 New
York Asian Film Festival 2015 Review
June 26th – July 11th, 2015
The 14th New York Asian Film Festival 2015 took place from June 26th till
July 11th. The popular annual event showcased some the best of the best
Asian films from past, present, and future. This year New York Asian Film
Festival(NYAFF) featured 54 films, including 2 World Premieres, 3 International
Premieres, 14 North American Premieres, 5 U.S. Premieres, and 12 New York
City debuts. NYAFF 2015 featured five focus programs: Hong Kong Panorama;
Myung Films: Pioneers and Women Behind the Camera in Korean Film; New
Cinema from Japan; Taiwan Cinema Now!; and The Last Men in Japanese Film,
a joint tribute to actors Ken Takakura and Bunta Sugawara, both of whom
passed away last November.
The festival was attended by 18 international filmmakers and celebrity
guests traveling from Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and the US,
headlined by this year’s NYAFF award recipients: Hong Kong’s
legendary director Ringo Lam (Lifetime Achievement Award), Hong Kong superstar
Aaron Kwok
(Star Asia Award), and Japanese actor Shota Sometani (Screen International
Rising Star Award). AsiaFinest was on hand for most of the film screenings
that featured a guest stars. We took hundreds of pictures and videos at
the NYAFF 2015, so be sure to check them out. Below is a quick summary
of the events that we covered during the NYAFF 2015.
NYAFF Opening Day: June 26th 2015
 The
opening day started off with HKETO
Press Conference featuring Aaron Kwok and Ringo Lam in New York. NYAFF’s
Opening Night presentation was the North American Premiere of Philip Yung’s
Port of Call. The film centers on the brutal murder of a 16-year-old
Hunan girl who moves to Hong Kong with her family and falls into prostitution.
Winding through time and grounded by Christopher Doyle’s gauzy cinematography,
the film follows both the story of the young girl’s descent into
sex work and the grizzled detective (Aaron Kwok) who obsessively works
to solve the murder. Kwok is astonishing here in a career-best performance,
with all the tics and haggard body language of a man beaten down by the
violence that threatens to drown him at every turn.
The opening night kicked off with an awesome percussion drum performance
by the all female musician group Cobu. Cobu combines elements of the Japanese
traditional Taiko drumming with rhythmic tap dancing. Cobu
Pictures || Cobu
Drum Video
Aaron Kwok
attended the screening and was presented with Star Asia Award before the
Port of Call movie screening. Aaron was very thankful for the Star Asia
Award and spoke about his new movie Port of Call. Aaron Kwok came back
the following day at the 2nd screening of Port of Call and stayed for
a Q&A with the audience after the movie. We highly recommend that
you watch our Q&A videos of Aaron Kwok. It quite entertaining and
humorous.
Aaron
Kwok Port of Call Screening Pictures || Videos: Aaron
Kwok Star Asia Award Speech | Port of Call Q&A
Part 1 | Q&A
Part 2 | Q&A
Part 3 | Q&A
Part 4 | Q&A
Part 5
AsiaFinest.com attended as many screening as we could fit in our schedule.
We covered most of the films that had a special guest attending. Be sure
to check out the pictures and Q&A videos that we covered from each
film screening listed below.
 CITY
ON FIRE
RINGO LAM, 1987 | CAST: CHOW YUN-FAT, DANNY LEE, SUEN YUET, ROY CHEUNG
HONG KONG | CANTONESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | FORMAT: 35mm | 100 MINUTES
Ringo Lam’s classic heist-gone-bad flick is the movie that made Chow
Yun-fat (playing an undercover cop) a star and provided Quentin Tarantino
with the basis for Reservoir Dogs. The film features heartbreak to spare
for the little people trying to eke out a living at the end of a gun.
Director Ringo Lam attended the screening and was presented with the Lifetime
Achievement Award. The City of Fire movie was show in it's original film.
The original film was so old that part of the film burned in the projector
midway through the City of Fire screening. A true classic film.
Ringo
Lam Award Pictures || Ringo
Lam Lifetime Achievemen Award Video
 FUNUKE,
SHOW SOME LOVE YOU LOSERS!
DAIHACHI YOSHIDA, 2007 | CAST: ERIKA SATO, MASATOSHI NAGASE, HIROMI
NAGASAKU
JAPAN | JAPANESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | FORMAT: 35MM | 112 MINUTES
Seduction, persecution, prostitution, suicide, and more greet the Wago
family’s three siblings who return home for their parent’s funeral
after they’re killed while trying to save a kitten. Yoshida’s
twisted, smart, and deftly handled first film is as black as a comedy
can get, yet wrapped in a lighthearted exterior.
Director Daihachi Yoshida attended the screening and did a question and
answer with audience members.
Funuke,
Show Some Love You Loser! Screening Pictures || Videos: Q&A
Part 1 || Q&A
Part 2
 KABUKICHO
LOVE HOTEL
RYUICHI HIROKI, 2014 | CAST: SHOTA SOMETANI, ATSUKO MAEDA, LEE EUN-WOO,
ROY (SON IL-KWON)
JAPAN | JAPANESE AND KOREAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | FORMAT: DCP | 136
MINUTES
Taking place over 24 hours in a Tokyo love hotel, this steamy and poignant
character-driven ensemble drama from director Ryuichi Hiroki (Vibrator)
looks at ordinary people as they experience life-changing events.
Director Ryuichi Hiroki and star Shota Sometani attended the screening.
Shota Sometani was presented with the Screen International Rising Star
Award and did a question and answer with audience members after the movie.
TOKYO TRIBE
SION SONO, 2014 | CAST: RYOHEI SUZUKI, DAIS YOUNG, NANA SEINO, SHUNSUKE
DAITO, TAKUYA ISHIDA, YUI ICHIKAWA, MIKA KANO, SHOTA SOMETANI, SHOKO NAKAGAWA,
RYUTA SATO
JAPAN | JAPANESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | FORMAT: DCP | 116 MINUTES Told
almost entirely in hip-hop, Sion Sono’s berserk rap musical about
warring gangs in Tokyo is full of tanks, B-boy battles, and so many baroque
visual flourishes that the entire movie feels like Versailles stabbing
you in both eyes. Screen International Rising Award winner Star Shota
Sometani attended the screening but only introduced the film.
Kabukicho
Love Hotel Screening Pictures || Videos: Kabukicho Love Hotel Q&A
Part 1 | Q&A
Part 2 | Shota
Sometani Rising Star Award | Tokyo
Tribe Introduction (Shota Raps)
 TWO
THUMBS UP
LAU HO-LEUNG, 2015 | CAST: FRANCIS NG, SIMON YAM, PATRICK TAM, MARK CHENG
HONG KONG | CANTONESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | FORMAT: DCP | 102 MINUTES
Old-school Hong Kong action-comedy at its finest, Two Thumbs Up stars
Simon Yam and Francis Ng as ex-cons who disguise themselves as policemen
to pull a heist. But it turns out they kind of like being cops...
Director Lau Ho-leung attended the screening and did a question and answer
with audience members. The audience loved his M&M socks that he was
wearing which he brought while he was here in New York City.
Two
Thumbs Up Screening Pictures || Videos: Q&A
Part 1 | Q&A
Part 2
THE LAST REEL
KULIKAR SOTHO, 2014 | CAST: MA RYNET, ROUS MONY, DY SAVETH, HUN SOPHY
CAMBODIA | KHMER WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | FORMAT: DCP | 106 MINUTES
This gorgeous and engaging drama about a rebellious Cambodian girl determined
to shoot the missing ending of a 40-year-old movie starring her mother
is a meditation on Cambodia’s past and present, and the power of
art. The director was scheduled to appear for this filming but unfortunately
didn't get to make it.
 IT’S
ALREADY TOMORROW IN HONG KONG
EMILY TING, 2014 | CAST: JAMIE CHUNG, BRYAN GREENBERG, RICHARD NG
HONG KONG/USA | ENGLISH | FORMAT: DCP | 78 MINUTES
This compelling walk-and-talk romance à la Richard Linklater,
centered on two Hong Kong expats who randomly cross paths one night,
is as much about the attraction between the leads as it is about the
love of Hong Kong.
Director Emily Ting and actors Jamie Chung and Bryan Greenberg attended
the screening and did a question and answer with audience members.
It’s
Already Tomorrow In Hong Kong Screening Pictures || Videos: Q&A
Part 1 | Q&A
Part 2
CART
BOO JI-YOUNG, 2014 | CAST: YUM JUNG-AH, MOON JUNG-HEE, KIM YOUNG-AE,
KIM KANG-WOO, HWANG JEONG-MIN, CHUN WOO-HEE
SOUTH KOREA | KOREAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | FORMAT: DCP | 103 MINUTES
In this pro-union flick, the 99% rise up after a bunch of female employees
at a chain retail giant (think Wal-Mart) get laid off via text message.
When they decide to go on strike, management calls in the thugs...
Director Boo Ji-young and producer Shim Jae-myung attended the screening
and did a question and answer with audience members.
Cart
Screening Pictures || Videos: The
President Last Bang & Cart Introduction | Q&A
Part 1 | Q&A
Part 2
INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE
 BANGLASIA
NAMEWEE, 2015 | CAST: NIRAB HOSSAIN, SAIFUL APEK, NAMEWEE, ATIKAH SUHAIME
MALAYSIA | MALAY, ENGLISH, MANDARIN, AND HOKKIEN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES
|
FORMAT: DCP | 91 MINUTES
From the director of festival fave foodie flick Nasi Lemak 2.0 comes
this wild and crazy Western full of musical numbers and humor so slaphappy
it’ll leave your head spinning. It was banned in Malaysia for being
too political, so we’re proud to screen it.
Director/actor/singer Namewee attended the screening and did a question
and answer with audience members. Namewee introduced the movie and even
took a selfie with the audience. He stayed around after the Banglasia
screening to take pictures with his fans.
Banglasia
Screening Pictures || Videos: Namewee
Banglasia Movie Introduction | Q&A
Part 1 | Q&A
Part 2
CLOSING NIGHT FILM
 COIN
LOCKER GIRL
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
HAN JUN-HEE, 2015 | CAST: KIM HYE-SOO, KIM KO-EUN
SOUTH KOREA | KOREAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 110 MINUTES
Straight outta Cannes comes this high velocity mash-up of Mommie Dearest
and Goodfellas, Veteran Korean diva, Kim Hye-Soo (The Thieves) brings
high caliber thesping to her star turn as the most toxic mommy on earth.
Back in 1996, a corrupt cop in her employ found Il Young (Kim Ko-Eun,
recipient of Rising Star Award at NYAFF 2013) abandoned in a coin locker,
and he brought her to the criminal queen bee played by Kim Hye-Soo.
Discovering that the foundling has a talent for mayhem, mom raises her
up and trains her to go after the people who owe her money and snap
their fingers like breadsticks. But, one day, her kid meets a guy she’d
rather not mutilate, and so she defies her adoptive mom’s orders.
Hell hath no fury like a mother scorned, and soon they’re tearing
the city apart as they work out their mother-daughter issues with fists,
guns, and knives.
Director Han Jun-hee attended the screening and did a question and answer
with audience members.
Coin
Locker Girl Screening Pictures || Videos: Q&A
Part 1 | Q&A
Part 2
Conclusion
NYAFF was located conveniently at Film Society of Lincoln Center’s
Walter Reade Theate, as well as SVA Theatre’s Beatrice and Silas
Theatres this year. The event ran smoothly, and NYAFF even had a prize
drawing at most of the screening! We had a great time covering the event.
We loved the diversity in the film selection at the New York Asian Film
Festival 2015. There was something for everyone. We definitely highly
recommend everyone try to attend next year film festival if they could.
If you can't attend, be sure to watch the films that was selected for
the film festival. A lot of the films are relatively unknown outside of
their countries, so this gives the film a lot of exposure. It would be
a shame if people missed out on some of these classic films.
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