Paris-based sales company Alpha Violet has come on board as representative of “Mongrel,” the debut feature of Taiwan-based Singaporean filmmaker Chiang Wei Liang. The film will have its world premiere next month at Cannes in the Directors Fortnight section.
Set in the mountains of Taiwan, “Mongrel” stars Thai actor Wanlop Rungkumjad as Oom, an undocumented migrant and on-demand caregiver for rural families, who struggles to preserve his humanity as he cares for the elderly and disabled.
Rungkumjad is joined by newcomer Kuo Shu-wei, who plays Hui, a patient with whom Oom develops a bond. On hearing of the film’s Cannes selection, Kuo said, “I never thought this film would have the opportunity to be seen by so many people. As I live with athetoid cerebral palsy, we worked hard to achieve this. Hui is a character whose abilities are weaker than mine, so I thought of the friends I...
Set in the mountains of Taiwan, “Mongrel” stars Thai actor Wanlop Rungkumjad as Oom, an undocumented migrant and on-demand caregiver for rural families, who struggles to preserve his humanity as he cares for the elderly and disabled.
Rungkumjad is joined by newcomer Kuo Shu-wei, who plays Hui, a patient with whom Oom develops a bond. On hearing of the film’s Cannes selection, Kuo said, “I never thought this film would have the opportunity to be seen by so many people. As I live with athetoid cerebral palsy, we worked hard to achieve this. Hui is a character whose abilities are weaker than mine, so I thought of the friends I...
- 4/16/2024
- by Patrick Frater and Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The Kung Fu Panda film series is undoubtedly one of the most successful animation franchises in Hollywood. Beginning in 2008, the first film’s massive success led to multiple sequels, with the 4th installment having released a few weeks ago in theaters. In each of the films, the loveable panda Po, voiced by the incomparable Jack Black, has battled various villains while discovering his own strength.
A scene from Kung Fu Panda 4
In Kung Fu Panda 4, Po faces fresh threats from a formidable new antagonist, Chameleon, along with becoming the Spiritual Leader. While a 5th film in the franchise is yet to be officially confirmed, events in the 4th movie have left audiences with possible hints as to who could be the next ominous foe to challenge the protagonist.
Who Will Be Po’s Nemesis In Kung Fu Panda 5?
Kung Fu Panda 4 has thrown up some interesting questions...
A scene from Kung Fu Panda 4
In Kung Fu Panda 4, Po faces fresh threats from a formidable new antagonist, Chameleon, along with becoming the Spiritual Leader. While a 5th film in the franchise is yet to be officially confirmed, events in the 4th movie have left audiences with possible hints as to who could be the next ominous foe to challenge the protagonist.
Who Will Be Po’s Nemesis In Kung Fu Panda 5?
Kung Fu Panda 4 has thrown up some interesting questions...
- 3/31/2024
- by Sharanya Sankar
- FandomWire
Thai production and sales outfit Neramitnung Film is introducing Filmart buyers to Wai Noom 2001, the latest film by 4 Kings director Phutthipong Nakthong, and Happy Monday! starring Oabnithi Wiwattanawarang.
Wai Noom 2001 is a prison drama loosely based on a true story about a group of teen criminals kept in the most notorious prison in Bangkok. The original cast from box-office hits 4 Kings and its sequel will reunite with director Phutthipong, including Nat Kitcharit, Arak Amornsupasiri, Itkron Pungkiatrussamee, Benjamin Joseph Varney and Aelm Thavornsiri.
Happy Monday! is a time-loop drama about a loser who is happily stuck in a repeated Monday because...
Wai Noom 2001 is a prison drama loosely based on a true story about a group of teen criminals kept in the most notorious prison in Bangkok. The original cast from box-office hits 4 Kings and its sequel will reunite with director Phutthipong, including Nat Kitcharit, Arak Amornsupasiri, Itkron Pungkiatrussamee, Benjamin Joseph Varney and Aelm Thavornsiri.
Happy Monday! is a time-loop drama about a loser who is happily stuck in a repeated Monday because...
- 3/12/2024
- ScreenDaily
Next Step, a program organized by Cannes Critics’ Week whose recent alumni include Molly Manning Walker (“How to Have Sex”), has unveiled the participants of its milestone 10th edition.
Spearheaded by Thomas Rosso, a producer turned artistic director, the workshop selects emerging directors who have had their short films play at Cannes’ parallel section, Critics’ Week, and helps to develop their feature debuts. Over the last decade, Next Step has supported the development of 88 projects, 29 of which have been completed and 13 of which will shoot in 2024.
The filmmakers selected to take part in this edition include Anton Bialas, a French-Swedish filmmaker (“Manta Ray”) developing “Femminielli,” about a baroque nightclub in Paris; Spain’s Irati Gorostidi (“Contadores”) with “Anekumen,” a drama set in 1978 at the end of Franco’s regime in Spain; Swiss helmer Jela Hasler with “To Put Out One Fire,” about a young and idealistic urbanist working in Zurich...
Spearheaded by Thomas Rosso, a producer turned artistic director, the workshop selects emerging directors who have had their short films play at Cannes’ parallel section, Critics’ Week, and helps to develop their feature debuts. Over the last decade, Next Step has supported the development of 88 projects, 29 of which have been completed and 13 of which will shoot in 2024.
The filmmakers selected to take part in this edition include Anton Bialas, a French-Swedish filmmaker (“Manta Ray”) developing “Femminielli,” about a baroque nightclub in Paris; Spain’s Irati Gorostidi (“Contadores”) with “Anekumen,” a drama set in 1978 at the end of Franco’s regime in Spain; Swiss helmer Jela Hasler with “To Put Out One Fire,” about a young and idealistic urbanist working in Zurich...
- 12/15/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Hong Kong’s Haf adds 15 Wip projects ahead of first in-person edition since 2019.
The Hong Kong International Film Festival Society has announced 15 work-in-progress projects, completing the full line-up of the 21st Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF21).
A total of 43 projects will be presented at Haf, including 28 in-development projects announced last month, which is set to run from March 13-15 alongside the 27th Hong Kong Film & TV Market (Filmart). It will mark the first in-person edition for both events since pre-Covid 2019.
Scroll down for full list of projects
Emerging and established actors who lead the cast of the 15 Wip projects include Fish Liew,...
The Hong Kong International Film Festival Society has announced 15 work-in-progress projects, completing the full line-up of the 21st Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF21).
A total of 43 projects will be presented at Haf, including 28 in-development projects announced last month, which is set to run from March 13-15 alongside the 27th Hong Kong Film & TV Market (Filmart). It will mark the first in-person edition for both events since pre-Covid 2019.
Scroll down for full list of projects
Emerging and established actors who lead the cast of the 15 Wip projects include Fish Liew,...
- 2/8/2023
- by Silvia Wong
- ScreenDaily
Fifteen additional work-in-progress films are set to join the Hong Kong – Asia Film Financing Forum (Haf) that takes place next month alongside the FilMart rights market. They join 28 previously announced in-development projects.
The 21st edition of Haf runs March 13-15 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and will be the first physical, in-person edition of the project event since 2019. All the work-in-progress projects will take part in a public pitching session on the first day.
The work-in-progress selection skews heavily towards Chinese language titles, with three originating in Hong Kong and the majority of the others from mainland China.
Leading names attached to the selected work-in-progress titles include producers Stanley Kwan (“Centre Stage”), Mai Meksawan (“Manta Ray”) and Ram Krishna Pokharel (“The Red Phallus”). Emerging and established actors including Fish Liew, Austin Lin, Ma Chih-Hsiang, Matsuda Ryuhei, Wang Xuebing, Wu Kang-Ren, and Zu Feng grace various projects.
The 21st edition of Haf runs March 13-15 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and will be the first physical, in-person edition of the project event since 2019. All the work-in-progress projects will take part in a public pitching session on the first day.
The work-in-progress selection skews heavily towards Chinese language titles, with three originating in Hong Kong and the majority of the others from mainland China.
Leading names attached to the selected work-in-progress titles include producers Stanley Kwan (“Centre Stage”), Mai Meksawan (“Manta Ray”) and Ram Krishna Pokharel (“The Red Phallus”). Emerging and established actors including Fish Liew, Austin Lin, Ma Chih-Hsiang, Matsuda Ryuhei, Wang Xuebing, Wu Kang-Ren, and Zu Feng grace various projects.
- 2/8/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Following three decades into an unparalleled career, Kid Koala continues to grow his immersive this-dimensional real-life cartoon musical universe with each orbit around the sun. The world renowned DJ, composer, and lifelong visual storyteller also known as Eric San has announced his latest foray into the depths of “creating things to joyfully connect people.” Entitled Creatures Of The Late Afternoon, the new double album is the soundtrack to an accompanying board game centered around a cast of creatures who band together through the power of music to save their habitat from destruction. Built integrally into the vinyl gatefold jacket, the board game is set at a communal hub of DIY recording studios where various bands of creatures collaborate to explore different ways of expressing and enjoying music.
“Jump & Shuffle” Cover Art
Creatures Of The Late Afternoon is what San calls “a journey through some of my favourite musical universes through the turntables.
“Jump & Shuffle” Cover Art
Creatures Of The Late Afternoon is what San calls “a journey through some of my favourite musical universes through the turntables.
- 12/16/2022
- by Music Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid Music
Two more sidebars at this year’s Cannes Film Festival have unveiled their lineup. First up, Critics Week (aka La Semaine de la Critique), which brings together first and second features, has announced its 2022 slate, which includes a special screening of Jesse Eisenberg’s When You Finish Saving the World, which we reviewed at Sundance. While the festival is primarily geared towards discoveries, it also includes a new short by Yann Gonzalez.
Acid (Association for the Distribution of Independent Cinema) also unveiled its nine features, which notably includes a new film by Damien Manivel, who recently directed the acclaimed Isadora’s Children. Check out both lineups below.
Critics Week (hat tip to Screen Daily)
Special Screenings
When You Finish Saving The World (US) (Opening film)
Dir. Jesse Eisenberg
Sons Of Ramses (Fr)
Dir. Clément Cogitore
Everybody Loves Jeanne (Fr)
Dir. Céline Devaux
Next Sohee (S Kor) (Closing film)
Dir. July Jung...
Acid (Association for the Distribution of Independent Cinema) also unveiled its nine features, which notably includes a new film by Damien Manivel, who recently directed the acclaimed Isadora’s Children. Check out both lineups below.
Critics Week (hat tip to Screen Daily)
Special Screenings
When You Finish Saving The World (US) (Opening film)
Dir. Jesse Eisenberg
Sons Of Ramses (Fr)
Dir. Clément Cogitore
Everybody Loves Jeanne (Fr)
Dir. Céline Devaux
Next Sohee (S Kor) (Closing film)
Dir. July Jung...
- 4/20/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Cannes Film Festival’s parallel sidebar Critics’ Week has unveiled the 11 features and 13 shorts that will comprise its 2022 edition. Scroll down to see the full lineup.
Opening the event will be Jesse Eisenberg’s comedy-drama When You Finish Saving the World, which premiered at Sundance this year and has its international premiere in Cannes. The film stars Julianne Moore and Finn Wolfhard as mother and son.
Closing the program will be Jung July’s Next Sohee, a detective drama starring Bae Doona.
This is the first selection for new Critics’ Week artistic director Ava Cahen, who becomes the second female director in the event’s history.
Cannes Critics’ Week runs May 18-26 this year.
Competition
Feature Films
Aftersun (UK / U.S.)
Dir. Charlotte Wells
Alma Viva (Portugal / France)
Dir. Cristèle Alves Meira
Dalva (Love according to Dalva) (Belgium / France)
Dir. Emmanuelle Nicot
La Jauría (Colombia / France)
Dir. Andrés Ramírez Pulido...
Opening the event will be Jesse Eisenberg’s comedy-drama When You Finish Saving the World, which premiered at Sundance this year and has its international premiere in Cannes. The film stars Julianne Moore and Finn Wolfhard as mother and son.
Closing the program will be Jung July’s Next Sohee, a detective drama starring Bae Doona.
This is the first selection for new Critics’ Week artistic director Ava Cahen, who becomes the second female director in the event’s history.
Cannes Critics’ Week runs May 18-26 this year.
Competition
Feature Films
Aftersun (UK / U.S.)
Dir. Charlotte Wells
Alma Viva (Portugal / France)
Dir. Cristèle Alves Meira
Dalva (Love according to Dalva) (Belgium / France)
Dir. Emmanuelle Nicot
La Jauría (Colombia / France)
Dir. Andrés Ramírez Pulido...
- 4/20/2022
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
The lineup for the 2022 Cannes Critics’ Week (La Semaine de la Critique) has been announced. See also the full lineup of the Official Selection and Directors' Fortnight.Next SoheeCOMPETITION — FEATURESAftersun (Charlotte Wells)Alma Viva (Cristèle Alves Meira)Dalva (Emmanuelle Nicot)La Jauría (Andrés Ramírez Pulido)Summer Scars (Simon Rieth)Imagine (Ali Behrad)The Woodcutter Story (Mikko Myllylahti)Competition — SHORTSCanker (Lin Tu)Las criaturas que se derriten bajo el sol (Diego Cespedes)Chords (Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren)Will You Look At Me (Shuli Huang)Ice Merchants (João Gonzalez)It’s Nice In Here (Robert-Jonathan Koeyers)I Didn’t Make It To Love Her (Anna Fernandez De Paco)On Xerxes’ Throne (Evi Kalogiropoulou)Manta Ray (Anton Bialas)Swan In the Center (Iris Chassaigne)Special Screenings — FEATURESWhen You Finish Saving The World (Jesse Eisenberg): Evelyn and her oblivious son Ziggy seek out replacements for each other as Evelyn desperately...
- 4/20/2022
- MUBI
Thailand’s Jakrawal won a Tiger award at International Film Festival Rotterdam in 2015 with his debut narrative feature Vanishing Point.
Screen can unveil the first trailer for Jakrawal Nilthamrong’s Anatomy Of Time, which is set to premiere in the Horizons strand of this year’s Venice Film Festival (September 1-11).
Thailand’s Jakrawal won a Tiger award at International Film Festival Rotterdam in 2015 with his debut narrative feature Vanishing Point. He makes his Venice debut with his second film, a drama spanning 50 years of a woman’s life from her carefree 20s in 1960s rural Thailand to present-day Bangkok...
Screen can unveil the first trailer for Jakrawal Nilthamrong’s Anatomy Of Time, which is set to premiere in the Horizons strand of this year’s Venice Film Festival (September 1-11).
Thailand’s Jakrawal won a Tiger award at International Film Festival Rotterdam in 2015 with his debut narrative feature Vanishing Point. He makes his Venice debut with his second film, a drama spanning 50 years of a woman’s life from her carefree 20s in 1960s rural Thailand to present-day Bangkok...
- 8/27/2021
- by Screen staff
- ScreenDaily
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options—not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves–each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit platforms. Check out this week’s selections below and an archive of past round-ups here.
A Bread Factory (Patrick Wang)
With a small theatrical release and its runtime of four hours (split across two parts) it’s not particularly surprising that Patrick Wang’s A Bread Factory went overlooked last fall, but one should seek it out–and it’s now finally arriving on streaming. One of the best American indies of the year, it is a Rivettian look at an upstate theater company that takes both an authentic look at the mechanics of survival in the arts and a fanciful approach at showing the joy of performance. I don’t imagine the entire thing will work for everyone, but there...
A Bread Factory (Patrick Wang)
With a small theatrical release and its runtime of four hours (split across two parts) it’s not particularly surprising that Patrick Wang’s A Bread Factory went overlooked last fall, but one should seek it out–and it’s now finally arriving on streaming. One of the best American indies of the year, it is a Rivettian look at an upstate theater company that takes both an authentic look at the mechanics of survival in the arts and a fanciful approach at showing the joy of performance. I don’t imagine the entire thing will work for everyone, but there...
- 9/27/2019
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
As ubiquitous on the fall festival circuit as it is excellent, Thai border drama Manta Ray ticks all the boxes: it’s an accomplished arthouse hit, a new exciting voice to discover, and a timely story with serious social cachet. Director Phuttiphong Aroonpheng has crafted a spellbinding debut that frames the issue of the Rohingya people indirectly, focusing on the plight of one man with no voice and the fisherman who takes him in. A former Dp, Aroonpheng advances his story almost purely through images and music (the French duo Snowdrops do a lot of heavy lifting with their substantial score), but the warmth and the intensity of his humanism is never sacrificed to the aesthetics.…...
- 9/26/2019
- by Tommaso Tocci
- IONCINEMA.com
Close-Up is a feature that spotlights films now playing on Mubi. Phuttiphong Aroonpheng's Manta Ray, which is receiving an exclusive global online premiere on Mubi, is showing from September 26 – October 25, 2019 in Mubi's Debuts series.The debut feature of writer-director Phuttiphong Aroonpheng, Manta Ray is an intoxicating and ostensibly oblique commentary on a pressing contemporary issue that weaves a genuinely otherworldly and bewitching spell. Evocative of the sensual and woozy aesthetic of Apichatpong Weerasethakul, comparisons to whom Aroonpheng, who cites David Lynch and especially Eraserhead (1977) as his rudder, will no doubt very quickly tire, it’s a film whose spirituality gently masks a genuine interrogation of more corporeal matters. Though initially beginning as a dreamlike allegory, the kernel of the film is the plight of Rohingya refugees and migrant workers, a great number of whom perished in the Moei River, a small body of water marking a frontier between Thailand and Myanmar.
- 9/18/2019
- MUBI
Leading curated streaming platform Mubi announced today its September release slate of films and curated series from both emerging talent and acclaimed directors from across the globe. Mubi continues its ongoing commitment to exclusive new releases next month, with Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof’s allegory of authoritarianism A Man of Integrity — featured in the “Luminaries” strand.
Highlights from the September line-up are as follows:
Exclusive Premieres
A Man of Integrity
[Luminaries] State-banned Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof – who was recently sentenced to a year in prison – nevertheless continues to make films that challenge corruption. The Un Certain Regard winner at Cannes 2017, A Man of Integrity is an allegory of authoritarianism that pulses with bold social critique.
A Man of Integrity — September 17— Exclusive
[Debuts] Phuttiphong Aroonpheng’s entrancing debut feature confronts the Rohingya refugee crisis through unexpected means. Manta Ray is both perplexingly hypnotic and a sharp political allegory. Winner of the 2018 Venice Horizons Award.
Highlights from the September line-up are as follows:
Exclusive Premieres
A Man of Integrity
[Luminaries] State-banned Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof – who was recently sentenced to a year in prison – nevertheless continues to make films that challenge corruption. The Un Certain Regard winner at Cannes 2017, A Man of Integrity is an allegory of authoritarianism that pulses with bold social critique.
A Man of Integrity — September 17— Exclusive
[Debuts] Phuttiphong Aroonpheng’s entrancing debut feature confronts the Rohingya refugee crisis through unexpected means. Manta Ray is both perplexingly hypnotic and a sharp political allegory. Winner of the 2018 Venice Horizons Award.
- 8/18/2019
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
Rountable event to include panels, workshops and spotlights on Thai studio Gdh and ’Manta Ray’ director Phuttipong Aroonpheng.
Bangkok-based film fund Purin Pictures is launching an industry event, Roundtable (July 4-7), which will run concurrently with the Bangkok Asean Film Festival.
While the festival will focus on screenings, Roundtable will host seminars, workshops and spotlights, with the two events aiming to complement each other by offering a range of activities focused on Southeast Asian cinema.
Highlights include a spotlight on Thai studio Gdh, which has credits including international hit Bad Genius, and Thai director Phuttipong Aroonpheng, whose 2018 drama Manta Ray...
Bangkok-based film fund Purin Pictures is launching an industry event, Roundtable (July 4-7), which will run concurrently with the Bangkok Asean Film Festival.
While the festival will focus on screenings, Roundtable will host seminars, workshops and spotlights, with the two events aiming to complement each other by offering a range of activities focused on Southeast Asian cinema.
Highlights include a spotlight on Thai studio Gdh, which has credits including international hit Bad Genius, and Thai director Phuttipong Aroonpheng, whose 2018 drama Manta Ray...
- 6/18/2019
- by Liz Shackleton
- ScreenDaily
Line-up includes the world premieres of two Taiwanese films: Hsieh Pei-ju’s Heavy Craving and Shih Li’s Wild Sparrow.
The 21st Taipei Film Festival has unveiled a line-up of 12 films from 15 countries for its international new talent competition, including the world premiere of two Taiwanese films Hsieh Pei-ju’s first feature Heavy Craving and Shih Li’s second feature Wild Sparrow.
The former, which was selected for Berlinale Talents’ Script Station and Produire au Sud Taipei Workshop, is about an overweight woman who is in love with a bright young courier, while the latter is about grandparenting, life and...
The 21st Taipei Film Festival has unveiled a line-up of 12 films from 15 countries for its international new talent competition, including the world premiere of two Taiwanese films Hsieh Pei-ju’s first feature Heavy Craving and Shih Li’s second feature Wild Sparrow.
The former, which was selected for Berlinale Talents’ Script Station and Produire au Sud Taipei Workshop, is about an overweight woman who is in love with a bright young courier, while the latter is about grandparenting, life and...
- 5/17/2019
- by Silvia Wong
- ScreenDaily
I think I fell asleep during Manta Ray — the debut feature of Thai cinematographer Phuttiphong Aroonpheng — though I can’t be sure. If that’s a value judgement on the film, it might not be entirely negative. Aroonpheng showed up to address the audience before the film’s New Directors/New Films Festival premiere, at New York’s […]
The post ‘Manta Ray’ is the Kind of Film That Can Lull You to Sleep – But in a Good Way appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘Manta Ray’ is the Kind of Film That Can Lull You to Sleep – But in a Good Way appeared first on /Film.
- 4/12/2019
- by Siddhant Adlakha
- Slash Film
The Montclair Film Festival will hold the world premiere of the restoration of the 1959 movie “The Diary of Anne Frank,” Variety has learned exclusively.
The black-and-white film, directed by George Stevens, has been restored by Twentieth Century Fox and the Film Foundation. The holocaust drama was nominated for eight Academy Awards and won three, including best supporting actress for Shelly Winters.
The festival, now in its eighth year, will take place May 3-12 in Montclair, N.J., and features more than 150 films, events, discussions and parties. The festival had previously announced that it would open with a screening of Tom Harper’s “Wild Rose,” with star Jessie Buckley attending for a post-screening Q&A.
This year’s Storyteller Series will include A Conversation with Mindy Kaling, moderated by Stephen Colbert, taking place May 4 and A Conversation with Ben Stiller, moderated by Colbert, on May 5. Olympia Dukakis will attend for a...
The black-and-white film, directed by George Stevens, has been restored by Twentieth Century Fox and the Film Foundation. The holocaust drama was nominated for eight Academy Awards and won three, including best supporting actress for Shelly Winters.
The festival, now in its eighth year, will take place May 3-12 in Montclair, N.J., and features more than 150 films, events, discussions and parties. The festival had previously announced that it would open with a screening of Tom Harper’s “Wild Rose,” with star Jessie Buckley attending for a post-screening Q&A.
This year’s Storyteller Series will include A Conversation with Mindy Kaling, moderated by Stephen Colbert, taking place May 4 and A Conversation with Ben Stiller, moderated by Colbert, on May 5. Olympia Dukakis will attend for a...
- 4/5/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
The directorial debut of Phuttiphong Aroonpheng called “Manta Ray” premiered in the Orizzonti section at this year’s edition of Venice, scooping the main award and getting on an extended festival tour that included Toronto, Vancouver, Busan, Thessaloniki and, among others, Zagreb, scoring Special Mention in the main competition. Austere in dialogue, but rich in atmosphere, this film realized in Thai-French-Chinese co-production puts its writer-director in the spotlight as someone worth attention in the future.
“Manta Ray” is screening at Helsinki Cine Aasia 2019
“Manta Ray” starts with a dedication to Rohingya, a stateless people which faces horrific persecution by the government forces in their homeland in north-western Myanmar. Many Rohingya are driven out of their homes and they live as refugees in the other states of South and South-East Asia, in Arab countries (the majority of Rohingya are Muslims) and in the Western World. Some of them are being smuggled into Thailand which is,...
“Manta Ray” is screening at Helsinki Cine Aasia 2019
“Manta Ray” starts with a dedication to Rohingya, a stateless people which faces horrific persecution by the government forces in their homeland in north-western Myanmar. Many Rohingya are driven out of their homes and they live as refugees in the other states of South and South-East Asia, in Arab countries (the majority of Rohingya are Muslims) and in the Western World. Some of them are being smuggled into Thailand which is,...
- 3/14/2019
- by Marko Stojiljković
- AsianMoviePulse
There's a lot of motherhood talk and misdirects on The Magicians Season 4 Episode 8.
From finding a charlatan in Fillory to Poppy pregnant in The Physical Kids cottage, the Brakebill students have their world turned upside down.
Let's start with Fen's quest for the green hooded woman from her dreams. Margo joined her and throughout the episode learns a few things about herself.
Fen's development has mostly been tied to Eliot. The most we've seen her act outside of their marriage and her place in Fillory was in The Magicians Season 3 with her daughter Fray when she mourned her loss by going away to Earth.
She bonded with Julia there, and it gave her some dimension.
"Home Improvement" continues that trajectory, teaching Fen that she needs to put herself first.
Related: The Magicians Review: The Side Effect
Fen's storyline can teach viewers a lot about themselves and who they value too.
From finding a charlatan in Fillory to Poppy pregnant in The Physical Kids cottage, the Brakebill students have their world turned upside down.
Let's start with Fen's quest for the green hooded woman from her dreams. Margo joined her and throughout the episode learns a few things about herself.
Fen's development has mostly been tied to Eliot. The most we've seen her act outside of their marriage and her place in Fillory was in The Magicians Season 3 with her daughter Fray when she mourned her loss by going away to Earth.
She bonded with Julia there, and it gave her some dimension.
"Home Improvement" continues that trajectory, teaching Fen that she needs to put herself first.
Related: The Magicians Review: The Side Effect
Fen's storyline can teach viewers a lot about themselves and who they value too.
- 3/14/2019
- by Lauren Busser
- TVfanatic
Helsinki Cine Aasia 2019 gives a Finnish premiere to 18 East and Southeast Asian films
Helsinki Cine Aasia (14.–17.3.2019) is the only festival of contemporary Asian cinema in Finland. It has been organised annually since 2013. This year’s festival presents a wide-range of high quality films from 11 countries.
The opening filmat Helsinki Cine Aasia 2019 is Mori, The Artist’s Habitat by the Japanese director Shuichi Okita. The film is based on the late artist Morikazu Kumagai, who remains highly valued in his home country. Okita draws a slow paced and perceptive portrayal of the artist, tinged with soft comic touches typical for the director. Shuichi Okita will also be visiting the festival and will attend the screenings of his film.
The other portrait of an artist at the festival is Dare to Stop Us by Kazuya Shiraishi based on the enfant terrible of Japanese cinema Koji Wakamatsu (1936–2012) and his disciples during a period when Wakamatsu’s production company,...
Helsinki Cine Aasia (14.–17.3.2019) is the only festival of contemporary Asian cinema in Finland. It has been organised annually since 2013. This year’s festival presents a wide-range of high quality films from 11 countries.
The opening filmat Helsinki Cine Aasia 2019 is Mori, The Artist’s Habitat by the Japanese director Shuichi Okita. The film is based on the late artist Morikazu Kumagai, who remains highly valued in his home country. Okita draws a slow paced and perceptive portrayal of the artist, tinged with soft comic touches typical for the director. Shuichi Okita will also be visiting the festival and will attend the screenings of his film.
The other portrait of an artist at the festival is Dare to Stop Us by Kazuya Shiraishi based on the enfant terrible of Japanese cinema Koji Wakamatsu (1936–2012) and his disciples during a period when Wakamatsu’s production company,...
- 2/27/2019
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Two words come to mind at the end of The Magicians Season 4 Episode 4: love and death. It is an episode that rests on quiet and intimate moments, focusing on specific relationships instead of an overarching adventure; and it works.
The main storyline on The Magicians Season 4 Episode 4 though is Josh experiencing The Quickening. We've known that The Quickening was coming and connected to his sexually transmitted lycanthropy, but not when or what it is. It turns out that Josh either has to sleep with someone else who is L-negative or kill them.
Understandably, Josh isn't sold on the fact that he is either going to have to become a rapist or a murderer to satisfy the urge.
Writing about Josh's sexually-transmitted lycanthropy soon turns into a story about sexual consent and responsibility. Josh is extremely careful about his L-Positive status, knowing that it isn't curable.
Trevor Einhorn's performance on this episode is brilliant,...
The main storyline on The Magicians Season 4 Episode 4 though is Josh experiencing The Quickening. We've known that The Quickening was coming and connected to his sexually transmitted lycanthropy, but not when or what it is. It turns out that Josh either has to sleep with someone else who is L-negative or kill them.
Understandably, Josh isn't sold on the fact that he is either going to have to become a rapist or a murderer to satisfy the urge.
Writing about Josh's sexually-transmitted lycanthropy soon turns into a story about sexual consent and responsibility. Josh is extremely careful about his L-Positive status, knowing that it isn't curable.
Trevor Einhorn's performance on this episode is brilliant,...
- 2/14/2019
- by Lauren Busser
- TVfanatic
This article marks Part 26, the final entry of the Gold Derby series analyzing 84 years of Best Original Song at the Oscars. Join us as we look back at the timeless tunes recognized in this category, the results of each race and the overall rankings of the winners.
The 2015 Oscar nominees in Best Original Song were:
“Earned It” from “Fifty Shades of Grey”
“‘Til It Happens to You” from “The Hunting Ground”
“Manta Ray” from “Racing Extinction”
“Writing’s on the Wall” from “Spectre”
“Simple Song #3” from “Youth”
Won: “Writing’s on the Wall” from “Spectre”
Should’ve won: “‘Til It Happens to You” from “The Hunting Ground”
This race in Best Original Song began on a rather disheartening note, with the release of the full list of tunes eligible for consideration in the category. Notably absent from the list, in spite of rave reviews and a Golden Globe nomination, was...
The 2015 Oscar nominees in Best Original Song were:
“Earned It” from “Fifty Shades of Grey”
“‘Til It Happens to You” from “The Hunting Ground”
“Manta Ray” from “Racing Extinction”
“Writing’s on the Wall” from “Spectre”
“Simple Song #3” from “Youth”
Won: “Writing’s on the Wall” from “Spectre”
Should’ve won: “‘Til It Happens to You” from “The Hunting Ground”
This race in Best Original Song began on a rather disheartening note, with the release of the full list of tunes eligible for consideration in the category. Notably absent from the list, in spite of rave reviews and a Golden Globe nomination, was...
- 1/1/2019
- by Andrew Carden
- Gold Derby
What an incredible year for cinema. What an incredible year, particularly, for Asian cinema. Obviously, the world’s most populous continent and biggest emerging film market contributes abundantly to the cinematic arts every year, but in 2018, the variety and vibrancy of output from the still underrepresented- and -appreciated region (at least in terms of inclusion at A-list festivals or global visibility) really stood out.
The Hong Sangsoo fan club probably got a little more crowded thanks to the award-winning Hotel by the River, but it’s the crazy prolific Korean auteur’s first outing this year, the compact, richly layered Grass that most reminded me of his unique touch. Another Berlinale premiere, the 4-hour political document/musical Season of the Devil, probably cost Lav Diaz some fans, but, as always, there’s something singularly, almost perversely rewarding about making it through the work of Philippine’s guru of slow cinema.
The Hong Sangsoo fan club probably got a little more crowded thanks to the award-winning Hotel by the River, but it’s the crazy prolific Korean auteur’s first outing this year, the compact, richly layered Grass that most reminded me of his unique touch. Another Berlinale premiere, the 4-hour political document/musical Season of the Devil, probably cost Lav Diaz some fans, but, as always, there’s something singularly, almost perversely rewarding about making it through the work of Philippine’s guru of slow cinema.
- 12/30/2018
- by Zhuo-Ning Su
- The Film Stage
Halfway through Phuttiphong Aroonpheng’s hypnotic feature debut, Manta Ray, two men put up Christmas lights around an unadorned riverside shack. They’ve known each other for a while, but seldom speak: one (Wanlop Rungkumjad) is an unnamed Thai fisherman with dyed blonde hair; the other (Aphisit Hama) is a mute man whom the fisherman has found agonizing in a remote stretch of mangroves by the border with Myanmar, and has taken home to look after. The lights are to serve as decoration for a party the two are throwing that same night, but the sun is still high on the horizon; smiling ecstatically at the makeshift disco, the fisherman suggests the two should nap to make the day go by faster. And so they do.
Watching the two young men fall asleep side by side and later sway to a mesmeric electronic tune, their eyes agleam with happiness as...
Watching the two young men fall asleep side by side and later sway to a mesmeric electronic tune, their eyes agleam with happiness as...
- 12/21/2018
- by Leonardo Goi
- The Film Stage
“Across Asia Film Festival 2018. Ghosts of Asia”
Cagliari, Italy – from 2 to 10 December 2018
Across Asia, the International Festival dedicated to explore the cinematography of South East Asia – and this year focusing on Thailand e Philippine – is back on the beautiful island of Sardinia and is promising International and Italian Premieres, screenings, masterclasses, workshops and parties all over the city of Cagliari.
Stefano Galanti and Maria Paola Zedda are the creators and the artistic directors of Across Asia Film Festival that is a young festival, focused on most interesting languages of recent cinematographic production from Asia, with the goal of promoting the encounter between Italian and foreign communities and developing cultural exchanges.
Across Asia’s mission is to become a window on the world, a different and unconventional way to look at the Asiatic continent and its representations, away from the standard and usual mainstream view.
The programme includes many Italian premieres...
Cagliari, Italy – from 2 to 10 December 2018
Across Asia, the International Festival dedicated to explore the cinematography of South East Asia – and this year focusing on Thailand e Philippine – is back on the beautiful island of Sardinia and is promising International and Italian Premieres, screenings, masterclasses, workshops and parties all over the city of Cagliari.
Stefano Galanti and Maria Paola Zedda are the creators and the artistic directors of Across Asia Film Festival that is a young festival, focused on most interesting languages of recent cinematographic production from Asia, with the goal of promoting the encounter between Italian and foreign communities and developing cultural exchanges.
Across Asia’s mission is to become a window on the world, a different and unconventional way to look at the Asiatic continent and its representations, away from the standard and usual mainstream view.
The programme includes many Italian premieres...
- 11/30/2018
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
The directorial debut of Phuttiphong Aroonpheng called “Manta Ray” premiered in the Orizzonti section at this year’s edition of Venice, scooping the main award and getting on an extended festival tour that included Toronto, Vancouver, Busan, Thessaloniki and, among others, Zagreb, scoring Special Mention in the main competition. Austere in dialogue, but rich in atmosphere, this film realized in Thai-French-Chinese co-production puts its writer-director in the spotlight as someone worth attention in the future.
“Manta Ray” starts with a dedication to Rohingya, a stateless people which faces horrific persecution by the government forces in their homeland in north-western Myanmar. Many Rohingya are driven out of their homes and they live as refugees in the other states of South and South-East Asia, in Arab countries (the majority of Rohingya are Muslims) and in the Western World. Some of them are being smuggled into Thailand which is, as the region’s...
“Manta Ray” starts with a dedication to Rohingya, a stateless people which faces horrific persecution by the government forces in their homeland in north-western Myanmar. Many Rohingya are driven out of their homes and they live as refugees in the other states of South and South-East Asia, in Arab countries (the majority of Rohingya are Muslims) and in the Western World. Some of them are being smuggled into Thailand which is, as the region’s...
- 11/26/2018
- by Marko Stojiljković
- AsianMoviePulse
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