9th Old School Kung Fu Fest: Joseph Kuo Edition coming December 6-13

Museum of the Moving Image and Subway Cinema

In association with
Taipei Cultural Center in New York, Ministry of Culture, Republic of China (Taiwan)
Present

9th Old School Kung Fu Fest: Joseph Kuo Edition!
December 6-13, 2021

The Old School Kung Fu Fest is back, and this time Museum of the Moving Image and Subway Cinema will co-present eight newly restored films and one fan favorite classic by Kuo on glorious 35mm — four titles available exclusively online, December 6–13, and another five films for in-person big-screen viewing at MoMI, December 10–12.

Whether you know his name or not, when someone says “Old School Kung Fu” the first image that flashes across your brain is probably from a Joseph Kuo movie. Taiwan’s ultimate independent filmmaker, Kuo put his stamp on the Seventies as his own boss, writing, producing, and directing dozens of movies through his production company, Hong Hwa International Films, which he founded in 1973.

Kuo’s credo was simple: “I cannot let down the person who buys my works.” He learned to deliver maximum impact on minimum budgets, taking the latest trends of the day and turning them into hard-hitting spectacles boasting unlimited mayhem. To make his movies rock the hardest on the smallest of budgets he assembled a rotating cast of charismatic action stars that included Wen Chiang-lung (who looks like Bruce Lee after a Cantopop makeover), the musclebound Carter Huang, the puckish Li Yi-Min, the underrated female fighter, Jeanie Chang, the versatile Jack Long and Mark Long. Working with action choreographers like Corey Yuen, one of the Seven Little Fortunes, and Yuen Cheung-yan, brother of Yuen Wo-ping, his flicks feature wall-to-wall fight scenes, and in an attempt to please every single audience member these fight scenes go on, and on, and on, continually changing location and upping the stakes, so that just when you think you’ve seen every possible variation on two guys standing in a field kicking the stuffing out of each other, Kuo takes it to another level.

Full of funky editing tricks that momentarily turn his movies into experimental flicks, Kuo hooks eyeballs with convoluted storytelling structures packed with frenetic flashbacks that force viewers to pay close attention. Everyone is related to everyone else, everyone has a secret identity, there’s almost always a last minute revelation popping up out of nowhere, usually with evil laughter on its lips, and every movie single revolves around revenge. While the first half hour of any Joseph Kuo film takes some patience while he clears his throat and gets down to business, once things kick off it’s a non-stop roller coaster ride that ends in an apocalyptic beatdown that leaves the main characters doling out a galaxy-shattering finishing movie before confronting the futility of vengeance. Delivering martial arts mayhem and a moving moral message in 90 minutes or less, Joseph Kuo gets in, delivers the goods, makes his point, then gets out, leaving you hungry for more. And in this year’s Old School Kung Fu Fest we’re offering plenty more.

For complete information about the 9th Old School Kung Fu Fest: Joseph Kuo EditionI, click here.

ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA 2 to screen on Sunday, November 28th

 

The Criterion Collection recently released a Once Upon a Time in China box set and to celebrate, Subway Cinema scheduled screenings of the 4K restorations of ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA 1 & 2!!!!

The organization  screened Part 1 last Sunday and had a huge crowd that rocked the room with cheers and applause from the moment the Golden Harvest logo appeared until the last bad guy got done in.

Now, Subway Cinema is doing it again with OUATIC Part 2 screening at the Nitehawk Prospect Park on Sunday, 11/28 at noon. No familiarity with Part 1 is required.

Tickets for Part 2 are on sale now! 

Founded in 1999 in New York City, Subway Cinema is a not-for-profit volunteer-run organization dedicated to the exhibition and appreciation of Asian popular cinema and preservation of America’s Asian film exhibition heritage.

IP MAN: KUNG FU MASTER coming to theaters and on demand starting December 11, 2020

Magnet Releasing
Presents

Ip Man: Kung Fu Master
Directed by Li Liming
China, 2019, 84 minutes
 

Ip Man: Kung Fu Master will be available in theaters and on demand December 11th, 2020 by Magnet Releasing. The film harks back to Ip Man's early days before the Communist Revolution in 1949. Ip Man was then a police captain who was framed for the murder of a ruthless but honorable mobster, and targeted for vengeance by his dangerous daughter. Forced to quit the force, he soon also has to contend with the arrival of the Japanese army in Guangzhou.

 

Ip Man, the martial artist who famously tutored Bruce Lee, is portrayed by Dennis To for the third time. His previous outings in this series were in The Legend is Born: Ip Man (2010) and Kung Fu League (2018).

CROSSCURRENT getting its digital premiere on MUBI on April 3rd

Cheng Cheng Films

presents

Crosscurrent / Chang jiang tu

Written and directed by Yang Chao

China, 2016, 116 minutes

Crosscurrent, a breathtaking fantasy journey on China's longest river, will have its digital premiere on MUBI on April 3rd. The visually stunning film about a poet's trip on China's longest river was shot by Mark Lee Ping-Bing (In the Mood for Love, The Assassin) in 35 mm and won the master cinematographer a Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution at Berlinale.

Synopsis:
This mysterious, sublime and elegiac odyssey blends breathtaking images of the river that has nurtured Chinese civilization with fantasy, poetry and history to create a complex universe. From the spinning Shanghai metropolis to snow-capped Tibet mountains, Gao Chun steers a cargo up the Yangtze and comes across a reversely aging woman named An Lu at every port recorded in a poetry book. He wonders if she is supernatural or if he is traveling back in time. After passing a pagoda that reverberates Buddha’s voice, a flooded town, and the grandiose Three Gorges Dam, he finally arrives at the start of the river and unveils the secret of his past and An Lu.

Zhang Yimou's SHADOW reviewed

Well Go USA
Entertainment

presents

Shadow / Ying

Directed by Zhang Yimou

Starring: Deng Chao, Sun Li, Zheng Kai, Wang Qianyuan,

Wang Jingchun, Hu Jun, Guan Xiaotong, and Leo Wu

China/Hong Kong, 2018, 115 minutes

Director Zhang Yimou's most recent martial arts (wuxia) film Shadow was released on digital on-demand, Blu-ray + DVD combo pack and DVD back on May 03, 2019. It was not until recently, however, that I managed to watch it (on Blu-ray).

Zhang, of course, has had a varied career, both in terms of the type of films he's directed and their reception. (He also has been involved in stage productions and in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics.) He is known for the films he directed featuring Gong Li and later Zhang Ziyi (no relation) early in their careers. His previous martial arts films include Hero (2002) and House of Flying Daggers (2004).

Whereas Hero had sections themed with different vibrant colors, Shadow features "a canvas of inky blacks and greys punctuated with bursts of color from the blood of the defeated" (Well Go USA's spot-on description). Set in an ancient period in which three rival kingdoms competed for power, including control of a great walled city, the film's title comes from the look-alike (i.e., a "shadow") that an injured military commander employs to convince others that he is still alive and healthy.

Shadow has a good story line and terrific action sequences. It also has a fanciful use of umbrellas as deadly weapons! Definitely a "must-see."

Disc Specs:
-- Audio
    -- Mandarin Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD
    --  English Dolby Digital 5.1
-- Subtitles
    -- English
    -- Traditional Chinese
    -- Simplified Chinese
-- Bonus
    -- Making Of
      -- About the Double
      -- The Director
      -- The Unknown Side of Zhang Yimou
      -- Behind the Scenes
      -- Heroes
      -- Deng Chao
      -- Zheng Kai
  -- International Trailer
  -- U.S. Trailer
-- Previews
    -- Ip Man 4
    -- Legend of the Demon Cat
    -- Better Days
    -- Freaks

AsianCIneFest Rating: 3.5 out of 4 stars; highly recommended

Shadow is available from Amazon Prime (click here), on 4K UHD + Blu-ray, Blu-ray + DVD combo pack, and DVD  

WARRIORS OF THE NATION reviewed; available today on Digital and Blu-ray

Well Go USA

Presents

Warriors of the Nation / Huang Fei Hong: Nu hai xiong feng

Directed by Marco Mak
Starring Zhao Wenzhuo, Li Lubing,
Miya Muqi, and Kenya Sawada

China, 2018, 92 minutes

Warriors of the Nation, a period kung-fu action film, debuts on Digital and Blu-ray™ today, February 18th, from Well Go USA Entertainment. The film is a squeal to Lin Zhenzhao's The Unity of Heroes (2018), which also starred Zhao Wenzhuo as the Chinese martial artist, physician and folk hero Wong Fei-Hung. My review is based on watching the Blu-ray.

The film is set just after the end of the first Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895). The Japanese army hires a secret organization, The White Lotus Society, to kidnap Zhang Zhidong, a top Chinese military minister. Wong Fei-Hung (sometimes spelled Huang Fei-hung) and his disciples must rescue Zhang and prevent another war from starting.

With Warriors of the Nation and its predecessor The Unity of Heroes, Zhao Wenzhuo has joined an illustrious list of martial artists/actors who have portrayed Wong. These have included: the Hong Kong actor Kwan Tak-hing who starred as Wong in over 70 films between the 1940s and 1980s and earned himself the nickname "Master Huang"; Jet Li in the Once Upon a Time in China film series; and Jackie Chan in Drunken Master and Drunken Master II. Zhao not only does a fine job handling the martial arts sequences, but also imbues his character with dignity and depth.

One of the aspects of the film that greatly appealed to me was the significant extent to which Huang is assisted by his disciples, friends and other Chinese patriots in fighting both The White Lotus Society and the Japanese military agents. Thus Zhao, capable as he is, doesn't have to handle all the "heavy lifting" in the action sequences, but has considerable help from others. This results in a greater variety of martial arts on display than there would be with only the main protagonist confronting the bad guys, and gals.

Disc Specs:
-- Audio
    -- Mandarin DTS-HDMA 5.1
    -- Mandarin Stereo
-- Subtitles
    -- English
    -- Off
-- Warriors of the Nation Trailer
-- Previews
    -- Ip Man 4: The Finale
    -- Ne Zha
    -- Kung Fu League

Warriors of the Nation is a solid, kung fu, action flick and a worthy addition to the pantheon of Wong Fei-Hung films.

Asian CineFest Rating: 3.5 out of 4 stars; highly recommended 

THE WILD GOOSE LAKE opens at New York's Film Forum on March 6th; national rollout to follow

Film Movement

presents

The Wild Goose Lake / Nan Fang Che Zhan De Ju Hui

Written and directed by DIAO Yinan

Starring HU Ge, LIAO Fan, and GWEI Lun-Mei

China, 2019, 113 minutes

The Wild Goose Lake is Chinese director Diao Yinan’s much anticipated follow-up to his breakthrough film Black Coal, Thin Ice (2014). His new film is a noir crime thriller about a gangster on the run; it will open on March 6th, 2020 at New York’s Film Forum followed by a national roll out.

Set in the nooks and crannies of densely populated Wuhan in central China, the elegantly down-and-dirty The Wild Goose Lake follows the desperate attempts of small-time mob boss Zhou Zenong (the charismatic Hu Ge) to stay alive after he mistakenly kills a cop and a dead-or-alive reward is put on his head. Director Diao Yinan proves his action bona fides in a series of stylized set pieces and violent shocks, simultaneously devising a romance between Zhou and a mysterious young woman (Gwei Lun-mei) who’s out to either help or betray him. Diao deftly keeps multiple characters and chronologies spinning, while examining social changes of contemporary China. Chaotic and nocturnal, The Wild Goose Lake is punctuated by long pursuits and stunningly choreographed gang fights, in a filmic geometry of arresting beauty and originality.

DIAO Yinan was born in Xi'an, China, and studied dramatic literature at the Central Academy of Drama in Beijing. He has directed the features Uniform, Night Train, and Black Coal, Thin Ice. The Wild Goose Lake is a box office sensation in China, having grossed $23 million in its first week of release.

View the trailer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E5De82Yo9c.

NE ZHA returning to theaters on January 31st in honor of the Lunar New Year

Well Go USA

Entertainment

presents

Ne Zha / Nezha zhi motong jiangshi

Written and directed by Yang Yu

China, 2019, 110 minutes

In observance of the Chinese Lunar New Year, Well Go USA Entertainment will rerelease the Chinese box office hit animated-feature Ne Zha in select markets on January 31st.

With somber understanding that this is a very sensitive time for many in the Chinese community and with the cancellation of many Lunar New Year releases, Well Go USA wanted to give a Lunar New Year gift with an English dubbed Ne Zha.

The Lunar New Year is the Chinese festival launches on the new moon and celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional Chinese calendar. The first day of the Chinese New Year was Saturday, January 25th, initiating the Year of the Rat, which runs through February 8.

In addition, Well Go USA Entertainment has created an English-dub version of the trailer, now available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYSiEFeMbZ0

In Ne Zha, a young boy, Ne Zha, is born from a heavenly pearl by the Primeval Lord of Heaven, Yuanshi Tianzun. Born with unique powers, he finds himself as an outcast who is hated and feared. Destined by prophecy to bring destruction to the world, the young boy must choose between good and evil in order to break the shackles of fate and become the hero.

Produced by Beijing Enlight Pictures and written and directed by first time director Yang Yu (aka Jiao Zi), Ne Zha is currently the highest-grossing animated feature in China’s film history with box office gross presently at $535 million and over 100 million admissions. Ne Zha is on course to pass Wandering Earth and become China’s second-highest grossing film of all-time by the end of its theatrical run. Ne Zha is also the highest-grossing animated IMAX feature in China’s film history, and the second highest-grossing local language IMAX feature of all time in the market.

THE KNIGHT OF SHADOWS reviewed; available today from Well Go USA

Well Go USA

Entertainment

Presents

The Knight of Shadows / Shen tan Pu Song Ling

Directed by Jia Yan (a.k.a. Vash)

China, 2019, 109 minutes

The Knight of Shadows (a.k.a. The Knight of Shadows: Between Yin and Yang), the newest action-comedy from Jackie Chan, debuts today on Digital, Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD from Well Go USA Entertainment. I watched the Blu-ray version.

Chan stars as Pu Songling, a legendary demon hunter who tracks down beasts that enter the human dimension, assisted by a lawman protégé and a motley group of friendly monsters. Most specifically, Pu is asked to investigate the mysterious disappearances of young girls from a small village. When he discovers evil forces are kidnapping the girls to feast on their souls, he sets out to save humanity from the inhuman invasion journeying through hidden worlds and colorful dimensions in this fantastical martial arts action-comedy.

First off, I must say that I immensely appreciate Chan and his incredible contributions to Asian cinema, especially in terms of action and comedy. I had the great fortune of attending all three events at which he appeared in New York when he received the Star Asia Lifetime Achievement Award at the New York Asian Film Festival in June, 2013. He even signed my copy of his autobiography, I Am Jackie Chan: My Life in Action.

That aside, Jackie is nearing his 66th birthday, and simply can't do what he used to. And at times it shows in this film. I'm thinking, for example, of a set-piece in which he fights off a number of peace officers who are being controlled by a demon. There's the kind of moves using a chair that fans will be familiar with, but they're much less complex and vigorous then what we used to see, a shadow of their former selves. Others may not notice this, or care if they do, but I was saddened to see moves that I thought brought out when Chan used to be able to pull off but no longer can.

On the other side, some things do come off very well. Of lesser significance is Chan's face, which seems to have been digitally de-aged, somewhat like what was done to De Niro and others when they played younger versions of themselves in Scorsese's The Irishman. On the more positive side, there's a terrific scene in which Pu faces off against a female demon in a room filled with mirrors. It's snappy, well-edited and the effects are top notch.

Personally I hope that Jackie will continue to make action-comedies. Straight dramas have always been beyond his range and natural talents, and straight, heavy action films are now beyond his physical capabilities.

The Knight of Shadows is a period piece, and personally I prefer Chan's action-comedies set in contemporary times, such as Chinese Zodiac (2012) and Kung Fu Yoga (2017). While both Chan's period and his contemporary action-comedy films may have more faults and be less spectacular than earlier films made when Jackie was much more fit and able, I find them pretty much delightful.

Disc Specs:
-- Audio
    -- Mandarin DTS-HDMA 5.1
    -- Mandarin Stereo
    -- English DTS-HDMA 5.1
    -- English Stereo
-- Subtitles
    -- English
    -- Off
-- The Knight of Shadows trailers
    -- Teaser (English Dub)
    -- Trailer A (International Version)
    -- Trailer A (English Dub)
    -- Trailer B (International Version)
    -- Trailer B (English Dub)
-- Previews
    -- Kung Fu Monster
    -- Ne Zha
    -- Kung Fu League

All-in-all, The Knight of Shadows is a pleasant martial arts, action-comedy, most definitely worth watching.

AsianCineFest Rating: 3 out of 4 stars (good)

Romantic actioner ONE NIGHT ONLY is now available on DVD

Cheng Cheng Films

presents

One Night Only / Tian liang zhi qian

Directed by Matt Wu

Starring Aaron Kwok and Yang Zishan

China, 2016, 90 minutes

Chinese romantic actioner One Night Only comes to DVD today, January 20, 2020 from Cheng Cheng Films.

Mixing high-octane actions with moving romance, One Night Only stars Hong Kong's legendary Aaron Kwok (Cold War, The Monkey King; also recipient of the  Star Asia Award at the New York Asian Film Festival in 2015). The film follows a him, a gambler, and actress Yang Zishan, a hooker, as they spend a suspenseful night together racing through Bangkok's underground world trying to win their fortune and dignity back. With style and energy, Matt Wu's debut wins as an emotional rollercoaster that contemplates love and fate.

WARRIORS OF THE NATION debuts on Digital & Blu-ray™ on February 18

Well Go USA

Presents

Warriors of the Nation / Huang Fei Hong: Nu hai xiong feng

Directed by Marco Mak

China, 2018, 92 minutes

After the Sino-Japanese War, the Japanese army tries to once again gain control in China by hiring a secret organization, The White Lotus Society, to kidnap the military minister. Wong Fei-Hung and his disciples must stop this attack to prevent another war from starting in the martial arts action epic Warriors of the Nation, debuting on Digital and Blu-ray™ on February 18th from Well Go USA Entertainment.

Directed by Marco Mak (chief editor on the iconic film Once Upon a Time in China) featuring classic, over the top, old school martial arts, Warriors of the Nation stars Wenzhuo Zhao (Once Upon a Time in China franchise, True Legend), cinema newcomer Lubing Li, Miya Muqi (The Monkey King 2) and Kenya Sawada (Street Fighter).

Synopsis:
At the end of the Sino-Japanese War, a top military officer, Zhang Zhidong, is kidnapped in the middle of the night by a militant organization called the White Lotus Society. When he overhears a sinister plot to overthrow the central government by China’s own military officials, Wong Fei Hung knows he must rescue Zhang to protect China and prevent another war from happening. With Vincent Zhao reprising his legendary role, follow the next chapter in Wong Fei Hung’s story with spectacular classic martial arts action.

IP MAN 4: THE FINALE opens December 25th; tickets available now!

Well Go USA

Entertainment

Presents

Ip Man 4: The Finale / Yip Man 4

Directed by Wilson Yip Wai Shun

Starring: Donnie Yen, Wu Yue, Van Ness, Scott Adkins,

Kent Cheng, Chan Kwok Kwan Danny, Kanin Ngo,

Chris Collins, and Vanda Margraf

Hong Kong/China, 2019, 105 minutes 

Ip Man 4: The Finale will open in numerous theaters in North America on December 25th, 2019.

For the current list of cities and theaters where the film will open on that date, and to order tickets, click here, scroll down and click on the "GET TICKETS" tab.

THE KNIGHT OF SHADOWS will debut on Digital, Blu-ray™ Combo Pack & DVD on January 21

Well Go USA

Entertainment

Presents

The Knight of Shadows / Shen tan Pu Song Ling

Directed by Jia Yan (a.k.a. Vash)

China, 2019, 109 minutes

Jackie Chan, internationally beloved martial arts comedy icon, is back with his newest action-comedy explosion, The Knight of Shadows, debuting on Digital, Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD on January 21st, 2020 from Well Go USA Entertainment. Chan stars as a legendary demon hunter tracking down beasts that enter the human dimension, assisted by a lawman protégé and a motley group of friendly monsters. Directed by Jia Yan on an epic scale, The Knight of Shadows co-stars Lin Peng (Dragon Blade), Ethan Juan (The Assassin) and Elane Zhong (The Resistance).

Synopsis:
Pu Songling (Jackie Chan), a legendary demon hunter, is asked to investigate the mysterious disappearances of young girls from a small village. When he discovers evil forces are kidnapping the girls to feast on their souls, he sets out to save humanity from the inhuman invasion journeying through hidden worlds and colorful dimensions in this fantastical martial arts action-comedy.

Chinese action film THE BRAVEST coming to digital on January 14th

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Presents

The Bravest / Lie huo ying xiong

Directed by Tony Chan

Written by Yu Yonggan and Tony Chan 

Cast: Xiaoming Huang (The Message), Jiang Du (Operation Red Sea), Zhuo Tan (Dying to Survive); also starring Zi Yang (Ode to Joy), Hao Ou (The Left Ear)

China, 2019, 118 minutes

Synopsis:
When the oil pipeline in the city harbor explodes due to a calculation error, a disgraced Chief Firefighter must put the past aside and team up with his former rookie in order to save the city.

IP MAN 4: THE FINALE will be coming to select theaters nationwide on December 25th

Well Go USA

Entertainment

Presents

Ip Man 4 - The Finale / Yip Man 4

Directed by Wilson Yip Wai Shun

Starring: Donnie Yen, Wu Yue, Van Ness, Scott Adkins,

Kent Cheng, Chan Kwok Kwan Danny, Kanin Ngo,

Chris Collins, and Vanda Margraf 

Hong Kong/China, 2019, 105 minutes

Synopsis:
Ip Man’s life remains unchanged after his wife’s death, but he and his son are slowly drifting apart. To seek a better future for his son, Ip Man decides to travel to the U.S. only to find the stable, peaceful life abroad is only skin deep. Underneath lies a deep rooted racial discrimination that is far worse than he has expected. Ip Man re-examines his position and ponders on the reason he took up martial arts in the beginning.

ABSURD ACCIDENT will be coming to DVD on November 20, 2019

Cheng Cheng Films

Presents

Absurd Accident

Directed by Yuhe Li

Starring: Xixu Chen, Ye Gao, Suxi Ren, Bo Dong, Yunfei Lou

China, 2016,  97 minutes

Bouncing with nail-biting suspense and ingenious humor, young Chinese filmmaker Li Yuhe's feature debut portrays a puzzling crime happened in a rural small town, where greed, lust and wit battle it out in one night. It all starts from a sexually impotent motel owner hiring a pro to murder his cheating wife. Everything goes exactly as planned, until two blind daters, a robber, a policeman and a strange dead body unexpectedly arrive.

Absurd Accident was an official selection at the New York Asian American International Film Festival, a nominee for Best Screenplay at the Shanghai International Film Festival New Asian Talent, and an official selection at the St. Louis International Film Festival.

Absurd Accident will be available on DVD on November 20, 2019.

Here's a link for those interested in purchasing it from Amazon.

Special Los Angeles red carpet premiere of FAGARA tomorrow, September 12th and will open to the general public on September 13th

China Lion and

Hyundai Motor America

Present

Li Xiaofeng, Megan Lai, and Sammi Cheng (Photo Credit- China Lion Film Distribution, Inc.)

Fagara / Hua jiao zhi wei

Directed by Heiward Mak

China, 2019, 120 minutes

China Lion Film Distribution has acquired and will release Fagara, with worldwide superstar Sammi Cheng in the lead role. Hyundai Motor America and its brand new 2020 Palisade SUV will be the official sponsor of the North American release, showcasing the film first at a special Los Angeles red carpet premiere on September 12th at AMC Atlantic Times Square 14 in Monterey Park.. The new film, written and directed by Heiward Mak, will open to the general public in celebration of the mid-autumn festival on September 13th throughout the United States and Canada. Mak is the award winning writer of the film Love in a Puff and the well regarded High Noon.

The film also stars actress Megan Lai, best known for Bromance, Miss Rose and Mars (all three are TV series), and actress Li Xiaofeng, best known for the films Love At First… and the Feng Xiaogang epic Youth. In addition to the lead cast of Sammi Cheng, Megan Lai and Li Xiaofeng, the film co-stars award winning actress Wu Yanshu, Liu Juei Chi and Richie Jen. Acting legend Andy Lau makes a special guest appearance in the film as well.

The film follows a woman (Sammi Cheng) who, in the wake of her father’s untimely death, rediscovers her connection with her two distant sisters. But with her own relationship uncertain and the future of her departed father’s hot pot restaurant in question, she worries her feelings for the past will add complications to the reunion. She finds that while their upbringing was different, they too experience ongoing trials and tribulations in their lives. Her sister from the Mainland (Li Xiaofeng) is pressured by her elderly grandmother to get married; her sister from Taiwan (Megan Lai) is plagued by a toxic relationship with her mother. Together, they decide to strive to find happiness, love and peace – the same peace their father was unable to provide to them during his life.

The film is currently set to open in the United States and Canada in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto and Vancouver, expanding to other cities in the weeks following. A complete theater list is available at www.ChinaLionFilm.com/fgra.

The film’s international trailer can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lq4xnFALye0

Martial arts comedy KUNG FU LEAGUE coming to Blu-ray, DVD and digital on September 17th

Well Go USA

Entertainment

Presents

Kung Fu League / Gong fu lian meng

Directed by Jeffrey Lau

China, 2018, 103 minutes

Four legendary Kung Fu masters are summoned to help a shy man get the girl he loves in Kung Fu League, debuting on Blu-ray™ Combo, DVD and Digital September 17 from Well Go USA Entertainment. Directed by Jeffrey Lau (Kung Fu Hustle), the martial arts comedy Kung Fu League stars Yu-Hang To (Ip Man, Ip Man 2), Wenzhuo Zhao (The Unity of Heros, God of War), Jay Chou (The Green Hornet) and in his cinematic debut, Ashin.

Synopsis:
When his manager prevents Fei Ying Xiong from getting the girl he loves, he summons the help from four legendary Kung Fu masters to learn the highest level of martial arts from the best in history and to defeat his enemies who stand in the way of the things he wants most.

SEND ME TO THE CLOUDS opens in theaters on September 20th

Cheng Cheng Films

Presents

Send Me to the Clouds / Song Wo Shang Qing Yun

Directed by Teng Congcong

China, 2019, 99 minutes

First-time filmmaker Teng Congcong's comedy drama Send Me to the Clouds will open in several North American theaters on September 20th and in others in the weeks that follow. The film, which stars Yao Chen (Monster Hunt, Lost Found), who is also its producer, follows an ovarian cancer patient's desperate quest for an unforgettable sexual experience before her surgery.

Synopsis:
Diagnosed with ovarian cancer, iron-willed journalist Sheng Nan (“Surpass Men” in Chinese) is pressured to make a quick fortune and find mindblowing sex before the costly surgery numbs her senses. Taking on a businessman’s biography writing job, she hikes into the misty mountains, where a chain of outbursts with her dysfunctional family, grumpy client, misogynistic co-worker and dreamlike romantic interest hilariously unfold. As deeply moving as it is luminously witty, writer-director Teng Congcong’s debut waltzes across the bitterness swallowed by her generation of women born under China’s One Child Policy, unprecedentedly burdened to “surpass men” while trying not to be “leftover women” at the same time. Saluting the 18th-century Chinese literature classic Dream of the Red Chamber in its title, the enchanting gem refreshes the novel's transcendent contemplation on desire, death and womanhood from a modern cinematic perspective.

OPENING IN THEATERS

9/20-9/26 LOS ANGELES Downtown Independent

9/20-9/26 VANCOUVER Cineplex SIlvercity Riverport

9/20-9/26 TORONTO Cineplex Yonge & Dundas

9/27-10/3 SAN FRANCISCO Four Star Theater

9/27-10/3 SAN JOSE 3 Below Theaters and Lounge

10/11, 10/12 MINNEAPOLIS Walker Art Center

MORE THEATERS ADDED WEEKLY at: SendMetotheClouds.com

Cheng Cheng acquires North American rights to SEND ME TO THE CLOUDS

Send Me to the Clouds / Song Wo Shang Qing Yun

Directed by Teng Congcong

China, 2019, 99 minutes

New York-based distributor Cheng Cheng has picked up North American all rights to first-time filmmaker Teng Congcong's comedy drama Send Me to the Clouds. The film starring Yao Chen (Monster Hunt, Lost Found), who's also its producer, follows an ovarian cancer patient's desperate quest for an unforgettable sexual experience before her surgery. The picture opened in Chinese theaters last weekend after bowing at Shanghai International Film Festival and FIRST International Film Festival. Its humorous touch on struggles faced by a generation of women born under China's One Child policy won it a 100% score in verified influencers' recommendations on Weibo, China's answer to twitter. The distributor behind Chinese language films including The Great Buddha+, Crosscurrent and SoulMate is planning a theatrical release in fall 2019.

"Cheng Cheng has always championed films with strong female leads. Now we'd also like to show how Chinese women have contributed to Chinese language cinema from leading roles behind the scene. If our team with imperfect English proficiency and unbeatable math skills has read "gender equality" correctly, it means we need to focus our resources and efforts on releasing women-directed films until its number is equal to that of men-directed films in our catalogue. We make that commitment to ourselves and our audience. Send Me to the Clouds is a perfect start." stated by the distributor founded in 2015.

The deal was signed by Tony Yin, Director of Business Affairs at Cheng Cheng Films, and Julian Chiu, Senior Manager of International Sales and Distribution at Hong Kong's Edko Films. It's the second time the two companies join forces.

Synopsis:
Diagnosed with ovarian cancer, iron-willed journalist Sheng Nan (“Surpass Men” in Chinese) is pressured to make a quick fortune and find mindblowing sex before the costly surgery numbs her senses. Taking on a businessman’s biography writing job, she hikes into the misty mountains, where a chain of outbursts with her dysfunctional family, grumpy client, misogynistic co-worker and dreamlike romantic interest hilariously unfold. As deeply moving as it is luminously witty, writer-director Teng Congcong’s debut waltzes across the bitterness swallowed by her generation of women born under China’s One Child Policy, unprecedentedly burdened to “surpass men” while trying not to be “leftover women” at the same time. Saluting the 18th-century Chinese literature classic Dream of the Red Chamber in its title, the enchanting gem refreshes the novel's transcendent contemplation on desire, death and womanhood from a modern cinematic perspective.