Festivals And Events

NYAFF XXIII Unveils The First Wave Of Titles Ahead Of July’s Events!

I’ve been waiting for this announcement to come. The New York Film Festival has been good to this platform in the last six years and with the arrival of the summer season, it was only a matter of time before any news would arise. The socials were throwing around some hints to the followings and I hadn’t a clue, but…like everyone else in the wider loop, now I do. The premiere announcement below has all you need to know on what’s to come between July and August, and you’re gonna want to really look at it… No, seriously. Look at it. And then tune back in next week, because this is just the half of it! FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THE NEW YORK ASIAN FILM FOUNDATION AND FILM AT LINCOLN CENTER ANNOUNCE FIRST HIGHLIGHTS FROM 23RD EDITION OF THE NEW YORK ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL This year’s festival features a […]

Fantasia XXVIII: Swords, Sorcery, Salutations And More In The Second Wave!

Lee B. Golden III

Fantasia Festival 2024 is looking better and better. The second wave is here listing a new raft of titles to shore up excitement from folks looking to attend the twenty-eighth edition. The 2nd wave news also enlists a Canadian Trailblazer award for Vincenzo Natali whose 1997 debut, Cube, is getting a 4K-restored world premiere courtesy of the Canadian Film Center. As for the rest of the announcement, take a gander at the gallery below and additonal title announcement beneath. . Oof, this curtain raiser is gonna be a doozy. Check it all out below, and catch up on the first wave if need be, and do stay tuned for the full line-up and then some! ADDITIONAL SECOND WAVE TITLES: 100 YARDS (China) – Dirs. Xu Haofeng and Xu Junfeng Family secrets, demimonde politics, and romantic entanglements complicate the rivalry between two skilled martial artists in the 1920s. The latest from […]

JAPAN CUTS XVII: Shadow Of Fire, Shin Godzilla ORTHOchromatic, And So Much More As The Full Line-Up Is Revealed!

Lee B. Golden III

The 17th edition of Japan Cuts: Festival Of New Japanese Film is locked in for the summer of 2024. Alas, the full line-up is now available on the official website with tickets and availability, and we’ve got some exciting details to help share. Set for July 10–August 21 in New York City, this year’s edition will present over 30 films spanning 12 days across Feature Slate, Next Generation, Classics and Short Film sections. Among the festival’s lineup are five International Premieres, 10 North American Premieres, four U.S. Premieres, two East Coast Premieres and seven New York Premieres. Additionally, JAPAN CUTS will welcome over eight actors and directors as special guests and host three parties. This edition will mark this site’s fifth effort to remote-cover Japan Cuts since 2019. I’ve managed to screen a wide array of features and shorts in that time – a few of which have yet to see […]

TACFEST 2024: ‘I’ll Crush Y’all’, ‘Shadow Fist 3’, ‘Kigurumi Blade’ And More Splash Big For Spain’s Second-Year Genre Festivities

Lee B. Golden III

The International Toledo Action Films Festival & Expo wrapped its goings-on in Illescas last week. The second-annual festival launced on May 15, kicking off a weeklong spell of film fandom and martial arts fanfare with expos, panels and seminars host to topical discussions on industry and the craft, stunts and much more within the first three days. The latter half of TACFEST II saw a plethora of events rolled into one at the Guillermo Plaza Pavilion in Yuncos in Toledo. Expos, training and exhibition segments, mini-cinema and merchandising were all on hand with over a dozen booths on display, including a photo booth where everyone could share their own Dragonz Magazine cover. The weekend also saw more than twenty martial arts seminars held with Grandmasters of Martial Arts such as Sebas Deibe, Paulino Martín, César Alonso, José Torres II (Killer-Ex), and Musical Kata World Champion Jan Sykora from the Czech […]

ICE FALL: Joel Kinnaman Takes Cold Aim In A First Look At The New Thriller

Lee B. Golden III

Academy Award-winning filmmaker Stefan Ruzowitzky (The Counterfeiters, Deadfall, Netflix’s “Barbarians”) is wrapped in Bulgaria on new action thriller, Ice Fall. A first look is now available with Arclight Films repping international sales at Cannes, and is co-repping domestic with Capstone Global. Take a look: Ice Fall centers on a young Indigenous game warden who arrests an infamous poacher only to discover that the poacher knows the location of a plane carrying millions of dollars that has crashed in a frozen lake. When a group of criminals and dirty cops are alerted to the poacher’s whereabouts, the warden and the poacher team up to fight back and escape across the treacherous lake before the ice melts. The cast includes Joel Kinnaman (Suicide Squad, The Suicide Squad, Silent Night), Cara Jade Myers (Killers of the Flower Moon), Danny Huston (Wonder Woman, upcoming The Crow), Academy Award-nominated and First Nations (Oneida) actor Graham […]

THE HOUSEMAID Review: Kim Ki-Young’s Debut Message Allegory Deals In Sex, Lies, Tragedy, And Moral Quandry

Lee B. Golden III

My early summer dive into the work of late auteur Kim Ki-young continues with a look at The Housemaid. The 1960 thriller was Kim’s debut, restored nearly half a century later for posterity, and is one of two Kim titles screening between now and July at the Metrograph in New York City. The Housemaid preambles its scintillating tale with a discussion over a man’s affair with a housemaid as reported in a newspaper. The conversation then pans over to a game of Cat’s Cadle between the Kims’ children Ae-soon (Lee Yoo-ri), and Chang-soon (Ahn Sung-ki) as the opening credits role. I instantly caught onto that little bit of optical foreshadowing which goes well in hand with composer Han Sang-gi’s score, which instantly gave me an idea of what to expect after going into this film without seeing any prior footage or reading up. Kim definitely piles up on this aspect […]

Fantasia XXVIII: Death Matches, Time Traveling Samurai, Supernatural Thrills And More In The First Wave!

Lee B. Golden III

It’s early May! That means promo for the 28th edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival is about to pick up some serious steam. It also means the first wave is here for anyone who might be already clearing their schedules for this summer’s event! There’s already some genre delights worth underscoring among the seventeen now made public. I already see myself making a list of all the titles I’d like to catch this year during the festival if possible. Indeed I won’t be able to see all of them, which is usually the case, but not for lack of trying! The 28th edition of Fantasia runs from July 18 through August 4 with screenings at the Concordia Hall and J.A. de Sève cinemas. Additional screens and events will be available at Montreal’s Cinémathèque québécoise and Cinéma du Musée. Discover the first wave in the gallery below, which includes this […]

AN EXPERIENCE TO DIE FOR Review: A Blistering Erotic Thriller That Plays Up The Gender Dynamics With Gruesome Effect

Lee B. Golden III

Film history really is something you end up diving into, particularly if you’re like me and doing what I do on this platform. Kim Ki-young is only the latest auteur to come upon my radar in the course of my film consumption and writings, and the way his career pretty much ended feels almost as shocking and haunting as his final film. The title in question, 1990’s An Experience To Die For, sits front and center of this critic’s perspective as the first of my intake of Kim’s work. The movie’s popularity has resurged since making headway in the last 30-plus years. Fans keen on the arthouse and foreign film arena can happily expect a rollout via Metrograph for both theatrical and streaming between May and June. I went into this one completely blind, so I was pretty full up by the first twelve minutes or so. A lot happens […]

NCBFF 2024: ‘A Wu-Tang Experience’, ‘Art, Beats + Lyrics’ And Honorees Bookend Wilmington Festivities Next Month!

Lee B. Golden III

The 21st edition of the NC Black Film Festival is set to kick off its four-day event in Wilmington on Thursday, May 16. Pre-empting the festival will be a free and open-to-the-public Wu-Tang Wednesday Kickoff Party from 5pm to 8pm at Waterline Brewing Company. The event will be hosted by Gravity Records, 3 Chambers, Waterline Brewing Co., and Dawson Med Primary & Urgent Care. Opening night will see the premiere of A Wu-Tang Experience: Live At Red Rock Ampitheatre at Cape Fear Community College Union Station Auditorium. The doc recently screened at Film At Lincoln Center as part of the Hip-Hop Education Center’s (HHEC) 50 for 50 film series. Directed by Gerald K. Barclay and RZA (The Man With The Iron Fists), A Wu-Tang Experience: Live At Red Rock Ampitheatre chronicles the intricate journey and process for The Wu-Tang Clan’s live stage presentation of its vast discography, accompanied by the […]

SHANGHAI BLUES: Tsui Hark’s Comedy Classic Sets Sail For Cannes With A 40th Anniversary 4K Screening

Lee B. Golden III

Tsui Hark’s 1984 comedy classic, Shanghai Blues, will screen the prestigious Cannes Classics section of the festival’s 77th edition to celebrate the film’s 40th anniversary. The film was Hark’s seventh production which also launched his Film Workshop label, teaming him up with longtime partner Nansun Shi. Starring are Kenny Bee, Sylvia Chang, and Sally Yeh, Shanghai Blues is set against the backdrop of wartime Shanghai in the 1940’s, weaving a poignant love story between a soldier, Tung Kwok-Man (Bee) and a young woman Shu-Shu (Chang). Though they vow to meet after the war ends, unfortunately, they walk away not able to recognize each other’s faces or remember their names. Through a series of misplaced opportunities, the two lovebirds keep missing their reunion, even though fate has a funny way of bringing them ever so closer to each other. Infused with a delightful blend of innocent romanticism, satirical wit, and whimsical […]

TACFEST 2024 Brings The Heat Back To Illescas With Loads Of Action And Martial Arts Fanfare In May

Lee B. Golden III

Our own Mike Garcia has been busy previewing some of the stuff that’s ramping for the sophomore edition of the Toledo Action Films Festival And Expo, or TACFEST & EXPO. You can check out his select write-ups by clicking here, while the word is now out for the five-day event kicking off in the Spanish municipality at the Illescas House of Culture on May 15. Action cinema, despite being one of the most watched genres in the world, still does not have the respect it deserves, and has always been undervalued in the most important festivals and awards ceremonies, which is why it makes a year TACFEST was born, where they wanted to pay tribute to the genre that has given us more action heroes to admire than any other. TACFEST & EXPO 2024 hails from Castilla la Mancha Film Association, in collaboration with the Association International of Martial Artists […]

DIE BAD: Ryoo Seung-Wan’s Breakout Makes Its Jeonju Festival Debut In 4K Next Month!

Lee B. Golden III

The ceremony continues for anyone ardently following the work of director Ryoo Seung-wan. The hitmaker’s career of more than two-decades is now readying one of Ryoo’s biggest throwbacks for the 25th edition of the Jeonju International Film Festival, with Ryoo’s 2000 feature debut, Die Bad. Sung-bin accidentally commits manslaughter while breaking up his friend Suk-hwan’s rumble. After serving his sentence, Sung-bin reaches out to Suk-hwan but now a police investigator, Suk-hwan avoids Sung-bin. One day, Sung-bin saves a mobster by chance, and follows him into the world of violence. Suk-hwan’s brother Sang-hwan secretly enters the gang finds a place under Sung-bin’s wing, making their relationships even more twisted. As Ryoo’s fans know, the four-part Die Bad was key to solidifying Ryoo in the action genre for years to come. Boxing drama Crying Fist, modern day martial arts fantasy romp Arahan, and gangbuster delight City Of Violence have all earned their place […]

TACFEST 2024 Review: I´LL CRUSH Y´ALL: Crushing as only way to solve the conflict

Mike Garcia

“I’ll crush y’all” is a cinematic hooliganism of the best kind, a story written by the ink of violence starred by a bunch of good-for-nothing thugs driven by greed, vice and peculiar codes of conduct that could only be represented in a violent canvas drawn by blood. The supposed seriousness of the script is splashed by big drops of sarcasm and cinism, giving rein in a visual debauchery that indulges the spectator to being dragged into this exciting exercise of the most enjoyable carefree entertainment. The plot presents a tough old-school action hero (Mario Mayo), tough but kind-hearted. one of those screen heroes whom destiny chooses to be heroes despite their initial reluctance to want to be one. A quiet man seeking for peace away from the nuisance world. Those kind of action cinematic heroes whom troubles seems to be constantly knocking at their door. Mario Mayo brawls his way […]

TACFEST 2024 Review: KIGURUMI BLADE: Brawls, Bullets and Cosplay

Mike Garcia

A mysterious evil organization goes after a junior high school student, luckily for him, he finds the protection of a young mysterious girl who is well trained in the art of violence and hides her identity under a bulletproof kigurumi costume (term used for costumes of animal characters in Japan.) Beneath this a priori simple plot lies a much more complex story that goes evolving until unfold the real motives under the chase of the main characters. A story that takes place in a motley film universe inhabited by a bunch of peculiar characters that are driven by the only way to communicate that they know, the language of violence. Shingo Soejima from a script wrtten by himself alongside Kunihiko Okamoto, directs this intriguing action film filled with violence and brutal fight scenes under the action direction of Akira Ogiwara. Bringing a gripping action story to the screen that make […]

TACFEST 2024 Review: DARK CHILD (Short Film) A brutal display of skill and talent with Ayane shining on the lead

Mike Garcia

Dark Child is a brutal short film of non-stop action in which we follow a young woman who making her way through a path of brutal blows and contusions avoids a group of men to inject her with a mysterious substance. With the very talented Ayane on the the lead, and under the action direction of Shun Yamashita, Dark Child offers a stunning display of talent with a high level of screen fighting skills that has the ability of knocking out the audience with its awesomeness… This amazing short film will be competing for the Quixote awards among many other international productions in the upcoming TOLEDO ACTION FEST and EXPO that will be held in the city of Illescas (Toledo, Spain) from May 15 to 17, 2024.

TACFEST 2024 Review: ROGUE COP (Short Film): Action Cop Thriller With The Likes of Hong Kong Cinema

Mike Garcia

Highly influenced by Hong Kong action thrillers, Rogue Cop follows the story of an undercover cop who has to defend himself against a druglord who after find out his real identity kidnaps his wife to lure him and take revenge on him. Produced by Singaporean film company Raging Fire, this small short feature written, starred, directed and choreographed by Jonathan Cheong, doesn´t hide its admiration on Donnie Yen´s starring action cop thrillers. Cheong himself doesn´t shy away on basing his performance on Donnie´s screen incarnations in features such as Flash Point or SPL, delivering an exciting action spectacle, with exceptional fight choreographies that comes from grappling to striking techniques, not neglecting the dramatic parts of the story that also becomes an important element in the action sequences. This short film is a remake of Jonathan Cheong´s 2016 directorial debut, a short film of the same name that back then was […]

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Boston Underground 2024 Review: In FEMME, Lessons In Pain And Purgation

Lee B. Golden III

“…By putting a queer protagonist at the heart of our revenge story, we aimed to put our own stamp on a genre that we love but from which we have often felt excluded.” Per the partial directors’ statement, Sam Freeman and Ng Choon-Ping have a point. Queer protagonists are a rarity when it comes to certain genres, particularly regarding the kinds of films that sites like mine usually cover. I’ve even had conversations with mutuals about films like these over the years and some ideas they’ve had which sort of just sat on the shelf and were never fully realized. With circumstances like these, a film like Femme feels like a breath of fresh air. I was keen to start this review by exclaiming how on the edge of my seat I was for the better half of this movie. It’s a very different kind of film that tackles the […]

Boston Underground 2024 Review: FATAL TERMINATION, Andrew Kam’s Formulaic Crime Flick Underscores The Bygone Perils Of Hong Kong Action

Lee B. Golden III

The heydays of Hong Kong cinema are no more. Instead, it is through physical media and receptive film festivals that the renowned genre will stand the test of time, recounting the surmounting efforts of directors capturing the industry’s envelope-pushing style of action and stunts, oftentimes to degrees that would never be accepted today. 1990 action thriller Fatal Termination is no exception, marking director Andrew Kam’s solo directorial outing after sharing the helm twice prior with The Enigmatic Case, and 1988’s The Big Heat. Kam directs from a script by Jimmy Pang, with a relatively simple story that pales about halfway. Simon Yam plays Jimmy, an inspector tasked with looking into a what he suspects is a potential haul of weapons and ammunition heading to the Middle East via Hong Kong. Front and center is co-star Robin Shou in the role of Wai, the corrupt head of customs sought by elusive […]

JYUKINSHI Trailer Reveals Gory Spectacle And Japanese Action Delight In Lee Shu Mak’s Directorial Debut

Lee B. Golden III

Driving out some of the vilest, meanest ghosts and demons is Igami’s bread and butter. But when he’s up against the girl next door, it’s like nothing he’s ever seen before… Taking the stage for festivals in the weeks ahead is supernatural action horror comedy Jyukinshi. The film signals the directorial debut of Chinese filmmaker Lee Shu Mak, who co-produced previous programming for Switzerland’s 2300 Plan 9 festival, and will inevitably making the rounds when the festival returns in April. The film will also be on-hand to play for the 42nd edition of the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival which kicks off on Monday. For Jyukinshi, Lee directs his Japanese genre framework from a script by Law Ng Yi. Famed genre director Yoshihiro Nishimura provides his services on here as producer and on the film’s the special visual effects flair. Bookending the crowd here is actor Yoshiki Minato (Girl/Haji, Tokyo […]

Overlook VII: ARCADIAN, HOOD WITCH And More Late Additions To The 2024 Edition Of The Festival

Lee B. Golden III

The seventh edition of the Overlook Film Festival is kicking off its four-day festivities on April 4. On Wednesday, the festival announced its full line-up of features and shortfilms, as well as immersive and live events. A previous version of the line-up was firstly announced earlier this month. The re-up now comes with late additions, including Nicolas Cage starrer Arcadian which arrives soon from RLJE Films, and Jang Jae-hyun’s new South Korean horror hit, Exhuma which hails in the states from Well Go USA. It also includes Saïd Belktibia’s Golshifteh Farahani starrer, Hood Witch which just screened for SXSW. Fans of interactive horror spectacle and thrills have a whole list of events waiting as well, including a few free ones such as “Night of the Living Art Market: A Spooky Swap Meet” and Daily Dead’s “Horror Trivia”. Passes and tickets are now on sale at the festival website. Read on […]