It’s That Time of The Year Again in New York City

It’s that time of the year, when two of America’s leading asian film festivals, The New York Asian Film Festival and The Asian American International Film Festival, take place in New York City. From local box office hits to award-winning indie productions, fans of Chinese language cinema will not run out of options this month.

Film Festivals

A still from “Wrath of Silence”

17th New York Asian Film Festival 2018 (June 30-July 15)

From vicious, life-destroying phone scams to balletic battles between equally corrupt cops and yakuza, NYAFF offers films that reflect on contemporary society while offering extreme genre pleasures. There are self-referential takes on cinematic zombies, existential date nights, and teens finding their own corners of the world despite familial and societal expectations….This year, the NYAFF presents 21 films from the greater China region:

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Dude’s Manual (Kevin Ko, 100min, China, 2018)

07/14 at SVA Theatre

Taiwan’s Kevin Ko makes his first feature in China with this unexpectedly moving romcom dressed up as a ribald sex comedy, part of a new trend in Chinese films exploring the battle of the sexes.

End of Summer (Zhou Quan, 102min, China, 2017)

07/06 at Walter Reade Theater

It’s 1998 and fifth grader Xiaoyang is caught up in China’s World Cup obsession, but his strict father, who is also the school headmaster, forbids him from playing sports. He soon finds an ally in outspoken neighbor Grandpa Zheng, who secretly trains him for the soccer team tryout. But the summer takes a surprising turn when Xiaoyang sees what looks like a romance brewing between his father and a new teacher. End of Summer beautifully conveys the bittersweet coming-of-age of three different generations through the eyes of an innocent boy, set in the picturesque Venice-like region of Jiangnan.

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The Ex-Files 3: The Return of the Exes (Tian Yusheng, 120min, China, 2017)

07/06 at Walter Reade Theater

The allegedly final film in the hugely popular Ex-Files series in the first based on an original script. This new creative freedom has resulted in the most mature installment yet, with the perspectives of both sexes given equal weight. Hang Geng and Ryan Zheng again star as yuppie buddies. The film is about how love isn’t always enough, no matter where one lives in the world. The highlight is the nearly silent six-minute breakup scene that opens the film, proving that Chinese cinema is exploring romantic relationships with greater sharpness than anywhere else in Asia today.

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Looking for Lucky (Jiang Jiachen, 102min, China, 2017)

07/08 at Walter Reade Theater

International Premiere · Director Jiang Jiachen will be in attendance

The Looming Storm (Dong Yue, 102min, China, 2017)

07/07 at Walter Reade Theater

North American Premiere · Q&A with director Dong Yue

Old Beast (Zhou Ziyang, 110min, China, 2017)

07/03 at Walter Reade Theater

Set in Inner Mongolia, this punchy debut feature follows unrepentant Lao Yang as he whiles away his final years by gambling in mahjong parlors, neglecting his bedridden wife for a young mistress, and swindling his children out of cash at every turn.

Wrath of Silence (Xin Yukun, 119min, China, 2018)

07/09 at Walter Reade Theater

Searching for his missing son in the rough mountains of Northern China, a mute, fiercely stubborn miner (martial arts star Song Yang) confronts a world of corruption led by a villainous coal tycoon (Jiang Wu) in this gripping contemporary mystery. New York Premiere · Q&A with director Xin Yukun and actor Jiang Wu, who will receive the Star Asia Award

The Big Call (Oxide Pang, 123min, China, 2017)

07/04 at Walter Reade Theater

Dastardly phone scammers are stealing millions from all walks of life. Altruistic young policeman Ding stealthily combines forces with a highly skilled female undercover agent to stop them.

Gatao 2: Rise of the King (Yen Cheng-Kuo, 126min, Taiwan, 2018)

07/04 at Walter Reade Theater

The Last Verse (Tseng Ying-ting, 100min, Taiwan, 2018)

07/07 at Walter Reade Theater

Missing Johnny (Huang Xi, 104min, Taiwan, 2017)

07/07 at Walter Reade Theater

On Happiness Road (Sung Hsin-Yin, 111min, Taiwan, 2017)

07/08 at Walter Reade Theater

The Bold, the Corrupt, and the Beautiful (Yang Ya-Che, 112min, Taiwan, 2017)

07/05 at Walter Reade Theater

There are no men in the Tang family, run by the devious Madame Tang (Kara Wai), hard-hearted matriarch and shady syndicate leader. This stylized melodrama, a spectacle of family dysfunction and moral depravity, is intensified by its actresses’ chilling performances.

41th Asian American International Film Festival (July 25-August 4)

a still from “Dead Pigs”

Meditation Park (Mina Shum, 94min, Canada, 2017)

07/27 at Village East Cinema

60-year-old Maria Wang lives an ordinary, homebody life in East Vancouver. She chats with her neighbors, exercises in the park with her husband, Bing, and tidies up the house. One day while doing laundry, she reaches into Bing’s suit pocket and finds an orange g-string thong. Propelled by shock, sadness, and fear, she goes on a journey outside of her home to find out what her husband has been up to. Q&A to follow with filmmaker

Letter from Masanjia (Leon Lee, 75min, China, 2018)

07/28 at Village East Cinema

When a woman in Oregon opens a box of Halloween decorations and finds a shocking letter written by a political prisoner from inside a Chinese labour camp, her discovery makes waves across major news outlets worldwide. The author of the letter, Sun Yi, breaks through internet firewalls and learns that his letter has received international attention. Capitalizing on this moment, he joins forces with an underground network of journalists and Chinese dissidents to reveal the dark depths of the entire story.

Dead Pigs (Cathy Yan, 130min, China & USA, 2017)

07/28 at Village East Cinema

Five lives suddenly collide when pig farmer Old Wang’s entire stock dies en masse and turns up in Shanghai’s waterways, setting off a public health crisis.

Cathy Yan’s DEAD PIGS assembles a cast of characters who embody dreamers, deadbeats, and ambitious movers who must answer the question of what the individual should do in a country relentlessly marching away from its past and toward progress. Q&A to follow with filmmaker

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A Touch of Spring (Xiaodan He, 87min, China & Canada, 2017)

07/29 at Village East Cinema

A TOUCH OF SPRING is a beautifully composed, dreamy art film with a keen eye for the vistas of China, juxtaposing the mundanity of Li Fang’s Montreal and the vibrance of Dazu. The naturalistic performances and raw emotion make this film feel just like coming home.

Ritoma (Ruby Yang, 58min, Taiwan, 2018)

07/29 at Village East Cinema

On any given day on the vast Tibetan Plateau, you will find nomads herding their yaks and sheep, and monks reciting their mantras. You will also find them playing one of their favorite sports — basketball. Makeshift courts are found in nearly every village. Next to traditional horseback riding, basketball has become a way for young men to work off their aggression and channel their energy. With the introduction of televised NBA games, the nomads of Ritoma have a new strategy for their court game. And when a proper coach arrives from the United States, slam-dunk becomes their new mantra.

Late Life: The Chien-Ming Wang Story (Frank W. Chen, 99min, USA, 2018)

07/29 at Village East Cinema

Chien-Ming Wang was a supernova in Taiwan. His success as the ace of the New York Yankees rocketed him to a cult-like status on the island nation. His face was so ubiquitous and his impact so meaningful, that he gained the title of “Pride of Taiwan”—a national honor with which he was never fully comfortable. Wang, a man of quiet, humble disposition, never sought out the attention. All he wanted to do was play. Q&A to follow with filmmaker

Theatrical Releases

a still from “Animal World”

Still In Theater:

Animal World (Han Yan, 125 min, China, 2018)

Opened on 06/29 at AMC Empire 25

A man finds himself deep in debt and is coerced to board a ship that hosts a risky gambling party.

The Leakers (Herman Yau, 90min, Hong Kong, 2018)

Opened on 06/29 at AMC Empire 25

After mutated Zika epidemic happens in Malaysia, illegal hacker group ‘The Leakers’ network with Hong Kong police David tries to disclose pharmaceutical company AMANAH Malaysia’s conspiracy and crimes.

New Release: 

Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings (Tsui Hark, China, 2018)

Opens on 07/27 at AMC Empire 25

A bold and exciting new entry into the smash hit wuxia fantasy franchise from master action director Tsui Hark, DETECTIVE DEE: THE FOUR HEAVENLY KINGS sees the detective embroiled in his most difficult case yet. Accused of wrongdoing by Empress Wu, Detective Dee must defend himself against this formidable foe, all while investigating a crime wave that has engulfed the city, marked by strange and seemingly supernatural occurrences.

Special Series and Screenings

A still from “Eight Diagram Pole Fighter”

The Grandmaster: Lau Kar-leung: MOMA

07/05-07/17 at The Museum of Modern Art

Many directors and actors have been associated with the kung fu genre, Hong Kong cinema’s most unique creation, but no one compares to Lau Kar-leung (1937–2013), aka Liu Chia-liang, as a purist of the genre and the kung fu form. Trained in the southern Hung Fist tradition, Lau practiced under his father, whose teacher was a direct disciple of Wong Fei-hung (1847–1924), the legendary martial artist and folk hero whose life has been fictionalized in over 100 films. This lineage formed the foundation of Lau’s work as both a director and kung fu practitioner.

This series includes 10 films Lau made for the Shaw Brothers. The director himself appears in six of the films, in a variety of leading and supporting roles, alongside many of his favorite kung fu stars, including Gordon Liu Chia-hui, Kara Wai, and Hsiao Hao.