DJ Spooky has been a big name in New York’s avant garde music scene for almost two decades. With a steady succession of albums, collaborations, and concept projects, he has consistently pushed boundaries across various genres and media.

DJ Spooky’s film, Rebirth of a Nation is arriving in Hong Kong on October 15th, after screening at top international institutions such as The Museum of Modern Art in New York, and London’s Tate Modern.

The multimedia performance, which includes a real-time remixing of the seminal film, The Birth of A Nation, (backed by a live string ensemble!) takes place on three screens simultaneously. The score, composed by DJ Spooky and originally performed by the Kronos Quartet, has gotten rave reviews. (more…)

Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (單身男女,) a Mandarin language film starring Daniel Wu, Louis Koo, and Gao Yuanyuan, is an inventive romantic comedy set in the offices of Hong Kong’s Central district.

While the film is solid and enjoyable (see the review below,) the big story here is the fact that it’s in Mandarin, starring Hong Kong stars, in a Hong Kong setting, by a Hong Kong director (Johnnie To.) After over 25 years of Cantonese-language dominance, is Hong Kong cinema about to return to its Mandarin-language past? (more…)

Like the hitman he portrayed in the 1989 film, The Killer (喋血雙雄,) Chow Yun Fat has had a hard time escaping his past.

Though an exceptionally versatile actor, his genre-defining, charismatic performances of the late 80′s to early 90′s have left fans longing for him to return to similar roles – even after 20 years! (more…)

The trailer for the upcoming film Gallants is yet more proof in our theory that Hong Kong films are making a comeback. A nod to times when the city’s movies kicked both figuratively and literally, it reminds you of the original recipe that lead to H.K. cinema’s international success.

The Gallants trailer is a masterpiece itself, deftly balancing a retro feel and stylized editing, with intense action and a sense of humor. (more…)

It’s been a long time since I’ve been impressed with a Hong Kong movie poster. In fact, most of the recent local films have had shamefully bad posters.

Can you judge a film by its poster? (more…)

Shawn Yue, Miriam Yeung and Pang Ho-Cheung

Every decade seems to bring new challenges to the Hong Kong film industry. Over the years there’s been lots of talk of the industry dying out completely. In the most recent threat, local film companies have turned their backs on the comparatively tiny Hong Kong market and have instead set their sights on the blossoming Mainland box office.

By focusing on making films for outside audiences, recent movies have lacked the local feel of previous generations of H.K. productions.

But just over a week into the 34th Hong Kong International Film Festival, I’ve caught four movies that point in quite the opposite direction. Could it be that Hong Kong cinema is making a come back? (more…)

Film fans have a new reason to cross the harbor. Less than two weeks ago, the UA cinema chain opened an IMAX theater in the brand new iSquare shopping mall in Tsim Sha Tsui.

Previously, those seeking the thrills of the massive IMAX screen had to trek all the way out to Megabox in Kowloon Bay. The new cinema is far more conveniently located, with two exits that spill directly into iSquare from the main Tsim Sha Tsui MTR station.

What else does iSquare offer? (more…)

It’s difficult to overstate the importance of Tsui Hark’s Film Workshop to Hong Kong cinema in the mid 80′s thru 90′s. The company epitomized the magic and versatility of Hong Kong filmmaking. A list of their productions reads like a list of the best Hong Kong movies of all time.

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of Film Workshop, (a company formed by director Tsui Hark and his wife, the producer Nansun Shi,) the Hong Kong International Film Festival is curating a special exhibition at the Agnes B. gallery in Wanchai.

What’s inside? (more…)

The past week has been a blur of films, receptions, after-parties and late night snacks. Hong Kong has been the epicenter of the Asian film industry, hosting four major movie events simultaneously.

In addition to the Hong Kong International Film Festival, and the Asian Film Awards (which was held on Monday night,) the four day Filmart and HAF film financing forum have just finished up.

During this period there have been several notable film launches. Wednesday night was the premiere of Hong Kong director Dante Lam’s new film, The Sniper. Starring Richie Jen, Huang Xiaoming and Edison Chen, the picture was originally scheduled to be released last year.

How did it turn out? (more…)

Sunday night the convention center was abuzz with two star-studded premieres marking the start of the 33rd Hong Kong International Film Festival. The cast of both opening films, Shinjuku Incident and Night and Fog were on hand to celebrate the occasion.

Movie stars and celebrities in attendance included Jackie Chan, Daniel Wu, Fan Bingbing, Takenaka Naoto, Simon Yam, Xu Jinglei, Zhang Jingchu, Derek Yee, Ann Hui, Karen Mok and many others. Check out the photos! (more…)