Exclusive: Kelly Marie Tran (Raya and the Last Dragon), Andie Ju (Beef) and Brandon Soo Hoo (The Tiger’s Apprentice) have entered production in Miami this week on Forge, an indie marking the feature directorial debut of Malaysian-born filmmaker Jing Ai Ng.
Tackling the myth of the model minority, the film is set in the underbelly of the Miami art world, where siblings Raymond (Hoo) and Coco Zhang (Ju) run a profitable forgery ring. When the Zhang siblings cross paths with a disgraced millionaire, they are coerced into creating counterfeit masterpieces as a front for his old American family’s art collection. Meanwhile, FBI Art Crimes agent Emily Lee ( Tran) moves to South Florida and attempts to find the culprits behind a new string of forgeries.
Liz Daering-Glass and Gabrielle Cordero are producing alongside Damian Bao (Port Authority) via his Qilinverse production banner. Dave A. Liu (Dìdi) is executive producing. Forge...
Tackling the myth of the model minority, the film is set in the underbelly of the Miami art world, where siblings Raymond (Hoo) and Coco Zhang (Ju) run a profitable forgery ring. When the Zhang siblings cross paths with a disgraced millionaire, they are coerced into creating counterfeit masterpieces as a front for his old American family’s art collection. Meanwhile, FBI Art Crimes agent Emily Lee ( Tran) moves to South Florida and attempts to find the culprits behind a new string of forgeries.
Liz Daering-Glass and Gabrielle Cordero are producing alongside Damian Bao (Port Authority) via his Qilinverse production banner. Dave A. Liu (Dìdi) is executive producing. Forge...
- 5/9/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Jake Choi (Single Parents) has been tapped to star in The Late Night Creep, a dark comedy from writer-director Jamal Dedeaux (Laff Mobb’s Laff Tracks).
The film tells the story of an unhappily married man (Choi) who sneaks out of the house to go on a date with his college crush and ends up having the night from hell. Dedeaux is producing the indie alongside Rebecca Haze and Kris Simms.
Best known for starring alongside Taran Killam, Leighton Meester, Brad Garrett and more on the comedy series Single Parents, which ran for two seasons on ABC, Choi most recently starred opposite Nico Tortorella, Juan Pablo Di Pace and Emily Hampshire in the indie drama The Mattachine Family, exec produced by Zach Braff.
Previously, he’s also been seen in films including Justin Chon’s Sundance drama Ms. Purple, Warner Bros and MGM’s YA romance The Sun Is Also a Star,...
The film tells the story of an unhappily married man (Choi) who sneaks out of the house to go on a date with his college crush and ends up having the night from hell. Dedeaux is producing the indie alongside Rebecca Haze and Kris Simms.
Best known for starring alongside Taran Killam, Leighton Meester, Brad Garrett and more on the comedy series Single Parents, which ran for two seasons on ABC, Choi most recently starred opposite Nico Tortorella, Juan Pablo Di Pace and Emily Hampshire in the indie drama The Mattachine Family, exec produced by Zach Braff.
Previously, he’s also been seen in films including Justin Chon’s Sundance drama Ms. Purple, Warner Bros and MGM’s YA romance The Sun Is Also a Star,...
- 3/29/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Producers Peter Saraf and Eddie Rubin, who are in Park City to premiere the Sundance buzz titles Out of My Mind and Winner, have joined forces to create Optimistic Pictures, to develop and produce film and TV properties with an independent sensibility.
Saraf is the co-founder of Big Beach, the producer/financier responsible for one of the greatest successes to break at Sundance, the 2006 film Little Miss Sunshine. After a massive bidding battle that was won by Fox Searchlight ($10.5 million and 10% gross), the film got four Oscar noms including Best Picture, won two Oscars and grossed $101 million, on an $8 million production budget.
After their first teaming on The Farewell, Saraf and Rubin are reuniting with that indie hit’s star Awkwafina. She’ll produce and star in an adaptation of G, the Ling Ma short story which is included in her National Book Critics Circle Award winning collection, Bliss Montage.
Saraf is the co-founder of Big Beach, the producer/financier responsible for one of the greatest successes to break at Sundance, the 2006 film Little Miss Sunshine. After a massive bidding battle that was won by Fox Searchlight ($10.5 million and 10% gross), the film got four Oscar noms including Best Picture, won two Oscars and grossed $101 million, on an $8 million production budget.
After their first teaming on The Farewell, Saraf and Rubin are reuniting with that indie hit’s star Awkwafina. She’ll produce and star in an adaptation of G, the Ling Ma short story which is included in her National Book Critics Circle Award winning collection, Bliss Montage.
- 1/19/2024
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina) has been set to star opposite Cate Blanchett in Rumours, a comedy from writer-directors Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson and Galen Johnson (The Green Fog), which Bleecker Street has snapped up for release in U.S. theaters this year.
The film follows the seven leaders of the world’s wealthiest liberal democracies at the annual G7 summit after they become lost in the woods and face increasing peril while attempting to draft a provisional statement regarding a global crisis.
Also featuring in a top role in the pic, which recently wrapped production in Hungary, is Genie Award winner Roy Dupuis (Shake Hands with the Devil). Additional cast includes Charles Dance (Game of Thrones), Denis Ménochet (Inglourious Basterds), Nikki Amuka-Bird (Knock at the Cabin), Rolando Ravello (Perfect Strangers), Takehiro Hira (Gran Turismo), and Zlatko Burić (Triangle of Sadness).
Hailing from Ari Aster and Lars Knudsen’s Square Peg,...
The film follows the seven leaders of the world’s wealthiest liberal democracies at the annual G7 summit after they become lost in the woods and face increasing peril while attempting to draft a provisional statement regarding a global crisis.
Also featuring in a top role in the pic, which recently wrapped production in Hungary, is Genie Award winner Roy Dupuis (Shake Hands with the Devil). Additional cast includes Charles Dance (Game of Thrones), Denis Ménochet (Inglourious Basterds), Nikki Amuka-Bird (Knock at the Cabin), Rolando Ravello (Perfect Strangers), Takehiro Hira (Gran Turismo), and Zlatko Burić (Triangle of Sadness).
Hailing from Ari Aster and Lars Knudsen’s Square Peg,...
- 1/11/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Theresa Kang, founder and CEO of Blue Marble Pictures and Blue Marble Productions, has never followed someone else’s script for success. That’s telegraphed by the company’s name — inspired by the iconic photo of Earth taken from space just over 50 years ago, it speaks to the fearless exploration of new frontiers — and the singular, residential vibe of its Los Angeles headquarters.
“I wanted a space that felt calm and beautiful while also having a structure to it that felt strong, where there was balance between femininity and masculinity,” explains the agent turned manager and producer. She’d always dreamed of having a place where clients and collaborators — including Alfonso Cuarón, Hillman Grad, Justin Chon and Kerry Ehrin, who’s adapting The White Darkness, starring Tom Hiddleston, as part of Blue Marble’s multiyear producing deal for Apple TV+ — would feel comfortable hanging out anytime. “I wanted it to...
“I wanted a space that felt calm and beautiful while also having a structure to it that felt strong, where there was balance between femininity and masculinity,” explains the agent turned manager and producer. She’d always dreamed of having a place where clients and collaborators — including Alfonso Cuarón, Hillman Grad, Justin Chon and Kerry Ehrin, who’s adapting The White Darkness, starring Tom Hiddleston, as part of Blue Marble’s multiyear producing deal for Apple TV+ — would feel comfortable hanging out anytime. “I wanted it to...
- 12/9/2023
- by Abigail Stone
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Wrestler, directed by Bangladeshi-Canadian filmmaker Iqbal H. Chowdhury, and September 1923, from Japan’s Tatsuya Mori, picked up the New Currents Awards as Busan International Film Festival wrapped a busy 28th edition on October 13.
Chowdhury’s film tells the story of an eccentric fisherman who learns a traditional form of wrestling to take on the village champion, while September 1923, the debut fiction film of documentary filmmaker Mori, revolves around the massacre that took place after the Great Kanto earthquake 100 years ago.
The Kim Jiseok Award, presented to films in Busan’s Jiseok section, went to Sri Lankan director Prasanna Vithanage’s Paradise, about an Indian couple facing problems in their marriage during a trip to Sri Lanka, and Mirlan Abdykalykov’s Bride Kidnapping, about the widespread practice of forcing women into marriage in Kyrgyzstan.
Busan also launched two new awards, the LG Oled New Currents & Vision Awards, presented to films...
Chowdhury’s film tells the story of an eccentric fisherman who learns a traditional form of wrestling to take on the village champion, while September 1923, the debut fiction film of documentary filmmaker Mori, revolves around the massacre that took place after the Great Kanto earthquake 100 years ago.
The Kim Jiseok Award, presented to films in Busan’s Jiseok section, went to Sri Lankan director Prasanna Vithanage’s Paradise, about an Indian couple facing problems in their marriage during a trip to Sri Lanka, and Mirlan Abdykalykov’s Bride Kidnapping, about the widespread practice of forcing women into marriage in Kyrgyzstan.
Busan also launched two new awards, the LG Oled New Currents & Vision Awards, presented to films...
- 10/14/2023
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
Actors and filmmakers Steven Yeun, John Cho, Justin Chon and Lee Isaac Chung shared their thoughts on the appeal of Korean Diaspora cinema – as well as how they see the current wave of content coming out of Korea – in a philosophical but relaxed press conference at Busan International Film Festival.
Lee, who directed Oscar-winning Korean immigrant story Minari, said he was amazed by the reaction to the film whenever it was screened as “people from all walks of life would want to talk about their own experiences, people who’d never emigrated, but they’d moved to some place new and found it stressful. I wonder if the immigrant story just speaks to many experiences.”
Chon, an actor-director whose Jamojaya is screening at the festival, said: “It’s just an interesting dramatic situation – being in transition and also an underdog story. It was right there for the taking, to tell immigrant stories,...
Lee, who directed Oscar-winning Korean immigrant story Minari, said he was amazed by the reaction to the film whenever it was screened as “people from all walks of life would want to talk about their own experiences, people who’d never emigrated, but they’d moved to some place new and found it stressful. I wonder if the immigrant story just speaks to many experiences.”
Chon, an actor-director whose Jamojaya is screening at the festival, said: “It’s just an interesting dramatic situation – being in transition and also an underdog story. It was right there for the taking, to tell immigrant stories,...
- 10/6/2023
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
The growing media and entertainment connections between Korean Americans and those Koreans living in Korea may be changing both communities, a public discussion at the Busan International Film Festival on Friday heard.
“Being in a room full of fans, feels like they accepted me as a member of the family. It feels like, culturally, Korea [may be in] a moment of transition,” said John Cho.
He was joined in the debate by actor-director Justin Chon (“Gook”), director Lee Isaac Chung (“Minari”) and actor Steven Yeun, who are all either first or second generation immigrants to the U.S.
They were careful not to speak about their current movies or projects out of respect for SAG strike protocols, but the avoidance of promotional niceties permitted a wider-ranging and more philosophical discussion. It touched on issues of identity, generational change and the development of the post-pandemic, streaming-era global village.
“The reception I’ve had [in Busan] feels connective,...
“Being in a room full of fans, feels like they accepted me as a member of the family. It feels like, culturally, Korea [may be in] a moment of transition,” said John Cho.
He was joined in the debate by actor-director Justin Chon (“Gook”), director Lee Isaac Chung (“Minari”) and actor Steven Yeun, who are all either first or second generation immigrants to the U.S.
They were careful not to speak about their current movies or projects out of respect for SAG strike protocols, but the avoidance of promotional niceties permitted a wider-ranging and more philosophical discussion. It touched on issues of identity, generational change and the development of the post-pandemic, streaming-era global village.
“The reception I’ve had [in Busan] feels connective,...
- 10/6/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
The stars of ‘Beef’ and ‘Star Trek’ respectively spoke on a panel alongside ‘Minari’ director Lee Isaac Chung and actor-director Justin Chon.
Beef star Steven Yeun and Star Trek’s John Cho reflected on the ongoing Hollywood strikes and the threat of artificial intelligence (AI) at Busan international Film Festival today (October 6).
At a press conference to mark the festival’s special programme around Korean diasporic cinema, the assembled press were advised not to ask any questions about the US films or TV series made by members of the panel as SAG rules restricted them from making any comment.
However,...
Beef star Steven Yeun and Star Trek’s John Cho reflected on the ongoing Hollywood strikes and the threat of artificial intelligence (AI) at Busan international Film Festival today (October 6).
At a press conference to mark the festival’s special programme around Korean diasporic cinema, the assembled press were advised not to ask any questions about the US films or TV series made by members of the panel as SAG rules restricted them from making any comment.
However,...
- 10/6/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
The stars of ‘Beef’ and ‘Star Trek’ respectively spoke on a panel alongside ‘Minari’ director Lee Isaac Chung and actor-director Justin Chon.
Beef star Steven Yuen and Star Trek’s John Cho reflected on the ongoing Hollywood strikes and the threat of artificial intelligence (AI) at Busan international Film Festival today (October 6).
At a press conference to mark the festival’s special programme around Korean diasporic cinema, the assembled press were advised not to ask any questions about the US films or TV series made by members of the panel as SAG rules restricted them from making any comment.
However,...
Beef star Steven Yuen and Star Trek’s John Cho reflected on the ongoing Hollywood strikes and the threat of artificial intelligence (AI) at Busan international Film Festival today (October 6).
At a press conference to mark the festival’s special programme around Korean diasporic cinema, the assembled press were advised not to ask any questions about the US films or TV series made by members of the panel as SAG rules restricted them from making any comment.
However,...
- 10/6/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Hybe America has elevated James Shin to the role of President of Film and Television for both the company and its Scooter Braun subsidiary Sb Projects, where he’s worked for seven years, most recently serving as EVP, Film & Television.
Shin’s promotion comes after two years of work with Hybe, which acquired music magnate Braun’s Ithaca Holdings in 2021, in a deal valued at more than $1B. In his new role, he will continue to spotlight projects at the intersection of music, film, television and new media, guiding and consulting, to start, on Hybe and Geffen Records’ newly announced Netflix music docuseries, The Debut: Dream Academy. Marking the first-ever partnership for the companies, the project was instrumental in bringing together the music video for the hit single “New Jeans” from South Korean girl group NewJeans, which showcased IP related to Warner Bros Discovery’s belved animated franchise The Powerpuff Girls.
Shin’s promotion comes after two years of work with Hybe, which acquired music magnate Braun’s Ithaca Holdings in 2021, in a deal valued at more than $1B. In his new role, he will continue to spotlight projects at the intersection of music, film, television and new media, guiding and consulting, to start, on Hybe and Geffen Records’ newly announced Netflix music docuseries, The Debut: Dream Academy. Marking the first-ever partnership for the companies, the project was instrumental in bringing together the music video for the hit single “New Jeans” from South Korean girl group NewJeans, which showcased IP related to Warner Bros Discovery’s belved animated franchise The Powerpuff Girls.
- 10/5/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Issues of cultural diversity, different Asian diaspora populations and the quest for the Asian cinematic identity came up for discussion on Thursday as the New Currents competition jury at the Busan International Film Festival prepared to get down to work.
Filmmaker and academic Jung Sung-il, who is set as the jury president, appeared to invite a degree of dispute that might get the blood racing. “I have high hopes, hope for controversies and good conversations among the jurors,” he said in opening remarks. Later he added that he’d be open to championing a “glorious failure” as prize-winner if it contained a truly original scene or section over a slicker, but less innovative title.
Other jurors are: Han Junhee, Korean director of “Coin Locker Girl” and “Dp”; Eva Cahen, head of the Semaine de la Critique section at Cannes; Indonesian director Edwin (“Blind Pig Wants to Fly”); and Korean American...
Filmmaker and academic Jung Sung-il, who is set as the jury president, appeared to invite a degree of dispute that might get the blood racing. “I have high hopes, hope for controversies and good conversations among the jurors,” he said in opening remarks. Later he added that he’d be open to championing a “glorious failure” as prize-winner if it contained a truly original scene or section over a slicker, but less innovative title.
Other jurors are: Han Junhee, Korean director of “Coin Locker Girl” and “Dp”; Eva Cahen, head of the Semaine de la Critique section at Cannes; Indonesian director Edwin (“Blind Pig Wants to Fly”); and Korean American...
- 10/5/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
In addition to her duties serving on the jury of Busan’s New Currents competition, U.S.-based producer Christina Oh will be meeting a group of Korean filmmakers at the festival to talk about upcoming film projects and attempt to build more bridges between the film industries of Korea and the U.S.
Speaking at the Busan New Currents jury press conference, Oh said she feels that opportunities are growing for filmmakers from Korea and other diaspora communities to make films in North America.
“With the success of films like Parasite, Minari and Past Lives there’s an interesting trend towards being more inclusive of films from, not just Korea, but other countries,” said Oh, a Korean-American producer who has credits including Lee Isaac Chung’s Minari and Bong Joon Ho’s Okja.
While Minari was successful at the U.S. box office and won a best supporting actress Oscar for Youn Yuh-jung,...
Speaking at the Busan New Currents jury press conference, Oh said she feels that opportunities are growing for filmmakers from Korea and other diaspora communities to make films in North America.
“With the success of films like Parasite, Minari and Past Lives there’s an interesting trend towards being more inclusive of films from, not just Korea, but other countries,” said Oh, a Korean-American producer who has credits including Lee Isaac Chung’s Minari and Bong Joon Ho’s Okja.
While Minari was successful at the U.S. box office and won a best supporting actress Oscar for Youn Yuh-jung,...
- 10/5/2023
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
“I hope we can communicate and reconcile again,” said Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon on the opening night of the South Korean city’s film festival.
With so much of the dialogue in opening drama “Because I Hate Korea” discussing Korean societal rigidities, group loyalties, long working hours and poor pay (which cause the protagonist to emigrate to laid-back New Zealand), it is easy to forget that many of these characteristics are what may have saved this year’s Busan International FIlm Festival from going off the rails.
Mid-year, the festival’s aging senior management had a self-inflicted meltdown (a senior moment?) when chairman and co-founder Lee Yong-kwan set off a chain of events that caused multiple resignations, highlighting the old city-versus-festival political divide and alienating local sponsors and industry guilds.
This was dirty laundry that Busan should have washed out of its system in the years-long aftermath of the 2014 “The...
With so much of the dialogue in opening drama “Because I Hate Korea” discussing Korean societal rigidities, group loyalties, long working hours and poor pay (which cause the protagonist to emigrate to laid-back New Zealand), it is easy to forget that many of these characteristics are what may have saved this year’s Busan International FIlm Festival from going off the rails.
Mid-year, the festival’s aging senior management had a self-inflicted meltdown (a senior moment?) when chairman and co-founder Lee Yong-kwan set off a chain of events that caused multiple resignations, highlighting the old city-versus-festival political divide and alienating local sponsors and industry guilds.
This was dirty laundry that Busan should have washed out of its system in the years-long aftermath of the 2014 “The...
- 10/4/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
It’s no exaggeration to say that Korea’s Busan International Film Festival (Biff) has been through a fair amount of drama this year.
The turmoil started in May when Biff chairman Lee Yong-kwan appointed a close associate, Cho Jongkook, as managing director alongside artistic director Huh Moonyung, a decision that proved highly unpopular with some sectors of the local Korean film industry.
Huh resigned, and in an apparently unrelated development, was accused of sexual harassment by a festival employee around the same time. Lee also resigned, Cho was dismissed by the Biff board, and Oh Seok-geun, director of Busan’s Asian Contents & Film Market (Acfm), who had supported Lee’s decision to hire Cho, also stepped down. By early July, four of the festival’s top management were out of the door.
Fortunately, the festival has a strong layer of middle management with many years experience. When the top brass departed,...
The turmoil started in May when Biff chairman Lee Yong-kwan appointed a close associate, Cho Jongkook, as managing director alongside artistic director Huh Moonyung, a decision that proved highly unpopular with some sectors of the local Korean film industry.
Huh resigned, and in an apparently unrelated development, was accused of sexual harassment by a festival employee around the same time. Lee also resigned, Cho was dismissed by the Biff board, and Oh Seok-geun, director of Busan’s Asian Contents & Film Market (Acfm), who had supported Lee’s decision to hire Cho, also stepped down. By early July, four of the festival’s top management were out of the door.
Fortunately, the festival has a strong layer of middle management with many years experience. When the top brass departed,...
- 10/3/2023
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
Steven Yeun has bucked stereotypes and carved a new niche as sexy Asian leading man with his roles in “Burning” and “Beef.” Justin Chon transitioned from a supporting role in “Twilight” to directing “Gook,” “Jamojaya” and half of Apple TV+’s “Pachinko.” And Busan-born Daniel Dae Kim has expanded from “Lost” and “Hawaii” to becoming one of Hollywood’s leading producers.
The stateside successes of Korean-born and Korean American talent are growing and are worth celebrating. But the Busan International Film Festival’s planned party is being dialed down a notch under the impact of the twin writers’ and SAG Actors strikes in the U.S.
Busan’s ‘Special Program in Focus: Korean Diasporic Cinema’ will go ahead with a screening schedule including six films, public talk sessions that include Oscar-winning actor Youn Yuh-jung, Lee Isaac Chung, director of Oscar-winning film “Minari,” and John Cho, the Seoul-born “Star Trek” and “Searching” star.
The stateside successes of Korean-born and Korean American talent are growing and are worth celebrating. But the Busan International Film Festival’s planned party is being dialed down a notch under the impact of the twin writers’ and SAG Actors strikes in the U.S.
Busan’s ‘Special Program in Focus: Korean Diasporic Cinema’ will go ahead with a screening schedule including six films, public talk sessions that include Oscar-winning actor Youn Yuh-jung, Lee Isaac Chung, director of Oscar-winning film “Minari,” and John Cho, the Seoul-born “Star Trek” and “Searching” star.
- 9/20/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
The festival will open with ‘Because I Hate Korea’ and close with ‘The Movie Emperor’.
The Busan International Film Festival has revealed the full line-up for its 2023 edition and announced that Hong Kong star Chow Yun-fat will receive the Asian Filmmaker of the Year award.
The festival in South Korea will open with the world premiere of Jang Kun-jae’s Because I Hate Korea and close with Ning Hao’s Chinese film industry satire The Movie Emperor, starring Andy Lau, following its debut at Toronto.
At an online press conference today, organisers also revealed that Hong Kong star Chow Yun-fat...
The Busan International Film Festival has revealed the full line-up for its 2023 edition and announced that Hong Kong star Chow Yun-fat will receive the Asian Filmmaker of the Year award.
The festival in South Korea will open with the world premiere of Jang Kun-jae’s Because I Hate Korea and close with Ning Hao’s Chinese film industry satire The Movie Emperor, starring Andy Lau, following its debut at Toronto.
At an online press conference today, organisers also revealed that Hong Kong star Chow Yun-fat...
- 9/5/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Busan International Film Festival has unveiled its full line-up, including opening and closing films, and announced that Hong Kong star Chow Yun-fat has been named as Asian Filmmaker of the Year.
Chow will be feted through the screening of two of his most iconic films – Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and John Woo’s A Better Tomorrow – as well as recent release Once More Chance, directed by Anthony Pun.
In addition to Chow, international guests expected at the festival include Luc Besson, Japanese filmmakers Hirokazu Kore-eda and Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Korean-American filmmakers Lee Isaac Chung and Justin Chon, and Chinese actress Fan Bingbing.
The festival will open with the world premiere of Jang Kun-jae’s Because I Hate Korea, adapted from the popular novel by Chang Kang-myoung, and close with Chinese filmmaker Ning Hao’s The Movie Emperor, starring Andy Lau, which is receiving its world premiere in Toronto.
Chow will be feted through the screening of two of his most iconic films – Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and John Woo’s A Better Tomorrow – as well as recent release Once More Chance, directed by Anthony Pun.
In addition to Chow, international guests expected at the festival include Luc Besson, Japanese filmmakers Hirokazu Kore-eda and Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Korean-American filmmakers Lee Isaac Chung and Justin Chon, and Chinese actress Fan Bingbing.
The festival will open with the world premiere of Jang Kun-jae’s Because I Hate Korea, adapted from the popular novel by Chang Kang-myoung, and close with Chinese filmmaker Ning Hao’s The Movie Emperor, starring Andy Lau, which is receiving its world premiere in Toronto.
- 9/5/2023
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
The Busan International Film Festival put aside many of its recent internal and local political problems to Tuesday unveil a large selection ranging from bleeding edge art titles to international festival favorites.
“The difficult times are not behind us, but hard work has made this year’s festival better than ever,” said programmer and interim festival chief Nam Dong-chul, speaking at an online press conference.
International guests expected to attend the festival include Luc Besson, Chinese superstar Fan Bingbing, Japanese directors Hamaguchi Ryusuke and Kore-Eda Hirokazu, Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf, and Korean Americans Justin Chon (“Gook”) and Lee Isaac Chung (“Minari”).
Hong Kong-based superstar Chow Yun-fat has been named as Busan’s Asian Filmmaker of the Year and will be in person to receive the award. The Korean Cinema Award will presented to the late Yun Jung-hee, the actress who starred in “The General’s Mustache” and Lee Chang-dong’s 2010 drama “Poetry.
“The difficult times are not behind us, but hard work has made this year’s festival better than ever,” said programmer and interim festival chief Nam Dong-chul, speaking at an online press conference.
International guests expected to attend the festival include Luc Besson, Chinese superstar Fan Bingbing, Japanese directors Hamaguchi Ryusuke and Kore-Eda Hirokazu, Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf, and Korean Americans Justin Chon (“Gook”) and Lee Isaac Chung (“Minari”).
Hong Kong-based superstar Chow Yun-fat has been named as Busan’s Asian Filmmaker of the Year and will be in person to receive the award. The Korean Cinema Award will presented to the late Yun Jung-hee, the actress who starred in “The General’s Mustache” and Lee Chang-dong’s 2010 drama “Poetry.
- 9/5/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Freevee (Amazon ad-supported streaming service) is nothing if not a goldmine of content and that too for free, with basically something to watch for everyone, and today we are making a list of the best new movies coming to Freevee in September 2023 that you can watch in the upcoming month. The movies in this list are ranked according to their availability dates.
1984 (September 1)
Synopsis: The classic George Orwell story set in a world where absolute conformity in action, word and thought including loyalty to Big Brother is demanded. In 1984, the world is divided into three vast states, whose inhabitants are dominated by all powerful governments. Winston, a worker, starts an illegal love affair with Julia, and becomes the target of a brain-washing campaign to force him to conform.
Bad Times at the El Royale (September 1)
Synopsis: Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, and Chris Hemsworth lead an all-star cast in...
1984 (September 1)
Synopsis: The classic George Orwell story set in a world where absolute conformity in action, word and thought including loyalty to Big Brother is demanded. In 1984, the world is divided into three vast states, whose inhabitants are dominated by all powerful governments. Winston, a worker, starts an illegal love affair with Julia, and becomes the target of a brain-washing campaign to force him to conform.
Bad Times at the El Royale (September 1)
Synopsis: Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, and Chris Hemsworth lead an all-star cast in...
- 8/30/2023
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
July 06, 2023, New York – The 46th Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF46), known as the “First Home of Asian American Cinema”, announces its full lineup. The Festival runs from July 26 – August 6, 2023 as a hybrid festival, both in-person and streaming online in North America.
The full lineup consists of 16 World Premieres, 21 East Coast Premieres, and 20 New York Premieres. The films represent a total of 29 countries and 25 languages. This year's program includes 111 directors. More information on the full lineup can be found at
https://www.aaiff.org/program.
General Screening Tickets (either in-person/online) are available at $16/$10. Tickets for General Admission Spotlight screenings are available now at the following prices:
●Opening Night Screening + Reception | Jamojaya, July 26 at 6:30pm Et at Museum of the Moving Image – $80
●Closing Night Screening + Reception | Raging Grace, July 30 at 7:00pm Et at Quad Cinema – $70
Pre-sale — up to 20% off — for Cine Passes and Gold Passes which are currently on sale at https://www.
The full lineup consists of 16 World Premieres, 21 East Coast Premieres, and 20 New York Premieres. The films represent a total of 29 countries and 25 languages. This year's program includes 111 directors. More information on the full lineup can be found at
https://www.aaiff.org/program.
General Screening Tickets (either in-person/online) are available at $16/$10. Tickets for General Admission Spotlight screenings are available now at the following prices:
●Opening Night Screening + Reception | Jamojaya, July 26 at 6:30pm Et at Museum of the Moving Image – $80
●Closing Night Screening + Reception | Raging Grace, July 30 at 7:00pm Et at Quad Cinema – $70
Pre-sale — up to 20% off — for Cine Passes and Gold Passes which are currently on sale at https://www.
- 7/11/2023
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Busan Funding Revealed
The Busan festival’s Asian Cinema Fund has announced 14 film projects to which it will give financial support. Three projects at script stage, black comedy “Chronicles of a Confession,” by Prateek Vats (India), “To Kill a Mongolian Horse” by China’s Jiang Xioaxuan and Suraj Paudel “Where the Rivers Run South” (Nepal) each receive a KRW10 million cash grant and will be invited to the 2023 edition of the festival’s Asian Project Market.
Four projects receive post-production funding and are expected to make their world premieres at Busan this year. They are “Concerning My Daughter,” by Lee Mirang, and “Lay Off” by Park Hongjun, both from Korea. They are joined by “Solids by the Seashore,” from Thailand’s Patiparn Boontarig and “The Spark,” by Indian veteran Rajesh S. Jala.
Seven feature documentary projects each receive up to KRW20 million from the Asian Network of Documentary Fund. The...
The Busan festival’s Asian Cinema Fund has announced 14 film projects to which it will give financial support. Three projects at script stage, black comedy “Chronicles of a Confession,” by Prateek Vats (India), “To Kill a Mongolian Horse” by China’s Jiang Xioaxuan and Suraj Paudel “Where the Rivers Run South” (Nepal) each receive a KRW10 million cash grant and will be invited to the 2023 edition of the festival’s Asian Project Market.
Four projects receive post-production funding and are expected to make their world premieres at Busan this year. They are “Concerning My Daughter,” by Lee Mirang, and “Lay Off” by Park Hongjun, both from Korea. They are joined by “Solids by the Seashore,” from Thailand’s Patiparn Boontarig and “The Spark,” by Indian veteran Rajesh S. Jala.
Seven feature documentary projects each receive up to KRW20 million from the Asian Network of Documentary Fund. The...
- 7/11/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Chinese film executive Han Sanping, who for a generation served as the boss of China’s powerful, state-backed studio China Film Group, will be the head of the competition jury for the next edition of the Asia World Film Festival. An annual showcase of Asian cinema held annually in Los Angeles, the festival is dedicated to driving greater recognition of Asian creative talent and foreign, independent filmmaking. Han served as head of China Film Group until 2014 and was involved in some of China’s biggest films during the decade prior to his resignation. In recent years, he has acted more as a behind-the-scenes cross-border producer, with recent credits including Midway (2019) and Greyhound (2020).
LA-based filmmaker incubator Stars Collective, launched in 2020 by the China-backed but Beverly Hills-based movie financier Starlight Media, has also joined the Asian World Film Festival as an official partner. In a new agreement spanning the next three years,...
LA-based filmmaker incubator Stars Collective, launched in 2020 by the China-backed but Beverly Hills-based movie financier Starlight Media, has also joined the Asian World Film Festival as an official partner. In a new agreement spanning the next three years,...
- 5/31/2023
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Sundance Institute has announced the participants in their famed screenwriters, directors and Native labs.
The directors and screenwriters labs will support 12 fellows, with five fellows selected for the Native lab. Lab participants will develop their original works under the mentorship of notable advisors. Paul Thomas Anderson, Ryan Coogler, David Gordon Green, Sterlin Harjo, Taika Waititi, Lulu Wang and Chloé Zhao are among previous Sundance lab participants.
The directors lab advisor cohort includes Miguel Arteta, Joan Darling, Rick Famuyiwa, Stephen Goldblatt, Keith Gordon, Randa Haines, Ed Harris, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Polly Morgan, Ira Sachs, Michelle Tesoro and Joan Tewkesbury. The screenwriters lab advisor cohort, led by artistic director Howard Rodman, includes Justin Chon, Sebastian Cordero, Cherien Dabis, D.V. Devincentis, Scott Frank, John Gatins, Nicole Kassell, Kasi Lemmons, Tarell Alvin McCraney, Elena Soarez and Robin Swicord. The Native Lab creative advisors include Andrew Ahn, Alex Lazarowich (Cree), Dana Ladoux Miller (Sāmoan) and Jennifer Reeder.
The directors and screenwriters labs will support 12 fellows, with five fellows selected for the Native lab. Lab participants will develop their original works under the mentorship of notable advisors. Paul Thomas Anderson, Ryan Coogler, David Gordon Green, Sterlin Harjo, Taika Waititi, Lulu Wang and Chloé Zhao are among previous Sundance lab participants.
The directors lab advisor cohort includes Miguel Arteta, Joan Darling, Rick Famuyiwa, Stephen Goldblatt, Keith Gordon, Randa Haines, Ed Harris, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Polly Morgan, Ira Sachs, Michelle Tesoro and Joan Tewkesbury. The screenwriters lab advisor cohort, led by artistic director Howard Rodman, includes Justin Chon, Sebastian Cordero, Cherien Dabis, D.V. Devincentis, Scott Frank, John Gatins, Nicole Kassell, Kasi Lemmons, Tarell Alvin McCraney, Elena Soarez and Robin Swicord. The Native Lab creative advisors include Andrew Ahn, Alex Lazarowich (Cree), Dana Ladoux Miller (Sāmoan) and Jennifer Reeder.
- 4/27/2023
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Sundance Institute on Thursday announced the fellows set for the 2023 edition of their Directors, Screenwriters and Native Labs.
Native Lab participants will include Eva Grant (Degrees of Separation), Quinne Larsen (Trouble), Anpa’o Locke (Growing Pains), Jana Schmieding (Auntie Chuck) and Cian Elyse White (Te Puhi’).
Those taking part in the Directors Lab and/or the Screenwriters Lab include Hadas Ayalon (In a Minute You’ll Be Gone), Dania Bdeir & Bane Fakih (Pigeon Wars), Rashad Frett & Lin Que Ayoung (Ricky), Masami Kawai (Valley of the Tall Grass), Gabriela Ortega (Huella), Audrey Rosenberg (Wild Animals), Abinash Bikram Shah (Elephants in the Fog), Walter Thompson-Hernández (If I Go Will They Miss Me), Sean Wang (DìDi (弟弟)) and Farida Zahran (The Leftover Ladies).
A significant part of supporting Indigenous filmmakers for nearly two decades, the Native Lab will kick off online this year from May 1–5 before continuing in person in Santa Fe,...
Native Lab participants will include Eva Grant (Degrees of Separation), Quinne Larsen (Trouble), Anpa’o Locke (Growing Pains), Jana Schmieding (Auntie Chuck) and Cian Elyse White (Te Puhi’).
Those taking part in the Directors Lab and/or the Screenwriters Lab include Hadas Ayalon (In a Minute You’ll Be Gone), Dania Bdeir & Bane Fakih (Pigeon Wars), Rashad Frett & Lin Que Ayoung (Ricky), Masami Kawai (Valley of the Tall Grass), Gabriela Ortega (Huella), Audrey Rosenberg (Wild Animals), Abinash Bikram Shah (Elephants in the Fog), Walter Thompson-Hernández (If I Go Will They Miss Me), Sean Wang (DìDi (弟弟)) and Farida Zahran (The Leftover Ladies).
A significant part of supporting Indigenous filmmakers for nearly two decades, the Native Lab will kick off online this year from May 1–5 before continuing in person in Santa Fe,...
- 4/27/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Having premiered in Sundance, “Jamojaya” focuses on a topic that has been repeatedly dealt with both in music and sports films, regarding the corruption of the industries and how they can swallow talented youths whole when left unprotected, and at the same time, how the people around the talents, as in the case of their family members, occasionally can hamper their future with their meddling. Justin Chon implements these topics as his base, adding though, an Indonesian flavor through the roots of the two protagonists, while commenting on the generational and cultural gap between a father and a son who suffer from the same trauma, but in rather different ways.
“Jamojaya” is screening at San Diego Asian Film Festival Spring Showcase
James is an aspiring Indonesian rapper, who had some minor success in his country and is now at a resort in Hawai'i to produce his first album for a major US record label.
“Jamojaya” is screening at San Diego Asian Film Festival Spring Showcase
James is an aspiring Indonesian rapper, who had some minor success in his country and is now at a resort in Hawai'i to produce his first album for a major US record label.
- 4/22/2023
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Justin Chon — the actor and filmmaker behind films Blue Bayou and Gook — and Scooter Braun’s Sb Projects are developing a feature about the life and career of e-commerce giant and Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh.
Chon and Sb Projects have optioned the upcoming biography Wonder Boy: Tony Hsieh, Zappos and the Myth of Happiness in Silicon Valley (out via Henry Holt & Company on April 25) by The Wall Street Journal‘s Angel Au-Yeung and Forbes Magazine’s David Jeans.
Hsieh revolutionized e-commerce with Zappos, the online shoe retailer that offered customers free shipping and returns and put an extreme emphasis on customer service, a then-rare approach to online shopping. Internally, Zappos’ corporate culture was unique even among tech companies, and in 2013, Hsieh made headlines when he announced that the company would eliminate all titles.
The adaptation, according to the project’s description, will follow the life of Hsieh “an American...
Chon and Sb Projects have optioned the upcoming biography Wonder Boy: Tony Hsieh, Zappos and the Myth of Happiness in Silicon Valley (out via Henry Holt & Company on April 25) by The Wall Street Journal‘s Angel Au-Yeung and Forbes Magazine’s David Jeans.
Hsieh revolutionized e-commerce with Zappos, the online shoe retailer that offered customers free shipping and returns and put an extreme emphasis on customer service, a then-rare approach to online shopping. Internally, Zappos’ corporate culture was unique even among tech companies, and in 2013, Hsieh made headlines when he announced that the company would eliminate all titles.
The adaptation, according to the project’s description, will follow the life of Hsieh “an American...
- 4/18/2023
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Filmmaker siblings Anthony Russo and Joe Russo are calling their deep-dish interview series, “Pizza Film School,” back into session after a nearly three-year break.
In Season 2 of the video podcast, the Russo brothers sit down with fellow directors to talk about their favorite films, discuss the craft of making movies — and chow down on a couple slices of pies from local pizzerias. Guests for the second season include Zack Snyder, Nia DaCosta, Justin Chon, R.J. Cutler, Justin Lin and Emerald Fennell.
The series is produced by their production company, Agbo. Season 2 will premiered April 11 with new two-part episodes dropping weekly exclusively on Agbo’s YouTube channel.
The brothers, whose directing credits include Marvel’s “Avengers: Endgame,” “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Captain America: Civil War,” host candid convos with some of the industry’s top filmmakers in “Pizza Film School.” This season’s video podcast was filmed on site at Agbo...
In Season 2 of the video podcast, the Russo brothers sit down with fellow directors to talk about their favorite films, discuss the craft of making movies — and chow down on a couple slices of pies from local pizzerias. Guests for the second season include Zack Snyder, Nia DaCosta, Justin Chon, R.J. Cutler, Justin Lin and Emerald Fennell.
The series is produced by their production company, Agbo. Season 2 will premiered April 11 with new two-part episodes dropping weekly exclusively on Agbo’s YouTube channel.
The brothers, whose directing credits include Marvel’s “Avengers: Endgame,” “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Captain America: Civil War,” host candid convos with some of the industry’s top filmmakers in “Pizza Film School.” This season’s video podcast was filmed on site at Agbo...
- 4/4/2023
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety Film + TV
Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander, real-life husband and wife, are reuniting onscreen for the second time. The Oscar-winner (Vikander for “The Danish Girl”) and the Oscar-nominee (Fassbender for “12 Years A Slave”) will star in “Hope,” a mostly Korean-language feature from Na Hong-Jin.
The picture, about a mysterious delivery made on the outskirts of a remote harbor town, is the filmmaker’s first directorial effort since “The Wailing” earned rave reviews and $49 million worldwide in 2016 from a $6 million budget, with $48 million of that coming from South Korea.
“Oftentimes,” noted Hong-Jin, “a person’s goodwill can lead to unintended catastrophe simply because of differences in perspective. My hope for this film is to cinematically capture that phenomenon in a way that has yet to be seen.”
Also Read:
How the ‘Tomb Raider’ Movie Rights Slipped Away From MGM (Exclusive)
It is presumed that the “Tomb Raider” star and the “Assassin’s Creed...
The picture, about a mysterious delivery made on the outskirts of a remote harbor town, is the filmmaker’s first directorial effort since “The Wailing” earned rave reviews and $49 million worldwide in 2016 from a $6 million budget, with $48 million of that coming from South Korea.
“Oftentimes,” noted Hong-Jin, “a person’s goodwill can lead to unintended catastrophe simply because of differences in perspective. My hope for this film is to cinematically capture that phenomenon in a way that has yet to be seen.”
Also Read:
How the ‘Tomb Raider’ Movie Rights Slipped Away From MGM (Exclusive)
It is presumed that the “Tomb Raider” star and the “Assassin’s Creed...
- 3/29/2023
- by Scott Mendelson
- The Wrap
Justin Chon, writer and director of “Blue Bayou” discusses the pressing issue of the adoption of children from Korea to America and their deportation from the august country. Justin Chon found a dire need to address the issue as he found it very odd to see that the legally adopted children were not given citizenship in the country after having lived there and contributed immensely to its welfare. The immigration and adoption policy might not have been as stringent in the 70s and 80s as it is now, due to which many face deportation. “Blue Bayou” brings to the table fatherhood and parenting issues, alienation, displacement, police brutality against Asian Americans, and the fault in the adoption or foster care system in America.
Justin Chon is careful when he presents an Asian American as his protagonist; trying not to be political, he makes him a flawed character needing a second...
Justin Chon is careful when he presents an Asian American as his protagonist; trying not to be political, he makes him a flawed character needing a second...
- 3/28/2023
- by Carlos Luis
- Film Fugitives
Exclusive: Douglas Smith (Big Little Lies), Mark O’Brien (Arrival), Rebecca Liddiard (Alias Grace) and Vinessa Antoine have been cast opposite Amanda Seyfried (The Dropout) in Seven Veils, the new feature from filmmaker Atom Egoyan (The Sweet Hereafter).
The project wrapped principal photography in Toronto last week.
Seven Veils follows Jeanine (Seyfried), an earnest theatre director, who has been given the daunting task of remounting her former mentor’s most famous work, the opera Salome. Haunted by dark and disturbing memories from her past, Jeanine allows her repressed trauma to color the present as she re-enters the opera world after so many years away.
Smith and Seyfried previously worked together on HBO series Big Love, playing siblings Ben and Sarah Henrickson.
Pic is written and directed by Egoyan, who also produces alongside Niv Fichman (Enemy), Simone Urdl (The Captive), Fraser Ash (BlackBerry) and Kevin Krikst (BlackBerry).
The project is a...
The project wrapped principal photography in Toronto last week.
Seven Veils follows Jeanine (Seyfried), an earnest theatre director, who has been given the daunting task of remounting her former mentor’s most famous work, the opera Salome. Haunted by dark and disturbing memories from her past, Jeanine allows her repressed trauma to color the present as she re-enters the opera world after so many years away.
Smith and Seyfried previously worked together on HBO series Big Love, playing siblings Ben and Sarah Henrickson.
Pic is written and directed by Egoyan, who also produces alongside Niv Fichman (Enemy), Simone Urdl (The Captive), Fraser Ash (BlackBerry) and Kevin Krikst (BlackBerry).
The project is a...
- 3/14/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Korean directors have made headlines in Hollywood the last two years, and Justin Chon may just be next in line. Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite” and Isaac Lee-Chung’s “Minari” won a variety of accolades; between the two of them, they boast 5 Oscars, 2 Golden Globes, and a Palme d’Or to boot. Chon – whose latest release “Blue Bayou” had also been selected for Cannes 2020 – has been reviewed as another potential favorite for the 2021 awards season. This time, Chon introduces a different Korean American tale to the table: that of involuntary migration.
“Blue Bayou” is screening at Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema
In “Blue Bayou,” Antonio (Justin Chon) is an ethnic-Korean adoptee who is not exactly a model citizen. He’s a small-time tattoo artist with a criminal record; moreover, as the movie shows, he’s prone to run away from his problems (oftentimes on a motorcycle). Despite his speckled past,...
“Blue Bayou” is screening at Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema
In “Blue Bayou,” Antonio (Justin Chon) is an ethnic-Korean adoptee who is not exactly a model citizen. He’s a small-time tattoo artist with a criminal record; moreover, as the movie shows, he’s prone to run away from his problems (oftentimes on a motorcycle). Despite his speckled past,...
- 3/1/2023
- by Grace Han
- AsianMoviePulse
In the film Jamojaya, we follow Indonesian rapper, James (Rich Brian) as he tries to expand his career in the U.S. while not damaging the relationship with his father and former manager (Yayu Unru).
In an exclusive interview with uInterview, director Justin Chon discussed why he wanted to make the film.
“He’s [Rich Brian] a dope rapper, and I’m friends with his manager, I’ve known his manager since we were 18 and we talked about you if there was a possibility to do a film so we built it over five years,” he said. “We started talking five years ago and then slowly built it. I got to know him, asked him questions here and there. I landed on a father-son story, because you know he has a very close relationship with his father, so I thought that be a good place to start.”
Chon also revealed his favorite moment when working with Brian.
In an exclusive interview with uInterview, director Justin Chon discussed why he wanted to make the film.
“He’s [Rich Brian] a dope rapper, and I’m friends with his manager, I’ve known his manager since we were 18 and we talked about you if there was a possibility to do a film so we built it over five years,” he said. “We started talking five years ago and then slowly built it. I got to know him, asked him questions here and there. I landed on a father-son story, because you know he has a very close relationship with his father, so I thought that be a good place to start.”
Chon also revealed his favorite moment when working with Brian.
- 2/10/2023
- by Hailey Schipper
- Uinterview
Cliff Curtis has been cast in a recurring role in Jason Momoa’s upcoming Apple series “Chief of War.”
Per the official logline, the nine-episode series “follows the epic and unprecedented telling of the unification and colonization of Hawaii from an indigenous point of view.”
Momoa stars in the series, with other cast members besides Curtis being Luciane Buchanan, Temuera Morrison, Te Ao o Hinepehinga, newcomer Kaina Makua, Moses Goods, Siua Ikale’o, Brandon Finn, James Udom, Native Hawaiian actress Mainei Kinimaka, and Te Kohe Tuhaka.
Curtis will appear as Keōua, the cousin of Kamehameha (Kaina Makua) who believes himself to be the rightful leader of Hawai’i.
Curtis most recently appeared in the blockbuster film “Avatar: The Way of Water” as Tonowari. He is also known for roles in films like “Training Day,” “Once Were Warriors,” “Sunshine,” and “Whale Rider.” In television, he previously starred in the AMC series “Fear the Walking Dead...
Per the official logline, the nine-episode series “follows the epic and unprecedented telling of the unification and colonization of Hawaii from an indigenous point of view.”
Momoa stars in the series, with other cast members besides Curtis being Luciane Buchanan, Temuera Morrison, Te Ao o Hinepehinga, newcomer Kaina Makua, Moses Goods, Siua Ikale’o, Brandon Finn, James Udom, Native Hawaiian actress Mainei Kinimaka, and Te Kohe Tuhaka.
Curtis will appear as Keōua, the cousin of Kamehameha (Kaina Makua) who believes himself to be the rightful leader of Hawai’i.
Curtis most recently appeared in the blockbuster film “Avatar: The Way of Water” as Tonowari. He is also known for roles in films like “Training Day,” “Once Were Warriors,” “Sunshine,” and “Whale Rider.” In television, he previously starred in the AMC series “Fear the Walking Dead...
- 2/3/2023
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Cliff Curtis is set for a key recurring role in Chief of War, Apple TV+’s upcoming series starring, written and executive produced by Jason Momoa.
Created by Momoa and Thomas Pa’a Sibbett, the nine-episode Chief of War follows the epic and unprecedented telling of the unification and colonization of Hawaii from an indigenous point of view.
Curtis will play Keōua, the cousin of Kamehameha (played by newcomer Kaina Makua), and believes himself to be the rightful leader of Hawai’i.
In addition to Momoa, “Chief of War” stars Luciane Buchanan, Temuera Morrison, Te Ao o Hinepehinga, newcomer Kaina Makua, Moses Goods, Siua Ikale’o, Brandon Finn, James Udom, Native Hawaiian actress Mainei Kinimaka, and Te Kohe Tuhaka.
Chief of War is produced by Fifth Season (formerly Endeavor Content) and Chernin Entertainment. The nine-episode series is executive produced by Momoa, Francis Lawrence, Pa’a Sibbett,...
Created by Momoa and Thomas Pa’a Sibbett, the nine-episode Chief of War follows the epic and unprecedented telling of the unification and colonization of Hawaii from an indigenous point of view.
Curtis will play Keōua, the cousin of Kamehameha (played by newcomer Kaina Makua), and believes himself to be the rightful leader of Hawai’i.
In addition to Momoa, “Chief of War” stars Luciane Buchanan, Temuera Morrison, Te Ao o Hinepehinga, newcomer Kaina Makua, Moses Goods, Siua Ikale’o, Brandon Finn, James Udom, Native Hawaiian actress Mainei Kinimaka, and Te Kohe Tuhaka.
Chief of War is produced by Fifth Season (formerly Endeavor Content) and Chernin Entertainment. The nine-episode series is executive produced by Momoa, Francis Lawrence, Pa’a Sibbett,...
- 2/3/2023
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Jamojaya begins with a bang. In an interview, up-and-coming rapper James (Brian “Rich Brian” Imanuel) fires his father (Yayu A.W. Unru) as his manager. The story then shifts to Hawaii as the aspiring musician attempts recording an album with his new label. The father just hopes to stick around, believing his son needs him, that he’s currently indispensable. The first act of Justin Chon’s drama focuses on this relationship, and with two committed performers the film (literally) sings.
As Jamojaya progresses, though, messaging gets lost. The luster of the photography, the weight of images, loses power. It starts feeling like an empty exercise: a story with no sticking power, a waste of talented dual leads. The glitz and glamor of this life and this film wear off, leaving behind a sour taste.
None of this is a knock on the film’s cinematography, which amazes in nearly every scene.
As Jamojaya progresses, though, messaging gets lost. The luster of the photography, the weight of images, loses power. It starts feeling like an empty exercise: a story with no sticking power, a waste of talented dual leads. The glitz and glamor of this life and this film wear off, leaving behind a sour taste.
None of this is a knock on the film’s cinematography, which amazes in nearly every scene.
- 2/1/2023
- by Michael Frank
- The Film Stage
Exclusive: The Sundance Institute and Peter Luo’s Stars Collective (Crazy Rich Asians, Midway, Marshall, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark) have partnered on the new Imagination Award that grants 25,000 each to three metaverse-based projects that show innovation “in a rapidly evolving mediascape.”
Candidates were submitted to the Sundance Film Festival’s New Frontier Program with winners were selected by fest programmers and reps of Stars Collective, a talent incubator.
The award extends a Sundance-Stars Collective partnership from 2020 that launched the Granting Fund to support diverse filmmakers from historically marginalized communities. The cash has provided project advancement and completion support to over 30 films so far, including works by Jamila Wignot (Ailey), Alison O’Daniel (Tuba Thieves), Nikyatu Jusu (Nanny) and Isabel Castro (Mija). Nine have premiered at Sundance.
Inaugural Imagination Award winners:
40 Acres: Lead Artist, Tamara Shogaolu. A multi-platform exploration of Black American farmers and herbalists and their changing relationship to the land.
Candidates were submitted to the Sundance Film Festival’s New Frontier Program with winners were selected by fest programmers and reps of Stars Collective, a talent incubator.
The award extends a Sundance-Stars Collective partnership from 2020 that launched the Granting Fund to support diverse filmmakers from historically marginalized communities. The cash has provided project advancement and completion support to over 30 films so far, including works by Jamila Wignot (Ailey), Alison O’Daniel (Tuba Thieves), Nikyatu Jusu (Nanny) and Isabel Castro (Mija). Nine have premiered at Sundance.
Inaugural Imagination Award winners:
40 Acres: Lead Artist, Tamara Shogaolu. A multi-platform exploration of Black American farmers and herbalists and their changing relationship to the land.
- 1/27/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Writer-director Justin Chon returns to Sundance with Jamojaya, a film about a father-son relationship that’s made fraught by recent losses and financial difficulties. James (Brian Imanuel) is an up-and-coming Indonesian rapper who’s visiting Hawai‘i to cut his debut album, which is set to premiere on a major record label in the US. His travel companion is his dad and former manager (Yayu A.W. Unru), who can see that James is drowning in debt due to this major label acquisition. While he’s still mourning the loss of his other son, James’s father becomes his de facto assistant, micro-managing his every move—and […]
The post “Intently Listening to ‘Mmmbop’ on Repeat”: Editor Reynolds Barney on Jamojaya first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “Intently Listening to ‘Mmmbop’ on Repeat”: Editor Reynolds Barney on Jamojaya first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 1/27/2023
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Writer-director Justin Chon returns to Sundance with Jamojaya, a film about a father-son relationship that’s made fraught by recent losses and financial difficulties. James (Brian Imanuel) is an up-and-coming Indonesian rapper who’s visiting Hawai‘i to cut his debut album, which is set to premiere on a major record label in the US. His travel companion is his dad and former manager (Yayu A.W. Unru), who can see that James is drowning in debt due to this major label acquisition. While he’s still mourning the loss of his other son, James’s father becomes his de facto assistant, micro-managing his every move—and […]
The post “Intently Listening to ‘Mmmbop’ on Repeat”: Editor Reynolds Barney on Jamojaya first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “Intently Listening to ‘Mmmbop’ on Repeat”: Editor Reynolds Barney on Jamojaya first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 1/27/2023
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Every production faces unexpected obstructions that require creative solutions and conceptual rethinking. What was an unforeseen obstacle, crisis, or simply unpredictable event you had to respond to, and how did this event impact or cause you to rethink your film? Covid had a deep impact on every aspect of film making during the production of Jamojaya. We couldn’t even get dry ice on Oahu, Hawaii because there were supply chain issues. The biggest issue we had was securing locations. Fears of lawsuits and/or liability made building owners very hesitant. We needed a conference room with windows. Ultimately, we repurposed a […]
The post “Vodka Is Very Good for You” | Justin Chon, Jamojaya first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “Vodka Is Very Good for You” | Justin Chon, Jamojaya first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 1/27/2023
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Every production faces unexpected obstructions that require creative solutions and conceptual rethinking. What was an unforeseen obstacle, crisis, or simply unpredictable event you had to respond to, and how did this event impact or cause you to rethink your film? Covid had a deep impact on every aspect of film making during the production of Jamojaya. We couldn’t even get dry ice on Oahu, Hawaii because there were supply chain issues. The biggest issue we had was securing locations. Fears of lawsuits and/or liability made building owners very hesitant. We needed a conference room with windows. Ultimately, we repurposed a […]
The post “Vodka Is Very Good for You” | Justin Chon, Jamojaya first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “Vodka Is Very Good for You” | Justin Chon, Jamojaya first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 1/27/2023
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Jamojaya takes its name after a legend: As relayed in an animated sequence narrated by Joyo (Yayu A.W. Unru), Jamojaya was a prince transformed against his will into a banyan tree. In an act of love, his brother turns himself into a bird to look for him. But their inability to communicate keeps a proper reunion forever out of reach — the bird unable to recognize his brother’s new form, the tree unable to reveal himself even when his brother stands in his branches.
It’s a story Joyo adores so much he’s named his two sons after it: James (Brian Imanuel), now an up-and-coming rapper, and Jaya, who died years ago in a plane crash. And its sense of searching permeates the entire picture, to mostly moving, occasionally frustrating effect.
Directed by Justin Chon (who, between Gook, Ms. Purple and Blue Bayou has made a specialty of bittersweet...
It’s a story Joyo adores so much he’s named his two sons after it: James (Brian Imanuel), now an up-and-coming rapper, and Jaya, who died years ago in a plane crash. And its sense of searching permeates the entire picture, to mostly moving, occasionally frustrating effect.
Directed by Justin Chon (who, between Gook, Ms. Purple and Blue Bayou has made a specialty of bittersweet...
- 1/26/2023
- by Angie Han
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
There is no shortage of stories about fathers and their kids, specifically sons. But in Justin Chon’s film, “Jamojaya,” the relationship becomes bogged down with the added aspect of career and ambition. There’s the duty that a father feels toward his son and a son’s desire to take care of himself and fly away from his father. But amidst all that, the relationship that drives the story can become a bit muddled in the imagery and silences in the film at times.
Read More: 25 Most Anticipated Movies At The 2023 Sundance Film Festival
The movie focuses on James (Brian Imanuel), a rapper from Indonesia with growing popularity in the States.
Continue reading ‘Jamojaya’ Review: Justin Chon’s Showcases A Complex Father/Son Relationship In Drama With Momentum Issues [Sundance] at The Playlist.
Read More: 25 Most Anticipated Movies At The 2023 Sundance Film Festival
The movie focuses on James (Brian Imanuel), a rapper from Indonesia with growing popularity in the States.
Continue reading ‘Jamojaya’ Review: Justin Chon’s Showcases A Complex Father/Son Relationship In Drama With Momentum Issues [Sundance] at The Playlist.
- 1/25/2023
- by Alani Vargas
- The Playlist
Deadline’s studio at the 2023 edition of the Sundance Film Festival continued with Day 4 by hosting fest-goers such as Ira Sachs, Adele Exarchopoulos, Ben Whishaw and Franz Rogowski for Passages; Marissa Torres Ericson, Erick Peyton, Peter Nicks and Sean Havey for Stephen Curry: Underrated; Chris Chalk, Raven Jackson, Charlene McClure and Sheila Atim for All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt; Kylie Rogers, Cory Finley and Tiffany Haddish from Landsape with Invisible Hand; Yayu A.W. Unru Rich Brian and Justin Chon of Jamojaya and many more.
The Deadline Studio at Sundance Film Festival runs January 20-23 at Hotel Park City, where the cast and creatives behind the best and buzziest titles in this year’s lineup sit down with Deadline’s festival team to discuss their movies and the paths they took to get to Park City.
The 2023 Sundance Film Festival takes place from January 19-29. Follow Deadline’s...
The Deadline Studio at Sundance Film Festival runs January 20-23 at Hotel Park City, where the cast and creatives behind the best and buzziest titles in this year’s lineup sit down with Deadline’s festival team to discuss their movies and the paths they took to get to Park City.
The 2023 Sundance Film Festival takes place from January 19-29. Follow Deadline’s...
- 1/23/2023
- by Robert Lang
- Deadline Film + TV
During his tenure as head of production at Columbia TriStar in the 1990s, Chris Lee oversaw such Hollywood classics as Philadelphia, Jerry Maguire and As Good As It Gets.
But behind the scenes, as the first known Asian American to lead production at a major Hollywood studio, the Hawaii native was also actively involved in nurturing the industry’s then-inchoate Aapi community of executives and creatives, co-founding in 1991 the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment.
Just over 20 years ago, Lee returned to his home state and continued his mission of developing Aapi storytellers by establishing the Academy for Creative Media across the University of Hawai’i system, where he still directs the program. Two ACM alumni have premiered features at Sundance over the past two years — Christopher Makoto Yogi with I Was a Simple Man in 2021 and Alika Maikau with Kaimuki in 2022.
This year Lee himself is returning to the...
But behind the scenes, as the first known Asian American to lead production at a major Hollywood studio, the Hawaii native was also actively involved in nurturing the industry’s then-inchoate Aapi community of executives and creatives, co-founding in 1991 the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment.
Just over 20 years ago, Lee returned to his home state and continued his mission of developing Aapi storytellers by establishing the Academy for Creative Media across the University of Hawai’i system, where he still directs the program. Two ACM alumni have premiered features at Sundance over the past two years — Christopher Makoto Yogi with I Was a Simple Man in 2021 and Alika Maikau with Kaimuki in 2022.
This year Lee himself is returning to the...
- 1/23/2023
- by Rebecca Sun
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
As a director, Justin Chon has long trafficked in stories about fractured families in heightened situations. “Gook” was about a pair of brothers running their father’s shoe store in the aftermath of his death and in the shadow of the Los Angeles riots. “Ms. Purple” followed estranged siblings trying to make amends with their father before his death. “Blue Bayou” cast Chon himself as an immigrant father attempting to stay in the U.S. while the government tries to toss him out.
Fathers, children, and terrible outside forces are also at play in his fifth feature film, “Jamojaya,” which continues Chon’s traditional obsessions but wraps them in filled with predictable problems, obvious baddies, and trite lessons. In expanding his viewpoint beyond his typically smaller-scale stories — both in terms of the film’s general plot, which follows a rising young rapper who learns (gasp) that the music industry is bad,...
Fathers, children, and terrible outside forces are also at play in his fifth feature film, “Jamojaya,” which continues Chon’s traditional obsessions but wraps them in filled with predictable problems, obvious baddies, and trite lessons. In expanding his viewpoint beyond his typically smaller-scale stories — both in terms of the film’s general plot, which follows a rising young rapper who learns (gasp) that the music industry is bad,...
- 1/23/2023
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Up-and-coming Indonesian rapper James (Brian Imanuel) has taken a major professional leap signing with an international label. But just as the music execs are eager to take his music global, they demand he dilute his cultural identity to appeal to industry trends in the West. Yet “Jamojaya” –the new feature from director Justin Chon, premiering at Sundance — is only partially about James’ tug of war with the greedy forces impatient to exploit him. A familial fissure haunts him as well.
The rising star has chosen to part ways professionally with his father and now former manager Joyo (Yayu A.W. Unru), a decision the latter hasn’t taken well. Under pressure to record his album in Hawaii, James initially welcomes his dad’s presence during an unexpected visit. The more time they spent together, however, the more toxic their exchanges turn.
Chon tries to bridge the two thematic threads — the parent-child...
The rising star has chosen to part ways professionally with his father and now former manager Joyo (Yayu A.W. Unru), a decision the latter hasn’t taken well. Under pressure to record his album in Hawaii, James initially welcomes his dad’s presence during an unexpected visit. The more time they spent together, however, the more toxic their exchanges turn.
Chon tries to bridge the two thematic threads — the parent-child...
- 1/23/2023
- by Carlos Aguilar
- The Wrap
Age-old stories of entertainment industry corruption and suffocating stage-parenting are given a freshly off-kilter perspective in writer-director Justin Chon’s “Jamojaya,” which zeroes in on a few days in the life of a rising Indonesian rapper as he attempts to cut professional ties with his former manager, who also happens to be his father. In many ways a bigger, flashier and more slippery companion piece to Chon’s memorable 2019 Sundance feature “Ms. Purple,” “Jamojaya” is elevated above its familiar narrative paces by sensitive camerawork and a pair of intriguing performances, and its suggestion that showbusiness ambitions and family ties don’t so much collide as unravel on parallel tracks.
The film debut for Jakarta-native rapper Brian “Rich Brian” Imanuel, who rocketed to sudden viral fame back in 2016, “Jamojaya” casts him as James, a young Mc who finds himself in the aftermath of a similar scenario. With enough heat on his...
The film debut for Jakarta-native rapper Brian “Rich Brian” Imanuel, who rocketed to sudden viral fame back in 2016, “Jamojaya” casts him as James, a young Mc who finds himself in the aftermath of a similar scenario. With enough heat on his...
- 1/23/2023
- by Andrew Barker
- Variety Film + TV
After 2 years of in-person viewing, the red carpet has made its return to the Sundance Film Festival 2023.
The film industry, actors, and lovers of all things cinemas braved the snowy Park City, Salt Lake City, to view the 130 films, docs, and short films that are now available to view on demand for online viewers.
Audiences came together in-person over the weekend in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Sundance Resort with talent that included Anne Hathaway, Mia Goth, Alia Shawkat, Skye P. Marshall, Jonathan Majors, Jason Momoa, Michael J. Fox, Daisy Ridley, Alexander Skarsgård, Gael Garcia Bernal, Randall Park, Brooke Shields, and more who walked press lines and red carpets for their world premieres.
Related: Deadline Studio at Sundance Film Festival 2023 – Day 3 – Jennifer Connelly, Ben Whishaw, Alia Shawkat, Cynthia Erivo & More
The 2023 program available online includes all dramatic competition films featuring the buzzed-about movies and docs that include Sometimes I think About Dying...
The film industry, actors, and lovers of all things cinemas braved the snowy Park City, Salt Lake City, to view the 130 films, docs, and short films that are now available to view on demand for online viewers.
Audiences came together in-person over the weekend in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Sundance Resort with talent that included Anne Hathaway, Mia Goth, Alia Shawkat, Skye P. Marshall, Jonathan Majors, Jason Momoa, Michael J. Fox, Daisy Ridley, Alexander Skarsgård, Gael Garcia Bernal, Randall Park, Brooke Shields, and more who walked press lines and red carpets for their world premieres.
Related: Deadline Studio at Sundance Film Festival 2023 – Day 3 – Jennifer Connelly, Ben Whishaw, Alia Shawkat, Cynthia Erivo & More
The 2023 program available online includes all dramatic competition films featuring the buzzed-about movies and docs that include Sometimes I think About Dying...
- 1/21/2023
- by Robert Lang
- Deadline Film + TV
The broad strokes of Indonesian rapper Brian Imanuel’s improbable life serve as the framework for his big-screen debut in director Justin Chon’s coming-of-age drama Jamojaya, premiering Jan. 23 in Park City. Imanuel, better known to global hip-hop fans by his stage name, Rich Brian, gives a convincing performance in the film as a fish-out-of-water musical sensation very much like his real-life self.
Born to a middle-class family in West Jakarta, Imanuel was home-schooled and taught himself English by watching YouTube videos and listening to American rappers. After experimenting with various forms of internet content creation, Imanuel began recording hip-hop at age 15 as “Rich Chigga” (a name he later said was invented out of naivete, prompting the change to “Rich Brian” after he was criticized for mocking hip-hop culture and his use of the N-word in song). He quickly became a global sensation after the video for his debut single,...
Born to a middle-class family in West Jakarta, Imanuel was home-schooled and taught himself English by watching YouTube videos and listening to American rappers. After experimenting with various forms of internet content creation, Imanuel began recording hip-hop at age 15 as “Rich Chigga” (a name he later said was invented out of naivete, prompting the change to “Rich Brian” after he was criticized for mocking hip-hop culture and his use of the N-word in song). He quickly became a global sensation after the video for his debut single,...
- 1/21/2023
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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