Acclaimed Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou is to be feted with two honours at the Asian Film Awards on Sunday (March 10) in recognition of his career and recent box office success.
Zhang will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2023 Highest-Grossing Asian Film Award for Full River Red, which made $667m worldwide according to ticketing agency Maoyan following its release in January last year.
It marks a return to AFAs for the director, who won the Asian Film Contribution Award at in 2010 and best director in 2021 for One Second.
“Having been in the industry for over four decades, I am grateful...
Zhang will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2023 Highest-Grossing Asian Film Award for Full River Red, which made $667m worldwide according to ticketing agency Maoyan following its release in January last year.
It marks a return to AFAs for the director, who won the Asian Film Contribution Award at in 2010 and best director in 2021 for One Second.
“Having been in the industry for over four decades, I am grateful...
- 3/7/2024
- ScreenDaily
Veteran mainland Chinese director Zhang Yimou is to be honored twice over at the Asian Film Awards ceremony on Sunday. He will be presented with a lifetime achievement award and a separate prize for directing the highest-grossing Asian film of 2023.
“These two awards are not only a testament to Zhang’s extraordinary achievements, but also to his continued success, having won the Asian film contribution award at the 4th AFAs in 2010 and the best director award at the 15th Asian Film Awards in 2021 for ‘One Second’,” Afa organizers said.
“I consider myself very fortunate to have chosen filmmaking as my lifelong profession. Having been in the industry for over four decades, I am grateful to everyone who appreciates my films [..] I will keep learning and strive to surpass myself. Always having anticipations for the future, I hope that my best film will be my next one,” said Zhang in a prepared statement.
“These two awards are not only a testament to Zhang’s extraordinary achievements, but also to his continued success, having won the Asian film contribution award at the 4th AFAs in 2010 and the best director award at the 15th Asian Film Awards in 2021 for ‘One Second’,” Afa organizers said.
“I consider myself very fortunate to have chosen filmmaking as my lifelong profession. Having been in the industry for over four decades, I am grateful to everyone who appreciates my films [..] I will keep learning and strive to surpass myself. Always having anticipations for the future, I hope that my best film will be my next one,” said Zhang in a prepared statement.
- 3/7/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
The director of ‘House Of Flying Daggers’ and ‘Full River Red’ will attend the festival in October.
Acclaimed Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou is to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) later this month.
The director of House Of Flying Daggers and more recently box office hit Full River Red, which will screen in the gala strand of TIFF, will be honoured in recognition of his career and long-standing contributions to the film industry.
The filmmaker will receive the award at the TIFF opening ceremony on October 23 and later participate in a talk as part...
Acclaimed Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou is to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) later this month.
The director of House Of Flying Daggers and more recently box office hit Full River Red, which will screen in the gala strand of TIFF, will be honoured in recognition of his career and long-standing contributions to the film industry.
The filmmaker will receive the award at the TIFF opening ceremony on October 23 and later participate in a talk as part...
- 10/10/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Chinese filmmaking icon Zhang Yimou will receive the Tokyo International Film Festival’s lifetime achievement award, the event’s organizers revealed Tuesday. Zhang will be presented with the honor at the Tokyo festival’s opening ceremony on Oct. 23 in “recognition of his extraordinary career and long-standing contributions to the film industry.” The director will later participate in a special talk session at the TIFF Lounge, a panel series curated by noted Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda.
The most prominent of China’s fabled “Fifth Generation” of filmmakers, Zhang made his directorial debut in 1988 with Red Sorghum, which won the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. He has directed 25 features since, including Ju Dou (1990), Raise the Red Lantern (1991), and Hero (2003) — all Oscar nominees in the best international film category. Hero and his 2004 follow-up, House of Flying Daggers, are among China’s most internationally successful commercial films of all time, having earned $147 million and $83 million,...
The most prominent of China’s fabled “Fifth Generation” of filmmakers, Zhang made his directorial debut in 1988 with Red Sorghum, which won the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. He has directed 25 features since, including Ju Dou (1990), Raise the Red Lantern (1991), and Hero (2003) — all Oscar nominees in the best international film category. Hero and his 2004 follow-up, House of Flying Daggers, are among China’s most internationally successful commercial films of all time, having earned $147 million and $83 million,...
- 10/10/2023
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Legendary Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou’s period thriller Full River Red — the world’s biggest blockbuster of 2023, so far, with $644 million and counting at China’s theatrical box office — is headed to the U.S.
Specialty distributor Niu Vision Media has acquired North American rights to the film and lined up a limited release March 17 in 150 theaters across the U.S. and Canada. Niu Vision picked up Full River Red from Bill Kong’s Edko Films, which is handling worldwide sales on the film and will continue offering it to buyers in select territories at next week’s Filmart industry confab in Hong Kong.
Produced by rising studio Huanxi Media, Full River Red was the big winner at China’s Lunar New Year box office race in late January. Frank Guo’s sci-fi sequel The Wander Earth 2 was the market favorite in the lead-up to the lucrative holiday release period,...
Specialty distributor Niu Vision Media has acquired North American rights to the film and lined up a limited release March 17 in 150 theaters across the U.S. and Canada. Niu Vision picked up Full River Red from Bill Kong’s Edko Films, which is handling worldwide sales on the film and will continue offering it to buyers in select territories at next week’s Filmart industry confab in Hong Kong.
Produced by rising studio Huanxi Media, Full River Red was the big winner at China’s Lunar New Year box office race in late January. Frank Guo’s sci-fi sequel The Wander Earth 2 was the market favorite in the lead-up to the lucrative holiday release period,...
- 3/9/2023
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Hamaguchi Ryusuke’s “Drive My Car,” Japan’s entry to the Academy Awards’ international category, looks to be the odds on favorite from Asia to win the category.
The drama with a theater world backdrop follows the trajectory of South Korean four-statuette winner “Parasite” in that it began its winning ways at Cannes and is festooned with awards en route to the Oscars. “Parasite” won the Palme d’Or, which “Drive My Car” did not, with that honor this year going to Julia Ducournau’s “Titane,” which became France’s entry to the category. It also recently won at the New York Film Critics Circle.
Nevertheless, “Drive My Car” won three awards at Cannes and has the added advantage of U.S. distribution, where it is currently on theatrical release.
The 2008 win for Takita Yojiro’s “Departures” remains Japan’s only win since the category was made competitive in 1956.
While...
The drama with a theater world backdrop follows the trajectory of South Korean four-statuette winner “Parasite” in that it began its winning ways at Cannes and is festooned with awards en route to the Oscars. “Parasite” won the Palme d’Or, which “Drive My Car” did not, with that honor this year going to Julia Ducournau’s “Titane,” which became France’s entry to the category. It also recently won at the New York Film Critics Circle.
Nevertheless, “Drive My Car” won three awards at Cannes and has the added advantage of U.S. distribution, where it is currently on theatrical release.
The 2008 win for Takita Yojiro’s “Departures” remains Japan’s only win since the category was made competitive in 1956.
While...
- 12/12/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Mubi’s spending spree is rolling on.
The art house film streaming platform and theatrical distributor has added yet another buzzy title to its library following a very active few months, buying all rights for renowned Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou’s period drama One Second, this year’s Toronto Film Festival closer, for the U.K., Ireland, Germany and Turkey.
The Cultural Revolution-set film, written by Zhang — best known for films such as Raise the Red Lantern, Hero, and House of Flying Daggers, and the the first Chinese filmmaker to receive Oscar recognition (for 1990’s Ju Dou) — along with Zou Jingzhi and ...
The art house film streaming platform and theatrical distributor has added yet another buzzy title to its library following a very active few months, buying all rights for renowned Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou’s period drama One Second, this year’s Toronto Film Festival closer, for the U.K., Ireland, Germany and Turkey.
The Cultural Revolution-set film, written by Zhang — best known for films such as Raise the Red Lantern, Hero, and House of Flying Daggers, and the the first Chinese filmmaker to receive Oscar recognition (for 1990’s Ju Dou) — along with Zou Jingzhi and ...
- 7/27/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Mubi’s spending spree is rolling on.
The art house film streaming platform and theatrical distributor has added yet another buzzy title to its library following a very active few months, buying all rights for renowned Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou’s period drama One Second, this year’s Toronto Film Festival closer, for the U.K., Ireland, Germany and Turkey.
The Cultural Revolution-set film, written by Zhang — best known for films such as Raise the Red Lantern, Hero, and House of Flying Daggers, and the the first Chinese filmmaker to receive Oscar recognition (for 1990’s Ju Dou) — along with Zou Jingzhi and ...
The art house film streaming platform and theatrical distributor has added yet another buzzy title to its library following a very active few months, buying all rights for renowned Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou’s period drama One Second, this year’s Toronto Film Festival closer, for the U.K., Ireland, Germany and Turkey.
The Cultural Revolution-set film, written by Zhang — best known for films such as Raise the Red Lantern, Hero, and House of Flying Daggers, and the the first Chinese filmmaker to receive Oscar recognition (for 1990’s Ju Dou) — along with Zou Jingzhi and ...
- 7/27/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Gong Li established herself as one of the biggest international stars to come out of China in the early 1990s, starring in the Oscar-nominated films “Ju Dou,” “Raise the Red Lantern” and “Farewell My Concubine” in a four-year stretch and then cementing her global stardom with films like “Memoirs of a Geisha” and “Miami Vice.” And while director Niki Caro made good use of her imperious glamour in last year’s “Mulan,” the actress tried something different with “Leap,” this year’s Chinese entry in the Oscars Best International Feature Film race.
Peter Chan’s film is a real-life sports drama, and Gong Li’s usual style is nowhere to be seen in her performance as Lang Ping, a former women’s volleyball star who as coach helped lead the Chinese national team to worldwide success. It’s a different look for Gong — bespectacled, with close-cropped hair and a wardrobe...
Peter Chan’s film is a real-life sports drama, and Gong Li’s usual style is nowhere to be seen in her performance as Lang Ping, a former women’s volleyball star who as coach helped lead the Chinese national team to worldwide success. It’s a different look for Gong — bespectacled, with close-cropped hair and a wardrobe...
- 2/2/2021
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Bookmark this page for all the latest international feature submissions.
Submissions for the best international feature film award at the 2021 Academy Awards have started to come in, and Screen is keeping a running list of each film below.
Scroll down for the full list
The 93rd Academy Awards is set to take place on April 25, 2021. It was originally set to be held on February 28, before both the ceremony and eligibility period were postponed for two months due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Submitted films must have been released in their respective countries between the expanded dates of October 1, 2019, and December 31, 2020. (Last year it was October-September.
Submissions for the best international feature film award at the 2021 Academy Awards have started to come in, and Screen is keeping a running list of each film below.
Scroll down for the full list
The 93rd Academy Awards is set to take place on April 25, 2021. It was originally set to be held on February 28, before both the ceremony and eligibility period were postponed for two months due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Submitted films must have been released in their respective countries between the expanded dates of October 1, 2019, and December 31, 2020. (Last year it was October-September.
- 12/4/2020
- by Ben Dalton¬Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Bookmark this page for all the latest international feature submissions.
Submissions for the best international feature film award at the 2021 Academy Awards have started to come in, and Screen is keeping a running list of each film below.
Scroll down for the full list
The 93rd Academy Awards is set to take place on April 25, 2021. It was originally set to be held on February 28, before both the ceremony and eligibility period were postponed for two months due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Submitted films must have been released in their respective countries between the expanded dates of October 1, 2019, and December 31, 2020. (Last year it was October-September.
Submissions for the best international feature film award at the 2021 Academy Awards have started to come in, and Screen is keeping a running list of each film below.
Scroll down for the full list
The 93rd Academy Awards is set to take place on April 25, 2021. It was originally set to be held on February 28, before both the ceremony and eligibility period were postponed for two months due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Submitted films must have been released in their respective countries between the expanded dates of October 1, 2019, and December 31, 2020. (Last year it was October-September.
- 12/3/2020
- by Ben Dalton¬Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Chinese authorities have officially registered and approved a new Korean War-era film from director Zhang Yimou whose Chinese name translates to “The Coldest Gun.”
It will be written by Chen Yu, the screenwriter who also partnered with Zhang on his upcoming crime thriller “Under the Light,” and produced by Li Feng Culture, a small firm whose only credit to date appears to be as a minor co-producer on the patriotic National Day film “My People, My Homeland,” which hit cinemas Oct. 1 and has made $289 million so far. According to an official government filing that emerged online Wednesday, the project has been approved by Chinese authorities and can move forward with shoots.
The film will tell the story of a 22-year-old sniper named Zhang Dagong as he fights against U.S. troops during the Korean War. He is based on the real-life personage Zhang Taofang, a Jiangsu native born in 1931 who...
It will be written by Chen Yu, the screenwriter who also partnered with Zhang on his upcoming crime thriller “Under the Light,” and produced by Li Feng Culture, a small firm whose only credit to date appears to be as a minor co-producer on the patriotic National Day film “My People, My Homeland,” which hit cinemas Oct. 1 and has made $289 million so far. According to an official government filing that emerged online Wednesday, the project has been approved by Chinese authorities and can move forward with shoots.
The film will tell the story of a 22-year-old sniper named Zhang Dagong as he fights against U.S. troops during the Korean War. He is based on the real-life personage Zhang Taofang, a Jiangsu native born in 1931 who...
- 10/9/2020
- by Rebecca Davis
- Variety Film + TV
The First International Film Festival this week announced that it will occur with in-person screenings from July 26 to August 3 in China’s Qinghai province — implying that cinemas will be open in at least parts of the country by the end of the month.
This would make it among the first festivals in the world to occur since the novel coronavirus, and one of few that has not had to cancel or change its originally planned dates. First follows at least two other in-person events: Taiwan’s Taipei Film Festival (June 25 to July 11) and France’s Fid Marseille (July 7-13).
China’s showcase Shanghai Intl. Film Festival was postponed from its original June time slot. It is believed to be looking for a late July revival, but those plans have not been made public.
First’s official selection of 13 feature films, eight documentaries and 13 shorts will compete for a series of ten awards.
This would make it among the first festivals in the world to occur since the novel coronavirus, and one of few that has not had to cancel or change its originally planned dates. First follows at least two other in-person events: Taiwan’s Taipei Film Festival (June 25 to July 11) and France’s Fid Marseille (July 7-13).
China’s showcase Shanghai Intl. Film Festival was postponed from its original June time slot. It is believed to be looking for a late July revival, but those plans have not been made public.
First’s official selection of 13 feature films, eight documentaries and 13 shorts will compete for a series of ten awards.
- 7/2/2020
- by Rebecca Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Whatever you think of his checkered oeuvre, Zhang Yimou is undeniably a maestro of modern Chinese cinema. Few could match the international acclaim or box office success earned by the 66-year-old director, whose artistic path mirrors the breathtaking steps made in Chinese history and film industry. While his early works helped catapult Chinese cinema to the global festival spotlight, his middle phase led the way in commercial blockbusters with Chinese characteristics.
Zhang will receive the Jaeger-LeCoultre Glory to the Filmmaker award in Venice ahead of the out-of-competition screening of “Shadow”on Sept. 6.
The allure of Zhang’s filmmaking often comes from the screen divas and captivating female roles he cultivates. Gong Li, who collaborated with him nine times, remains the most luminous presence. So good is he at plucking talent out of obscurity that every time a new project is announced, the media eagerly awaits the next “Mou Girl.”
Born in 1950 in Xi’an,...
Zhang will receive the Jaeger-LeCoultre Glory to the Filmmaker award in Venice ahead of the out-of-competition screening of “Shadow”on Sept. 6.
The allure of Zhang’s filmmaking often comes from the screen divas and captivating female roles he cultivates. Gong Li, who collaborated with him nine times, remains the most luminous presence. So good is he at plucking talent out of obscurity that every time a new project is announced, the media eagerly awaits the next “Mou Girl.”
Born in 1950 in Xi’an,...
- 9/6/2018
- by Maggie Lee
- Variety Film + TV
The Great Wall movie with Matt Damon: awkward-accented British mercenary fights the Taotie in costly Chinese-American collaboration. 'The Great Wall' movie: Zhang Yimou-Matt Damon collaboration evidence that – for better or for worse – countries can work together In this divisive age, when countries are turning inward with a nationalist, xenophobic fervor, it's comforting to know that the United States and China, their relationship mercurial and wary, can work together and, in the spirit of cooperation and unity, make a terrible movie. A co-production between Legendary East (the Chinese arm of Burbank, California-based, Legendary Entertainment) and China Film Group, The Great Wall is reportedly the most expensive film ever shot in China, a nation with aspirations to make films that rival Hollywood in their scope and success. Hollywood is willing to help if it ultimately leads to the release of more of its films in the tightly controlled Chinese market,...
- 1/28/2017
- by Mark Keizer
- Alt Film Guide
With a script seemingly written by algorithm, this dour follow-up to Ang Lee’s dazzling original film comes across like a poor episode of Game of Thrones
Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was, at its release in late 2000, one of those rare moments in moviegoing when everyone seemed to agree. From the director of Sense and Sensibility, this international co-production seemed like a film for the so-called prestige audience, in the vein of Ju Dou or Raise the Red Lantern. But at the 15-minute mark it cut loose with dreamlike martial arts action to rouse even the most jaded of kung fu VHS traders. With its nuanced characters, epic mythology, gorgeous cinematography, breathless action, iconic score (I can go on! It’s terrific!) word of mouth was unstoppable. The film advanced to suburban multiplexes, shattering (and still holding) box office records for a foreign language film in the United States.
Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was, at its release in late 2000, one of those rare moments in moviegoing when everyone seemed to agree. From the director of Sense and Sensibility, this international co-production seemed like a film for the so-called prestige audience, in the vein of Ju Dou or Raise the Red Lantern. But at the 15-minute mark it cut loose with dreamlike martial arts action to rouse even the most jaded of kung fu VHS traders. With its nuanced characters, epic mythology, gorgeous cinematography, breathless action, iconic score (I can go on! It’s terrific!) word of mouth was unstoppable. The film advanced to suburban multiplexes, shattering (and still holding) box office records for a foreign language film in the United States.
- 2/26/2016
- by Jordan Hoffman
- The Guardian - Film News
Once upon a time, the filmmaker Zhang Yimou and his then-muse Gong Li collaborated on some of the most momentous works of new Chinese cinema. The films they made were diverse. They included lush, ruthless period dramas like Ju Dou and Raise the Red Lantern, as well as a neo-neorealist tale of bureaucracy gone haywire, The Story of Qiu Ju. Though ostensibly apolitical, these films nevertheless painted vivid portraits of a society where the status quo — whether it consisted of the traditionalist mores of the past, or the state machinery of the present — was forever stifling. (Their masterful 1994 collaboration To Live actually got Zhang banned from filmmaking for two years by China’s state censors.) The pair — also romantically linked for a while — eventually went their separate ways, though both continued to grow in stature. Zhang became a state-approved filmmaker of (admittedly still pretty great) historical epics like Hero and The House of Flying Daggers,...
- 9/11/2015
- by Bilge Ebiri
- Vulture
Sony Pictures Classics has released the exquisite first trailer for Zhang Yimou’s Coming Home, opening in New York and Los Angeles September 9th.
Lu Yanshi (Chen Daoming) and Feng Wanyu (Gong Li) are a devoted couple forced to separate when Lu is arrested and sent to a labor camp as a political prisoner, just as his wife is injured in an accident. Released during the last days of the Cultural Revolution, he finally returns home only to find that his beloved wife has amnesia and remembers little of her past. Unable to recognize Lu, she patiently waits for her husband’s return.
A stranger alone in the heart of his broken family, Lu Yanshi determines to resurrect their past
together and reawaken his wife’s memory
The film was an official selection at the Cannes Film Festival 2014 and the Toronto International Film Festival 2014.
One of the most important and influential filmmakers in China,...
Lu Yanshi (Chen Daoming) and Feng Wanyu (Gong Li) are a devoted couple forced to separate when Lu is arrested and sent to a labor camp as a political prisoner, just as his wife is injured in an accident. Released during the last days of the Cultural Revolution, he finally returns home only to find that his beloved wife has amnesia and remembers little of her past. Unable to recognize Lu, she patiently waits for her husband’s return.
A stranger alone in the heart of his broken family, Lu Yanshi determines to resurrect their past
together and reawaken his wife’s memory
The film was an official selection at the Cannes Film Festival 2014 and the Toronto International Film Festival 2014.
One of the most important and influential filmmakers in China,...
- 6/9/2015
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
At the moment of this typing 67 films have been announced by their home countries as Oscar submissions and our famous charts are all updated to tell you about them with posters, running times, languages spoken, official site links, synopsis and more. This year's race has three countries who've never submitted before (Kosovo, Mauritania, and Panama). That's not a record since that was also true last year. Can we attribute the continual growth of this category to the general democratization of film now that (nearly) everything is digital and filmmaking is (theoretically) more affordable? Or perhaps it's a sure sign that the Oscar is still one of the most significant icons around the world?
The most exciting news this past week was Russia daringly choosing Cannes hit Leviathan - not the kind of film they normally would send.Other new additions to the chart include Egypt's Factory Girl, India's Liar's Dice,...
The most exciting news this past week was Russia daringly choosing Cannes hit Leviathan - not the kind of film they normally would send.Other new additions to the chart include Egypt's Factory Girl, India's Liar's Dice,...
- 9/30/2014
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Speculating about what might be at Cannes is not something I do so as to prevent the envy but the reunion of director Zhang Yimou with his most beloved muse Gong Li is definitely something to consider. Together they made six international hits, four of them Oscar-nominated (Raise the Red Lantern, Ju Dou, Shanghai Triad, Curse of the Golden Flower), the first two are among the best Chinese films ever made.
Their seventh collaboration just released first stills and a nearly wordless teaser (embedded below).
The film is planning a May premiere at home so Cannes would make sense. The film is based on the novel "The Criminal Lu Yanshi" by Yan Geling about a long term prisoner (Chen Daoming) who, upon release, returns to his wife (Gong Li) who no longer recognizes him. The film also features Miss Chinese Toronto winner (2009) Candy Chang. There's a whole name for young...
Their seventh collaboration just released first stills and a nearly wordless teaser (embedded below).
The film is planning a May premiere at home so Cannes would make sense. The film is based on the novel "The Criminal Lu Yanshi" by Yan Geling about a long term prisoner (Chen Daoming) who, upon release, returns to his wife (Gong Li) who no longer recognizes him. The film also features Miss Chinese Toronto winner (2009) Candy Chang. There's a whole name for young...
- 3/21/2014
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
In a landmark move, Universal Pictures have signed award-winning Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou (The Flowers Of War) to direct their planned film adaptation of Robert Ludlum’s The Parsifal Mosaic. According to Deadline, this collaboration will mark the first time a mainland Chinese director has signed on for an English-language film for a Us film studio.
Zhang Yimou – a director, producer, actor, writer and former cinematographer – is no stranger to the concept of blazing a trail. In 1990, his film Ju Dou became the first Chinese movie to be nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award. More recently, he directed both the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games.
The Parsifal Mosaic has been in development at Universal for some time. Quickly becoming a bestseller for author Robert Ludlum after it was published in 1982, it tells the story of Robert Havelock – a Us State Department Intelligence...
Zhang Yimou – a director, producer, actor, writer and former cinematographer – is no stranger to the concept of blazing a trail. In 1990, his film Ju Dou became the first Chinese movie to be nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award. More recently, he directed both the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games.
The Parsifal Mosaic has been in development at Universal for some time. Quickly becoming a bestseller for author Robert Ludlum after it was published in 1982, it tells the story of Robert Havelock – a Us State Department Intelligence...
- 2/14/2014
- by Sarah Myles
- We Got This Covered
Exclusive: What’s a Robert Ludlum thriller without an unexpected plot twist? How about Universal Pictures setting Zhang Yimou to direct The Parsifal Mosaic, the Ludlum bestseller that Imagine Entertainment’s Brian Grazer and Ron Howard are producing with Captivate’s Jeffrey Weiner and Ben Smith? I’m told this is the first time that a mainland Chinese director has signed to do an English-language film with a film studio in the U.S. That was the goal when, in May 2012, CAA signed the filmmaker whose film Ju Dou became the first Chinese feature to be nominated for an Oscar, and who also directed the dazzling Opening Ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. It is not clear yet whether this will be his first Hollywood film or not because he has other irons in the fire. Zhang’s films include the BAFTA-winning Raise The Red Lantern, Hero, House Of Flying Daggers...
- 2/14/2014
- by MIKE FLEMING JR
- Deadline
[Editor's note: The last time I published a list of this sort Christian Bale was way up top and then The Fighter happened. Time for a new look at the Oscar Nomination-less. While I'm in Sundance, abstew steps in with his list. My list (and I'm sure yours) might not be exactly the same but... discuss! - Nathaniel]
This past Thursday, when the Oscar nominations were announced, only eight actors were hearing their names called for the first time (the Best Actress category was all previous nominees and 80% winners). Some were for film debuts (Lupita Nyong'o and Barkhad Abdi), but for the other 6 names (Ejiofor, McConaughey, Fassbender, Leto, Hawkins, and Squibb) it was their first recognition from the Academy after years of hard work and dedication to their craft. But not every great actor ever gets to hear their name called Oscar nomination morning. Despite powerful performances and decades of service to the film industry, sometimes a nomination (let alone a win) evades the greats. For some, the oversite will never be remedied (Marilyn Monore, Edward G. Robinson, Myrna Loy, Peter Lorre, Jean Harlow, and John Barrymore are just some of Hollywood's finest that went without the prefix Academy Award Nominee), but for many great actors still working today there is still time.
This past Thursday, when the Oscar nominations were announced, only eight actors were hearing their names called for the first time (the Best Actress category was all previous nominees and 80% winners). Some were for film debuts (Lupita Nyong'o and Barkhad Abdi), but for the other 6 names (Ejiofor, McConaughey, Fassbender, Leto, Hawkins, and Squibb) it was their first recognition from the Academy after years of hard work and dedication to their craft. But not every great actor ever gets to hear their name called Oscar nomination morning. Despite powerful performances and decades of service to the film industry, sometimes a nomination (let alone a win) evades the greats. For some, the oversite will never be remedied (Marilyn Monore, Edward G. Robinson, Myrna Loy, Peter Lorre, Jean Harlow, and John Barrymore are just some of Hollywood's finest that went without the prefix Academy Award Nominee), but for many great actors still working today there is still time.
- 1/21/2014
- by abstew
- FilmExperience
Our daily January countdown continues with the sixth out of 30, in our listing of the 300 Greatest Films Ever Made. These are numbers 250-241.
250) The Usual Suspects (1995) Bryan Singer USA
249) Adam’S Rib (1949) George Cuckor USA
248) Ju Dou (1989) Zhang Yimou China/ Japan
247) Alien (1979) Ridley Scott USA
246) Spirited Away (2001) Hayao Miyazaki Japan Animated
245) The Killing Fields (1984) Roland Joffe British
244) Cinderella (1950) Walt Disney USA Animated
243) Picnic At Hanging Rock (1975) Peter Weir Australia
242) Alexander Nevski (1938) Sergei Eisenstein Russia
241) This Is Spinal Tap (1984) Rob Reiner USA
Numbers 240-231 coming next.
film cultureClassicslist300...
250) The Usual Suspects (1995) Bryan Singer USA
249) Adam’S Rib (1949) George Cuckor USA
248) Ju Dou (1989) Zhang Yimou China/ Japan
247) Alien (1979) Ridley Scott USA
246) Spirited Away (2001) Hayao Miyazaki Japan Animated
245) The Killing Fields (1984) Roland Joffe British
244) Cinderella (1950) Walt Disney USA Animated
243) Picnic At Hanging Rock (1975) Peter Weir Australia
242) Alexander Nevski (1938) Sergei Eisenstein Russia
241) This Is Spinal Tap (1984) Rob Reiner USA
Numbers 240-231 coming next.
film cultureClassicslist300...
- 1/7/2013
- by feeds@cinelinx.com (Rob Young)
- Cinelinx
Zhang Yimou ("Raise the Red Lantern," "Ju Dou," "Hero," "House of the Flying Daggers") has been making movies in his homeland of China, from within the system, for the past two and a half decades. During this time, he has witnessed, and participated in, the gradual, incremental thawing of Chinese relations with the West, and the partial loosening of the viselike grip of governmental control over film production. Honored with a tribute at the Marrakech International Film Festival, and presenting his newest film "The Flowers of War", Zhang spoke, through two translators (Mandarin-French, French-English) to a small group of journalists about his filmmaking life under a notoriously repressive regime, the themes he revisits, and working with Christian Bale. Here are five highlights from that conversation. 1. Yimou's characteristic focus on female protagonists is his way of paying tribute to his mother. "I respect women a lot...
- 12/8/2012
- by Jessica Kiang
- The Playlist
Chinese actress Gong Li is undoubtedly one of her nation's biggest stars. Since her screen debut in celebrated director Zhang Yimou's Red Sorghum in 1987, she's been his constant muse, appearing a dozen of his productions, including the Oscar-nominated dramas Ju Dou, Raise the Red Lantern, and Curse of the Golden Flower. But the gorgeous actress, who hasn't seemed to age a day since the '90s, has also made her mark in American cinema, memorably playing the cruel and calculating Hatsumomo in Rob Marshall's Academy Award-winning adaptation Memoirs of a Geisha. THR reports China and the Us will unite to produce the English-language drama The Last Empress, and quite rightly Li has been selected to star. The ambitious film will follow the life of Empress Cixi, who used her incredible charm and confidence to rule the last imperial dynasty of China effectively.though unofficially.for nearly fifty years. She...
- 9/18/2012
- cinemablend.com
A couple of years ago, there appeared within a week of each other two serious, sober films about one of the worst atrocities of an atrocious century, the Japanese siege and destruction of Nanking in the winter of 1937-38 that resulted in the massacre of some 300,000 civilians. Lu Chuan's black-and-white City of Life and Death tells the story from the point of view of the Chinese victims and the Japanese invaders. Florian Gallenberger's restrained City of War: The Story of John Rabe observes the events through the eyes of a group of European residents, among them a Schindler figure, boss of the Siemens factory (and, ironically, a Nazi party member), who created a safety zone that saved the lives of 200,000 Chinese citizens.
Zhang Yimou, one of China's most talented film-makers (his landmark movies include Red Sorghum, Raise the Red Lantern and Ju Dou), has unwisely imposed a largely fictionalised story on this appalling incident.
Zhang Yimou, one of China's most talented film-makers (his landmark movies include Red Sorghum, Raise the Red Lantern and Ju Dou), has unwisely imposed a largely fictionalised story on this appalling incident.
- 8/4/2012
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
Despite having a huge budget, global aspirations and Christian Bale, the harrowing Chinese film The Flowers of War bombed in the Us. Will the setback deter China's ambitious film-makers?
Few could question Zhang Yimou's ambition. In the 1980s and 1990s, he won acclaim with the likes of Ju Dou and Raise the Red Lantern. In the 2000s, he stormed to global box-office success with Hero. Though Danny Boyle's Olympics opener is now fresher in the mind, Zhang's spectacular staging of the Beijing opening ceremony four years ago left a lasting impression of Chinese capability that any of history's greatest propagandists would have envied. It also signified that Zhang, who hailed from a family with a Chinese nationalist past and was once seen as a subversive film-maker, had been welcomed into the fold of official Communist party approval.
Zhang's latest production, The Flowers of War, hits British cinemas Friday – and aims even higher.
Few could question Zhang Yimou's ambition. In the 1980s and 1990s, he won acclaim with the likes of Ju Dou and Raise the Red Lantern. In the 2000s, he stormed to global box-office success with Hero. Though Danny Boyle's Olympics opener is now fresher in the mind, Zhang's spectacular staging of the Beijing opening ceremony four years ago left a lasting impression of Chinese capability that any of history's greatest propagandists would have envied. It also signified that Zhang, who hailed from a family with a Chinese nationalist past and was once seen as a subversive film-maker, had been welcomed into the fold of official Communist party approval.
Zhang's latest production, The Flowers of War, hits British cinemas Friday – and aims even higher.
- 8/3/2012
- by Alex von Tunzelmann
- The Guardian - Film News
Gong Li in (but not as) Marco Polo? Director Tarsem Singh (Immortals / Mirror Mirror) and producer Gianni Nunnari (300 / 300: Battle of Artemisia) are reportedly working on a film project about the life of the Italian explorer, previously incarnated on screen by the likes of Gary Cooper (in Archie Mayo’s The Adventures of Marco Polo, 1938), Rory Calhoun (Piero Pierotti and Hugo Fregonese’s Marco Polo, 1962), Horst Buchholz (Denys de La Patellière and Raoul Lévy’s Marco the Magnificent, 1965), and Ian Somerhalder (Kevin Connor’s TV movie Marco Polo, 2007). According to Screen Daily, the Chinese Gong Li would play a Mongolian princess. In Memoirs of a Geisha Gong played a Japanese geisha. She hasn’t played any Swedes yet, I don’t think, even though that would be karmic. After all, Swedish-born Warner Oland was a frequent "Chinaman," including Charlie Chan, in numerous Hollywood movies of the ’20s and ’30s. The...
- 5/29/2012
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Exclusive: As CAA continues to bolster its presence in China, the agency has added one of the country’s premier filmmakers to the client roster. It has signed Zhang Yimou, whose film Ju Dou became the first Chinese feature to be nominated for an Oscar, and who also directed the dazzling opening ceremonies for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The agency will rep his Chinese films, and bring him into the Hollywood fold as well. His films include the BAFTA-winning Raise The Red Lantern, Hero, House Of Flying Daggers and most recently the Christian Bale-starrer Flowers Of War. The filmmaker continues to be managed by Mo Zhang and Catherine Pang in China.
- 5/9/2012
- by MIKE FLEMING
- Deadline
In The Flowers Of War, Director Zhang Yimou (Raise The Red Lantern, Ju Dou, Hero, House Of Flying Daggers) tells an epic story of love and sacrifice. The film, set during Japan's 1937 invasion of China, is told from a young girl's point of view, not as a history lesson, but as an intimate, elemental and paradoxically universal celebration of the human spirit. Bale stars as a dissolute Westerner who seeks refuge in a Catholic church. There he meets a beautiful Chinese courtesan who helps him rescue a group of schoolgirls from a terrible fate at the hands of the Japanese. The Flowers Of War was adapted by Liu Heng and Geling Yan from the novel by Geling Yan. The film is produced by Zhang Weiping (marking his tenth collaboration with Zhang Yimou) under his New Pictures Film banner. The...
- 1/21/2012
- by Pietro Filipponi
- The Daily BLAM!
New clip from The Flowers of War, starring Christian Bale, Ni Ni, Xinyi Zhang and Paul Schneider. Helmed by Zhang Yimou (Raise the Red Lantern, Ju Dou, Hero, House of the Flying Daggers) from the script by Liu Heng, based on the novel by Geling Yan, The Flowers of War tells an epic story of love and sacrifice. The new clip is called "Permit," courtesy of Yahoo Movies. The film, set during Japan’s 1937 invasion of China, is told from a young girl’s point of view, not as a history lesson, but as an intimate, elemental and paradoxically universal celebration of the human spirit. Bale stars as a dissolute Westerner who seeks refuge in a Catholic church. There he meets a beautiful Chinese courtesan who helps him rescue a group of schoolgirls from a terrible fate at the hands of the Japanese.
- 1/21/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
New clip from The Flowers of War, starring Christian Bale, Ni Ni, Xinyi Zhang and Paul Schneider. Helmed by Zhang Yimou (Raise the Red Lantern, Ju Dou, Hero, House of the Flying Daggers) from the script by Liu Heng, based on the novel by Geling Yan, The Flowers of War tells an epic story of love and sacrifice. The new clip is called "Permit," courtesy of Yahoo Movies. The film, set during Japan’s 1937 invasion of China, is told from a young girl’s point of view, not as a history lesson, but as an intimate, elemental and paradoxically universal celebration of the human spirit. Bale stars as a dissolute Westerner who seeks refuge in a Catholic church. There he meets a beautiful Chinese courtesan who helps him rescue a group of schoolgirls from a terrible fate at the hands of the Japanese.
- 1/21/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
New clip from The Flowers of War, starring Christian Bale, Ni Ni, Xinyi Zhang and Paul Schneider. Helmed by Zhang Yimou (Raise the Red Lantern, Ju Dou, Hero, House of the Flying Daggers) from the script by Liu Heng, based on the novel by Geling Yan, The Flowers of War tells an epic story of love and sacrifice. The new clip is called "Permit," courtesy of Yahoo Movies. The film, set during Japan’s 1937 invasion of China, is told from a young girl’s point of view, not as a history lesson, but as an intimate, elemental and paradoxically universal celebration of the human spirit. Bale stars as a dissolute Westerner who seeks refuge in a Catholic church. There he meets a beautiful Chinese courtesan who helps him rescue a group of schoolgirls from a terrible fate at the hands of the Japanese.
- 1/21/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Chicago – In our latest foreign-language edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 35 admit-two movie passes up for grabs to the Golden Globe-nominated foreign-language film “The Flowers of War” starring Christian Bale from the director of “Hero”!
“The Flowers of War” from director Yimou Zhang also stars Ni Ni, Xinyi Zhang, Paul Schneider, Shigeo Kobayashi, Atsurô Watabe, Dawei Tong, Tianyuan Huang, Bai Xue, Takashi Yamanaka, Shawn Dou, Kefan Cao and Hai-Bo Huang from writer Heng Liu based on the novel by Geling Yan. The film opens in Chicago on Jan. 20, 2012.
To win your free pass to the advance Chicago screening of “The Flowers of War” courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just answer our question below. That’s it! This advance screening is on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2011 at 7 p.m. in downtown Chicago. Directions to enter this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup and win can be found beneath the graphic below.
The movie poster for...
“The Flowers of War” from director Yimou Zhang also stars Ni Ni, Xinyi Zhang, Paul Schneider, Shigeo Kobayashi, Atsurô Watabe, Dawei Tong, Tianyuan Huang, Bai Xue, Takashi Yamanaka, Shawn Dou, Kefan Cao and Hai-Bo Huang from writer Heng Liu based on the novel by Geling Yan. The film opens in Chicago on Jan. 20, 2012.
To win your free pass to the advance Chicago screening of “The Flowers of War” courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just answer our question below. That’s it! This advance screening is on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2011 at 7 p.m. in downtown Chicago. Directions to enter this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup and win can be found beneath the graphic below.
The movie poster for...
- 1/14/2012
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
The latest feature from internationally heralded Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou, The Flowers of War, is not a tale of soldiers and strategies, but rather of the women and children caught in the crossfire of war. Based on Geling Yan’s novel The Thirteen Flowers of War, this sweeping historical drama is set amidst the horrific backdrop of the Rape of Nanjing, the six-week period in which the Japanese invaded Nanjing, China, and killed hundreds of thousands of Chinese civilians, then–as the weeks drew on–raped the survivors. Yimou, who has created such visually stunning features as House of Flying Daggers and Ju Dou, does not shy away from the brutal realities of this heinous moment in history. The film’s violence is unrelenting and yet beautiful, punctuated with the bold colors for which Yimou is known. For example, when a war-torn building is blown sky high, amid the gore and dust,...
- 12/16/2011
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
In the past few days, we’ve seen a beautiful set of posters and dozens of great images for this year’s Oscar entry from China, The Flowers of War, previously titled Nanjing Heroes and 13 Flowers of Nanjing.
The film, which is led by Christian Bale, has renowned director Zhang Yimou (Hero, House of Flying Daggers) at the helm, and we got our first look at it back in October with an incredibly powerful first trailer.
We’ve now got the first Us trailer for the film to share with you, via Collider, and it is every bit as powerful as the first. A few of the shots we get in this new look are things we saw in the first trailer, but the vast majority is new here, and it all looks incredibly well done, not to mention incredibly moving.
“Internationally acclaimed filmmaker Zhang Yimou (Raise the Red Lantern,...
The film, which is led by Christian Bale, has renowned director Zhang Yimou (Hero, House of Flying Daggers) at the helm, and we got our first look at it back in October with an incredibly powerful first trailer.
We’ve now got the first Us trailer for the film to share with you, via Collider, and it is every bit as powerful as the first. A few of the shots we get in this new look are things we saw in the first trailer, but the vast majority is new here, and it all looks incredibly well done, not to mention incredibly moving.
“Internationally acclaimed filmmaker Zhang Yimou (Raise the Red Lantern,...
- 12/12/2011
- by Kenji Lloyd
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
We have added the new full movie trailer for director Zhang Yimou (Hero, House of Flying Daggers) upcoming war drama, "The Flowers of War." Set during the 1937 Japanese invasion of Japan, the film stars Christian Bale and female newcomer, Ni Ni in the leading roles.Watch the brilliant new trailer for "The Flowers of War" below;"The Flowers of War" opens in New York for 1 week from December 21st and in Los Angeles/San Francisco from December 23rd also for a week. A wide release for the movie is expected in 2012.Internationally acclaimed filmmaker Zhang Yimou (Raise the Red Lantern, Ju Dou, Hero, House of the Flying Daggers) tells an epic story of love and sacrifice in The Flowers Of War,...
- 12/12/2011
- by Anthony Pearson
- Monsters and Critics
We’ve got a new trailer for Zhang Yimou’s film The Flowers of War, starring Christian Bale, to be distributed through Us’ Wrekin Hill banner. If anything The Flowers of War is a shoe in for the Best Foreign Language award at the Oscars, luckily the trailer for the film is in English. Many have praised Bale’s performance in the movie, calling it riveting and compelling. In the movie Bale plays as an American man saving young girls at a church in occupied Naking.
Watch the trailer for Zhang Yimou’s latest movie The Flowers of War below.
The Flowers of War is scheduled to hit theaters December 21 for an Oscar qualifying run and will expand for wide release in January.
Here’s the official synopsis for the movie.
Internationally acclaimed filmmaker Zhang Yimou (Raise the Red Lantern, Ju Dou, Hero, House of the Flying Daggers) tells an...
Watch the trailer for Zhang Yimou’s latest movie The Flowers of War below.
The Flowers of War is scheduled to hit theaters December 21 for an Oscar qualifying run and will expand for wide release in January.
Here’s the official synopsis for the movie.
Internationally acclaimed filmmaker Zhang Yimou (Raise the Red Lantern, Ju Dou, Hero, House of the Flying Daggers) tells an...
- 12/11/2011
- by Mike Lee
- FusedFilm
Zhang Yimou's Christian Bale starring Nanjing Massacre film The Flowers Of War is China's submission for the Best Foreign Language Film at the upcoming Oscars but Us distributors Wrekin Hill are clearly hoping for more as they currently gear up for an awards qualifying run. And to help boost up the name recognition a wee bit they've also just released the first Us trailer for the picture.Internationally acclaimed filmmaker Zhang Yimou (Raise the Red Lantern, Ju Dou, Hero, House of the Flying Daggers) tells an epic story of love and sacrifice in The Flowers Of War, starring Christian Bale and introducing Ni Ni. The film, set during the Japanese invasion of China, is told from a young girl's point of view, not as a...
- 12/10/2011
- Screen Anarchy
Got time? Check out the new trailer for Chinese director Zhang Yimou’s World War II drama “The Flowers of War”, starring Christian Bale and lots of Chinese women fighting against some meanie Japanese types. It’s similar to the first trailer for the movie that surfaced last month, though I think this one is geared more towards an English-speaking audience, with the focus squarely on Bale’s priest character and the women who shows up at his church for help. Internationally acclaimed filmmaker Zhang Yimou (Raise the Red Lantern, Ju Dou, Hero, House of the Flying Daggers) tells an epic story of love and sacrifice in The Flowers Of War, starring Christian Bale and introducing Ni Ni. The film, set during the Japanese invasion of China, is told from a young girl’s point of view, not as a history lesson, but as an intimate, elemental and paradoxically universal celebration of the human spirit.
- 12/10/2011
- by Nix
- Beyond Hollywood
3 posters and the trailer for Zhang Yimou’s The Flowers of War, starring Christian Bale Helmed by Zhang Yimou (Raise the Red Lantern, Ju Dou, Hero, House of the Flying Daggers), The Flowers of War tells an epic story of love and sacrifice. Pic is is China's bid for the Best Foreign Language Oscar and is produced by Zhang Weiping via his New Pictures company, working together with Yimou for a tenth time. Liu Heng adapts the screenplay, based on the novel by Geling Yan. The Flowers of War is set during Japan’s 1937 invasion of China, is told from a young girl’s point of view, not as a history lesson, but as an intimate, elemental and paradoxically universal celebration of the human spirit. Bale stars as a dissolute Westerner who seeks refuge in a Catholic church. There he meets a beautiful Chinese courtesan who helps him rescue a...
- 12/6/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
3 posters and the trailer for Zhang Yimou’s The Flowers of War, starring Christian Bale Helmed by Zhang Yimou (Raise the Red Lantern, Ju Dou, Hero, House of the Flying Daggers), The Flowers of War tells an epic story of love and sacrifice. Pic is is China's bid for the Best Foreign Language Oscar and is produced by Zhang Weiping via his New Pictures company, working together with Yimou for a tenth time. Liu Heng adapts the screenplay, based on the novel by Geling Yan. The Flowers of War is set during Japan’s 1937 invasion of China, is told from a young girl’s point of view, not as a history lesson, but as an intimate, elemental and paradoxically universal celebration of the human spirit. Bale stars as a dissolute Westerner who seeks refuge in a Catholic church. There he meets a beautiful Chinese courtesan who helps him rescue a...
- 12/6/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
3 posters and the trailer for Zhang Yimou’s The Flowers of War, starring Christian Bale Helmed by Zhang Yimou (Raise the Red Lantern, Ju Dou, Hero, House of the Flying Daggers), The Flowers of War tells an epic story of love and sacrifice. Pic is is China's bid for the Best Foreign Language Oscar and is produced by Zhang Weiping via his New Pictures company, working together with Yimou for a tenth time. Liu Heng adapts the screenplay, based on the novel by Geling Yan. The Flowers of War is set during Japan’s 1937 invasion of China, is told from a young girl’s point of view, not as a history lesson, but as an intimate, elemental and paradoxically universal celebration of the human spirit. Bale stars as a dissolute Westerner who seeks refuge in a Catholic church. There he meets a beautiful Chinese courtesan who helps him rescue a...
- 12/6/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Zhang Yimou
Chinese film producer and director Zhang Yimou will be the 2011 recipient of the Fiapf Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film in the Asia-Pacific region. It was announced by the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Apsa) and Fiapf-International Federation of Film Producers Associations announced on Tuesday.
The awards will be given at the fifth annual Asia Pacific Screen Awards ceremony on Australia’s Gold Coast on November 24.
As the recipient of the Fiapf Award, Zhang Yimou will be inducted into the Asia Pacific Screen Academy, joining fellow Fifth Generation filmmakers Tian Zhuangzhuang and Chen Kaige.
Zhang Yimou began his filmmaking career with Red Sorghum, starring legendary Chinese actress Gong Li in her first leading role. It won a Golden Bear for Best Picture at the 38th Berlin International Film Festival in 1988. In 1990, Zhang’s film Ju Dou became China’s first Academy Awards nomination in the Best Foreign Film category.
Chinese film producer and director Zhang Yimou will be the 2011 recipient of the Fiapf Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film in the Asia-Pacific region. It was announced by the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Apsa) and Fiapf-International Federation of Film Producers Associations announced on Tuesday.
The awards will be given at the fifth annual Asia Pacific Screen Awards ceremony on Australia’s Gold Coast on November 24.
As the recipient of the Fiapf Award, Zhang Yimou will be inducted into the Asia Pacific Screen Academy, joining fellow Fifth Generation filmmakers Tian Zhuangzhuang and Chen Kaige.
Zhang Yimou began his filmmaking career with Red Sorghum, starring legendary Chinese actress Gong Li in her first leading role. It won a Golden Bear for Best Picture at the 38th Berlin International Film Festival in 1988. In 1990, Zhang’s film Ju Dou became China’s first Academy Awards nomination in the Best Foreign Film category.
- 11/9/2011
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
Tusi Tamasese's The Orator For the time being, 63 countries are in the running for nominations in 2012 Academy Awards' Best Foreign Language Film category. Notable among those is New Zealand, submitting its first entry ever, Tusi Tamasese's Samoan-language O Le Tulafale / The Orator. Of course, there's a good chance the final number of official contenders will go down as a consequence of disqualifications due to, say, deadlines or the amount of either foreignness or country-ness. The Orator, by the way, would not have been eligible a few years ago, as Samoan isn't one of New Zealand's official languages. In fact, this New Zealand entry was filmed in Samoa by a Samoan-born director using Samoan actors speaking Samoan. In fact, it's considered the very first Samoan movie ever. Now, before anyone sends The Orator back to the South Pacific, let me clarify that Tamasese is based in New Zealand, much...
- 10/14/2011
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Earlier in the month we celebrated with Happy Happy director Anne Sewitsky when her dulcet dogme dramedy was selected as Norway’s submission for the 84th Annual Academy Awards’ foreign-language category. Since then a bevy of other countries have chosen their entries, many of which will be screened at part of the New York Film Festival in a few weeks including: Wim Wenders’s Pina, Aki Kaurismaki’s Le Havre, Béla Tarr’s The Turin Horse, Joseph Cedar’s Footnote, Asghar Farhadi’s A Separation and Gerardo Naranjo’s Miss Bala. {Look for reviews in the coming weeks here.}
Among other notable entries is China’s submission The Flowers of War, a historical drama that reveals the invasion of the Japanese Imperial Army in 1937 Nanking. The film’s director Zhang Yimou has twice earned Oscar nods in this category (for Raise the Red Lantern and Ju Dou) and notably directed...
Among other notable entries is China’s submission The Flowers of War, a historical drama that reveals the invasion of the Japanese Imperial Army in 1937 Nanking. The film’s director Zhang Yimou has twice earned Oscar nods in this category (for Raise the Red Lantern and Ju Dou) and notably directed...
- 9/24/2011
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
In the most mainstream-ready news yet for this year's Best Foreign Language Film competition, China has submitted Zhang Yimou's The Flowers of War. The movie has changed titles at least three times now (literally) but yes, that's the very expensive Christian Bale film based on Geling Yan's historical novel The 13 Flowers of Nanjing which is about the Nanjing massacre when Japanese soldiers slaughtered Chinese civilians in 1937. Bale will play a priest who is helping to save Chinese citizens. I believe previous titles included The 13 Women of Nanjing and Nanjing Heroes. After a very long production the movie will supposedly be opening this December.
Zhang Yimou and Christian Bale on the set
Christian Bale in a still from the film that just can't pick a title!
Zhang Yimou is a superstar as auteurs go, having previously directed international hits and awards magnets like Ju Dou (Oscar nominee Foreign Film ), Raise the Red Lantern...
Zhang Yimou and Christian Bale on the set
Christian Bale in a still from the film that just can't pick a title!
Zhang Yimou is a superstar as auteurs go, having previously directed international hits and awards magnets like Ju Dou (Oscar nominee Foreign Film ), Raise the Red Lantern...
- 9/23/2011
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Imaginechina/Zuma Press Director Zhang Yimou.
Twenty minutes of footage from “Raise the Red Lantern” director Zhang Yimou’s latest film was screened for prominent U.S. film distributors and the media at the Toronto International Film Festival Friday morning.
“The Flowers of War,” a World War II drama whose working title was “Heroes of Nanking,” stars Christian Bale as an American caught in the former Chinese capital amidst the infamous “Rape of Nanking” by the Japanese Imperial Army, in...
Twenty minutes of footage from “Raise the Red Lantern” director Zhang Yimou’s latest film was screened for prominent U.S. film distributors and the media at the Toronto International Film Festival Friday morning.
“The Flowers of War,” a World War II drama whose working title was “Heroes of Nanking,” stars Christian Bale as an American caught in the former Chinese capital amidst the infamous “Rape of Nanking” by the Japanese Imperial Army, in...
- 9/9/2011
- by Michelle Kung
- Speakeasy/Wall Street Journal
Zhang Yimou, the premiere director in China, commands top budgets; he produced the Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony and directed Ju Dou, Raise the Red Lantern, Hero and House of Flying Daggers. Now Zhang has erected a massive city and full-scale Cathedral in Beijing for his latest period epic, Heroes of Nanking, which recently wrapped principal photography after 164 days. The movie cost $100 million, more than John Woo's Red Cliff, Zhang's usual producer/financeer Zhang Weiping revealed in Cannes. Movies on the scale of Nanking, as Red Cliff proved, can make their budgets back in Asia alone. But China hopes to change that. The presence of last year's Oscar-winning Christian Bale (The Fighter) means that Beijing's New Pictures, Zhang, and exec producers David Linde, Deng Chaoying ...
- 7/5/2011
- Thompson on Hollywood
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