It’s been a somewhat quiet launch as far as I’ve seen, but their Facebook page indicates that the International Chinese Film Festival for 2013 has now announced their dates for this year in Sydney and Melbourne, along with the line-up of films that will be screening in Sydney.
The dates and locations are:
Sydney: 12 to 19 October, at Event Cinemas George Street
Melbourne: 17 to 22 October (no venue announced yet)
There is a schedule up on their website for Sydney, and tickets are on sale at Event Cinemas now — no doubt more details on Melbourne will appear soon.
The films on show are:
American Dreams in China
Directed by Peter Chan Ho-sun, this is the opening film this year. It’s a comedy/drama about three young college friends (played by Huang Xiaoming, Tong Dawei and Deng Chao) who build a successful business teaching English over the course of several decades. Lensed by celebrated Aussie cinematographer Christopher Doyle.
The Empire Symbol
An adventure film following a group of young people hunting a priceless Ming dynasty treasure — sounds like a Chinese take on films like The Da Vinci Code. Directed by Li Tso Nan and starring Pan Yueming, Annie Yi, Hu Ke and Hou Yong.
Back to 1942
Feng Xiaogang’s follow-up to 2010’s Aftershock is another ambitious disaster film, this one set in the famine in Henan in 1942, during the second Sino-Japanese War. Winner of Best Film from Mainland and Taiwan at the Hong Kong Film Awards this year.
Blind Detective
Andy Lau and Sammi Cheng team up again in this comedy/romance/action film from HK’s Johnnie To, following Andy as a former police investigator whose vision was damaged in an accident, and Sammi as the detective who thinks he can help her solve a difficult case.
Lost in Thailand
A 2012 comedy directed by Xu Zheng (who also stars) about two businessmen fighting for control of a revolutionary new technology. They both need the authorization of the company’s chairman for their rival schemes, and he’s in Thailand, provoking a travel comedy of epic proportions. Xu’s co-stars are Wang Baoqiang and Huang Bo. This was the first Chinese film to cross the 1 billion yuan mark domestically.
Fallen City
Director Hao Jie’s second film (after 2010’s Single Man), this is a drama/comedy that pays tribute to the er-ren-tai folk singing tradition of inner Mongolia, where Hao hails from. Stars Feng Si, Ye Lan and Shi Weicheng.
Fallen City
A combination crime film and disaster movie, director Huang Hong’s film chronicles the fates of a small-town policeman, a bank robber and a rebellious young woman in the aftermath of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. Stars Huang Jue, Ruby Lin and Ding Yongdai.
A Secret Between Us
A romantic melodrama from Hong Kong director Patrick Kong (and producer Wong Jing), starring Edward Ma and Angel Chiang.
Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon
Veteran director Tsui Hark’s brand-spanking-new prequel to his rather fun Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phatom Flame — its Chinese release date is 28 September! Andy Lau’s Dee is replaced with Taiwanese-Canadian actor Mark Chao, and the cast is rounded out with Feng Shaofeng, Angelababy, Lin Gengxin, Carina Lau and South Korean actor Kim Bum.
So Young
As well as Dee Mark Chao is also in this film, a drama about Chinese college students in the 1990s, the directorial debut of actress Vicki Zhao Wei. Based on the novel To Our Youth that is Fading Away by Xin Yiwu, it also stars Han Geng and Yang Zishan.