With his astounding debut Kaili Blues (2015) and the equally impressive 3D odyssey Long Day’s Journey Into Night (2018), Chinese director Bi Gan emerged as one of the most promising new voices in cinema this last decade. Now he’s finally returning behind the camera with a new feature.
Later this year, Bi Gan will embark on the production of his third film Resurrection, Variety reports. Set to star Jackson Yee and Shu Qi, the project is described as an “ambitious sci-fi detective movie” tha follows a woman whose consciousness falls into the “eternal time zone” during a surgical procedure. “Trapped in many dreams, she finds an android corpse and tries to wake it up by telling endless stories. The android then wanders within her stories and its senses gradually awaken,” the synopsis reads.
Backed by Charles Gillibert’s CG Cinema, the crew includes cinematographer Dong Jingsong, production designers Tu Nan (Wong Kar-Wai...
Later this year, Bi Gan will embark on the production of his third film Resurrection, Variety reports. Set to star Jackson Yee and Shu Qi, the project is described as an “ambitious sci-fi detective movie” tha follows a woman whose consciousness falls into the “eternal time zone” during a surgical procedure. “Trapped in many dreams, she finds an android corpse and tries to wake it up by telling endless stories. The android then wanders within her stories and its senses gradually awaken,” the synopsis reads.
Backed by Charles Gillibert’s CG Cinema, the crew includes cinematographer Dong Jingsong, production designers Tu Nan (Wong Kar-Wai...
- 9/6/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Chinese director Bi Gan, whose 2018 film “Long Day’s Journey into Night” played at Cannes, will next direct “Resurrection.” The ambitious sci-fi detective movie is to be headlined by Chinese superstar Jackson Yee (“Better Days”) and actor Shu Qi (“The Assassin”) who sits on this year’s Venice jury.
Boasting Bi’s edgy aesthetic and narrative style, the film tells the story of a woman whose consciousness falls into the “eternal time zone” during a surgical procedure. Trapped in many dreams, she finds an android corpse and tries to wake it up by telling endless stories. The android then wanders within her stories and its senses gradually awaken.
Charles Gillibert’s CG Cinema will again co-produce the project. Bi is finishing the script and plans to shoot later this year.
“Resurrection” will be lensed by Dong Jingsong, whose credits include “Long Day’s Journey into Night” and “The Wild Goose Lake.”
The...
Boasting Bi’s edgy aesthetic and narrative style, the film tells the story of a woman whose consciousness falls into the “eternal time zone” during a surgical procedure. Trapped in many dreams, she finds an android corpse and tries to wake it up by telling endless stories. The android then wanders within her stories and its senses gradually awaken.
Charles Gillibert’s CG Cinema will again co-produce the project. Bi is finishing the script and plans to shoot later this year.
“Resurrection” will be lensed by Dong Jingsong, whose credits include “Long Day’s Journey into Night” and “The Wild Goose Lake.”
The...
- 9/6/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Eyimofe (This Is My Desire) (Arie and Chuko Esiri)
Home is profoundly where the heartache is in Eyimofe (This Is My Desire), a finely wrought, wistful but mildly unsatisfying debut feature by Nigerian-raised, New York-educated twins Arie and Chuko Esiri. Tracking two resilient Lagos residents, in sequential order, united by one goal––to illegally migrate in search of a better life––the film occasionally feels akin to an immaculately put-together class assignment, over-mindful of the reaction of an end user or assessor, rather than a risky, personality-infused piece of art. – David K. (full review)
Where to Stream: The Criterion Channel
The Innocents (Eskil Vogt)
The Innocents, the assured sophomore feature from Eskil Vogt, is a prickly film about childhood morality designed to...
Eyimofe (This Is My Desire) (Arie and Chuko Esiri)
Home is profoundly where the heartache is in Eyimofe (This Is My Desire), a finely wrought, wistful but mildly unsatisfying debut feature by Nigerian-raised, New York-educated twins Arie and Chuko Esiri. Tracking two resilient Lagos residents, in sequential order, united by one goal––to illegally migrate in search of a better life––the film occasionally feels akin to an immaculately put-together class assignment, over-mindful of the reaction of an end user or assessor, rather than a risky, personality-infused piece of art. – David K. (full review)
Where to Stream: The Criterion Channel
The Innocents (Eskil Vogt)
The Innocents, the assured sophomore feature from Eskil Vogt, is a prickly film about childhood morality designed to...
- 5/13/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Director Geng Jun regroups his dream team for his latest film, “Manchurian Tiger”, a follow up (or sort of) to his previous “The Hammer and Sickle Are Sleeping” and “Free and Easy”, set once again in and around Hegang, Heilongjiang, the director’s hometown in the cold Northeast of China, and based on everyday quirky characters of the area.
“Manchurian Tiger” is screening at Udine Far East Film Festival
Before the plot takes shape, we see a few sketches introducing the characters. Xu Dong (Zhang Yu) is an excavator machine operator in a mine of this constantly cold Chinese Northeast, and between a cigarette and an excavation, he enjoys the regular visits of his lover Xiaowei (Guo Yue) who is not the first one as we will discover later! Despite her insistence, he is firmly and melancholically convinced that his marriage is the only thing he has left in his life.
“Manchurian Tiger” is screening at Udine Far East Film Festival
Before the plot takes shape, we see a few sketches introducing the characters. Xu Dong (Zhang Yu) is an excavator machine operator in a mine of this constantly cold Chinese Northeast, and between a cigarette and an excavation, he enjoys the regular visits of his lover Xiaowei (Guo Yue) who is not the first one as we will discover later! Despite her insistence, he is firmly and melancholically convinced that his marriage is the only thing he has left in his life.
- 4/24/2022
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
With his astounding debut Kaili Blues (2015) and the equally impressive 3D odyssey Long Day’s Journey Into Night (2018), Chinese director Bi Gan emerged as one of the most promising new voices in cinema this last decade. Now he’s finally returning behind the camera for two new projects.
Bi Gan has completed shooting a new short titled Le cœur du soleil brisé (which is translated to The Broken Heart of the Sun), Hang Lu reports (via Ioncinema), and one can see some snaps from the set below. Following financing news last spring, they also report that the director’s third feature will finally go into production this year.
While no details have been unveiled yet, Bi Gan did discuss his future in filmmaking, following the surprise box office of his previous film, which took in over $40 million in China courtesy a marketing campaign that led people to believe it was a romance.
Bi Gan has completed shooting a new short titled Le cœur du soleil brisé (which is translated to The Broken Heart of the Sun), Hang Lu reports (via Ioncinema), and one can see some snaps from the set below. Following financing news last spring, they also report that the director’s third feature will finally go into production this year.
While no details have been unveiled yet, Bi Gan did discuss his future in filmmaking, following the surprise box office of his previous film, which took in over $40 million in China courtesy a marketing campaign that led people to believe it was a romance.
- 3/2/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Festival’s 26 th edition runs October 6-15.
South Korea’s Busan International Film Festival (Biff) is launching its On Screen section which will carry premieres of high-profile drama series that will later be streamed on Ott video platforms.
Biff, whose 26th edition will be held October 6-15, said the section “aims to precisely reflect the current state of the market, which is expanding multi-directionally, while embracing the extended flow and value of cinema” and should be “able to present more diverse and higher-quality works to the audience, whose range of fandom is expanding”.
The inaugural On Screen Section will launch...
South Korea’s Busan International Film Festival (Biff) is launching its On Screen section which will carry premieres of high-profile drama series that will later be streamed on Ott video platforms.
Biff, whose 26th edition will be held October 6-15, said the section “aims to precisely reflect the current state of the market, which is expanding multi-directionally, while embracing the extended flow and value of cinema” and should be “able to present more diverse and higher-quality works to the audience, whose range of fandom is expanding”.
The inaugural On Screen Section will launch...
- 8/26/2021
- by Jean Noh
- ScreenDaily
China’s Huace Pictures this week unveiled its upcoming film lineup, which includes a new project from young arthouse filmmaker Bi Gan (“Kaili Blues”) and sequels to its Chinese New Year hit “A Writer’s Odyssey.”
Founded in 2014, Huace Pictures is the newer outgrowth of Shenzhen-listed, Hangzhou-headquartered Zhejiang Huace Film and TV, founded in 2005. The latter has historically been a strong player in China’s TV drama production, but the group hopes to boost its footprint in film.
To that end, it unveiled on Tuesday a new logo for Huace Pictures, and announced the goal of producing 30 films over the next three years that can collectively bring in $1.5 billion (RMB10 billion) or more at the box office. It also released a list of 16 upcoming films that it plans to produce or distribute this year.
Fu Binxing, Huace Pictures chairman and VP of Huace Film and TV Group, said the company seeks...
Founded in 2014, Huace Pictures is the newer outgrowth of Shenzhen-listed, Hangzhou-headquartered Zhejiang Huace Film and TV, founded in 2005. The latter has historically been a strong player in China’s TV drama production, but the group hopes to boost its footprint in film.
To that end, it unveiled on Tuesday a new logo for Huace Pictures, and announced the goal of producing 30 films over the next three years that can collectively bring in $1.5 billion (RMB10 billion) or more at the box office. It also released a list of 16 upcoming films that it plans to produce or distribute this year.
Fu Binxing, Huace Pictures chairman and VP of Huace Film and TV Group, said the company seeks...
- 4/2/2021
- by Rebecca Davis
- Variety Film + TV
When it comes to action choreography, any long take sequence that lasts more than a few minutes is an achievement. Stunts and fights are risky. They can even be deadly. The longer the scene, the more chances of an accident. But a 77-minute one-er? That’s just crazy.
Talented filmmakers strut their stuff because the technical skill behind a good one-er demands next-level directorial and choreographic mastery. Setting up a long take scene is exponentially more challenging than a normal scene with cuts. For example, the short one-er that opens Lindsay Vonn’s new Amazon Prime reality game show series The Pack only runs a few minutes and is split by a cut in the middle, but it took 26 hours to prepare, film, and strike the sequence. Plus they had to shut down the 110 Freeway to film it.
The extensive long takes in Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman and Sam Mendes’ 1917 have won international acclaim,...
Talented filmmakers strut their stuff because the technical skill behind a good one-er demands next-level directorial and choreographic mastery. Setting up a long take scene is exponentially more challenging than a normal scene with cuts. For example, the short one-er that opens Lindsay Vonn’s new Amazon Prime reality game show series The Pack only runs a few minutes and is split by a cut in the middle, but it took 26 hours to prepare, film, and strike the sequence. Plus they had to shut down the 110 Freeway to film it.
The extensive long takes in Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman and Sam Mendes’ 1917 have won international acclaim,...
- 2/12/2021
- by Mike Cecchini
- Den of Geek
The streaming pool just keeps getting deeper. Joining fellow boutique distributors like Kino Lorber, Film Movement, and Cinema Tropical, Grasshopper Film is now making the jump into the streaming world, armed with the brand-new Projectr, a deeply curated platform that already boasts films from auteurs like Bong Joon Ho, Claire Denis, Hong Sangsoo, and Pedro Costa.
“So many of the acclaimed international and American Independent films that cinephiles hunger to see have fallen through the cracks of current Tvod providers,” Grasshopper Film founder Ryan Krivoshey told IndieWire. “With Projectr, we are seeking to remedy that oversight and create an accessible treasure trove for movie lovers. We’ve long contemplated a curated streaming platform — where viewers could immerse themselves in some of the most adventurous, exciting and important independent cinema. During these past months, we’ve realized this is more urgent than ever.”
Available today, Projectr will function as both a...
“So many of the acclaimed international and American Independent films that cinephiles hunger to see have fallen through the cracks of current Tvod providers,” Grasshopper Film founder Ryan Krivoshey told IndieWire. “With Projectr, we are seeking to remedy that oversight and create an accessible treasure trove for movie lovers. We’ve long contemplated a curated streaming platform — where viewers could immerse themselves in some of the most adventurous, exciting and important independent cinema. During these past months, we’ve realized this is more urgent than ever.”
Available today, Projectr will function as both a...
- 6/18/2020
- by Kate Erbland
- Thompson on Hollywood
The streaming pool just keeps getting deeper. Joining fellow boutique distributors like Kino Lorber, Film Movement, and Cinema Tropical, Grasshopper Film is now making the jump into the streaming world, armed with the brand-new Projectr, a deeply curated platform that already boasts films from auteurs like Bong Joon Ho, Claire Denis, Hong Sangsoo, and Pedro Costa.
“So many of the acclaimed international and American Independent films that cinephiles hunger to see have fallen through the cracks of current Tvod providers,” Grasshopper Film founder Ryan Krivoshey told IndieWire. “With Projectr, we are seeking to remedy that oversight and create an accessible treasure trove for movie lovers. We’ve long contemplated a curated streaming platform — where viewers could immerse themselves in some of the most adventurous, exciting and important independent cinema. During these past months, we’ve realized this is more urgent than ever.”
Available today, Projectr will function as both a...
“So many of the acclaimed international and American Independent films that cinephiles hunger to see have fallen through the cracks of current Tvod providers,” Grasshopper Film founder Ryan Krivoshey told IndieWire. “With Projectr, we are seeking to remedy that oversight and create an accessible treasure trove for movie lovers. We’ve long contemplated a curated streaming platform — where viewers could immerse themselves in some of the most adventurous, exciting and important independent cinema. During these past months, we’ve realized this is more urgent than ever.”
Available today, Projectr will function as both a...
- 6/18/2020
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Virgin Blue tells the story of a college graduate who returns home for summer vacation, but finds herself sinking into her childhood memories.
Beijing-based sales company Rediance has picked up two titles in the run-up to the Efm – Niu Xiaoyu’s drama Virgin Blue and Dutch-Chinese documentary Epic Of A Stone.
Produced by China’s Blackfin Production and Big Fish Films, Virgin Blue is the second debut film from a Chinese female director following Zheng Lu Xinyuan’s The Cloud In Her Room, which won the Tiger Award at this year’s Rotterdam film festival.
Virgin Blue tells the story...
Beijing-based sales company Rediance has picked up two titles in the run-up to the Efm – Niu Xiaoyu’s drama Virgin Blue and Dutch-Chinese documentary Epic Of A Stone.
Produced by China’s Blackfin Production and Big Fish Films, Virgin Blue is the second debut film from a Chinese female director following Zheng Lu Xinyuan’s The Cloud In Her Room, which won the Tiger Award at this year’s Rotterdam film festival.
Virgin Blue tells the story...
- 2/21/2020
- by 89¦Liz Shackleton¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
Infinite Fest is a column by festival programmer and film critic Eric Allen Hatch, author of the “Why I Am Hopeful” article for Filmmaker Magazine, tackling the state of cinema as expressed by North American film festivals.Above: The MoneychangerOne daunting aspect of film programming is the unrelenting avalanche of Vimeo links. Trying to assess which among many hundreds of films will deliver your audience the best experiences can get blurry in a hurry when you’re pressing play from spreadsheet cells—and as long as your call for entries remains open, that spreadsheet grows faster than you and your team can chip away at it. Moreover, most festival programmers’ work falls pre-marketplace curation, and that’s a roll of the dice with very unfavorable odds, continually kissing the dice hoping this one won’t turn out to be a bro-y Tarantino knock-off or a ponderous film student not yet...
- 1/15/2020
- MUBI
With the 41-minute long take in “Kaili Blues,” Chinese director Bi Gan announced himself as an exciting new cinematic voice who demanded the international film world’s attention. For Bi, who turns 30 this summer, that film opened his eyes to the possibilities of the medium — and how much more was left to explore.
For his Cannes-acclaimed sophomore effort “Long Day’s Journey Into Night,” Bi returned to the Guizhou Province, where he grew up, and the use of a long-take centerpiece shot. This time, that long take would not be about capturing a location — his hometown, which carried so much personal meaning — but how the audience experienced that space.
“Not only is it about the characters, but it’s also the spatial component and the changes, the adjustment in positions,” he said in an interview through a translator. “That takes a lot of budget, and also creative teams and the crew,...
For his Cannes-acclaimed sophomore effort “Long Day’s Journey Into Night,” Bi returned to the Guizhou Province, where he grew up, and the use of a long-take centerpiece shot. This time, that long take would not be about capturing a location — his hometown, which carried so much personal meaning — but how the audience experienced that space.
“Not only is it about the characters, but it’s also the spatial component and the changes, the adjustment in positions,” he said in an interview through a translator. “That takes a lot of budget, and also creative teams and the crew,...
- 4/12/2019
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
There are many talented young filmmakers out there but no one impressed me with their first couple of highly ambitious and accomplished films like a 30-year old Chinese filmmaker Bi Gan did. The sheer technical prowess and visual and literal poetry of his debut film Kaili Blues in 2015 left me speechless. And ever since its debut at Cannes last year, Bi's sophomore effort, Long Day's Journey into Night had become, even before I found out that the last half of the film was shot in one continuous take in 3D, my most anticipated film of 2018. When I finally saw it at Nyff, I was in cinema heaven. Cut from the same philosophical cloth as Resnais and Tarkovsky and his visual language llneage traces...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 4/12/2019
- Screen Anarchy
Netflix may get most of the attention, but it’s hardly a one-stop shop for cinephiles who are looking to stream essential classic and contemporary films. Each of the prominent streaming platforms — and there are more of them all the time — caters to its own niche of film obsessives. From chilling horror fare on Shudder, to esoteric (but unmissable) festival hits on the newly launched Ovid.tv, IndieWire’s monthly guide will highlight the best of what’s coming to every major streaming site, with an eye towards exclusive titles and bonus features that may help readers decide which of these services is right for them.
Here’s the best of the best for April 2019.
Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime has become the most reliable platform for exclusive streaming access to exciting indie and foreign movies. Netflix might get “Infinity War,” but Amazon Prime gets “Shoplifters.” Netflix might get “Solo,” but Amazon Prime gets “Cold War.
Here’s the best of the best for April 2019.
Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime has become the most reliable platform for exclusive streaming access to exciting indie and foreign movies. Netflix might get “Infinity War,” but Amazon Prime gets “Shoplifters.” Netflix might get “Solo,” but Amazon Prime gets “Cold War.
- 4/5/2019
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Kino Lorber has released the trailer for “Long Day’s Journey Into Night,” which has been receiving praise since it premiered in the Un Certain Regard section of last year’s Cannes Film Festival — especially for a 59-minute long-take 3D sequence. Bi first drew attention for his enigmatic debut, “Kaili Blues,” which likewise featured an arresting extended sequence; reactions to the Chinese auteur’s sophomore feature suggest he remains a filmmaker on the rise. Watch the trailer below.
Bearing no actual relation to Eugene O’Neill’s revered play of the same name, the film is described by its distributor as “a noir-tinged film about a solitary man (Huang Jue) haunted by loss and regret, told in two parts: the first an achronological mosaic, the second a nocturnal dream.” IndieWire’s David Ehrlich, reviewing the film at Cannes, gave it an “A” and wrote that “Bi’s camera doesn’t...
Bearing no actual relation to Eugene O’Neill’s revered play of the same name, the film is described by its distributor as “a noir-tinged film about a solitary man (Huang Jue) haunted by loss and regret, told in two parts: the first an achronological mosaic, the second a nocturnal dream.” IndieWire’s David Ehrlich, reviewing the film at Cannes, gave it an “A” and wrote that “Bi’s camera doesn’t...
- 3/14/2019
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Yeo Siew Hua is a director and writer from Singapore who won the 71st Locarno Festival’s Golden Leopard prize for his film ‘A Land Imagined’ (2018). His debut feature, the experimental ‘In The House of Straw’ (2009), was lauded by critics as a significant film of the Singapore New Wave. Yeo is a member of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Apsa) Academy and a founding member of the 13 Little Pictures film collective in Singapore.
Luna Kwok (Guo Yue) is a Chinese actress best known for her outstanding performance in the independent arthouse film, ‘Kaili Blues’ (2015), which bagged multiple awards at international film festivals, like the 68th Locarno Festival, 52nd Taiwan Golden Horse Film Festival, and Nantes Three Continents Film Festival in 2015. Since then, she has starred in a number of films, including ‘From Where We’ve Fallen’ (2017), which competed in the 65th San Sebastian International Film Festival 2017.In 2018, she won...
Luna Kwok (Guo Yue) is a Chinese actress best known for her outstanding performance in the independent arthouse film, ‘Kaili Blues’ (2015), which bagged multiple awards at international film festivals, like the 68th Locarno Festival, 52nd Taiwan Golden Horse Film Festival, and Nantes Three Continents Film Festival in 2015. Since then, she has starred in a number of films, including ‘From Where We’ve Fallen’ (2017), which competed in the 65th San Sebastian International Film Festival 2017.In 2018, she won...
- 3/4/2019
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
The seventh edition of the Helsinki Cine AAsia is set to take place 14th and 17th March, 2019 and the festival has today announced its Opening Film as well as Guest of Honour.
The Finnish festival will open this year with Shuichi Okita’s warm-hearted drama “Mori, The Artist’s Habitat“. One of the late, great Kiki Kirin’s last films, “Mori, The Artist’s Habitat” is a depiction of one day in the life of the 94-year-old Morikazu Kumagai, played in the film by Tsutomu Yamazaki. The off-beat artist has not left his home in decades and spends his time in fascinated observation of flora and fauna in his small garden. Day after day the world comes for a visit in the form of various visitors, each more peculiar than the one before.
The festival also announced that the film’s director Shuichi Okita will be the Guest of Honour this year.
The Finnish festival will open this year with Shuichi Okita’s warm-hearted drama “Mori, The Artist’s Habitat“. One of the late, great Kiki Kirin’s last films, “Mori, The Artist’s Habitat” is a depiction of one day in the life of the 94-year-old Morikazu Kumagai, played in the film by Tsutomu Yamazaki. The off-beat artist has not left his home in decades and spends his time in fascinated observation of flora and fauna in his small garden. Day after day the world comes for a visit in the form of various visitors, each more peculiar than the one before.
The festival also announced that the film’s director Shuichi Okita will be the Guest of Honour this year.
- 2/15/2019
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
Director Bi Gan’s dreamy pseudo-noir “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” defied the odds stacked against arthouse fare at the Chinese box office to take in a whopping $37.9 million on its opening day Monday. That total beat even superhero blockbuster “Venom” in both pre-sales and first-day mainland box-office tallies.
But the film is unlikely to maintain much momentum amid a backlash from viewers who felt they were tricked by misleading promotion into watching an incomprehensible highbrow flick, with one disenchanted audience member telling tongue-clucking elitists “to go eat s—.”
The movie’s first-day haul – achieved via cleverly marketed special screenings scheduled to end at the stroke of midnight and the dawn of the new year – marks the strongest-ever China opening for a local arthouse film. The $37.9 million score includes more than $15 million in pre-sales. But the film earned just $1.5 million on its second day (Tuesday), according to data and ticketing platform Maoyan.
But the film is unlikely to maintain much momentum amid a backlash from viewers who felt they were tricked by misleading promotion into watching an incomprehensible highbrow flick, with one disenchanted audience member telling tongue-clucking elitists “to go eat s—.”
The movie’s first-day haul – achieved via cleverly marketed special screenings scheduled to end at the stroke of midnight and the dawn of the new year – marks the strongest-ever China opening for a local arthouse film. The $37.9 million score includes more than $15 million in pre-sales. But the film earned just $1.5 million on its second day (Tuesday), according to data and ticketing platform Maoyan.
- 1/2/2019
- by Becky Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Bi Gan’s Art House Film ‘Long Day’s Journey Into Night’ Wows China With Blockbuster-Level Box Office
Bi Gan’s art house drama “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” is quickly turning into a blockbuster at the Chinese box office, and the movie hasn’t even opened in theaters yet. According to China.org, “Long Day’s Journey” has already earned 100 million yuan (equivalent to $15 million) in presale tickets with six days left before release, which is more than recent blockbusters such as “Avengers: Infinity War,” “The Mermaid,” and “Detective Chinatown 2” earned at that point in their pre-release sales.
Box office analysts say at this rate the film could exceed 400 million yuan ($58 million) when it opens December 31. By comparison, “Avengers: Infinity War” opened in May with just over $50 million in ticket sales.
“Long Day’s Journey Into Night” is Bi Gan’s second directorial feature after “Kaili Blues” and bears no relation to the Eugene O’Neill play of the same title. The movie premiered at...
Box office analysts say at this rate the film could exceed 400 million yuan ($58 million) when it opens December 31. By comparison, “Avengers: Infinity War” opened in May with just over $50 million in ticket sales.
“Long Day’s Journey Into Night” is Bi Gan’s second directorial feature after “Kaili Blues” and bears no relation to the Eugene O’Neill play of the same title. The movie premiered at...
- 12/26/2018
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Infinite Fest is a monthly column by festival programmer and film critic Eric Allen Hatch, author of the recent “Why I Am Hopeful” article for Filmmaker Magazine, tackling the state of cinema as expressed by North American film festivals.DiamantinoCinephilia is a subculture, and we need to represent it that way. I’m not asking you to wear tattered garments held together by safety pins, or accessorize clocks as necklaces. We don’t even need to stop trusting anyone over 30. But we do need to more aggressively filter cynical corporate product marketed to us—and more effectively proselytize for the authentic experiences that make film an art form rather than merely an industry. This cultural moment offers an abundance of that authenticity. Returning home from a week at Toronto International Film Festival, an annual pilgrimage for two decades, followed directly by another week in Maine for Camden International Film Festival,...
- 11/5/2018
- MUBI
Halfway through Bi Gan’s “Long Day’s Journey Into Night,” the camera never stops rolling. The 29-year-old Chinese director’s sophomore effort is a moody noir about a man grappling with his troubled past, and the second half of the movie inhabits the character’s dreams with a dazzling 59-minute long take in 3D. This ambitious approach is a natural continuation for the director, who used a 41-minute long take through a car windshield in his 2015 debut “Kaili Blues,” but the new feature includes far more acrobatic achievements: The camera roams the shadowy halls of a cave, hovers over a motorcycle, and eventually drifts into the air — all without a single cut.
“Long Day’s Journey Into Night” was a welcome surprise to audiences at the Cannes Film Festival, who were handed 3D glasses at screenings and instructed by a title card to put them on after an hour.
“Long Day’s Journey Into Night” was a welcome surprise to audiences at the Cannes Film Festival, who were handed 3D glasses at screenings and instructed by a title card to put them on after an hour.
- 10/2/2018
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Where realism and wild imagination meet in contemporary Chinese cinema.
Unexpected Journeys is a film programme introducing and celebrating Magical Realism in Chinese cinema and curated by Giada Liu from the National Film and Television School.
The films selected explore and challenge the limits of realistic storytelling, either aesthetically or narratively. They combine realism with imagination, absurdity and fantasy, creating a ‘new vision’ of reality that highlights Chinese filmmakers’ self-reflection in a drastically changing society.
Unexpected Journeys is composed by four films from Mainland China that created their own version of Magical Realism.
On September 27th at Curzon Goldsmiths in London, there will be the screening of the visually spectacular and dreamlike second feature “Crosscurrent” (2016) by Yang Chao and one of Jiang Wen’s witty and nostalgic creations “The Sun Also Rises” (2007).
On September 30th at Rio Cinema in London, we are showing the poetic journey in time “Kaili Blues...
Unexpected Journeys is a film programme introducing and celebrating Magical Realism in Chinese cinema and curated by Giada Liu from the National Film and Television School.
The films selected explore and challenge the limits of realistic storytelling, either aesthetically or narratively. They combine realism with imagination, absurdity and fantasy, creating a ‘new vision’ of reality that highlights Chinese filmmakers’ self-reflection in a drastically changing society.
Unexpected Journeys is composed by four films from Mainland China that created their own version of Magical Realism.
On September 27th at Curzon Goldsmiths in London, there will be the screening of the visually spectacular and dreamlike second feature “Crosscurrent” (2016) by Yang Chao and one of Jiang Wen’s witty and nostalgic creations “The Sun Also Rises” (2007).
On September 30th at Rio Cinema in London, we are showing the poetic journey in time “Kaili Blues...
- 9/18/2018
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Tracking a lovelorn drifter’s return to his hometown of Kaili in Southwest China, emerging independent auteur Bi Gan’s sophomore feature “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” is one long pose featuring a virtuoso long take, though the film itself comes up short in substance. Plunging viewers into an extended dream sequence in the name of abstract motifs such as memory, time, and space, the film is a lush plotless mood-piece swimming in artsy references and ostentatious technical exercises, with a star as decoration. Diehard art-house fans and critics eager to scout new auteurs will deem it an ecstatic, transporting experience, but a general audience expecting to have a basic idea of what they’re watching will be left clutching at straws.
Bi’s debut “Kaili Blues” stunned the festival circuit with its unusual film language, capped by a bravura 40-minute take. Although made on a shoestring budget, the...
Bi’s debut “Kaili Blues” stunned the festival circuit with its unusual film language, capped by a bravura 40-minute take. Although made on a shoestring budget, the...
- 5/19/2018
- by Maggie Lee
- Variety Film + TV
It’s remarkable and perplexing that a landmark work such as director Bi Gan‘s latest film, “Long Day’s Journey into Night,” is not part of this year’s official competition at the Cannes Film Festival. The mezmerizing, mysterious film, an indisputably great one, is coming off the heels of the equally otherworldly 2014 film “Kaili Blues,” but this sophomore effort is a game-changer of the highest order.
- 5/16/2018
- by Jordan Ruimy
- The Playlist
First things first: Bi Gan’s “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” has nothing to do with the Eugene O’Neil play of the same title, but that’s not the only misdirection in play. The Chinese director’s sophomore effort is a fascinating application of filmmaking innovation toward expressionistic ends. It follows up on the promise of his 40-minute long take in “Kaili Blues” with an even longer one, in 3D, set within the confines of a dream sequence that plays like a total revelation. Bi’s lyrical neo-noir begins with the poetic tale of a man returning to his hometown and searching for a long-lost love, then finds him putting his 3D glasses on at a movie theater — a cue for the audience to follow suit, as the movie launches into a staggering 55-minute long take shot entirely in 3D.
That gimmick might sound neat on paper, but...
That gimmick might sound neat on paper, but...
- 5/16/2018
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Chinese director Zhang Ming’s “The Pluto Moment” (“Ming Wang Xing Shi Ke”) has been acquired by French sales agent Loco Films ahead of its world premiere at Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight.
Based on “The Tale of Darkness,” a traditional local song of mourning, “The Pluto Moment” follows Wang Zhun, a director in search of inspiration for his new script, who embarks on an unpredictable trek across the mountainous region of Shennongjia in Hubei province with his savvy producer Ding Hongmei, young actor Bai, and photographer Du Chun. The journey brings them unexpected physical challenges, while also bearing witnesses to the subtle emotional ebbs and flows of the protagonists.
“‘The Tale of Darkness’ is a mourning song sung at funerals, one that recounts the origins of Heaven and the Earth, and the genesis of the human race,” said Ming. “The protagonists (of ‘The Pluto Moment’) are trapped in a dilemma of action and inaction,...
Based on “The Tale of Darkness,” a traditional local song of mourning, “The Pluto Moment” follows Wang Zhun, a director in search of inspiration for his new script, who embarks on an unpredictable trek across the mountainous region of Shennongjia in Hubei province with his savvy producer Ding Hongmei, young actor Bai, and photographer Du Chun. The journey brings them unexpected physical challenges, while also bearing witnesses to the subtle emotional ebbs and flows of the protagonists.
“‘The Tale of Darkness’ is a mourning song sung at funerals, one that recounts the origins of Heaven and the Earth, and the genesis of the human race,” said Ming. “The protagonists (of ‘The Pluto Moment’) are trapped in a dilemma of action and inaction,...
- 5/10/2018
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Cannes Film Festival has finally revealed the full programme of its 71st edition and the small Asian selection is very promising and includes few regular participants along with some talented new newbies.
Let’s have a first look at the list.
Competition
“Burning” by Lee Chang-dong (South Korea)
This much anticipated adaptation of “Barn Burning”, a short story by Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami, is a tale of three young adults and – in full Murakami’s style – a mysterious accident. Back after a 7-year break, director Lee Chang-dong has summoned Yoo Ah-in (“The Throne” and “Veteran”), Steven Yuen (“Okja”) and pretty new actress Jeon Jong-seo for the roles.
“Ash is Purest White” by Jia Zhangke (China)
Jia Zhangke returns to Cannes with this big-budget and ambitious film; a love story set on the backdrop of China criminal world in the industrial town of Datong, spanning from 2001 to 2017. Within the cast the...
Let’s have a first look at the list.
Competition
“Burning” by Lee Chang-dong (South Korea)
This much anticipated adaptation of “Barn Burning”, a short story by Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami, is a tale of three young adults and – in full Murakami’s style – a mysterious accident. Back after a 7-year break, director Lee Chang-dong has summoned Yoo Ah-in (“The Throne” and “Veteran”), Steven Yuen (“Okja”) and pretty new actress Jeon Jong-seo for the roles.
“Ash is Purest White” by Jia Zhangke (China)
Jia Zhangke returns to Cannes with this big-budget and ambitious film; a love story set on the backdrop of China criminal world in the industrial town of Datong, spanning from 2001 to 2017. Within the cast the...
- 4/12/2018
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
The clutch of Asian films in this year’s Cannes Official Selection isn’t the biggest ever but may be one of the most anticipated in recent years.
Three of the four Asian titles in the main competition are by directors with a high-profile Cannes track record. The fourth is a competition first-timer.
The main competition lineup includes a long-awaited return for former Cannes juror Lee Chang-dong (“Secret Sunshine”) with “Burning.” The film is an adaptation of the short story “Barn Burning” by Haruki Murakami (“Norwegian Wood”), which was first published in the New Yorker. With Yoo Ah-in, Steven Yuen and Jeon Jong-seo in the three lead roles, the film’s trailer is currently scorching the Internet.
A record number of Chinese films were submitted to Cannes this year. Three were chosen, with one making it into the competition. Auteur Jia Zhangke is returning to the Croisette with his biggest-budget...
Three of the four Asian titles in the main competition are by directors with a high-profile Cannes track record. The fourth is a competition first-timer.
The main competition lineup includes a long-awaited return for former Cannes juror Lee Chang-dong (“Secret Sunshine”) with “Burning.” The film is an adaptation of the short story “Barn Burning” by Haruki Murakami (“Norwegian Wood”), which was first published in the New Yorker. With Yoo Ah-in, Steven Yuen and Jeon Jong-seo in the three lead roles, the film’s trailer is currently scorching the Internet.
A record number of Chinese films were submitted to Cannes this year. Three were chosen, with one making it into the competition. Auteur Jia Zhangke is returning to the Croisette with his biggest-budget...
- 4/12/2018
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
I Am Not Madame Bovary’s Feng Xiaogang took the best director prize.Scroll down for full list of winners
The jury of the 10th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Apsa) has awarded the best film prize to Mustafa Kara’s Turkish drama Cold Of Kalandar. The film won a total of three prizes at the regional film awards, which took place tonight (Nov 24) in Brisbane, Australia.
The best director prize went to Chinese director Feng Xiaogang for his satirical critique of bureaucratic indifference to the populace of mainland China, I Am Not Madame Bovary.
Cold of Kalandar’s Apsa best film win comes after similar honours at the Tokyo Film Festival, and Turkey’s Istanbul and Antalya film festivals.
In September it was selected as Turkey’s candidate for the foreign language Oscar.
The film depicts an impoverished family’s attempt to make a living through farming in Turkey’s mountainous northern region. Tensions between...
The jury of the 10th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Apsa) has awarded the best film prize to Mustafa Kara’s Turkish drama Cold Of Kalandar. The film won a total of three prizes at the regional film awards, which took place tonight (Nov 24) in Brisbane, Australia.
The best director prize went to Chinese director Feng Xiaogang for his satirical critique of bureaucratic indifference to the populace of mainland China, I Am Not Madame Bovary.
Cold of Kalandar’s Apsa best film win comes after similar honours at the Tokyo Film Festival, and Turkey’s Istanbul and Antalya film festivals.
In September it was selected as Turkey’s candidate for the foreign language Oscar.
The film depicts an impoverished family’s attempt to make a living through farming in Turkey’s mountainous northern region. Tensions between...
- 11/24/2016
- ScreenDaily
Istanbul event will host a total of 23 gala screenings, including the latest films from Charlie Kaufman and Jean-Marc Vallee, as well as a David Bowie tribute programme.Scroll down for the full line-up
!f Istanbul Independent Film Festival has revealed its programme for the 2016 edition (February 18-28).
Charlie Kaufman’s Anomalisa, which premiered at Telluride last year, and Jean-Marc Vallee’s Demolition, which opened the Toronto International Film Festival in 2015, will open and close the festival respectively.
!f Istanbul - in its 15th edition - will host screenings, competitions and events dedicated to bringing the best of independent film to the Turkish city.
Other gala presentations will include Luca Guadagnino’s A Bigger Splash, Gaspar Noé’s Love 3D, Jeremy Saulnier’s Green Room and Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s BAFTA-nominated The Assassin.
In memory of the late musician David Bowie, the festival will show remastered versions of his films The Man Who Fell To Earth and The Hunger...
!f Istanbul Independent Film Festival has revealed its programme for the 2016 edition (February 18-28).
Charlie Kaufman’s Anomalisa, which premiered at Telluride last year, and Jean-Marc Vallee’s Demolition, which opened the Toronto International Film Festival in 2015, will open and close the festival respectively.
!f Istanbul - in its 15th edition - will host screenings, competitions and events dedicated to bringing the best of independent film to the Turkish city.
Other gala presentations will include Luca Guadagnino’s A Bigger Splash, Gaspar Noé’s Love 3D, Jeremy Saulnier’s Green Room and Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s BAFTA-nominated The Assassin.
In memory of the late musician David Bowie, the festival will show remastered versions of his films The Man Who Fell To Earth and The Hunger...
- 1/29/2016
- ScreenDaily
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