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When it comes to action flicks, Jet Li doesn’t pull punches—literally or figuratively. The martial arts legend has one clear reason why Hollywood keeps trading in the real, gritty moves for flashy CGI: not all actors can actually fight. According to Li, authentic martial arts on screen require an actor who can handle real, complex choreography.

Jet Li in The One (2001) | Credits: Hard Eight Pictures

But in a time when special effects can conjure up almost anything, who needs a training montage? CGI might be a shortcut, but it’s missing the spark that only true martial artists bring to the screen.

Jet Li Opens Up About Why Hollywood Shifted from Real Martial Arts to CGI in Action Movies Jackie Chan as Mr. Han in The Karate Kid | Credits: Columbia Pictures

Jet Li didn’t hold back when it came to calling out Hollywood’s shift from real fight scenes to CGI.

Chinese distributor Cmc Pictures has taken the worldwide rights — excluding China — to local hitmaker Chen Sicheng’s much-anticipated next feature, Decoded. The company says it will release the film theatrically in North America, the U.K., Australia, New Zealand and other major international markets later this year following its Chinese bow, expected in the second half of the year. Cmc is offering the theatrical rights to some additional territories, such as Southeast Asia, along the sidelines of the Shanghai International Film Festival this week.

Decoded is based on author Jia Mai’s bestselling Chinese spy novel of the same name, which was translated and published in English in 2002. The film’s starry cast includes Liu Haoran, Daniel Wu, Chen Daoming and Chen Yusi, among others.

Chen Sicheng is best known for his blockbuster Detective Chinatown franchise, which has grossed over $1.2 billion at China’s box office. The director also co-wrote the screenplay for Decoded.

Shaw Brothers Studio left an indelible mark on the landscape of Kung Fu cinema. Founded in 1925 by the Shaw brothers, Runje, Runme, and Run Run, the studio became synonymous with high-quality martial arts films during the 1960s and 1970s. Their meticulous attention to choreography, intricate fight scenes, and dramatic storytelling revolutionized the genre, setting new standards for action-packed entertainment. Through iconic films like “The One-Armed Swordsman” and “Come Drink with Me,” Shaw Brothers Studio not only popularized Kung Fu cinema globally but also shaped the artistic direction of future martial arts films. Their legacy continues to inspire filmmakers and enthusiasts, underscoring their enduring impact on the world of cinema. In this list, we present 50 of the most iconic titles the company produced, in alphabetical order.

1. Bloody Parrot (1981) by Hua Shan

One of the better elements found here is the fact that the film manages to work in plenty of fun from its two main components.

Sun Chung, Ti Lung and Fu Sheng are back in another wuxia adventure after their highly successful collaboration in “Avenging Eagle” just a year ago, this time written by the prolific novelist and screenwriter Ni Kuang. The Chinese title, loosely translated as “Romantic Broken Sword, Little Dagger” actually refers to both the lead characters and their signature weapons.

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Proud, arrogant Tuan Chang Qing (Ti Lung) is a legendary swordsman who kills his opponents with a special sword technique as well as provides coffins for them before their duels. He purposely breaks the tip of his sword, about an inch, and buries it in their bodies like souvenirs and by killing them that way, he has earned the nickname “Deadly Broken Sword”. The movie opens with Tuan and Lian San (Michael Chan Wai Man) in a ferocious duel in which Lian,...

Two Hollywood films “Wonka” and “Migration” opened in Chinese cinemas over the latest weekend. But neither did enough business to appear among the box office top five.

Instead, the weekend crown went to “The Invisible Guest,” a Chinese remake of the 2016 Spanish mystery thriller about a woman who must work with a police officer to clear her name after her lover is found dead in a locked room. It earned a modest $12.6 million (RMB89.6 million), according to data from consultancy Artisan Gateway. (The original Spanish picture previously released in Chinese theaters in 2017.)

The remake, which rewrites the script to include a greedy cop trying to extort the alleged murderer, a courageous mother who has suffered at the hands of authority and the son of a prominent politician, is backed by streamer iQiyi and is directed by Chen Zhuo. It stars Greg Hsu, Janine Chang, Kara Wai and Zheng Yin.

Another...

Through this partnership, ’Trending Topic’ will hit cinemas in Singapore and Malaysia on December 7, immediately after opening in mainland China.

China’s streaming platform iQiyi is collaborating with Malaysia’s Gsc Movies and Singapore’s Clover Films to expand the distribution networks for its Chinese-language films and expedite their theatrical release.

Through this partnership, Trending Topic, directed by Xin Yukun and starring Zhou Dongyu, Yuan Hong and Song Yang, will hit cinemas in Singapore and Malaysia on December 7, immediately after its opening on December 1 in mainland China.

Further iQiyi titles set for release in both Singapore and Malaysia are Chen Zhuo’s The Invisible Guest,...

Chinese streamer and producer iQiyi is joining forces with Malaysia’s Gsc Movies and Singapore-based Clover Films to handle theatrical distribution of its Chinese-language films in their respective territories.

As part of this partnership, the iQiyi-backed film Trending Topic, directed by Xin Yukun and starring Zhou Dongyu, Yuan Hong, and Song Yang, will be theatrically released in Singapore and Malaysia, following its release in mainland China on December 1.

Similarly, iQiyi’s The Invisible Guest, directed by Chen Zhuo and starring actors Greg Hsu, Janine Chang, Kara Wai and Zheng Yin, will also be in theatres in Singapore and Malaysia after it debuts in Chinese cinemas on December 8.

Yang Xianghua, iQiyi’s President of Movie & Overseas Business, said: “We have witnessed a growing demand since we started distributing Chinese-language content to overseas markets in 2017.

“By partnering with Gsc Movies and Clover Films for theatrical distribution, we can seamlessly bring Chinese-language...

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny may have opened soft in North America with $60 million, but it outright bombed in China, where filmgoers have little to no emotional connection to the classic adventure franchise.

Expectations for the Disney and Lucasfilm tentpole were always low in China, but the film’s $2.3 million opening from Friday to Sunday is on the far low end of most analysts’ already low forecasts. None of the first four films in the Indiana Jones franchise were distributed in China, so the country’s geriatric millennials — not to mention its Gen Zs and below — harbor no nostalgia for Harrison Ford’s octogenarian hero.

Dial of Destiny has been relatively well liked by those who have seen and rated it in China. It currently has respectable social scores of 8.8 from the ticketing app Maoyan, 8.9 on Alibaba’s Tao Piao Piao and 7.3 on Douban. Nonetheless, Maoyan projects the...

China’s first big blockbuster of the summer has arrived. Lost in the Stars, a mystery thriller produced by As One Productions, opened to $98.3 million over the four-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday weekend, according to data from regional box office consultancy Artisan Gateway. With advance ticket sales for Monday added to the tally, Lost in the Stars has easily crossed the $100 million mark.

Romantic drama Love Never Ends, from Lian Ray Picutres, came out one day earlier and scored second for the holiday with a $23.7 million five-day opening.

Lost in the Stars is co-written by Chen Sicheng, the hitmaking writer-director behind the Detective Chinatown franchise (the three films in the series have earned over $1.3 billion). Ticketing app Maoyan projects Lost in the Stars to eventually earn over $400 million.

Co-directed by Rui Cui and Xiang Liu, the film stars Zhu Yilong as a man whose wife (played by Janice Man) mysteriously...

Chinese director Han Yan says he’s been inspired by his own movie after one of the biggest talents in the country’s commercial scene saw his latest film Love Never Ends open the 25th edition of the Shanghai International Film Festival on Friday.

Han quickly developed a reputation as a filmmaker with his finger on the pulse of the Chinese audience after emerging with box office hits such as Go Away Mr. Tumor (2015), a film that tapped into the contemporary popularity for drama tinged with very dark humor.

Love Never Ends shows he’s not lost that touch, either, as it’s a film that’s lifted from a popular webcomic by South Korean artist Kang Full, while it tells the story of an ageing couple who find love towards the end of their lives. It comes at a time when the fact that the headlines are full of...

The Shanghai International Film Festival, China’s most prestigious movie industry event, kicks off its 30th-anniversary edition Friday night. It will be the first version of the festival that’s easily accessible to the global film community since 2019, after the past three editions were either canceled or rendered difficult to attend by strict Covid-19 travel restrictions at the time.

This year, film stars from at home and afar will descend on China’s commercial capital to celebrate the ongoing comeback of China’s movie business. Jason Statham will lend some Hollywood star power to the proceedings when he walks the red carpet for the festival’s opening ceremony Friday night in promotion of his upcoming Warner Bros. blockbuster sequel, Meg 2: The Trench, which opens Aug. 4 and co-stars Chinese leading man Wu Jing. European film legend, Jerzy Skolimowski of Poland — who wrote Roman Polansky’s landmark Knife in the Water...

The last wuxia film Yen starred in was “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny” (2016), since, although he was in “New Kung Fu Cult Master Part One” (2022) it was only a cameo. Now he is back as the leading man, producer and director in “Sakra”, a wuxia epic which is adapted from Jin Yong's (Louis Cha) novel “Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils” which deals with the Eight Races of Buddhist deities of the Buddhist cosmology. The Chinese title is loosely translated as “The Eight Books of the Heavenly Dragon: Qiao Feng Legacy.”

“Sakra” will debut on Blu-ray and DVD starting June 13 from Well Go USA.

Set during the time in which the Han Chinese dominated and the Song Dynasty is at war with the Liao Empire led by the Khitan race, Jin Yong's complex and long story involves three main protagonists plus a huge collection of flamboyant characters and their explorations...

The 25th edition marks a return in-person after being cancelled last year.

Han Yan’s Love Never Ends is set to open the 25th Shanghai International Film Festival (Siff), which has also revealed the nominations for its Golden Goblet Awards.

The romance drama is adapted from a cartoon of the same name created by Kang Full. Ni Dahong, Kara Wai, Tony Leung Ka-Fai and Cecilia Yip play two elderly couples who show it is never too late to love.

Director Han previously directed 2015’s Go Away Mr. Tumor and 2020’s A Little Red Flower. Love Never Ends is set for...

Exclusive: Signature Entertainment has snapped up rights for the UK and Ireland to Hong Kong-China action picture Sakra, directed by and starring Donnie Yen, from Well Go USA.

The Hong Kong-China co-production, which is based on the classic wuxia novel Demi-Gods And Semi-Devils by world-renowned novelist Louis Cha (also known by his pen name Jin Yong), marks the first time Yen has directed a film in nearly two decades. Yen recently starred in John Wick: Chapter 4 and is also known for his roles in Hong Kong’s Ip Man franchise.

Sakra is produced by China’s Wishart Media and Hong Kong’s Mandarin Motion Pictures, Shaw Brothers and Jing’s Production. Yen also produced with Zhe Liu and co-directed with Ka-Wai Kam (Big Brother).

In addition to Yen, the cast includes Chen Yuqi (Heavenly Sword And Dragon Slaying Sabre), Cya Liu (Limbo) and Eddie Cheung (Throw Down), with Kara Wai guest starring and special guest appearances by Ray Lui (Raging Fire) and Tsui Siu Ming (Kung Fu Jungle).

The actioner focuses on the fallout after a respected martial artist (Yen) is accused of murder and subsequently exiled, leaving him to search for answers about his own mysterious origin story and the unknown enemies working to destroy him.

The deal for UK and Ireland rights was negotiated between Signature Entertainment’s Chief Operating Officer Jon Bourdillon and Well Go USA’s Executive Vice President of Digital and Theatrical Distribution Jason Pfardrescher.

Bourdillon said: “We are delighted to be the home of Sakra in the UK and Ireland and can’t wait for audiences to see the epic action sequences that Donnie Yen has expertly devised.”

“We are thrilled to have Signature on board to bring Sakra to fans across Ireland and the United Kingdom,” said Pfardrescher. “Undeniably created as a love letter to the genre, Sakra is overflowing with the smooth artistry that characterizes the very best of wuxia as well as the hard-hitting action that fans know to expect from Donnie Yen.”...

Li Xun Huan, the sick gentleman of jianghu, the martial arts world, returns with yet another adventure full of intrigue and bloodshed. Widely claimed as the 100th film directed by Chor Yuen, this straight continuation of “The Sentimental Swordsman” (1977) with most of the original cast returning though some playing different roles, did even better at the box office than its predecessor.

on Amazon by clicking on the image below

After defeating the “Plum Blossom Bandit”, wine loving Li Xun Huan, Flying Dagger Xiao Li (Ti Lung) and his only friend Ah Fei (Derek Yee) went their separate ways as they tried to settle down in seclusion. But his peaceful life lasted only three years, due to an official martial world “Best Weapons and Fighters” list which ranks him at number three. Challengers are keen to dethrone him especially the leader of the ruthless Money Clan, Shang Kuan...

Donnie Yen just recently got his first truly substantial role in an American production where he and Keanu Reeves tear up baddies and each other in the freshly released John Wick: Chapter 4. Yen plays an assassin so skilled that even his blindness doesn’t hinder him. That movie is a love letter to Hong Kong action cinema and features a cute reference to a sub-genre of martial arts films, Wuxia. Yen starred in these Wuxia films that often blend fantasy and reality, and his newest non-John Wick film is a return to the genre. Sakra is a period piece action drama fantasy that will have Yen not only star but he steps behind the camera on this one. Blu-ray.com has just dropped a trailer for the U.S. release.

The official synopsis reads,

Based on the classic wuxia novel Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils by Louis Cha (known worldwide by...

Sakra, a big-budget martial arts fantasy directed and starring Donnie Yen, is heading for a North American theatrical and digital release.

Rights to the film were acquired by WellGo USA which is a major stateside purveyor of Chinese and other Asian titles.

The company has set dates in April for a theatrical outing, shortly followed by a release to digital platforms, according to an emailed conversation with its president and CEO Doris Pfardrescher. Other details of its release and marketing campaign have yet to be finalized.

The film, a mainland China-Hong co-venture, was released in theaters in several territories in Southeast Asia in late January in time for the Lunar New Year holiday peak season. In China, it did not join the New Year scramble for screens and instead was released straight to streaming.

Yen previously described “Sakra” as the most authentic film he had ever made and came at...

The last wuxia film Yen starred in was “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny” (2016), since, although he was in “New Kung Fu Cult Master Part One” (2022) it was only a cameo. Now he is back as the leading man, producer and director in “Sakra”, a wuxia epic which is adapted from Jin Yong’s (Louis Cha) novel “Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils” which deals with the Eight Races of Buddhist deities of the Buddhist cosmology. The Chinese title is loosely translated as “The Eight Books of the Heavenly Dragon: Qiao Feng Legacy.”

Set during the time in which the Han Chinese dominated and the Song Dynasty is at war with the Liao Empire led by the Khitan race, Jin Yong’s complex and long story involves three main protagonists plus a huge collection of flamboyant characters and their explorations in the wulin (martial arts community), but Qiao Feng is the only one Yen concentrates on.

During the Northern Song Dynasty, Qiao Feng (Donnie Yen) is the leader of the Beggars’ Sect who is forced to confront the dilemma of his fate and life experience. In the martial arts world, he relies on his formidable willpower to fight with all his might in the glint and flash of daggers and swords. This is a story of his journey of self-discovery as he gradually transforms into the most powerful and chivalrous hero. (Source: Translated from Douban)

After almost twenty years since his comedy feature Protégé de la Rose Noire (2004), kung-fu legend Donnie Yen is back in the director’s chair for Śakra. This time not only is he directing the wuxia epic, he’s also lead actor and co-producer with his longtime collaborator, Wong Jing (Chasing the Dragon).

This big-budget action blockbuster is adapted from the classic novel, Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, by master wuxia novelist Jin Yong.

Chinese folk hero Wong Fei Hung, a kung fu master of the Hung Ga style himself was better known as a physician who practiced acupuncture at his medical clinic Po Chi Lam in Canton, South China. After “Challenge of the Masters” (1976) directed by Lau Kar Leung and starring Gordon Liu Chia Hui as Master Wong, and as we approached the early 80s, the pair was back with another version which was fundamentally a comedy at its core but peppered with plenty of amazingly choreographed action and some equally awesome display of lion dancing.

on Amazon by clicking on the image below

This time around, the theme is not about revenge, there is hardly any blood during the fights and above all, no one gets killed. Even though Lau touches on the conflicts between rivaling martial arts schools, he is more interested in the honor and respect of...

Hong Kong director Judy Chu tells a very intimate story with her first feature film “Sunshine of My Life”, in a drama that deals with a lot of important universal topics.

Sunshine of My Life is screening at Five Flavours

The protagonists of the story are a blind couple who raise their daughter on their own. First we see the small family when the child is a few months old. Because the mother can’t see, an accident happens at home. The child gets burned by a hot pot of rice. From then on, the couple takes a lot of measures to protect their daughter and finds a way to cope with a series of distinct situations. Years later, the child is an impatient teenager. She helps a lot at home and her parents have gotten used to that. But Tsz-yan has her own dreams. She wants to study art abroad,...

Wong Fei-hung (1847-1925) was a real person, but through the many interpretations of him and his life, played by actors like Kwan Tak-hing, Jackie Chan (Drunken Master), Jet Li (Once Upon a Time in China and Last Hero in China) and, briefly, Sammo Hung (Around the World in 80 Days), he has become something of a mythic figure. Gordon Liu first played the role in Challenge of the Masters, and reprises it here.

Though he’s the central figure, Martial Club is more of an ensemble piece than one focused purely on Wong Fei-hung. Broadly, the film is about an outwardly friendly, but escalating, rivalry between three Kung Fu schools: Wu Guan, Jeng and Luk. Eventually Wong Fei-hung, his friend Yan-lam (Robert Mak) and Yan-lam‘s sister (Kara Hui) are put in a position where they have to fight back.

The first half of the film focuses almost entirely on...

Terracotta Blu-ray & Dvd Store

Hong Kong neon-noir police action, On The Run, is out in September via 88Films. This gritty, and sometimes brutal film, features Yuen Biao in a full-on action and dramatic role, a change from the comedy-action films he is known for. Yuen Biao plays a police officer, trying to solve the case of his wife’s murder, and slowly unravels the layers of who he can and can’t trust in his circle. Pre-order now at a special discounted price on the Terracotta store Here

Might as well go for the Yuen Biao double. Also released in September, Righting Wrongs is some straight up beat ’em up Hong Kong 80’s action cinema. Starring Yuen Biao and Cynthia Rothrock, this release comes packed full of extras and special features, again via 88Films Here

July Blu-ray Releases

Summer Time Machine Blues – hilarious Japanese time-travel comedy featuring student high-jinks and a broken air-conditioner.

Newcomer Hong Kong director Jun Li decided to begin his career in feature movies with a “bang” and a big pink wig on the head of one of the most recognisable Hong Kong actors. What a way to start! Aided by seasoned scriptwriter Shu Kei and Herman Yau’s regular collaborator Erica Li, Jun Li has co-scripted and directed “Tracey”, where he frankly introduces a transgender character and follows her struggle on the path to happiness and self-discovery.

Tracey is streaming on Focus Hong Kong

Tung Tai-hung (Philip Keung) is a quiet fifty-something man, a gentle but somehow distant middle-class husband and father of 2, and an earnest optometrist with his own shop. Fond of his sweet memories of adolescence and his school-time inseparable trio, Tung has always been a loyal friend to Jun (Eric Kot), a brash and jolly womaniser and Ching, talented and passionate war photographer, who has long...

Wang Xiaoshuai took the best director prize for So Long, My Son.

Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite took best film at the 14th Asian Film Awards (Afa) today (October 28). The Palme d’Or and multiple Oscars winner also took best screenplay, editing and production design.

Due to Covid-19, the awards show was broadcast on the Afaa’s website and Youtube channel as well as on Busan’s Asian Contents & Film Market (Acfm) website with pre-recorded messages from organizers, presenters and winners, all in different locales.

Presenting the best film award, last year’s winner Kore-eda Hirokazu said: “In March last year,...

We are delighted to announce this long-awaited, award-winning film – an orgy of betrayal – with an all-female cast starring Kara Wai, Wu Ke-Xi, and Vicky Chen, which garnered Best Feature Film, Best Leading Actress, Best Supporting Actress and the People’s Choice Award at the Golden Horse Awards, will be coming to the UK Cineworld cinemas from 4th September 2020.

Attractive matriarch Madame Tang (Kara Wai) uses culture as a cover as she takes advantage of her late husband’s connections in politics to whitewash shady business deals for the benefit of herself, and her two daughters Ning (Ke-Xi Wu) and Chen (Vicky Chen). Mrs. Tang, who ostensibly runs an antique dealership and dabbles in calligraphy, colludes and mediates between crooked politicians and dubious private businessmen, and frequently entertains them and their elegant wives chatting about art and fashion, while secretly making sure bribes are secured and deals are done.

When a...

In Kill Bill 2, we get the modern reimagining of one of martial arts cinema more iconic characters – Pai Mei, the white eyebrowed monk. It’s the standout section in what was for this reviewer an awful movie. The casting of Gordon Liu who played Pai Mei’s nemesis across the two original Shaw Brothers movies as Pai Mei himself was a nice touch. Having not watched the originals in some time, I was presented with the opportunity to rewatch “Clan of the White Lotus” on blu ray after a new release in the UK. So after stroking my beard and letting loose an evil cackle, it’s time to see if it stands up today after 40 years.

The movie starts with a prologue as Hung Wen-ting (Gordon Liu) and his martial arts brother defeat the traitorous White Eyebrow monk using their combined techniques, locating his fatal pressure point.

Chris Tucker, Adrien Brody and Paul Haggis were on hand Saturday to give a huge high-tech finale to the fifth edition of the Jackie Chan Action Film Week. So too were Crystal Liu Yifei, star of Disney’s upcoming “Mulan,” and a bevy of top Chinese talent.

Moving the event from the fringes of the Shanghai festival in June, to a new date and spectacular outdoor venues provided by provincial town of Datong, some 200 miles East of Beijing in Shanxi Province, may have revitalized the Action Film Week. Upbeat organizers now talk of franchising the event to other countries.

If the opening on July 21 was reportedly relatively quiet, the closing ceremony was a razzamatazz of stunts, choreography and pyrotechnics with ambitions of matching an Olympic Games or World Cup opening.

Held in a full-sized sports arena, with perhaps 20,000 spectators, the show opened with a troop of astronauts arriving from the skies,...

Felix Chong’s crime drama won seven awards, including best film.

Project Gutenberg was the clear winner at this year’s Hong Kong Film Awards, picking up seven prizes, including best film, as well as best director and best screenplay for Felix Chong.

The Hong Kong-China co-production, about a team of money counterfeiters, also picked up awards for cinematography, editing, art direction and costume & make-up design. Going into the ceremony, the film had 17 nominations, making it the second most nominated film ever, behind Bodyguards And Assassins in 2009.

However, Project Gutenberg lost out on the best actor award, which went to Anthony Wong in Still Human,...

No big revelations this year at the 38th Hong Kong Film Awards. The Sunday night ceremony has unveiled all the winners for this years Awards and they are all quite an easy guess. Felix Chong’s thriller “Project Gutenberg” was the star of the evening as, predictably – considering its 17 nominations – won Best Film along with other 6 Awards.

But despite the histrionic performances of Chow Yun-fat and Aaron Kwock, the acting Awards are not in the “Project Gutenberg”‘s pile. Anthony Wong took home the Best Actor award for his role as a middle-aged paralysed man in “Still Human“, and newcomer Chloe Maayan won Best Actress for Fruit Chan’s “Three Husbands”, while Kara Hui and Ben Yuen Foo-Wa scored Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor both for “Tracey“.

Finally, “Dying To Survive” won the Best Film from Mainland and Taiwan Award.

Here is the full list of Winners and...

“Project Gutenberg” took home all of the big prizes at the Hong Kong Film Awards on Sunday, including best film, best script and best director for writer-director Felix Chong. In total the counterfeiting thriller collected seven prizes, having been nominated in 17 categories.

The film’s star Chow Yun-fat was beaten to the acting prize by Anthony Wong, who was a third time winner, this time with “Still Human,” a film about the relationship between a disabled man and his helper. “Still Human” also earned prizes for The Philippines actress Crisel Consunji as best new performer, and for Oliver Chan as best new director.

The best actress prize went to mainland Chinese performer Chloe Maayan for her role in Fruit Chan’s sex-filled “Three Husbands.” The prizes for best supporting actor and actress went to Ben Yuen and Kara Wai, respectively, both for “Tracey,” a coming out transgender film.

A prize...

Hirokazu Kore-eda’s film also took best original music, while Zhang Yimou’s Shadow won four awards in technical categories.

Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Shoplifters won best film at this year’s Asian Film Awards (March 17), although Zhang Yimou’s Shadow took home the biggest haul of prizes with four awards in the technical categories.

Shoplifters was also presented with the award for best original music for its score by Haruomi Hosono.

Korean filmmaker Lee Chang-dong took best director for Burning and was also presented with the lifetime achievement award. Japan’s Koji Yakusho won best actor for The Blood Of Wolves...

Hirokazu Kore-eda’s film also took best original music, while Zhang Yimou’s Shadow won four awards in technical categories.

Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Shoplifters won best film at this year’s Asian Film Awards (March 17), although Zhang Yimou’s Shadow took home the biggest haul of prizes with four awards in the technical categories.

Shoplifters was also presented with the award for best original music for its score by Haruomi Hosono.

Korean filmmaker Lee Chang-dong took best director for Burning and was also presented with the lifetime achievement award. Japan’s Koji Yakusho won best actor for The Blood Of Wolves...

“Shoplifters” and “Burning” were the big winners at the 13th Asian Film Awards, with Hirokazu Kore-eda’s family drama winning Best Picture and Lee Chang-dong being named Best Director for his cerebral thriller. “Shadow” led all films by taking home four prizes, with Zhang Yimou’s epic period piece winning four technical awards: Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing.

Samal Yeslyamova received Best Actress laurels for her performance in “Ayka,” just as she did at Cannes last year, with “The Blood of Wolves” star Yakusho Kōji joining her as Best Actor. “Burning” only left the ceremony with one of the eight prizes for which it was nominated, but Lee received a Lifetime Achievement award as well. Full list of winners:

Best Picture

“Shoplifters”

Best Director

Lee Chang-dong, “Burning”

Best Actor

Yakusho Kōji, “The Blood of Wolves”

Best Actress

Samal Yeslyamova, “Ayka”

Best Supporting Actor

Zhang Yu,...

Zhang Yimou’s highly stylized period epic “Shadow” was the numerical winner at Sunday’s Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong. It bagged four technical awards. But the major prizes went to Japanese and Korean filmmakers.

Kore-eda Hirokazu’s “Shoplifters,” a Japanese drama about a family surviving on shoplifting, was named best picture. The film had been the surprise Palme d’Or winner at the Cannes festival last year, but has since won wide acclaim and achieved record scores at the Japanese and Chinese box office.“Shoplifters” also won best original music with Japanese music pioneer Hosono Haruomi’s score.

South Korean director Lee Chang-dong won the best director prize for the psychological drama “Burning”, which Lee also co-wrote as an adaptation of a Murakami Haruki short story. Going into the ceremony, “Burning” was the favorite, having been nominated in eight categories. Lee was also presented with a lifetime achievement award,...

Newcomer Hong Kong director Jun Li decided to begin his career in feature movies with a “bang” and a big pink wig on the head of one of the most recognisable Hong Kong actors. What a way to start! Aided by seasoned scriptwriter Shu Kei and Herman Yau’s regular collaborator Erica Li, Jun Li has co-scripted and directed “Tracey”, where he frankly introduces a transgender character and follows her struggle on the path to happiness and self-discovery.

“Tracey” is screening at CinemAsia Film Festival

Tung Tai-hung (Philip Keung) is a quiet fifty-something man, a gentle but somehow distant middle-class husband and father of 2, and an earnest optometrist with his own shop. Fond of his sweet memories of adolescence and his school-time inseparable trio, Tung has always been a loyal friend to Jun (Eric Kot), a brash and jolly womaniser and Ching, talented and passionate war photographer, who has long...

Lee Chang-dong’s Cannes hit Burning scored the most nominations for the 2019 Asian Film Awards. The Korean mystery-drama was nominated for eight awards, including best film. Scroll down for nominations in major categories.

Other best film nominees were Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Shoplifters, Pema Tseden’s Jinpa, Wen Muye’s Dying To Survive, and Rajkumar Hirani’s Sanju. The nominations were announced in Hong Kong on Friday afternoon. The winners will be revealed at a ceremony in the same city on Sunday, March 17.

Cannes Palme d’Or winner Shoplifters, Sanju, and Zhang Yimou’s Shadow each garnered six nominations. Kore-eda’s acclaimed drama also won the top film prize at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards in November.

In Burning, Jong-su bumps into a girl who used to live in the same neighborhood as him, who asks him to look after her cat while on a trip to Africa. When back, she introduces Ben,...

“The Bold, the Corrupt, and The Beautiful” is a film about a female family, whose act as middle-men in a series of political corruption bribes. Combining a love/hate relationship between family members with complicated money trade, this film is the most ambitious work in Taiwanese cinema for 2017.

“The Bold, the Corrupt and the Beautiful” is screening at International Film Festival Rotterdam, that will be on January 24 until February 4.

The story begins with Madame Tang, who hosts an art exhibition with her family members Tang Ning and Tang Chen. In reality, the exhibition is an excuse for some rich politicians to discuss the bribe. These politicians conspire a land development project, and with Madame Tang’s assistance, every detail should work perfectly, and they can earn billions. However, a homicide disrupts the whole plan, revealing the situation as more complicated than everyone has imagined. Furthermore, the hatred and control relationships...

by Nathaniel R

The 54th Annual Golden Horse Awards were held today in Taipei. That's the Taiwanese Oscars if you will. Though a female-led comedy called The Bold, the Corrupt, and the Beautiful took the top prizes, the film with the most wins was The Great Buddha+ which took home five. A romantic comedy called See You Tomorrow (the all-star cast includes Tfe favorites Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Takeshi Kaneshiro, and Angelababy) took home most of the 'eye candy' prizes. The family tragedy Old Beast, about a father in court and at war with his kids, also did well.

Curiously Taiwan's Oscar submission Small Talk was eligible last year at this ceremony but wasn't a major player. You can see the whole 2017 ceremony online here but it's not subtitled so good luck! Toward the end of the ceremony Jessica Chastain even shows up to help Ang Lee present Best Actress...

Being the biggest of its kind in Asia, the Busan International Film Festival offers an excellent showcase for emerging talents from the vast and vastly varied continent. Premiering in the regionally focused section “A Window on Asian Cinema”, the alluring, densely-packed dramatic thriller The Bold, the Corrupt, and the Beautiful makes a case for genre filmmaking in Taiwan, a country audiences worldwide probably associate with the lyrical, contemplative imagery of Hou Hsiao-hsien or Tsai Ming-liang . Thanks in no small part to a sizzling female ensemble (actressexuals: take note), director Ya-che Yang’s third feature shows a snappier side of the island and thoroughly entertains.

Set in the indeterminate past in the tropical metropolis Kaohsiung, the story centers around Madame Tang (Kara Wai) – who ostensibly runs an antiques dealership but mainly acts as a go-between for dirty businessmen and crooked politicians – and her two daughters Ning (Ke-Xi Wu) and Chen...

August can be a miserable time to go to the movies, and it’s almost always a miserable time to be in New York City. But, for at least one glorious weekend this month, neither of those time-honored facts will be true. Beginning on Friday, August 18, Subway Cinema’s Old School Kung Fu Fest returns to The Metrograph theater in lower Manhattan for another incredible weekend of flying courtesans, iconic sword fights, and even a little pistol action for people who like their body-chops and dropkicks with some bullets on the side.

Capping off a female-driven summer movie season that kicked off with “Wonder Woman” back in early June, the seventh edition of this deeply beloved fest is devoted to the “Wonder Women of the Martial Arts,” and it boasts some of the fiercest ladies to ever leap over an unsuspecting henchman. The seven films in this year’s program...

Yuhang Ho was trained as an engineer but went into film-making due to his love for vintage films. He began his career by shooting commercials in the mid 1990’s. In 2000, he co-directed a Malaysian documentary “Semangat Insan: Masters of Tradition” highlighting the need to preserve Malaysia’s traditional art forms. He then made his feature film directorial debut in the 2003 film “Min”.He went to receive international recognition for his film “Rain Dogs”, won the New Talent Award at the Hong Kong Asian Film Festival 2006 and also named best director at the Festival of the Three Continents in 2006.

His 2009 revenge drama “At The End of Daybreak” revived the career of the veteran actress Kara Hui, who was an action star of the Shaw Brothers era. “Daybreak” earned her seven best actress awards. She has since gone on to star in “Wu Xia,” “Rigor Mortis,” and “The Midnight After.”

On the...

Yuhang Ho had a very difficult task in his hands from the beginning: to shoot an action martial arts film where all of his protagonists are (almost) over 50. The result, however, was more than impressive, as he worked over the particular reef by limiting the action and adding many thriller elements.

“Mrs K” will screen at Art Film Fest Kosice, that will be on June 16-24

Mrs K is a housewife, happily married with a gynecologist, and mother to a teenage girl who is also a martial artist. However, underneath the calm, happy and motherly figure resides something else, as Mrs K used to be part of a crime ring. As her former comrades are being killed one by one, a rather unpleasant former police officer visits her house and confronts her about the past. Furthermore, another man, who seems to know her quite well, resurfaces, and along with his henchman,...

The Bold, The Corrupt And The Beautiful is in post-production.

Taipei-based sales company MandarinVision has picked up the international rights to The Bold, The Corrupt And The Beautiful, the third feature from Taiwanese filmmaker Yang Ya-che following Orz Boys and Gf*Bf.

Currently in post-production, the film revolves around the “white gloves” deal-making between businessmen and politicians in Chinese business culture, which is rarely discussed in local cinema.

The film’s cast includes Hong Kong actress Kara Wai, who recently won best actress at the Hong Kong Film Awards for Happiness, Wu Ke-Xi (The Road To Mandalay) and Vicky Chen.

Headed by former Atom Cinema executive Desmond Yang, MandarinVision is also selling Who Killed Cock Robin, which marks Cheng Wei-Hao’s second film following horror hit The Tag-Along.

The Taiwanese company is also handling two films that are nominated for best narrative feature at this year’s Taipei Film Awards – Huang Hsin-yao’s The Great Buddha...

Fox Networks channel swoops on six films that won prizes at Hong Kong Film Awards.

Fox Networks Group Asia (Fnga)’s Scm channel has acquired exclusive rights to crime thriller Trivisa and a slew of other films that won prizes at last week’s Hong Kong Film Awards.

Produced by Johnnie To and directed by three up-and-coming talents, Trivisa walked away with best film, best director (Jevons Au, Frank Hui & Vicky Wong), best actor (Lam Ka Tung), best screenplay and best editing at the Hong Kong Film Awards on Sunday night (April 9).

Scm also acquired exclusive rights to Wong Chun’s Mad World, which picked up three awards including best new director; Andy Lo’s Happiness (best actress for Kara Wai); Zhang Jiajia’s See You Tomorrow (best cinematography and art direction); and Soi Cheang’s The Monkey King 2 (best visual effects and make-up & costume design).

The channel also acquired Taiwanese filmmaker Chung Mong-hong’s Godspeed...

Trivisa scoops five awards including best film, while Mad World takes best new ditrector prize.Scroll Down For Full List Of Winners

Hong Kong’s new wave of filmmakers scored big at the Hong Kong Film Awards on Sunday night, where films from first-time directors walked off with most of the major prizes.

Johnnie To-produced crime drama Trivisa (pictured) was the big winner of the night, scooping five awards including best film and best director for its three first-time co-directors - Jevons Au, Frank Hui and Vicky Wong. The film, about a trio of notorious gangsters, also won best actor for Gordon Lam’s performance, best screenplay and best editing.

Wong Chun’s Mad World, also a first-time effort, picked up three awards, including best new director, best supporting actor for Eric Tsang’s performance and best supporting actress for Elaine Jin. The film tells the story of a former stockbroker living with his father (Tsang...

Multi-stranded crime drama Trivisa was the big winner at the 36th Hong Kong Film Awards tonight, bagging five gongs including Best Film, Best Actor for Gordon Lam and Best Director for the trio Jevons Au, Frank Hui and Vicky Wong. The film also won Best Screenplay and Best Editing. Wong Chun was named Best New Director for Mad World, which also won awards for Eric Tsang and Elaine Jin in the Best Supporting categories, while Kara Hui gave a passionate, heartfelt acceptance speech after winning the Best Actress award for Happiness. Elsewhere, Soi Cheang’s The Monkey King 2 won for Visual Effects and Costume Design & Make Up, the Wong Kar Wai scripted See You Tomorrow won for Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography,...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Fox Networks Group moves into high-end Chinese miniseries with pair of projects.

Fox Networks Group Asia is unveiling two Chinese-language miniseries at this week’s Filmart in Hong Kong – The Trading Floor, produced by Andy Lau’s [pictured] Focus Television, and Stained, written and directed by Patrick Kong.

The Trading Floor is a 5 x 60 minute thriller set in Hong Kong’s financial industry. It has been written and will be directed by Kk Wong, director-producer of 2014 hit Hong Kong TV show The Election.

Stained, which also has a 5 x 60 minute format, is a crime thriller starring Kara Hui, Kwan-ho Tse and Anthony Wong.

Both shows are in pre-production for target delivery in 2017.

Cora Yim, head of Chinese entertainment and territory head of Hong Kong for Fox Networks Group, said the two miniseries “exemplify our commitment to partnering with the best (Andy Lau, Patrick Kong) in creating the best shows for our viewers.”

She added that...

Fox Networks Group moves into high-end Chinese miniseries with pair of projects.

Fox Networks Group Asia is unveiling two Chinese-language miniseries at this week’s Filmart in Hong Kong – The Trading Floor, produced by Andy Lau’s [pictured] Focus Television, and Stained, written and directed by Patrick Kong.

The Trading Floor is a 5 x 60 minute thriller set in Hong Kong’s financial industry. It has been written and will be directed by Kk Wong, director-producer of 2014 hit Hong Kong TV show The Election.

Stained, which also has a 5 x 60 minute format, is a crime thriller starring Kara Hui, Kwan-ho Tse and Anthony Wong.

Both shows are in pre-production for target delivery in 2017.

Cora Yim, head of Chinese entertainment and territory head of Hong Kong for Fox Networks Group, said the two miniseries “exemplify our commitment to partnering with the best (Andy Lau, Patrick Kong) in creating the best shows for our viewers.”

She added that...

The Osaka Asian Film Festival throws open its doors once again this Friday for nine days of new cinema gathered from across Asia. The Opening Gala will include a screening of Yuhang Ho’s Hong Kong action drama Mrs K and a celebration of the film’s lead, Kara Wai. The actress will be present on the night to accept the festival’s Osaka Asian Star award, which honours artists who have played an important role in the Asian film world, and to give a talk on her career and many accomplishments. Kara Wai broke into the film industry in the mid 70’s, quickly developing a reputation for her action-orientated roles in Shaw Brothers films like My Young Auntie and the Jackie Chan-produced The Inspector Wears Skirts series....

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...