Surprisingly announced just one month before its release, Kung Fu Soccer (2026) grossed over 260 million RMB (38 million USD) on its opening day, surging past 2.1 billion RMB (310 million USD) within three weeks. The film quickly secured its place as China’s second-highest-grossing release of the year. The craze was driven by none other…
Category: Asian Cinema
Trapped Inside the Hive Mind: “Colony” Review
Yeon Sang-ho, the director of Train to Busan (2016) and Peninsula (2020), once again ventures into the zombie film genre he is well-versed in. In Colony, the zombie outbreak takes place in an enclosed high-rise in Seoul. The visceral horror of the film is enhanced by its choreography, sound design, as well as its claustrophobic…
“Perhaps Love” (2005) & Peter Chan’s Path on Climbing Mountains, Walking on Thin Ice
In the last section of Close Encounters with Master Filmmakers – Movie Talks: Peter Ho-sun Chan hosted at the Hong Kong Film Archive, it is revealed that Chan had just wrapped up the latest film he worked on and caught a morning plane from Chengdu to Hong Kong to attend the talk on the same…
“Dog Day Evening” (2026) Review: Absurdity of Ordinary Desperation
Dog Day Evening (2026) was released nationwide immediately after its premiere at the Shanghai International Film Festival’s Asian New Talent section. It is director Mak Tin Shu’s directorial debut. Although a “new talent” as a director, Mak was not really new or fresh to the Hong Kong film industry. His scripts for Trivisa (2016) and…
JIB DREAM FANMEET 7 Brings Together Leading Thai BL Stars in Rome This August
The JIB DREAM FANMEET 7 is set to return to Rome on 29-30 August 2026, bringing together some of the most popular names in Thai Boys’ Love (BL) television. Hosted at the Hilton Rome Airport Hotel in Fiumicino, the event continues what has become one of Europe’s most recognisable fanmeet series dedicated to Thai entertainment…
Director Ang Geck Geck Priscilla’s Journey in Creating “Ah Girl” – Exclusive Interview
Having shared the spotlights in Rotterdam, Hong Kong, and ahead of its premiere in Shanghai, director Ang Geck Geck Priscilla’s debut feature Ah Girl, 13 years in the making, presents a bittersweet self-healing childhood of a 7-year-old curious girl Swee Swee (Xuanjing ONG) in the post-divorce turbulence of her parents. Ah Girl comes from a…
“Ah Girl”: A Heartwarming Look at Family and Loneliness – Review
Inspired by director Ang Geck Geck Priscilla’s own childhood experiences and long-held reflections, the Singaporean filmmaker’s debut feature Ah Girl follows the resilient Swee Swee (Ah Girl) as she journeys through a childhood scarred by hardship and bruises. Set in the 1990s, the 7-year-old Ah Girl (Xuanjing ONG), and her younger sister Ah Tian (Sydney…
Chen Sicheng’s “Being Towards Death”: Finding Life in Its Final Chapter
Chen Sicheng, a Chinese film director, producer, and screenwriter, is behind some of China’s biggest commercial successes, from the hugely popular Detective Chinatown films to thrillers such as Lost in the Stars and Sheep Without a Shepherd. His films often focus on crime, mystery and moral choices, that is why Being Towards Death comes as…
JIB DREAM FANMEET 6.5 – Apo and Mile Reflect on Playing Trin and Tanwa in “Shine” – Exclusive Interview
Apo Nattawin and Mile Phakphum have become a key screen pairing in Thai entertainment over recent years. From KinnPorsche to Man Suang and now Shine, they have drawn consistent attention for their performances. Their latest project takes them into new creative ground, mixing romance, political tension, comedy, and social themes set in late-1960s Thailand. In…
JIB DREAM FANMEET 6.5 – Exploring Love in “Shine” with Son and Euro – Exclusive Interview
As Shine continues to win hearts around the world, Son and Euro brought that excitement to Europe for the JIB DREAM FANMEET in Rome. For fans, it was a special opportunity to meet the actors behind Krailert and Naran, whose story became one of the most talked-about and beloved parts of the series, at least…
JIB DREAM FANMEET 6.5 – Daou and Offroad on Working Together, The Power of Thai BL and Acting – Exclusive Interview
Beneath its suspense and romance, The Wicked Game is a story about choosing to see the good in another person when the world gives every reason not to. Daou’s understanding of Than rests on a simple but powerful belief: that Pheem is fundamentally a good person, even when his actions suggest otherwise. Rather than judging…
“Comrades: Almost a Love Story” (1996) Review
To celebrate its 25th anniversary, the Hong Kong Film Archive has launched Close Encounters with Master Filmmakers: Movie Talks, a three-part series in which leading local directors share their own films alongside works that inspired them. The first edition features acclaimed director Peter Chan, best known for He’s a Woman, She’s a Man (1994), Perhaps…
“A Chinese Ghost Story” (1987): Looking Into the Dark, Choosing the Light
“Life’s journey, where beautiful dreams stretch as long. Along the path, wind and frost lash against the withering face. In this mortal world, in how many directions do dreams drift? Searching for the love amidst infatuated fantasies. The road ahead blurs as the one fades away with it.” The opening verse of the eponymous theme…
“The Kid” (1999): Lost Treasure Found and Restored
Coinciding with the Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival 2026, the 25th anniversary of the Hong Kong Film Archive, and what would have been Leslie Cheung’s 70th birthday, The Kid took centre stage at the Grand Theatre of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Director Jacob Cheung Chi-leung and the main cast – Ti Lung, Lam Ka-tung,…
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