Festivals And Events

THE WHITE STORM 3: HEAVEN OR HELL International Ultimate Trailer Arrives Ahead Of Thursday Premieres

We’re at the final leg of the current campaign for the international releases of The White Storm 3: Heaven Or Hell from CMC Pictures. A new “ultimate” trailer is now out this week as the film readies to hit screens in North America, Australia, New Zealand and the UK on July 20, on the same day of Louis Koo’s on-hand intro of the film’s NA premiere at the Walter Reade Theater for the New York Asian Film Festival. Here are the programming notes via NYAFF: Genre maestro Herman Yau follows his highly successful showstopper The White Storm 2: Drug Lords (NYAFF 2019) with this even more hyperbolic and gritty entry in the gonzo super-cops vs. crazy crooks series. Hong Kong movie legends Louis Koo, Aaron Kwok, and Sean Lau appear together for the first time on the big screen. Yau ups the ante, setting the action in the notorious Golden […]

The purpose of this photo is to illustrate Nicolas Cage as a highlight for the upcoming Fantasia International Film Festival, with photo use provided to press by the festival.

Fantasia XXVII Cancels Nic Cage Award Ceremony

Lee B. Golden III

Small programming note for anyone minding the business goings-on with the 27th edition of Fantasia. The festival announced over the weekend that Nicolas Cage is rescinding his invite to this year’s festivities in response to the SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists ). We’re sad to announce that due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, Nicolas Cage will no longer be able to attend the festival next weekend. We’ll be updating our website regularly as we receive news from other announced guests while circumstances evolve. Our hearts are with the actors, as well as with the WGA, and we hope to see the unions get a fair deal soon. Cage was set to receive the Cheval Noir Career Achievement Award at Fantasia, which is also screening his latest film from director Yuval Adler, Sympathy For The Devil. The film also stars Joel Kinnaman and is set […]

NYAFF XXII: A Look At Some Of The Live Action Narrative Shorts Showcasing At The Festival

Cesar Alejandro Jr. and 1 more

The 2023 edition of the New York Asian Film Festival kicks off today, and if you’re lucky, you’re going to be in for quite a few selections that are only exclusive to in-person attendees, as well as award ceremonies for stars Louis Koo and Ryohei Suzuki, and filmmaker Lee Thongkam to name a few. There will be other events permeating the festival as always, and you can learn more about them at the official website. As for coverage, movie reviews will go up as the next few weeks ensue, while friend and contributing writer Cesar Alejandro Jr. is turning in a raft of live-action narrative shortfilm write-ups to help steer things along. Feel free to follow him at Threads where he’s just getting started! All Your Fault, PD Director: Kim Sun-yeun While shooting on a small film, a producer who faces verbal abuse and unpleasant working conditions is forced to […]

The purpose of this image, credited to CJ Entertainment, is to highlight the film's event screening for festival goers. The image shows Won Bin in a still from the movie, THE MAN FROM NOWHERE (2010)

Big Bad 2023: Lee Jeong-Beom’s THE MAN FROM NOWHERE Signals New Action Film Festival Launching In LA Next Month!

Lee B. Golden III

The inaugural Big Bad Film Fest is partnering with Secret Movie Club and Well Go USA’s exclusive Asian film streamer, Hi-YAH!, to host a repertory screening of Lee Jeong-beom’s multi-award winning hit 2010 action thriller, The Man From Nowhere. Tickets are now on sale for the August 26 screening as the first of the festival’s ten-title presentation to be announced, with the remaining line-up set to go live in the next few weeks. Produced by Opus Pictures, Lee’s third film pairs him with lead actor Won Bin (Guns And Talks, Mother) and then-burgeoning screen talent Kim Sae-ron (A Brand New Life). Bin plays Tae-Sik, a reclusive widower whose newfound friendship with a neglected young girl named So-mi, finds him thrust into the seedy underworld when she is suddenly kidnapped by a vicious gang. Hell-bent on justice after being framed for a crime he didn’t commit, Tae-sik treads into a dark […]

PENDUKO: Filipino Superhero Adaptation To Set Sail At MMFF XLIX

Lee B. Golden III

Jason Paul Laxamana’s new Epik Studios superhero adaptation, Penduko, is getting an audience soon as one of four titles to make it to the first cut for the upcoming 49th edition of the Metro Manila Film Festival. Actor Matteo Guidicelli, who joined the fantasy action production back in 2019, stars in the title role alongside Cristine Reyes (Maria). Laxamana adapts Francisco V. Coching’s original Engkantos comic which took off in 1954. Penduko hails from Sari Sari Network and sees Guidicelli as Pedro, a twenty year-old wimp from the U.S. who journeys to the Philippines following the death of his Father. While searching for his mother, he soon discovers a curse and evil forces destroying the town. The new movie had been in development for years with a few other directors attached prior, and with James Reid set to star in the film before a spinal injury took him out of […]

FANTASIA XXVII: Nicolas Cage Feted, RKSS Returns, Genre Selects, Asian Action And More In The Final Wave!

Lee B. Golden III

Fantasia Festival is fast approaching, and I’m just a ways from completing my curtain raiser but I wanted to wait until the final wave was out and in full for the complete line-up. Alas, now I have the goods, and so does everyone else who plans to attend or cover the festival, and this final wave is FULL. THE HELL. UP. We have a tribute to Nicolas Cage, screenings of signature titles like Tiger Stripes and Ms. Apocalypse, horror titles like Pandemonium and noir thriller Femme to name a few. I love that Baby Assassins 2 is getting some love this summer, as well as Hundreds Of Beavers which I got to check out, Korean period thriller Phantom and Reiki Tsuno’s delightful Mad Cats. Even Stephen Chow starrer God Of Cookery has a spot here. I recommend tuning in to the goings-on with Fantasia this summer, and check back for some more […]

JAPAN CUTS XVI: ‘The First Slam Dunk’, Yuya Yagira To Be Feted, Ryuichi Sakamoto Tribute And More For This Summer’s Festival

Lee B. Golden III

It took a bit of legwork, but our readers can finally expect some Japan Cuts: Festival Of New Japanese Film coverage as Japan Society readies its sixteenth edition. The festival went dark last year while we’ve been able to cover the festival for three years in a row prior, and it’s been a blast seeing some of the films they’ve premiered. That the festival is returning, in addition to returning to its in-person festivities, is pretty exciting. One film I know folks will be looking forward to is Takehiko Inoue’s hit debut, The First Slam Dunk, in partnership with GKids and Toei Animation. The movie will serve as the opening title to commence a programme host to ten North American Premieres, seven U.S. Premieres, three East Coast Premieres, and three New York Premieres, two shorts programs, and six special guests and two parties. The festival has also carved out a […]

WALID: ‘Silat Warriors’ Director’s Latest Gets NY & LA Screening Dates Ahead Of Fall Malay Release

Lee B. Golden III

If you’re at all keen on the festival scene in the last several years, then you may have gotten wind of Malaysian action thriller Geran (a.k.a. Silat Warriors: Deed Of Death). The movie premiered at the 19th New York Asian Film Festival where it earned its debutant director Areel Abu Bakar the Daniel A. Craft Award For Excellence In Action Cinema, before Well Go USA swooped in for its commercial release of the pic, and Bakar himself has gone on to direct a few more titles since then. For this, we turn to Walid (meaning “father” in Arabic), a new action adventure with Bakar back in full bloom with his Silat action team for a story that permeates the harrowing subject of child trafficking. Actor Megat Sharizal, billed as Malaysia’s own Sammo Hung, leads the cast for the story of a kind and dedicated teacher who takes matters into his […]

A KIND OF KIDNAPPING: Dan Clark’s Award-Winning Comedy Announces Cast+Crew Events Ahead Of UK Release

Lee B. Golden III

Dan Clark’s new award-winning crime comedy, A Kind Of Kidnapping, will touch down next month in the UK via Bulldog Distribution. Starring Patrick Baladi (The Office, Line of Duty), Kelly Wenham (Double Date, Tales from the Lodge), Jack Parry-Jones (The Crown) and Olivia Poulet (The Thick of It), select cinemas will host screenings with cast and crew attendance starting July 13, followed by its digital release on July 24. Winner of multiple awards at the recent Manchester International Film Festival, including Best Actress and Best Screenplay, the film has also started to receive critical acclaim with British Comedy Guide calling it “deliciously outrageous and laugh-out-loud-dark.” A KIND OF KIDNAPPING is the story of 30-something couple Maggie and Brian who, both struggling to get by, decide to kidnap London politician, Richard Hardy. Sadly no one wants to pay the ransom but just before they let Hardy go he wonders if he […]

EMPIRE V: Banned From Russia, Catch The Official Trailer For Victor Ginzburg’s New Fantasia-Bound Sci-Fi Horror Thriller

Lee B. Golden III

Firstly premiering on Deadline this week, we have a trailer now running for Russian-set sci-fi horror thriller, Empire V. The film was announced in the first wave back in May for this summer’s 27th installment of Fantasia Festival which launches on July 20. Empire V was adopted for the screen by filmmaker Victor Ginzburg, and based on Victor Pelevin’s 2006 publication. Previously set to release in Russia last year from Sony, the film was pulled by the Kremelin following the country’s war on Ukraine, just one week ahead of its scheduled release. Ensuingly, principal cast member, actor and recording artist Miron Yanovich Fyodorov (a.k.a. Oxxxymiron) was labeled a “foreign agent” by the Kremelin for his anti-war stances. He is joined by actors Pavel Tabakov, Taya Radchenko, Miron Fedorov and Vera Alentova. Empire V is billed as “a social parody of modern Russian society being controlled by vampires.” It centers on […]

NYAFF XXII Adds THE WHITE STORM 3, Honorees And More For The Summer Line-Up!

Lee B. Golden III

I had a distinct feeling that we were going to get some great news this month ahead of the New York Asian Film Festival. That’s to say I had a feeling that Louis Koo’s upcoming award reception would be accomodated with a premiere of Herman Yau’s The White Storm 3: Heaven Or Hell, a welcome feat next to the premiere of medical drama, Vital Sign. Adding to the mix is Thai actioner Kitty The Killer whose director Lee Thongkam is par for the course with a ceremony of his own, now announced in the latest press release as of Thursday which you can view below. Tickets go on sale tomorrow as well so, heads’ up! FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THE NEW YORK ASIAN FILM FOUNDATION AND FILM AT LINCOLN CENTER UNVEIL THE UNCAGED COMPETITION LINEUP, MORE AWARD HONOREES, CENTERPIECE AND SPECIAL GUESTS FOR 22ND EDITION OF THE NEW YORK ASIAN FILM […]

NYAFF XXII: Vital Signs, Geylang, Mad Fate And More Coming In July!

Lee B. Golden III

My fingers are crossed this year as I’m seriously hoping to be able to partake in this year’s New York Asian Film Festival. The line-up just began rolling out on Thursday with a first wave of highlights and titles of interest are already stacking. Singaporean crime thriller Geylang, as well as Thai action comedy Kitty The Killer and Soi Cheang’s Mad Fate are among some of the selects I have in mind. I’m also curious about the opening premiere of Killing Romance with Lee Sun-kyun and Patrick Tam’s Nomad which is getting a 4K restored screening. There’s also Shinichi Fujita’s Mayhem Girls, as well as Vital Signs starring Louis Koo who is expected to be recipient to this year’s award ceremonies along with Japanese film star Ryohei Suzuki whose appearance in Daishi Matsunaga’s Egoist is also listed in the first wave. I could go on more about what I love […]

KITTY THE KILLER: Lee Thongkam’s NYAFF 2023 Selectee Gets An Official Trailer For The New Thai Actioner

Lee B. Golden III

Thai action is coming to local cinemas with next week’s release of assassin thriller, Kitty The Killer from director Lee Thongkam. The official trailer arrived last month as well following its teaser while the film’s movement is now getting bolstered by some serious attention with a premiere at this year’s New York Asian Film Festival. I suppose a heads-up is in order with the pending official line-up. Yes? Yes. Dina, a girl trained to become an assassin, works with Keng (‘The Gray Fox Guardian’), but one day, Keng is betrayed by his organisation. Keng meets Charlie, an ordinary office worker and develops a special connection with him. Before dying, Keng makes Charlie the new ‘Gray Fox Guardian.’ Charlie’s job is to keep Dina safe from the organisation. The story of the Assassin’s War begins… The official trailer below doles out a wee bit more with animated sequences and graphic novel-style […]

LONDON ACTION FESTIVAL II: Don’t Miss The Sequel For The Action Cinema Celebration Launching Next Week

Lee B. Golden III

I’m late as all hell to the party on this but the second-annual London Action Film Festival is set to kick off its five-day event next Wednesday. Tickets are still selling for the festival which will be held at three different locations three prestigious locations in and around South and High Street Kensington, London for a “campus-style experience”. London Action Fest 2023 will be host to several anniversarial screenings of films like Peter Collinson’s The Italian Job, Martin Campbell’s The Mask Of Zorro, Gareth Evans’ The Raid 2, and Robert Clouse’s Enter The Dragon. The festival will also feature live music performances, as well as panel discussions and award ceremonies with celebrated directors like the aforementioned Campbell and Evans, as well as Nia DeCosta (Candyman), and authors Matthew Field (“The Italian Job”) and panel host Mike Fury (“Life Of Action”). There’s more to discover at the official website with details […]

The purpose of the poster is to showcase the artwork intended to spotlight the upcoming festival and its dates.

Fantasia XXVII: Red Rooms, Sympathy For The Devil, Shin Kamen Rider And More Outline The Second Wave!

Lee B. Golden III

The 27th edition of Fantasia Festival is heating up with another round of titles, including several of which are already the talk of the interwebs. Pascal Plante’s Red Rooms will be the big opener this summer while the latest debut from internet stars Danny and Michael Phillippou will shake things up with their latest A24 prospect, Talk To Me. Nicolas Cage is also set to bring some of his usual signature electricity opposite Joel Kinnaman in Sympathy For The Devil which is set to arrive this summer from RLJE Films as well, along with two intriguing new XYZ Films acquisitions, French survival horror, Vincent Must Die and Czech sci-fi thriller noir Restore Point. Some additional and exciting titles are Suitable Flesh from director Joe Lynch of Mayhem and Point Blank fame, Hideaki Anno’s Shin Kamen Rider, Soi Cheang’s Mad Fate, and much, much more to be announced before the festival […]

Hey NYC!: Film Forum To Host Yasujirō Ozu Retrospective OZU 120 For The Month Of June!

Lee B. Golden III

Film Forum is partnering with Janus Films, the Harvard Film Archive and Ada Katz Fund for Literature in Film, for OZU 120. The series – a selection of about three-dozen titles – runs from June 9 through 29 and is a specialized tribute to celebrated filmmaker Yasujirō Ozu, commemorating his birth, and legacy sixty years after his death. Though the most honored director in his own country, Yasujirō Ozu (1903-1963) achieved acclaim in the West only after his death on his 60th birthday. For most of his career, this greatest of world filmmakers worked in the uniquely Japanese shomin-geki genre: uncomplicated stories about ordinary people. His favorite themes included families, fathers, and the remembered joys of childhood and college life — little of which he experienced himself. He was separated from his own father at a very young age, and never married or went to college. Ozu’s techniques are among […]

NIFFF XXII: Ishii, McTiernan, Female Trouble, Swissploitation And More Ahead For This Year’s Festival

Lee B. Golden III

The 22nd Neuchatel International Fantastic Film Festival is lining up what already looks to be an exciting programme kicking off its nine-day event. Free open air screening in Neuchatel will include restored classics like Alfred Hitchcock’s 1940 psych-romance thriller, Rebecca, Jindrich Polák’s 1963 sci-fi Ikarie XB-1, and Jean Louis-Roy’s 1970 black comedy, Black Out. Two other titles will include The Taste Of Tea from director Katsuhiro Ishii whose works will headline his first-ever retrospective at NIFFF, and Die Hard, the 1998 action classic from director John McTiernan who takes the reigns for his own newly-announced retrospective as well, as of Tuesday. Additionally, the aforementioned Rebecca comes packaged within the festival’s Female Trouble section which aims it spotlight on memorable classic works such as Shunya Ito’s Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion, the first in an unrelenting revenge saga starring none other than the venerable Meiko Kaji. Other titles here include […]

FESTIVAL NITS DE CINEMA ORIENTAL DE VIC XX: Action Thrills, Suspense, Drama, Animated Gems And More On The Way For July!

Lee B. Golden III

The 20th edition of the Festival Nits de Cinema Oriental de Vic is coming and will surely lend a few surprises this summer. In the meantime, the festival’s six-day line-up has been announced as of Monday along with the launch of a new festival promo from celebrated animator and 2022 FesNits juror, Júlia Olivella (The French Dispatch). This year’s FesNits has lined up a sweet list of titles out of South Korea – namely July Jung’s drama Next Sohee starring Bae Doo-na, Lee Jae-won’s Thunderbird, Park So-dam starrer Special Delivery, Choi Jae-hoon’s The Killer which is an absolute blast, Park Jae-beom’s animated stop motion fantasy, Mother Land, and Park Dong-hee’s long-awaited hostage thriller, Drive. The latter is especially interesting since early poster art indicates it was intended to be a ’22 release although its currently been screened at Brussels, signaling a commercial delay until further notice. Busting at the seams […]

Indie Romantic Action Comedy ARTIST UNKNOWN Locks NYC World Premiere In June!

Lee B. Golden III

The 13th annual Art Of Brooklyn Film Festival kicks off next week in New York City, host to a collection of fifty narrative feature films, documentaries and shorts spanning multiple genres. You can find more in the line-up, although it pleases me the most that Cinder Chou’s independent feature debut, Artist Unknown, is finally making headway with a World Premiere for the festival on June 6. Actress Kerry Lacy takes center stage in a story about Juniper, an MMA gym instructor and struggling New Yorker whose passerby interest in a thrift store painting makes her the target of two mysterious muggers. Tasked with learning about the painting’s origins while balancing between a newfound romance and a complex living situation with her ex, it’s up to Juniper to find the answers she needs in order to prepare for her biggest fight yet. I had the pleasure of screening Artist Unknown and […]

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TACFEST 2023 Brings The Rumble To La Mancha With A Successful First Edition!

Mike Garcia

This past weekend, the city of Illescas in Toledo, Spain held the first edition of the International Toledo Action Films Festival (TACFEST). Organized by Castilla la Mancha cinema Asociation (ACCM), the event gathered films and shorts from all over the world competing on its official section to win the prized Quixote Award. Apart from the screenings in the four days of the festival, the assistants had the chance to attend a diverse variety of activities, from seminars, conferences, or masterclasses about action script writing. In addition to that, Nacho Serapio’s directorial debut, Bullets and Katanas (which we managed to review about a year ago) had its World Premiere before its upcoming theatrical release and subsequent arrival on streaming platforms, after a succesful run for multiple festivals. Meanwhile, George Karja and Alberto Hidalgo had the chance to present their respectives new film projects, El Duro (The Rough One) and Rough Dog, […]