NEOMANILA

Neomanila is about a “mother and son” death squad.

Directed by Mikhail Red

Starring Timothy Castillo

Genre(s) Drama Film

Fantasia Completes 22nd Edition Lineup, Closes with MANDY Starring Nicolas Cage

[caption id="attachment_30555" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Mandy[/caption] Fantasia International Film Festival dropped the final wave of 2018 announcements including the North American Premieres of Takashi Miike’s LAPLACE’S WITCH and Erick Zonca’s BLACK TIDE, the International Premiere of Joel Potrykus’ RELAXER, and the Canadian Premiere of Nicolas Pesce’s PIERCING. With the final wave of programming, the 2018 edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival has now released its full lineup of over 125 features and 220 shorts, featuring the premieres of more than 100 cutting-edge visions from across the world. Fantasia’s 22nd edition will close with the Canadian Premiere of the thunderously-acclaimed MANDY (Official Closing Film), Panos Cosmatos’ long awaited sophomore feature following the stunning BEYOND THE BLACK RAINBOW. The film makes its first screening in the country after transfixing audiences at Sundance and Cannes’ Director’s Fortnight. Starring an especially strong Nicolas Cage in a performance that seethes with internalized rage, MANDY also features a shredding experimental electronic score from the late Jóhann Jóhannsson that works hypnotically with the film’s pacing and imagery to create a dreamy mood of near-death intoxication. MANDY is a pounding, bleeding act of cinema that’s as singular as it is sensational.
BIG BROTHER (World Premiere)
Mixed martial arts meet high-school intrigue, with Hong Kong superhero Donnie Yen (ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY) at the blackboard! The closing night festivities of Fantasia 2018 will begin with the World Premiere of BIG BROTHER, which sees Yen reuniting with action director Kenji Tanigaki (GOD OF WAR, Fantasia 2017) and delivering an exhilarating, scholastic twist on the martial arts film. Having collaborated on the fight scenes in WU XIA (aka DRAGON, Fantasia 2011) and LEGEND OF THE FIST: RETURN OF CHEN ZHEN, Yen and Tanigaki once again land a bone-breaking bull’s-eye with BIG BROTHER.
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE OF LAPLACE’S WITCH
Everyone knows the tight bond that has united Takashi Miike and Fantasia for over two decades, and the festival is honoured to continue the tradition with the North American Premiere of his spellbinding new murder mystery LAPLACE’S WITCH! Of course, in Miike’s hands, things quickly veer into the unexpected when a geochemistry professor investigating a double murder case meets a young mathematics genius with an almost supernatural level of knowledge. Crafting gorgeous imagery, stunning locations, and stellar special effects, Miike and his star-studded cast bring us down an unexpected path where the mystic and reality collide. Long-time Miike fans, as well as those just now learning of his work, will not be disappointed!
A MASTER CLASS WITH TIMUR BEKMAMBETOV – AND THE CANADIAN PREMIERE OF PROFILE
Fantasia audiences were the first in the world to see UNFRIENDED when it launched at the festival under its original title, CYBERNATURAL. Producer Timur Bekmambetov pioneered its innovative, immersive storytelling approach – dubbed “Screenlife” – which brilliantly captures the way we communicate online. This year, Fantasia will showcase a trio of Screenlife features, each landing with an uncommon impact that’s wholly unique, and tells a very different kind of story. In addition to the previously-announced SEARCHING (Canadian Premiere) and UNFRIENDED: DARK WEB (International Premiere), the festival is proud to showcase the Canadian launch of PROFILE, a riveting award-winner at Berlinale and SXSW, about a journalist catfishing an ISIS recruiter, based on the non-fiction bestseller “In the Skin of a Jihadist”. On July 17, Bekmambetov will conduct a multimedia master class event specifically centered around the inception and production methodologies of this brilliant storytelling approach.
PUNK SAMURAI SLASH DOWN SLICES ITS WAY TO A NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE!
Japanese punk rocker Ko Machida’s 2004 maniacally meta novel rips up the silver screen in Gakuryu Ishii’s PUNK SAMURAI SLASH DOWN (North American Premiere). Loaded with loopy weirdness and jolts of anachronistic rock ’n’ roll energy, the cinematic adaptation by Ishii (formerly Sogo) is just as colourful, anarchic, and irreverent as you’d expect, given his bona fides as a key instigator of Japan’s punk film eruption of the 1980s. Collaborating here with screenwriter Kankuro Kudo (of TOO YOUNG TO DIE! fame), the film’s all-star cast includes Go Ayano (AJIN: DEMI HUMAN), Shota Sometani (PARASYTE), Jun Kunimura (ATTACK ON TITAN), Etsushi Toyokawa (20TH CENTURY BOYS), and Tadanobu Asano (KASANE).
SWIM OUT TO THE NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE OF BLACK TIDE
Adapted from Dror Mishani’s novel “The Missing File”, BLACK TIDE is a taut, methodical crime thriller told with quasi-Fincheresque precision by co-writer/director Erick Zonca (JULIA). Actor Romain Duris is fascinating and Sandrine Kiberlain is heartbreaking, but it’s Vincent Cassel who blows us away with his electrifying performance as an alcoholic cop, whose unkempt hair and beard reflect his tormented, equally-tousled soul. Obsessed with his case like a beast gnawing on a bone, this man-on-the-edge is determined to uncover the truth, no matter how horrible it ends up being.
A HELLISHLY SPECIAL SCREENING OF L’INFERNO (1911), LIVE-SCORED BY GOBLIN’S MAURIZIO GUARINI
Fantasia presents a special screening of Italy’s first genre film (which also happens to be the world’s oldest surviving feature), the spectacularly surreal 1911 masterpiece L’INFERNO. Loosely based on Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy and influenced by Gustave Doré’s illustrations, the film was directed by Francesco Bertolini, Adolfo Padovan, and Giuseppe de Liguoro, working with more than 150 cast and crew members over a period of three years. For the film’s 107th anniversary, Fantasia will present a special screening of L’INFERNO with a live-score performance by none other than Maurizio Guarini of Goblin – the legendary band responsible for of some of Italian horror cinema’s most cherished musical scores!
GET LAZY WITH RELAXER’S INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE!
Y2K is right around the corner, and Cam (David Dastmalchian) has just given his younger brother Abbie (Joshua Burge) the dopest challenge ever: to beat Johnny Mitchell’s infamous Pac-Man high score without ever getting off the couch! Not once! Not even to pee, eat, or drink! SLACKER by way of THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL (with a hint of BEAVIS AND BUTTHEAD), Joel Potrykus’ (BUZZARD, THE ALCHEMIST COOKBOOK) latest is a closed-room, mise-en-scène tour-de-force that transforms a gamer’s crummy apartment into a space of unlimited potential. A true punk film, RELAXER is at once indescribable, demanding, and completely insolent, encapsulating the best (and the worst) of ’90s pop culture in one experiential trip.
BRING THE BEST MEMORIES OF YOUR FAVORITE PETS – AND PLENTY OF TISSUES – FOR THE WORLD PREMIERE OF THE TRAVELING CAT CHRONICLES
Kind-hearted Satoru (BLEACH’s Sota Fukushi) has been living happily with his cat Nana after rescuing it from a car accident. Despite the bond that unites them, Satoru’s new engagement forces them go on a road trip across Japan to find Nana a new owner. Following the Fantasia 2016 hit IF CATS DISAPPEARED FROM THE WORLD, Japan has provided a new, extremely efficient tear-jerker about man’s other best friend… with just a hint of fantasy. In THE TRAVELING CAT CHRONICLES (World Premiere), we can hear animals talk, which brings on great humour, heart, and a whole lot of tears. A beautiful tale of friendship and faithfulness, THE TRAVELLING CAT CHRONICLES provides a heartfelt lesson in life for the whole family.
THE WORLD PREMIERE OF LIFECHANGER
Drew has the ability to transport from body to body, and his desire to reconnect with the woman he loves will ultimately prove to be the undoing of many – perhaps even Drew himself. The latest from Canadian genre vet Justin McConnell, LIFECHANGER is exactly the kind of smart and efficient genre piece that Fantasia takes pride in introducing to audiences. It’s a film that’s fresh, surprising, and alive, anchored by terrific performances from Lora Burke (POOR AGNES) and Jack Foley. LIFECHANGER is an excellent reminder that all great horror is also one part tragedy, and it’s that element that will help audiences remember this one long after they’ve left the theatre.
CANADIAN PREMIERE OF TERRIFIED
Gifted Argentinean filmmaker Demián Rugna has single-handedly transformed his nation’s cinema with this genuinely terrifying paranormal nightmare that starts with a bloody bang and never lets go. Electric with the pure, raw kind of intense horror that makes your entire body ache with fear and adrenaline, TERRIFIED won accolades at Mar del Plata and has been, well, terrifying audiences everywhere from Sitges and Brussels to Brazil’s Fantaspoa. Prepare yourself, because Fantasia’s Canadian premiere is sure to elicit screams that will be heard a continent away.
MEET AN ALTOGETHER NEW KIND OF EXORCIST IN ROOM LAUNDERING
In Japan, law requires landlords to divulge tragic passings to their next tenants – but that same law fails to specify just how many subsequent renters one needs to inform! Thus, Miko Yagumo (Elaiza Ikeda, of THE MANY FACES OF ITO), a shy and antisocial young girl, is a “room launderer”: a transitory occupant, with the ability to see the spirits of the deceased. With ROOM LAUNDERING (North American Premiere), first-time filmmaker Kenji Katagiri proves himself to be one to watch out for – perfectly juggling quirky comedy and supernatural drama. This gem co-stars veteran, fan-favourite actor Joe Odagiri (ADRIFT IN TOKYO, MR. GO, AIR DOLL) and Kiyohiko Shibukawa (LOWLIFE LOVE and PUNK SAMURAI SLASH DOWN),
THE CAMERA LUCIDA SECTION UNVEILS ITS FINAL THREE TITLES!
Fantasia’s Camera Lucida section, dedicated to experimental, boundary-pushing and auteur-driven works on the borders of genre cinema, unveils its final three Canadian premieres: Blue is the colour of Mia, a 15-year-old with an odd new thirst. With BLUE MY MIND, Swiss filmmaker Lisa Brühlmann offers a masterful, fresh take on the horrific degeneration of a teenager’s anatomy, cleverly entwined with classic fairytale storytelling pitched somewhere between recent genre hits such as THE LURE and RAW. When the price of cigarettes goes up, thirty-something Miso embraces homelessness and sees it as an occasion to reconnect with old friends. MICROHABITAT, Jeon Go-woon’s surprising first feature, subtly reinvents the conventions of slacker cinema. From one social environment to the next, a complex, tragi-comic portrait of South Korean society emerges – its class consciousness, the ambitions that drive it, and the characters that populate it. When Reed (Christopher Abbott) meets Jackie (Mia Wasikowska), he realizes his meticulous night of murder isn’t going to go as planned. A cruel cat-and-mouse game is turned on its head, as writer-director Nicolas Pesce returns to Fantasia with PIERCING, a dark, twisted comedy about death and desire, adapted from Ryu Murakami’s novel (AUDITION).
Full Camera Lucida line-up:
Being Natural, dir. Tadashi Nagayama (International Premiere); Blue My Mind, dir. Lisa Brülhmann (Canadian Premiere); Chained for Life, dir. Aaron Schimberg (International Premiere); Hanagatami, dir. Nobuhiko Obayashi (Québec Premiere); Luz, dir. Tilman Singer (North American Premiere); Madeline’s Madeline, dir. Josephine Decker (Canadian Premiere); Microhabitat, dir. Jeon Go-woon (Canadian Premiere); Piercing, dir. Nicolas Pesce (Canadian Premiere); Under the Silver Lake, dir. David Robert Mitchell (North American Premiere) All titles will compete for the AQCC-Camera Lucida prize, awarded by a jury of critics from the Québec’s Critics Association (AQCC), member of the FIPRESCI.
CHINA’S ANIMATED DA HU FA IS A RAMBUNCTIOUS, REBELLIOUS FIND!
A formidable fighter discovers a hidden town where dread, violence, and corruption pervade in Chinese animator Busifan’s DA HU FA (North American Premiere), presented in eye-popping 3D at Fantasia. A wonderfully unusual and defiant work of rambunctious, rebellious fantasy animation, this beautifully-animated adventure has been largely unseen outside of China until now.
IT’S A LITERAL FACE-OFF AS KASANE COMES TO NORTH AMERICA
Kasane must live with a face deformed by a giant scar, even though she is blessed with impressive performing skills. Nina is an arrogant actress who looks divine but is completely talentless. With the power of a magic tube of lipstick, they will change faces to create the ultimate actress. An adaptation of the popular manga, KASANE is a remarkably effective psychological thriller mixed with dark fantasy that forces us to confront our own superficiality regarding appearances – all without stuffing the lesson down our throat. A brilliant adaptation of mangaka Daruma Matsuura’s unique work, KASANE stars Kyoko Yoshine (the PRINCESS JELLYFISH series) and Tao Tsuchiya (RUROUNI KENSHIN: KYOTO INFERNO), while Tadanobu Asano (THOR) shines as the Machiavellian architect of their pact.
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE OF TORNADO GIRL
After vowing to copy the coolest man he knows – real-life grungy hipster pop star Tamio Okuda – Koroki wins the admiration of his colleagues, but attracts the attention of Akari (Kiko Mizuhara), the publicist for a fashion brand who’s turned her sex appeal into a weapon of mass-distraction. Director Hitoshi One (BAKUMAN), who already amazed audiences in the rom-com genre with the MTV style musical hybrid LOVE STRIKES!, hits a bullseye again with TORNADO GIRL (North American Premiere), a cutting-edge romance that’s actually romantic, paired with surreal comedy that’s actually funny! With an amazing cast lead by the convincing duo Satoshi Tsumabuki (FOR LOVE’S SAKE) and Kiko Mizuhara (ATTACK ON TITAN), this one is sure to win audiences’ hearts.
ADDITIONAL TITLES IN FANTASIA 2018’S FINAL WAVE INCLUDE:
1987: WHEN THE DAY COMES South Korea – Dir: Jang Joon-hwan Based on true events leading to the establishment of South Korea’s democracy, 1987: WHEN THE DAY COMES is the logical follow-up to the impactful A TAXI DRIVER. With its enthralling narrative, masterful performances, the colossal power of its subject matter and the masterful approach to its direction, 1987 qualifies as one of the best features of the year. Black Dragon Audience Award, Udine Far East Film Festival 2018. AJIN: DEMI-HUMAN Japan – Dir: Katsuyuki Motohiro AJIN: DEMI-HUMAN marks the first live-action adaptation of Gamon Sakurai’s popular manga series. Director Katsuyuki Motohiro (BAYSIDE SHAKEDOWN) gives us a rock solid adaptation that delivers on wild action but doesn’t forget to put its likeable characters in the forefront and give them something to fight for. Action fans will find much to like, while aficionados of the manga and anime it’s based upon will come out smiling. Official Selection: SXSW 2018. Canadian Premiere. ARIZONA USA – Dir: Jonathan Watson Sonny (Danny McBride) lives in Arizona, and he’s a totally cool guy. He’s definitely NOT a murderer. Set against the middle-class destruction of the 2009 housing crisis, Jonathan Watson’s feature debut co-stars Rosemarie DeWitt and Luke Wilson, and plays out like the pitch black comedy we always wanted John Carpenter to make but never got. Official Selection: Sundance 2018. Canadian Premiere. BELIEVER South Korea – Dir: Lee Hae-young Six years ago, Johnnie To gave us the impressive DRUG WAR. Now, Korean filmmaker Lee Hae-young (FOXY FESTIVAL) delivers a tense and effective remake, teaming up with the woman behind many of Park Chan-wook’s recent works, Chung Seo-kyung (THIRST). Together, they approach this re-imagining from a different angle, and manage to surpass the original material. The biggest difference between the two films is the way they develop their characters, allowing some of the strongest Korean actors to sink their teeth into the film’s deliciously over-the-top roles. BELIEVER is remarkable and entertaining, beginning to end. Quebec Premiere. BODIED USA – Dir: Joseph Kahn Produced by Eminem, written by popular Toronto battle rapper Kid Twist, and directed by music video icon Joseph Kahn (TORQUE; the unforgettable DETENTION, seen at Fantasia 2011), BODIED is a triumphant satire of today’s social and political climate, in which nothing and everything can be perceived offensively if that’s what one is looking for. Deftly walking on such eggshells, Kahn has assembled an outrageously hilarious ideological rollercoaster that grapples with race, cultural appropriation, and academia, forcing its spectators to confront their own assumptions with the ferocity of a rapper slinging insults in an opponent’s face. Official Selection: TIFF 2017, Sundance 2018, Paris International Fantastic Film Festival 2018. Quebec Premiere. BODY MELT (New 2K Restoration from Vinegar Syndrome) Australia – Dir: Philip Brophy In the sleepy suburban community of Pebbles Court, residents have been receiving free samples of a new diet pill, which has been developed to help the body achieve ultimate health. However, as the townspeople eagerly gobble them down, they begin to experience some unexpected side effects. It turns out these pills transform their users into hallucinating mutants, and their bodies disintegrate, grow tentacles, explode, and melt! A gore-and-slime-filled gross-out classic from the final days of the Ozsploitation era, Philip Brophy’s BODY MELT is a truly outrageous and satirical horror comedy, proudly presented in a brand new 2K restoration! CHAMPION South Korea – Dir: Kim Yong-wan Mark, a Korean raised in the U.S, is a former arm-wrestling champion. When a friend with tendencies for scams brings him back to Korea for a tournament, he’s confronted with the family who gave him in adoption. Anyone thinking that producing an arm-wrestling sports drama is not a genius idea should wait until they experience funny, exciting, and poignant film. CHAMPION succeeds at everything it does – and the phenomenal performance by Don Lee (TRAIN TO BUSAN) is the reason it wins at every level! Quebec Premiere. CINDERELLA THE CAT Italy – Dirs: Alessandro Rak, Ivan Cappiello, Marino Guarnieri, and Dario Sansone Murder, mayhem, melodrama, and musical numbers make fine bedfellows in Studio Rai’s CINDERELLA THE CAT, an animated noir-stained revisiting of the famous fairy tale, executed with flair and enhanced by a soundtrack of Neapolitan cabaret cool. Official Selection: Annecy 2018. Canadian Premiere. COLD SKIN France/UK – Dir: Xavier Gens Struggling for survival in the Antarctic, a weather surveyor (Ray Stevenson) must choose between a madman and a legion of creatures he does not fully understand. COLD SKIN feels fresh from the pages of H.P. Lovecraft in its portrayal of the period, the monsters that populate it, and the paranoia and tension between its characters. The film’s creatures are both terrifying and astoundingly dynamic in their realism – but what less would one expect from the director of THE DIVIDE, FRONTIERE(S), and HITMAN?! Official Selection: Frightfest Glasgow 2018, Morbido 2018. Canadian Premiere. DESTINY: THE TALE OF KAMAKURA Japan – Dir: Takashi Yamazaki Ghosts, goblins… even a charming local death god? For newlywed Akiko, the town of Kamakura will take some time getting used to. DESTINY is an enchanting, romantic fantasy adventure from director and visual effects wizard Takashi Yamazaki (PARASYTE). Don’t miss the otherworldly night market that’s a treat tailor-made for fans of Guillermo del Toro! Official Selection: Hawaii International Film Festival. Quebec Premiere. DETECTIVE DEE: THE FOUR HEAVENLY KINGS China/Hong Kong – Dir: Tsui Hark Pop cinema potentate and HK master Tsui Hark returns with latest installment of the ever-popular Detective Dee series. Set in China’s Tang Dynasty era – a time of worldliness and wonders – THE FOUR HEAVENLY KINGS explodes with action, innovation, inspiration, and utter delirium. A series of mysterious incidents have disrupted the city and China’s most famous detective must prove his innocence from Empress Wu – played by award winning actress Carina Lau (2046, ASHES OF TIME). Quebec Premiere. FIVE FINGERS OF DEATH – Restored 35mm Print Hong Kong – Dir: Walter Chung FIVE FINGERS OF DEATH (aka KING BOXER) is the classic action masterpiece that kick-started the kung fu craze in the West months before ENTER THE DRAGON. A shameless favourite among aficionados (most notably Quentin Tarantino, who used one of the film’s most iconic musical cues in KILL BILL), this lovable, ridiculous actioner about two competing kung fu schools has been beautifully restored as a 35mm print just in time to celebrate its 45th anniversary! THE FORTRESS South Korea – Dir: Hwang Dong-hyuk Versatile award-winning director Hwang Dong-hyuk (MISS GRANNY) now tackles the epic tragedy, revisiting a major episode in Korean history. Flawlessly photographed and informed by rigorous attention to historical detail, Hwang’s THE FORTRESS boasts numerous high-profile names, notably Kim Yoon-seok (THE CHASER) and Lee Byung-hun (I SAW THE DEVIL). Winner of the Best Screenplay, Blue Dragon Film Awards 2017. GASTON LAGAFFE France – Dir: Pierre-François Martin-Laval Bringing André Franquin’s iconic, episodic comic book to the screen has long proved to be quite the challenge, but Pierre-François Martin-Laval has skillfully adapted the material to the screen. Transposing the beloved books into the world of online commerce, the film still features Gaston, Prunelle, and Mr. de Mesmaeker, as well as favorites Mademoiselle Jeanne, Officer Longtarin, Yves Lebrac, Jules-de-chez-Smith-en-face, Bertrand Labévue, the crazy cat, and the laughing seagull. Martin-Laval’s wild visuals have delivered a delightful, unpretentious film that’s only goal is to make the entire family laugh. North American Premiere. GONJIAM: HAUNTED ASYLUM South Korea – Dir: Jeong Beom-sik When a YouTuber brings a group of young volunteers in for a livestream at Gonjiam‘s Namyang Mental Hospital (a real-life location, selected by CNN as “One of the Freakiest Places on the Planet”), they get way more than what his ad-based revenue stream was worth. The second-highest-grossing Korean horror movie of all time (right after A TALE OF TWO SISTERS), this found-footage scare fest lives up to its immense hype! Quebec Premiere. HEAVY TRIP Finland/Norway/Belgium – Dirs: Juuso Laatio and Jukka Vidgren Crack out the corpse paint and make an offering to Odin, because here comes the funny-as-hellfire Finnish rock ’n’ road saga that made its SXSW crowd shriek like damned souls! Rock video and TV veterans Juuso Laatio and Jukka Vidgren’s debut feature is the feel-good, follow-that-dream, underdog rock comedy for the blast-beat bunch. Being Scandinavian, the humour in HEAVY TRIP is dry and sharp – and the black metal riffage absolutely shreds. Official Selection: Cinepocalypse 2018. Canadian Premiere. LAUGHING UNDER THE CLOUDS Japan – Dir: Katsuyuki Motohiro In Restoration-era Japan, the three Kumo brothers stand guard against the return of the mythical dragon Orochi. Whirlwind thrills, eye-popping art direction, poignant drama, and swashbuckling adventure abound in this manga adaptation! Audiences who adored RUROUNI KENSHIN won’t want to miss out this one! Quebec Premiere. MY SON France – Dir: Christian Carion Writer-director Christian Carion (JOYEUX NOËL) and cowriter Laure Irrmann offer up an intense thriller in the vein of PRISONERS, featuring a desperate protagonist who is ready to do anything – including torturing people and risking his own life – to get his boy back. Frenetically shot and edited, MY SON keeps its audience breathless until its final frame. Canadian Premiere. NEOMANILA The Philippines – Dir. Mikhail Red Following the award-winning BIRDSHOT, director Mikhail Red unveils a neo-noir that brilliantly combines social realism and a dystopian reality to better comprehend the phenomenon of extrajudicial killings. Winner: Audience Choice Award and Best Artistic Achievement, Quezon City International Film Festival. Canadian Premiere. THE NIGHT EATS THE WORLD France – Dir: Dominique Rocher Sam wakes up to discover that Paris has been overrun by a zombified populace. This alt-zombie entry explores what it means to be human, and how to salvage it when all around you are no longer living. A project born from Frontières, Fantasia’s International Co-Production Market, THE NIGHT EATS THE WORLD has been devouring fest audiences from Rotterdam to Tribeca. Canadian Premiere. RIVER’S EDGE Japan – Dir. Isao Yukisada Adapted from Kyoko Okazaki’s (HELTER SKELTER) cult manga of the same name, director Yukisada’s latest is a chilling 1990s-set coming-of-age drama, forged in the darkness of Tokyo’s industrial suburbs. Official Selection: Berlin International Film Festival. Canadian Premiere. A ROUGH DRAFT Russia – Dir: Sergey Mokritskiy Kirill has watched his life vanish. A mysterious cabal has enlisted him as an inter-dimensional gatekeeper, opening the doors to a myriad of possible Moscows. With director Sergey Mokritskiy (BATTLE FOR SEVASTOPOL) at the helm and the writer behind NIGHT WATCH cleverly penning, it’s a given that every frame is an eyeful and every turn more twisted than the last. Canadian Premiere. THE SAINT BERNARD SYNDICATE Denmark – Dir: Mads Brügger After making his mark with satirical documentaries RED CHAPEL and THE AMBASSADOR (Fantasia 2011), Mads Brügger returns with his first scripted feature, the very droll and very wry THE SAINT BERNARD SYNDICATE – one part travelogue, and another part nightmare for anyone looking to make their mark in a country they know next to nothing about. Winner: Best Actor, Best Screenplay, Tribeca Film Festival 2018. Canadian Premiere. THE SCYTHIAN Russia – Dir: Rustam Mosafir A Christian Russian and his pagan captive/guide journey into ever more mysterious lands, and come face-to-face strange and sinister sights, and sudden, savage violence. THE SCYTHIAN is an epic historical action-fantasy that’s as beautiful as it is brutal. Official Selection: Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival 2018. North American Premiere. TOKYO VAMPIRE HOTEL Japan – Dir: Sion Sono Two vampire clans battle over mortal human livestock. Swerving from massive gun orgies to gaudy scenes of baroque excess, TOKYO VAMPIRE HOTEL is a confetti cannon full of blood squibs aimed at your face, courtesy of Fantasia fave Sion Sono. Imagine Sono in the style of Yoshihiro Nishimura, with massive bloodshed, wild colors, and sumptuous art direction. Are you in? Official Selection: Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival 2017, Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival 2017. Quebec Premiere. TRUE FICTION South Korea – Dir: Kim Jin-mook An arrogant aspiring mayor visits the second home of his in-laws to hide his corrupt congressman stepfather’s secret funds. Unfortunately, his encounter with wise locals – and the digging of his own hole – might just ruin his career. Starting like a hilarious black comedy and turning into a dark psychological thriller, TRUE FICTION is a true gem filled with sharp dialogue delivered with surgical precision. With this impressive debut feature, writer/director Kim Jin-mook establishes himself as one of the most interesting new voices in Korean Cinema. Best Screenplay Award, Directors’ Week Program, Fantasporto International Film Festival 2018. Canadian Premiere. UNITY OF HEROES China/Hong Kong – Dir: Lin Zhen-Hao Legendary Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-Hung strikes back with a vengeance after a 20-year hiatus – and is played once again by mainstay Vincent Zhao (TRUE LEGEND)! UNITY OF HEROES keeps its action and plot moving at breakneck speed, all while retaining an irreverent humour in the spirit of the original ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA films. North American Premiere. V.I.P South Korea – Dir: Park Hoon-jung After directing the swaggering gangster epic NEW WORLD and the swaggering man-vs-beast epic THE TIGER, the screenwriter behind Ryoo Seung-wan’s THE UNJUST and Kim Jee-woon’s I SAW THE DEVIL abandons his swagger to go very, very dark. V.I.P. will keep audiences on the edge of their seats and on the tips of their toes! Official Selection: AFI Fest 2017 – Midnight London East Asia Film Festival 2017, Filmasia Film Festival 2017. Quebec Premiere. WHAT A MAN WANTS South Korea – Dir: Lee Byeong-heon From the get-go, the stellar jazz score of this edgy yet lively romantic comedy about cheating calls to mind the mood of Woody Allen. Throughout, the film delights in witty dialogue, unexpected plot twists and playful touches. With its stellar cast including Shin Ha-kyun (THE VILLAINESS), Lee Sung-min (THE SPY GONE NORTH), and Jang Young-nam (I HAVE A DATE WITH SPRING), WHAT A MAN WANTS is a wonderful adult dramedy about eternal children. Official Selection: New York Asian Film Festival 2018. Quebec Premiere. WHAT KEEPS YOU ALIVE Canada – Dir: Colin Minihan An intensely smart, ferocity-fueled LGBT survival thriller that smashes conventions while dropping its audience off unexpected cliffs, WHAT KEEPS YOU ALIVE is built upon an eviscerating pair of performances from Brittany Allen and Hannah Emily Anderson. Writer/Director Colin Minihan (IT STAINS THE SANDS RED) has made one of the most gripping thrillers of the year, one that asks the unsettling question of what you would do if the person you trusted most unconditionally suddenly turned against you. Official Selection: Overlook Film Festival 2018, SXSW 2018, Sydney Film Festival 2018. Quebec Premiere.
SPECIAL LIVE EVENTS AT FANTASIA 2018
Mick Garris’ POST MORTEM Live Podcast Event – The NIGHTMARE CINEMA Special In celebration of NIGHTMARE CINEMA’s World Premiere at Fantasia, celebrated filmmaker Mick Garris (THE STAND, SLEEPWALKERS) will host a special live recording of his popular podcast, Post Mortem, dedicated to the highly-anticipated anthology and its directors – of which he is one. Joining him onstage will be Joe Dante (THE HOWLING, GREMLINS), Ryûhei Kitamura (VERSUS, DOWNRANGE), Alejandro Brugués (JUAN OF THE DEAD, ABCs OF DEATH 2) and Fantasia programmer/former Fangoria magazine editor Tony Timpone The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies in association with Fantasia and Frontières Presents MICHAEL IRONSIDE: LIVE IN CONVERSATION Moderated by Heather Buckley In recognition of Fantasia’s screening of KNUCKLEBALL, a project birthed from its Frontières International Co-Production Market, The Miskatonic Institute is proud to present a career talk with one of the most iconic character actors of our time, and a true legend of the genre film world. Over the course of an hour-long illustrated discussion of key films, directors, and collaborators in his life, Ironside will discuss his many film roles – which include work with David Cronenberg, Claude Jutra, Jean-Claude Lord, Tony Scott, Walter Hill, James Glickenhaus, Paul Verhoeven, RKSS, and more – his origins and approach to acting, how he captures his characters, and his command of voice and physicality. Michael Gingold’s AD NAUSEAM: Newsprint Nightmares from the 1980’s Film critic Michael Gingold has been writing about genre cinema for over 30 years. Growing up in New York in the 1980s, his obsession with scary movies led him to take scissors to local newspapers to cut out and collect ads for just about every horror film he came across: mainstream, indie, arthouse, or grindhouse. Ad Nauseam: Newsprint Nightmares From the 1980s is a year-by-year deep dive into the critic’s personal collection. Within its pages you’ll see rare alternate art for Gremlins, Child’s Play, The Blob remake and entries in the Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street franchises. You’ll be taken back to the era of the double bill, with notices for Aliens, The Fly, Drive-in Massacre, Driller Killer, Night of the Living Dead, and The Three Stooges (!?!). For this special Fantasia book launch event, Michael Gingold will be conducting a slideshow presentation illustrating highlights from his collection, highlighted with his own personal recollections and commentary.
FANTASIA 2018’s JURIES
CHEVAL NOIR COMPETITION Fantasia’s flagship juried competition, a 14-film global selection of varied genre works from new and established, groundbreaking and unconventional auteurs. Fantasia’s 2018 Cheval Noir jury is comprised of: Jury President: Tim Matheson Actor, Director, Producer Abraham Castillo Flores Head Programmer, Morbido Film Festival E.L. Katz Filmmaker, Screenwriter Phil Nobile Jr. Editor-in-Chief, Fangoria magazine Victoria Sanchez Mandryk Actor, Screenwriter, Producer Stéphanie Trépanier Producer; Distribution Director, Métropole Films Distribution 2018 CHEVAL NOIR COMPETITION TITLES BIG BROTHER – Hong Kong / China – Dir: Kam Ka-Wai BLEACH – Japan – Dir: Shinsuke Sato CAM – USA – Dir: Daniel Goldhaber DANS LA BRUME (Just a Breath Away) – France/Canada – Dir: Daniel Roby FLEUVE NOIR (Black Tide) – France – Dir: Erick Zonca INUYASHIKI – Japan – Dir: Shinsuke Sato LAPLACE’S WITCH – Japan – Dir: Takashi Miike LOUDER! CAN’T HEAR WHAT YOU’RE SINGIN’, WIMP! – Japan – Dir: Satoshi Miki THE MAN WHO KILLED HITLER AND THEN THE BIGFOOT – USA – Dir: Robert Krzykowski NUMBER 37 – South Africa – Dir: Nosipho Dumisa THE NIGHTSHIFTER – Brazil – Dir: Dennison Ramalho RELAXER – USA – Dir: Joel Potrykus SATAN’S SLAVES – Indonesia – Dir: Joko Anwar WITCH PART 1: THE SUBVERSION – South Korea – Dir: Park Hoon-jung FIRST FEATURE JURY FOR NEW FLESH AWARD Jury President: Ségolène Roederer General Manager, Québec Cinéma; Former Executive Director of the Rendez-vous du cinéma québécois Neil Calderone Founder, Chicago Cinema Society Liane Cunje Co-Founder, INIODYMUS, International Programming Associate, TIFF; Former Production Coordinator, Arrow Video Ezra Winton Co-Founder and Director of Programming, Cinema Politica Joe Yanick Co-President, Yellow Veil Pictures; Assistant Director of Festival and Non-Theatrical Bookings, Visit Films INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM COMPETITION JURY Jury President: Jacqueline Castel Filmmaker, Curator, Archivist Kalyn Corrigan Critic, Collider, Bloody Disgusting, Birth. Movies. Death, ComingSoon James Fler Managing Partner, Raven Banner Entertainment 2018 International Short Film Competition Titles AURORE – France – Dir: Mael Le Mée BE MY GUEST – Canada – Dir: David Jermyn BEURRE NOIR – Canada – Dir: Jimmy G. Pettigrew BLOOM – Australia – Dir: Kieran Wheeler CLEAN BLOOD – USA – Dir: Jordan Michael Blake CRYING BITCH – Japan – Dir: Reiki Tsuno THE DAY MY MOTHER BECAME A MONSTER – France – Dir: Josephine Darcy Hopkins END TIMES – USA – Dir: Bobby Miller EXIT STRATEGY – USA – Dir: Travis Bible FAUVE – Canada – Dir: Jérémy Comte THE FLAPPING OF THE HUMMINGBIRD – Spain – Dir: Meritxell A. Valls HELLO, RAIN – Nigeria – Dir: C.J. “Fiery” Obasi THE INVADERS – Spain – Dir: Mateo Márquez LUCY’S TALE – USA – Dir: Chelsea Lupkin MILK – Canada – Dir: Santiago Menghini NOSE NOSE NOSE EYES! – South Korea – Dir: Jiwon Moon THE OLD WOMAN WHO HID HER FEAR UNDER THE STAIRS – UK – Dir: Faye Jackson PETITE AVARIE – France – Dir: Manon Alirol and Léo Hardt PUPPET MASTER – Finland – Dir: Hannah Bergholm RILEY WAS HERE – USA – Dir: Mike Marrero and Jonathan Rhoads SPIN – France – Dir: Léticia Belliccini THEY WAIT FOR US – UK – Dir: George Thomson and Lukas Schrank AXIS ANIMATION JURY FOR SATOSHI KON AWARD Jury President: Torill Kove Animation Director, Illustrator Lorraine Carpentier Artist, Teacher Marc Tessier Publisher, Writer, Photographer, Teacher Sarah Mercey Animator, Actress THE BARRY CONVEX AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN FEATURE Administered by SPECTACULAR OPTICAL, with support from the Paul A. Ray Memorial Fund 2018 Barry Convex Jury Kier-La Janisse Author, Critic, Founder of Spectacular Optical Shelagh Rowan-Legg Critic, filmmaker, Festival Programmer (FrightFest) Michael Kronish Executive Producer Nora McHenny Arrow Video, technical advisor for INIODYMUS VR JURY Patrick Senécal Author, Screenwriter Patrick Boivin Filmmaker Gerard Lewis Screenwriter SÉQUENCE JURY Donato Totaro Critic, Teacher Pascal Grenier Critic Jules Couturier Critic
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“Dynamite Graffiti” “BuyBack” “Men on the Dragon” and more on 17th New York Asian Film Festival Lineup

[caption id="attachment_30082" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Dynamite Graffiti[/caption] From vicious, life destroying phone scams to balletic battles between equally corrupt cops and yakuza, the 17th edition of the New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF), returns June 29 to July 15, 2018, with films that reflect on contemporary society while offering extreme genre pleasures. There are self referential takes on cinematic zombies, existential date nights, and teens finding their own corners of the world despite familial and societal expectations. After last year’s Sweet Sixteen, this year’s program is dubbed the Savage Seventeenth edition with four world premieres, three international premieres, 21 North American premieres, three U.S. premieres, and twelve New York premieres, showcasing the most exciting comedies, dramas, thrillers, romances, horrors and arthouse films from East Asia. Savage Seventeen: The festival has a rich history of presenting films that deal with the social issue of teenage bullying. Many of these have proven to be launching pads for some of Asia’s biggest stars, and the subject is at the root of such modern classics as All About Lily ChouChou, Whispering Corridors, and Confessions. In a year when youths in the U.S. are standing their ground and demanding political change, NYAFF presents the North American premieres of three films about teenagers who just won’t take it anymore: Kim Uiseok’s After My Death, Ogata Takaomi’s The Hungry Lion, and Naito Eisuke’s competition title Liverleaf. Opening Night is the North American premiere of Tominaga Masanori’s Dynamite Graffiti, an unorthodox and sprightly drama based on the life and times of Japanese porn mag king Suei Akira, who cultivated future artists such as Araki Nobuyoshi and Moriyama Daido. This spirited tale of sexual exploitation is an ode to free expression, proving that the so called “smut” of today might very well become the art of tomorrow. The film is a metaphor for the humble origins of the festival as a Chinatownborn grindhouse showcase introducing the works of Johnnie To and several of the modern masters of Korean cinema. [caption id="attachment_30085" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] BuyBust[/caption] Closing Night is the world premiere of Erik Matti’s BuyBust from the Philippines. On the surface, it is structured like an action film in the vein of The Raid, with superstar Anne Curtis and MMA world champion Brandon Vera as narcs taking down a drug kingpin against insurmountable odds over one unrelenting rainy night. The film employed 309 stuntmen and features a wildly ambitious three minute, one cut action scene. Being a Matti film, it also offers a searing perspective on the ongoing drug war and broader issues of political corruption. The director and stars will attend the screening. [caption id="attachment_30086" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Men on the Dragon[/caption] The Centerpiece is the world premiere of Sunny Chan’s Men on the Dragon, starring Francis Ng and Jennifer Yu. Always central to the festival’s DNA, Hong Kong cinema demonstrates the resiliency of an industry whose identity is easily blurred with Mainland China, but on which it also exerts a considerable influence and provides storytelling expertise and craftsmanship. The film is a quintessential underdog story about a group of blue collar workers who reluctantly join their company’s dragon boat team. A directorial debut of a veteran Hong Kong screenwriter, Chan’s film is being presented one year after NYAFF had a special focus on firsttime directors from the territory. Chan and actress Jennifer Yu will be among the attending guests. Seven films will battle in the second edition of the festival’s relaunched Main Competition: Shiraishi Kazuya’s Blood of Wolves (Japan), Nam Ron’s Crossroads: One Two Jaga (Malaysia), Naito Eisuke’s Liverleaf (Japan), Dong Yue’s The Looming Storm (China), Sunny Chan’s Men on the Dragon (Hong Kong), Jeon Gowoon’s Microhabitat (South Korea), and Treb Monteras’s Respeto (Philippines). Six of the seven films are receiving their North American premieres at NYAFF, with one world premiere. Four of the competition titles are debut films, reflecting the festival’s ongoing support for new directors. This year, the festival presents two Star Asia Awards: South Korea’s Kim Yunseok is best known to North American audiences for his role as the grizzled excop in 2008 serial killer thriller The Chaser. A decade on, he stands firmly in the top tier of his country’s leading men. Like his contemporaries Song Kangho and Choi Minshik, he came late to movies after a background in theater. Jang Joonhwan’s powerful drama 1987: When the Day Comes screens, in which Kim plays the frightening head of South Korea’s anticommunist bureau, hellbent on holding back the country’s democracy movement. Chinese filmmaker Jiang Wu’s career has bridged independent cinema and mainstream success for 25 years. Two decades ago, he was at the forefront of a new populist independent cinema about big city life that transformed modern Chinese cinema with Zhang Yang’s Shower. He has worked with Zhang Yimou (To Live), Jiang Wen (Let the Bullets Fly), Jia Zhangke (A Touch of Sin), and Herman Yau (Shock Wave). Xin Yukun’s part noir, part western Wrath of Silence will screen in tribute, in which his terrifying nouveau riche mining magnate falls into a trap of his own design. The Star Asia Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Japan’s Harada Masato, a former U.S.based film critic. He is most recognizable to Western viewers for his role as the villain Mr. Omura opposite Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai. Since his debut in 1979, he has positioned himself as one of Japan’s most unique and important directors. While he has worked in nearly every genre, he is best known for tackling societal issues such as teenage prostitution, illegal immigrants, and the role of the media. Screening in the festival are his dark classic gem Kamikaze Taxi on 35mm, the recent Kakekomi (2016), a period piece about female empowerment, and his most recent historical epic Sekigahara, about the oneday battle in 1600 that defined modern Japan. The Screen International Rising Star Asia Award recipient will be announced at a later date. The Hong Kong Panorama, backbone of the festival’s programming, returns with nine features, including two world premieres: Sunny Chan’s debut Men of the Dragon and Antony Chan’s comeback House of the Rising Sons. Antony Chan is an original member of The Wynners, the popular teenidol band of the 1970s that launched the careers of megastars Alan Tam and Kenny Bee. Chan, the band’s drummer, returns to the director’s chair after 26 years to present a vibrant biopic that avoids hagiography. Highlighting the miracles of motion and irresistible kinetic force that are the signature of Hong Kong cinema, is a threefilm Dante Lam tribute, and an actionpacked thriller run on July 4: Jonathan Li’s debut The Brink, Oxide Pang’s The Big Call, and Wilson Yip’s Paradox. Also screening is Chapman To’s family drama set in the world of karate, The Empty Hands starring Stephy Tang. The China section continues to take a more central role. One year ago, NYAFF committed to supporting the new generation of firsttime directors emerging in Asia with the Young Blood series, focusing on Hong Kong; this year the festival shifts to Mainland China. Once again, the films are heady and diverse in subject matter, including Hunanset, raindrenched serialkiller thriller The Looming Storm, Inner Mongoliaset sexagenarian drama Old Beast (produced by Chinese auteur Wang Xiaoshuai), and the razorsharp Northeastern comedy Looking for Lucky, which revolves around a man, his father, and a missing dog. The Chinese film industry is changing fast, and trends are best reflected in where new directors are taking it. We also present films about the shifting rules of romance: Dude’s Manual and The ExFiles 3: The Return of the Exes. The New Cinema from Japan lineup is represented by one of the festival’s largest contingents of directors yet. In addition to NYAFF’s tribute to veteran director Harada Masato, the festival is bringing a group that could be described as defining a “new wave” of Japanese cinema: Naito Eisuke with his circleofrevenge drama Liverleaf, Ogata Takaomi with experimental youth drama The Hungry Lion, Takeshita Masao with slowburn drama The Midnight Bus, and Kanata Wolf with his slacker debut Smokin’ on the Moon. Also attending is actor Emoto Tasuku who brings his mischievous charm to the protagonist of porn publishing odyssey Dynamite Graffiti. Other highlights include Sato Shinsuke’s crossgenerational superhero showdown Inuyashiki, Ueda Shinichiro’s meta zombie film homage One Cut of the Dead, and Yukisada Isao’s brutal youth drama River’s Edge. There are ten films in the South Korean Cinema section. This year, femaledirected titles represent almost half of the NYAFF selection. They include Jeon Gowoon’s competition title Microhabitat, Yim Soonrye’s Little Forest, and Jeong Gayoung’s Hit the Night. Actress and director Jeong’s positioning of herself as a female Hong Sangsoo—she recently starred in and directed Bitch on the Beach—is itself a critique of the macho posturing of much of South Korean cinema. The festival selected five films showcasing the uniqueness of Taiwan cinema and the strength of both its arthouse productions and its genre output. Of note is the North American premiere of gangster film Gatao 2: Rise of the King, poised comfortably between classic yakuza and triad movies from Japan and Hong Kong. In complete contrast is The Last Verse, which charts a romantic relationship through the turbulence of three presidential eras; it was directed by Tseng Yingting, one of Taiwan cinema’s freshest voices since Edward Yang. This year’s program features the largest Southeast Asian Vanguard selection yet, representing a fifth of the festival lineup. This region is one of the most creative corners of Asia, which NYAFF continues to champion in the film selection and guest lineup. Outside of Asia, arguably no other film event has so fully committed to exploring Southeast Asian cinema, which is at the heart of the festival’s future. Six films from the Philippines, three films from Thailand, two films from Malaysia, and one film from Indonesia will screen. The festival goes all in on the Philippines with the largest lineup in NYAFF since 2013. Three strong films examine the nation’s ongoing drug war: Mikhail Red’s Neomanila, about a “mother and son” death squad; Treb Monteras’ Respeto, set in the milieu of rap battles; and Erik Matti’s BuyBust. There will also be a special screening of Matti’s thriller On the Job. On opening night, NYAFF hosts the world premiere of Richard Somes’s brutal We Will Not Die Tonight, starring Erich Gonzales as a stuntwoman trying to survive a single night. On a lighter note, Irene Villamor’s blockbuster (anti)romance Sid & Aya (Not a Love Story) screens, also starring Anne Curtis from BuyBust. There has been a recent Malaysian New Wave reflecting the country’s societal and political changes, and it is only now reaching our cinema screens. NYAFF presents two films that would never have seen the light before 2018: police corruption thriller Crossroads: One Two Jaga and black magic thriller Dukun. The latter is the longburied debut of top Malaysian director Dain Said, screening twelve years after its shoot was completed. Together with Brutal/Jagat (NYAFF 2016), these films hint at why Malaysian cinema is a territory to watch. Southeast Asian Westerns: The links between the western genre and Japanese cinema are well documented, from remakes of Akira Kurosawa’s classics to Lee Sungil’s own remake of Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven. But the western was also a genre embraced in Southeast Asia for decades, most recently with two Indonesian films: Mouly Surya’s Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts (which opens in New York on June 22) and Mike Wiluan’s Buffalo Boys, which screens on the final day of the festival. Like their Northeast Asian counterparts (the Manchurian western), the genre offers tales of freedom and emancipation with Eastern heroes rising against their colonial oppressors. This year, Wisit Sasanatieng’s madcap Tears of the Black Tiger returns in a special 35mm screening.
Young Art at NYAFF: “Safe Imagination Is Boring”
“Safe Imagination Is Boring” is a group exhibition of 10 emerging artists who have created new work inspired by Asian cinema. The exhibition features Asian, secondgeneration AsianAmerican, and mixedrace artists.
HBO® Free Talks at NYAFF
This year, NYAFF presents several free talks, sponsored by HBO®, at the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center’s Amphitheater. They include opportunities for NYAFF audiences to meet festival guests from Japan, China, and Southeast Asia and discuss their careers, trends, and regional genre cinema. Guest speakers include Harada Masato, Dong Yue, Xin Yukun, Erik Matti, and Mike Wiluan. The New York Asian Film Festival is copresented by Subway Cinema and the Film Society of Lincoln Center and takes place from June 29 to July 12 at the Film Society’s Walter Reade Theater (165 West 65th St), and July 13 to 15 at SVA Theatre (333 West 23rd St). It is curated by executive director Samuel Jamier, deputy director Stephen Cremin, programmers Claire Marty and David Wilentz, and associate programmers Karen Severns and Mori Koichi.
17th New York Asian Film Festival LINEUP

CHINA
Dude’s Manual (Kevin Ko, 2018) End of Summer (Zhou Quan, 2017) New York Premiere The ExFiles 3: The Return of the Exes (Tian Yusheng, 2017) Looking for Lucky (Jiang Jiachen, 2018) International Premiere The Looming Storm (Dong Yue, 2017) North American Premiere Old Beast (Zhou Ziyang, 2017) New York Premiere Wrath of Silence (Xin Yukun, 2017) New York Premiere
HONG KONG PANORAMA
Beast Stalker (Dante Lam, 2008) Tribute to Dante Lam The Big Call (Oxide Pang, 2017) North American Premiere The Brink (Jonathan Li, 2017) New York Premiere The Empty Hands (Chapman To, 2018) New York Premiere House of the Rising Sons (Antony Chan, 2018) World Premiere Men on the Dragon (Sunny Chan, 2018) World Premiere Operation Red Sea (Dante Lam, 2018) Tribute to Dante Lam Paradox (Wilson Yip, 2017) New York Premiere Unbeatable (Dante Lam, 2003) Tribute to Dante Lam
INDONESIA
Buffalo Boys (Mike Wiluan, 2018) US Premiere
JAPAN
Blood of Wolves (Shiraishi Kazuya, 2018) North American Premiere Dynamite Graffiti (Tominaga Masanori, 2018) North American Premiere The Hungry Lion (Ogata Takaomi, 2017) North American Premiere Inuyashiki (Sato Shinsuke, 2018) North American Premiere Kakekomi (Harada Masato, 2015) Tribute to Harada Masato, New York Premiere Kamikaze Taxi (Harada Masato, 1995) Tribute to Harada Masato Liverleaf (Naito Eisuke, 2018) North American Premiere Midnight Bus (Takeshita Masao, 2017) North American Premiere One Cut of the Dead (Ueda Shinichiro, 2018) North American Premiere River’s Edge (Yukisada Isao, 2018) North American Premiere The Scythian Lamb (Yoshida Daihachi, 2017) New York Premiere Sekigahara (Harada Masato, 2017) Tribute to Harada Masato, New York Premiere Smokin’ on the Moon (Kanata Wolf, 2017) International Premiere The Third Murder (Koreeda Hirokazu, 2017) New York Premiere
MALAYSIA
Crossroads: One Two Jaga (Nam Ron, 2018) North American Premiere Dukun (Dain Said, 2018) International Premiere
PHILIPPINES
BuyBust (Erik Matti, 2018) Tribute to Erik Matti, World Premiere Neomanila (Mikhail Red, 2017) New York Premiere On the Job (Erik Matti, 2013) Tribute to Erik Matti Respeto (Treb Monteras, 2017) North American Premiere Sid & Aya: Not a Love Story (Irene Villamor, 2018) New York Premiere We Will Not Die Tonight (Richard Somes, 2018) World Premiere (dir. Victor Vu, 2015)
SOUTH KOREA
1987: When the Day Comes (Jang Joonhwan, 2017) After My Death (Kim Uiseok, 2017) North American Premiere The Age of Blood (Kim Hongsun, 2017) International premiere Counters (Lee Ilha, 2017) North American Premiere Hit the Night (Jeong Gayoung, 2017) North American Premiere I Can Speak (Kim Hyeonseok, 2017) Little Forest (Yim Soonrye, 2018) New York Premiere Microhabitat (Jeon Gowoon, 2017) North American Premiere The Return (Malene Choi, 2018) East Coast Premiere What a Man Wants (Lee Byeonghun, 2018)
TAIWAN
Gatao 2: Rise of the King (Yen Chengkuo, 2018) North American Premiere The Last Verse (Tseng Yingting, 2017) New York Premiere Missing Johnny (Huang Xi, 2017) New York Premiere On Happiness Road (Sung Hsinyin, 2017) North American Premiere The Bold, the Corrupt and the Beautiful (Yang Yache, 2017) New York Premiere
THAILAND
Premika (Siwakorn Jarupongpa, 2017) North American Premiere Sad Beauty (Bongkod Bencharongkul, 2018) North American Premiere Tears of the Black Tiger (Wisit Sasanatieng, 2000)
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‘FOR IZZY,’ ‘CALL HER GANDA,’ ‘PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF DESIRE’ ‘WARU’ Take Top Awards at 34th LA Asian Pacific Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_29067" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] FOR IZZY[/caption] The 34th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF) announced their filmmaker awards, and “FOR IZZY,” written and directed by Alex Chu, was awarded the LAAPFF Grand Jury Prize for Outstanding North American Narrative Feature, while the Best Director honor for North American Narrative went to Joanne Park for her film “FISH BONES.” Actress Adelina Amosco was selected for a Special Jury prize for Breakout Performance for her work in “THE FEVER AND THE FRET.” A Special Jury prize for Best Cinematography was awarded to Eunsoo Cho for lensing “AUGUST AT AKIKO’S.” In the non-fiction feature section, “CALL HER GANDA” directed by PJ Raval took home the Grand Jury Prize for Outstanding North American Documentary Feature, and Best Director was given to Bing Liu for his personal film “MINDING THE GAP.” The jury gave a Special Jury Mention to “ANOTE’S ARK” from director Matthieu Rytz and honored Nathan Fitch for Best Cinematography for his work on “ISLAND SOLDIER.” The jury awarded the Best Editing Award to Alejandro Valdes-Rochin and Tom Maroney for their outstanding work on “SCIENCE FAIR.” This year, LAAPFF also recognized outstanding international films. In the International Narrative Competition, the Grand Jury Prize for Outstanding International Narrative Feature went to “WARU” co-directed by a group of all female directors – Chelsea Cohen, Ainsley Gardiner, Casey Kaa, Renae Maihi, Awanui Simich-Pene, Briar Grace- Semith, Paula Whetu and Katie Wolfe. The Best Director Award went to Caylee So and Visal Sok for “IN THE LIFE OF MUSIC,” and a Special Jury Mention was awarded to “KISS & SPELL,” directed by the late Stephane Gauger. The Best Acting Award in this competition was given to Timothy Castillo for his performance in “NEOMANILA.” In the International Documentary Feature competition, the jury awarded the Grand Jury Prize for Outstanding International Documentary Feature to “PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF DESIRE,” directed by Hao Wu. The Special Jury Prize for Best Director was bestowed on Jin Jeon and Moon Chang-Yang for their film “BECOMING WHO I WAS.” That same film and those filmmakers were also given the Best Cinematography Award, and the award for Best Editing was given to Hyewon Jee and Wongjung Bae for “SINGING WITH ANGRY BIRD.” This year, the jury created and gave a Special Jury Mention for Most Urgent and Cautionary Film to “THE CLEANERS,” directed by Hans Block and Moritz Riesewieck. LAAPFF is proud to be an Academy Award® qualifying Festival for the Short Film Awards. Recipient(s) of the Film Festival’s Golden Reel Award for Narrative Short Film will be eligible for consideration in the Animated Short Film/Live-Action Short Film category of the Academy Awards®. The film that won this year’s Golden Reel Award and is now eligible to qualify in the Animated Short Film/Live-Action Short Film category of the Academy Awards® is “SILENCE (MAUN),” directed by Priyanka Singh. The jury also gave out a Special Jury Prize for Excellence in Directing to Paris Zarcilla for “POMMEL.” The Golden Reel for Outstanding Documentary Short Film went to “THREE BOYS MANZANAR,” directed by Preeti Deb. The annual Linda Mabalot New Directors/New Visions Award went to director Georgia Fu for her film “MISS WORLD,” presented for demonstrating an innovative and creative use of cinematic language. “Our artists and their films were amazing this year,” said Francis Cullado, Executive Director of Visual Communications. “Their stories and their craftsmanship raised the bar. The dialogue, conversations, and resource-sharing that took place during our panels and presentations were on point and timely. This Festival is once again a great signifier of what is coming and our artists are ready and at the forefront of this sea of change with their films and projects. I’m grateful to them for making cultural connections with all of our communities.” The 34th LAAPFF continues on Friday, May 11 with a free outdoor screening of the Disney® classic animated film “MULAN” in the Park Center at Griffith Park. It will culminate with the Visual Communications Gala PAST//FORWARD: COMING HOME on Saturday, May 12, 2018 to celebrate the organization’s upcoming 50th anniversary in 2020, honoring Doug Aihara, Renee Tajima-Peña, and Comcast NBCUniversal.
34th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival Award Winners

NORTH AMERICAN NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION AWARDS
Grand Jury Award: FOR IZZY, Directed by Alex Chu Best Director: Joanne Park, FISHBONES Breakout Performance: Adelina Amosco, THE FEVER & THE FRET Best Cinematography: Eunsoo Cho, AUGUST AT AKIKO’S
NORTH AMERICAN DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION AWARDS
[caption id="attachment_29069" align="aligncenter" width="975"] CALL HER GANDA[/caption] Grand Jury Award: CALL HER GANDA, Directed by PJ Raval Best Director: Bing Liu, MINDING THE GAP Special Mention: ANOTE’S ARK, Directed by Matthieu Rytz Best Editing: Alejandro Valdes-Rochin & Tom Maroney, SCIENCE FAIR Best Cinematography: Nathan Fitch, ISLAND SOLDIER
INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION AWARDS
Grand Jury Award: PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF DESIRE, Directed by Hao Wu Best Director: Jin Jeon & Moon Chang-Yong, BECOMING WHO I WAS Best Editing: Hyewon Jee & Wonjung Bae, SINGING WITH ANGRY BIRD Best Cinematography: Jeon Jin & Moon Chang-yong, BECOMING WHO I WAS Special Jury Mention – Most Urgent and Cautionary Film: THE CLEANERS, Directed by Hans Block & Moritz Riesewieck
INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE COMPETITION AWARDS
Grand Jury Award WARU, Directed by Chelsea Cohen, Ainsley Gardiner, Casey Kaa, Renae Maihi, Awanui Simich-Pene, Briar Grace-Smith, Paula Whetu & Katie Wolfe Best Director: Caylee So & Visal Sok, IN THE LIFE OF MUSIC Best Actor: Timothy Castillo, NEOMANILA Special Mention: KISS & SPELL, Directed by Stephane Gauger
SHORTS NARRATIVE COMPETITION AWARDS
Golden Reel Award (Excellence in Narrative/Animated Short Film): SILENCE (MAUN), Directed by Priyanka Singh Special Jury Prize for Excellence in Directing: Paris Zarcilla, POMMEL
SHORTS DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION AWARDS
Golden Reel Award (Excellence in Documentary Short Film): THREE BOYS MANZANAR, Directed by Preeti Deb
LINDA MABALOT NEW DIRECTORS/NEW VISIONS AWARD
Linda Mabalot New Directors/New Visions Award (Innovative Use of Cinematic Language): MISS WORLD, Directed by Georgia Fu
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NEOMANILA

Fantasia Completes 22nd Edition Lineup, Closes with MANDY Starring Nicolas Cage

BIG BROTHER (World Premiere)

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE OF LAPLACE’S WITCH

A MASTER CLASS WITH TIMUR BEKMAMBETOV – AND THE CANADIAN PREMIERE OF PROFILE

PUNK SAMURAI SLASH DOWN SLICES ITS WAY TO A NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE!

SWIM OUT TO THE NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE OF BLACK TIDE

A HELLISHLY SPECIAL SCREENING OF L’INFERNO (1911), LIVE-SCORED BY GOBLIN’S MAURIZIO GUARINI

GET LAZY WITH RELAXER’S INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE!

BRING THE BEST MEMORIES OF YOUR FAVORITE PETS – AND PLENTY OF TISSUES – FOR THE WORLD PREMIERE OF THE TRAVELING CAT CHRONICLES

THE WORLD PREMIERE OF LIFECHANGER

CANADIAN PREMIERE OF TERRIFIED

MEET AN ALTOGETHER NEW KIND OF EXORCIST IN ROOM LAUNDERING

THE CAMERA LUCIDA SECTION UNVEILS ITS FINAL THREE TITLES!

Full Camera Lucida line-up:

CHINA’S ANIMATED DA HU FA IS A RAMBUNCTIOUS, REBELLIOUS FIND!

IT’S A LITERAL FACE-OFF AS KASANE COMES TO NORTH AMERICA

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE OF TORNADO GIRL

ADDITIONAL TITLES IN FANTASIA 2018’S FINAL WAVE INCLUDE:

SPECIAL LIVE EVENTS AT FANTASIA 2018

FANTASIA 2018’s JURIES

“Dynamite Graffiti” “BuyBack” “Men on the Dragon” and more on 17th New York Asian Film Festival Lineup

Young Art at NYAFF: “Safe Imagination Is Boring”

HBO® Free Talks at NYAFF

17th New York Asian Film Festival LINEUP

CHINA

HONG KONG PANORAMA

INDONESIA

JAPAN

MALAYSIA

PHILIPPINES

SOUTH KOREA

TAIWAN

THAILAND

‘FOR IZZY,’ ‘CALL HER GANDA,’ ‘PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF DESIRE’ ‘WARU’ Take Top Awards at 34th LA Asian Pacific Film Festival

34th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival Award Winners

NORTH AMERICAN NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION AWARDS

NORTH AMERICAN DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION AWARDS

INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION AWARDS

INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE COMPETITION AWARDS

SHORTS NARRATIVE COMPETITION AWARDS

SHORTS DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION AWARDS

LINDA MABALOT NEW DIRECTORS/NEW VISIONS AWARD