Headlines from China: What’s The Best Chinese Language Film in 2019, In Chinese Film Critics’ Opinion? 

What’s The Best Chinese Language Film in 2019, In Chinese Film Critics’ Opinion? 

Hong Kong filmmaker Norris Wong’s directorial debut, the 2019 indie film My Prince Edward has won the 5th annual Cinephile Prize, a film prize given by a jury that consists of a group of film critic from the Great China region. The prize was presented to Norris Wong at the ceremony in Beijing on January 6. Guest presenters include Chinese directors Jia Zhangke, Lu Chuan, Wang Xiaoshuai, Diao Yinan, as well as producers Wang Hongwei and Zhang Xianmin. With a mission of encouraging young filmmakers’ creativity, the annual grand prize is awarded to one Chinese-language film, which is selected by the jury among 10 nominated titles. All nominees are works by first-time or second-time filmmakers. In addition, the prize committee announced the “20 Best Chinese-language Movies of the Past 20 Years,” a list of movies that selected through a voting participated by more than 200 Chinese and international filmmakers, critics, and scholars. Taiwanese auteur Edward Yang’s film Yi Yi topped the list. The second and third place were taken by Wong Kar-wai’s In the Mood for Love and Jiang Wen’s Devils on the Doorstep, respectively. Read more on Mtime

‘A Cool Fish’ Director Shoots New Film Starring Andy Lau

Chinese Filmmaker Rao Xiaozhi just completed the shooting of his new film Endgame in January, according to Chinese film site 1905.com. A film poster and several group photos of cast and crew were also released on January 7, which showed that the film stars Hong Kong A-lister Andy Lau, actor Xiao Yang, and actress Wan Qian. Rao’s previous directorial work, the small-budget comedy film A Cool Fish, was a black horse of 2018, which grossed RMB794 million (US$114.32 M) at the box office. The new film Endgame, also a comedy, tells a story of cold-blooded killer Zhou Quan (Andy Lau) and downcast actor Chen Xiaomeng (Xiao Yang) who exchange their identities in an accident, which leads to a series of humorous stories. Read more on 1905.com