the end of 2015, she worked at KOI Films Company in Paris and participated in dozens of short films. The Cord of Life is her debut feature. The project was previously selected by project markets including HAF Film Lab 2019 (Hong Kong). In 2022, the project won the Special Prize at the Project Market of Beijing International Film Festival.
OFFICIAL TRAILER
THIS SCREENING IS PART OF OUR CHINA CINEMA SHOWCASE.
“The Fallen Bridge” (Virtual Cinema)
CHINA CINEMA SHOWCASE
THE FALLEN BRIDGE
(断.桥)
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
China | Drama | 2022 | 114 minutes | In Mandarin w/ English subtitles
DIRECTOR: Yu Li
STARRING: Sichun Ma, Junkai Wang, Wei Fan
Available for streaming April 8-21, 2024 for U.S. viewers.
SYNOPSIS:
A bridge in the busy city of Huangque collapses in broad daylight. From the wreckage, investigators discover a skeleton of a kneeling man and a whistleblowing letter revealing corruption behind this fatally flawed construction. THE FALLEN BRIDGE is director Li Yu's latest and biggest box office hit to date. The crime drama examines the role played by laws in an unevenly developed society, and the emotional struggles and moral dilemmas of victims who go to great lengths for justice.
“THE FALLEN BRIDGE plays like one long exercise in pulling one over on them, a film that subtly touches on the generation gap (high youth unemployment as the economy contracts), the building bubble that their elders contrived to cover up the failings of economic planning and the corruption of the One Party state and those who know how to work that system. - Movie Nation.
Li Yu, Director
Born in Shandong province, China, Li Yu graduated from Shandong Normal University with a BA in Chinese Literature. Among her awards are: Best New Director (Chinese Film Media Award) and Best Actress/Best Artistic Contribution (Tokyo International Film Festival.
OFFICIAL TRAILER
THIS SCREENING IS PART OF OUR CHINA CINEMA SHOWCASE.
"Out"
JAPAN CINEMA SHOWCASE
OUT
(アウト)
U.S. CONTINENT PREMIERE
Japan | Drama, Action | 2023 | 129 minutes | In Japanese w/ English subtitles
DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: Hiroshi Shinagawa
STARRING: Yuki Kura, Koshi
SYNOPSIS:
Released from a juvenile reformatory and taken in by a relative who runs a barbecue restaurant in Chiba, Tatsuya Iguchi begins life with high hopes for rehabilitation. But on his first day of release, he gets into a one-on-one fight with Kaname Abe, the vice president of a motorcycle gang, Kilihito. Tatsuya wins the fight but does not want to go back to the reformatory. Kaname does not want his defeat to be known, and they agree to keep the fight secret, and the two deepen their relationship.
OUT is a Japanese manga series written by Tatsuya Iguchi and drawn by Mizuta Makoto. It has been serialized in Young Champion since 2012 and is currently ongoing. As of June 2023, the series has exceeded a cumulative circulation of 6.5 million copies. The story is based on Tatsuya Iguchi’s real experiences as a young delinquent. However, the setting was updated for more modern times, and events were exaggerated for entertainment purposes.
Hiroshi Shinagawa, Director
In 1995, he formed the duo Shinagawa Shoji with fellow comedian Tomoharu Shoji, and became popular for their speedy, orthodox manzai and storytelling comedy. In 2006, his novel "Drop," based on his own experiences, was published, and the following year it was made into a comic book. In 2009, he directed his own movie, "Drop," which was highly acclaimed despite being his first feature film. In the same year, his second novel, "Manzai Gang," was published, and in 2011, he again took the director's chair and made it into a movie, which was a huge hit as an exhilarating coming-of-age movie.
OFFICIAL TRAILER
Saturday, April 6, 2024
7:00 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
AMC NEWCITY 14
1500 N. Clybourn Avenue Chicago, IL 60610
THIS SCREENING IS PART OF OUR JAPAN CINEMA SHOWCASE.
"Takano Tofu"
JAPAN CINEMA SHOWCASE
TAKANO TOFU
(⾼野⾖腐店)
U.S. CONTINENT PREMIERE
Japan | Drama | 2023 | 120 minutes | In Japanese w/ English subtitles
DIRECTOR: Mitsuhiro Mihara
PRODUCER(S): Shoji Masui, Takao Tsuchimoto, Masahiko Yamakawa
STARRING: Tatsuya Fuji, Kumiko Aso, Kumi Nakamura, Yu Tokui, Sugawara Daaikichi
SYNOPSIS:
Tatsuo and his daughter Haru run the Takano Tofu Store in Onomichi, Japan. They begin their work before dawn every day, carefully selecting beans to make their tofu. While the days are peaceful, Tatsuo learns he is in poor health and worries about Haru, who has returned home after a divorce, being alone after his death. With the help of some friends, he sets about planning a secret matchmaking strategy to find Haru a partner. At the same time, as Tatsuo prepares for the inevitable, he gets friendly with Fumie, who he bumps into during a hospital visit. TAKANO TOFU is a father-daughter story, a heartfelt drama about lifelong old friends, and a love letter to the bucolic Japanese ‘small town’ life.”- Excerpt from Hawaii International Film Festival.
“Played by Tatsuya Fuji, star of Nagisa Oshima’s notorious X-rated drama IN THE REALM OF SENSES, has made a late-career speciality of playing grumpy old men. At 82, Fuji “adds layers and nuances that set Tstsuo apart from the cinematic elderly crowd, just as his tofu, which we see Tatsuo lovingly make in mouthwatering details, is a cut above the rest.” - Japan Times, Mark Schilling.
Mihara Mitsuhiro, Director
Born in Kyoto in 1964. Started independently film shooting by 8mm and 16mm while he is in Osaka University of Arts. 2005 "The Village Album 村の写真集", Won the 8th Shanghai International Film Festival Best Film and Best Actor (Tatsuya Fuji). Currently, he is a specially appointed professor at Osaka University of Arts(OUA), Department of Film and Media and OUA Junior College.
OFFICIAL TRAILER
Saturday, April 6, 2024
2:30 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
AMC NEWCITY 14
1500 N. Clybourn Avenue Chicago, IL 60610
THIS SCREENING IS PART OF OUR JAPAN CINEMA SHOWCASE.
"Drifting Flowers, Flowing Days"
Asian Pop-Up Cinema at the Block Museum
DRIFTING FLOWERS, FLOWING DAYS
(この日々が凪いだら)
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Japan | Drama | 2022 | 85 minutes | In Japanese w/ English subtitles
DIRECTOR: Yutaka Tsunemachi
STARRING: Kaho Seto, Hiroki Sato
First-time feature director Yutaka Tsunemachi is scheduled to appear in-person for a film introduction and post-film Q&A.
SYNOPSIS:
The film follows the daily lives of Hiroto, Futaba and Daigo in Tokyo. Hiroto works at a construction site, Futaba at a flower shop, Daigo in a design studio. Things gradually begin to change when they start questioning the here and now and what’s next. When Hiroto and Futaba learn they must move out of their apartment because it will be torn down, more doubts arise than just where to search for a new place. What will the future be like?
Wearing multiple hats as the scriptwriter, director, editor and producer of the film, first time feature director Yutaka tries to capture the “feelings” of young people that are stuck in a daily “mundane” life with questions about whether or not there is a different type of future ahead.
Yutaka Tsunemachi, Director
Tsunemachi was born in Kanagawa, Japan in 1997. He studied drama at Tama Art University and also entered The Film School of Tokyo when he was a sophomore student. His first short film NAMIGIWA, completed as part of the elementary course at the film school, was selected for many film festivals in Japan and won five prizes, among which Best Film Award at Yokohama Independent Film Festival. DRIFTING FLOWERS, FLOWING DAYS is his debut feature film.
OFFICIAL TRAILER
Ticketing Note: For free screening ticket holders, seats on the day of the screening are subject to availability on a first-come, first-serve basis. Seats can be guaranteed with a suggested donation of $5 or more. Any guaranteed seats unclaimed 15 minutes prior to showtime will be released.
Thursday, April 4, 2024
5:30 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before screening.
BLOCK MUSEUM OF ART
(AUDITORIUM)
40 Arts Circle Drive
Evanston, IL 60208
