Macao Satellite TV Information Bureau of Macau (Editor Liu Jiming) The 2nd Macao International Film Festival & Awards Ceremony (hereinafter referred to as the Film Festival) just opened this evening (8th), with the theme of "Screen Feast, Drama like a new look". The Festival Organising Committee presented a series of wonderful films for seven consecutive days. A total of 48 outstanding Chinese and Western films, plus two projects to nurture and encourage the development of talents in the Macao film industry, totaling 16 films, were publicly screened at the Macao Cultural Centre, the Macau Tower Convention and Entertainment Centre and the Love Film Museum during the Film Festival from 8 to 14 December.
The film is diverse and dramatic
The festival showcased a number of dazzling films through the opening film Paddington 2 and different units, including: competition unit (10 films), screen extravaganza (3 films), Ten Faces Ambush (6 films), Universal Studios Overview (10 films), Classic Clash (6 films), Hollywood Special Screening (3 films), Macao Film Special Screening (2 films), Gourmet Special Screening (2 films), Special Screening (4 films) and Focus Actors (1 film). There are 48 excellent Chinese and Western films in a wide range of genres, including animation, adventure, comedy, love, sports, drama, thriller, war, documentary, science fiction, song and dance, fantasy, food, action, horror, historical fiction, mini-series and martial arts culture, etc., providing audiences with a variety of choices.
Fresh vision of the cutting-edge platform
The competition section of this year's film festival focuses on directors who have directed for the first and second time, with ten finalists: "Beast" (UK), "Cake Maker" The Cakemaker (Israel/Germany), "Guardianship Battle" Custody (France), "Battlefield Memories" Foxtrot (Israel/Germany/France/Switzerland), "Hunger Legend" The Hungry (UK/India), "Borg McEnroe" (Sweden/Denmark/Finland), "War Memory" Foxtrot (Israel/Germany/France/Switzerland), "Hunger Legend" (UK/India), "Borg McEnroe" (Sweden/Denmark/Finland), "War Memory" Hunting Season (Argentina/USA/France/Germany/Qatar), My Pure Land (UK), Three Peaks (Germany/Italy), Wrath of Silence (China) will compete for 13 awards. Five well-known film and literary figures include Chairman Luo Hong. Laurent Cantet, Joan Chen, Jessica Hausner, Lawrence Osborne and Royston Tan formed a jury to select the Best Film Award, the Jury Special Award, the Best Director Award, the Best Actor Award, the Best Actress Award, the Best Emerging Actor/Actress Award, The Best Screenplay Award and the Best Technical Contribution Award include the Macau Audience Awards, the Asian Popular Film Awards 2017, the Asian Film Nepack Awards, american Variety Magazine - Across Asia: Rising Star, International Film Star of the Year and lifetime achievement awards, all of which will be announced at the awards ceremony on December 14.
Screen extravaganza
Three films from the screen extravaganza section, "The End of the Journey", "Tamako" and "Song of Koh Samui" will be screened at the Cultural Center, where the film production teams will step on the red carpet of the festival to participate in the screening and get up close and personal with the audience.
Special exhibitions showcase Hollywood and Macau films
Hollywood's three special screenings include two films: Forgotten Water and The Robbery of the Dead, which participated in the Venice Film Festival, while another film based on a true story, "The Proud Girl of Ice", became one of the special films presented at this year's Toronto Film Festival.
The films "Love Is Colder Than Death" and "Over the Clouds and Rains", directed by two Macao directors, Ho Fei and Chan Ka Keung, will take the audience through the streets of Macau.
In addition, the special exhibition includes four films: "Our Generation", "Writing Workshop", "The Last Emperor" and "Heart Grievance".
Gourmet X movie
In line with the fact that Macau was named a UNESCO Creative Cities Network "City of Gastronomy" last month, the organisers specially arranged for food-related films to be featured in the special food screenings of this year's IFFAM, including "The Last Recipe" and "Wedding Battle", and "Cake Maker" in the competition section also happened to have gastronomic elements.
Ten ambushes The tense atmosphere of the curtain
The genres of "One Day", "Prison Purgatory", "Crime City", "Purgatory Messenger", "Mom and Dad" and "Good Boy" revolve around reasoning, thriller, crime, action, fantasy and terrorist elements to create a tense atmosphere for observation. The topic movie "Crime City" earned nearly 50 million at the box office in South Korea. Udo Kier, an actor who participated in "Prison Purgatory," will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. German-born Yudu Chiel has been in the film industry for more than 50 years, acting in more than 300 films.
Universal Studios Full View Of The Great Drama
This section features outstanding films from this year's major international film festivals, including: Call Me By Your Name, Sweet Country, Dear Grandpa, Rundown Factory, Zama, Carnival, Decibel Life, Lucy, Guardians and Welcome to Dreamland.
Classic Clash Fusion of Chinese and Western cultures
In order to integrate Chinese and Western cultures and promote different types of films, six heavyweight directors, Shega Keppel, Lin Changshu and Peng Li. Yun Dan Na Yu An, Martin. Kouhoven, Gilmore. Daytolo, Ivan. Each of them carefully selected their favorite films for the festival: "2001: A Space Odyssey", "The Silence of the Lambs", "Benevolence and the Crown", "Rashomon", "Detective", "The Night at Mong Kok".
Focus actor: Yang Ziqiong appeared at the film festival
Internationally renowned film star Yang Ziqiong appeared at the film festival with the work "Sword Rain" and film director Su Zhaobin. During the festival, she will attend the "Conversation with Yang Ziqiong" event to talk about her valuable experience in the performing arts industry over the past 30 years.
The two projects cultivate talents in Macao's film industry
This year, 24 young filmmakers from Macau participated in a filming education programme jointly organised by THE FILM FESTIVAL and the British Film Institute (BFI), and two short films were produced on a low budget under the careful guidance of BFI professionals: Blood Bound and Red Dragon Clarity, which will be screened publicly on 10 December.
In addition, this year, the IFFAM fully supported the "New Forces of Macao Image" project sponsored by the Macao Cultural Centre, providing a screening platform for the works commissioned by it, and the 14 shortlisted works "If the Chicken Doesn't Cry", "Click", "For the Next Generation", "Grandma, Grandma", "Perfect", "Xinhua Grand Hotel - Behind the Scenes", "Lao", "Expedition", "Pedal Life", "Grandpa's Old House", "Boring Drama", "Just Meet, Night", "Macau Day Trip", "Illegal" It will be on 12 and 14 December respectively.
One of the special food screenings: "Wedding Battle"
Yang Ziqiong is the focus actor of this year's film festival
(Source: Macau Satellite TV)