LAAPFF Presents: Hong Kong Generations of Cinema 2024
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Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival Announces Lineup for
LAAPFF PRESENTS: HONG KONG GENERATIONS OF CINEMA 2024
Two-Day Showcase to Celebrate the Rich History of Hong Kong Cinema, Sponsored by Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, San Francisco
Los Angeles, CA (October 1, 2024) - The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF) is proud to announce the lineup for the third annual LAAPFF PRESENTS: HONG KONG GENERATIONS OF CINEMA, sponsored by Hong Kong Economic And Trade Office, San Francisco. The special 2-day showcase will take place on October 26 and 27, 2024 at AMC Atlantic Times Square 14 in Monterey Park.
HONG KONG GENERATIONS OF CINEMA celebrates the diverse storytelling talent of Hong Kong, and uplifts its impact on audiences all over the globe. This year’s theme centers around Cantopop and its profound influence on Hong Kong cinema, showcasing iconic films and stars that have shaped generations. The lineup will feature filmmaking from different decades, including:
Days of Being Wild (1990) – Directed by Wong Kar-wai, this visually stunning, moody masterpiece explores love and loneliness set in 1960s Hong Kong.
Happy Together (1997) – Another Wong Kar-wai classic, this intimate portrayal of a turbulent love story features notable Hong Kong actors Leslie Cheung and Tony Leung Chiu-wai.
Rouge (1987) – Directed by Stanley Kwan and featuring Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui, this haunting romance bridges past and present, following themes of eternal love, memory, and the clash between old and new Hong Kong.
Anita (2021) – Directed by Longmond Leung Lok-Man, Anita is a heartfelt biopic celebrating the life and legacy of Anita Mui, one of Hong Kong’s most iconic pop stars and actresses.
July Rhapsody (4K Restoration) (2002) – Directed by Ann Hui, this intimate drama explores mid-life crises and familial relationships with poignant sensitivity.
The Lyricist Wannabe (2023) – A fresh, contemporary film offering a glimpse into the modern Hong Kong youth experience, rounding out the showcase with a look at the future of the industry.
This diverse lineup spans over three decades of Hong Kong cinema, from classics like Wong Kar-wai’s Happy Together to modern tributes such as Anita. Each film highlights the connection between music and storytelling in Hong Kong’s film history.
“Cantopop has been a cultural cornerstone in Hong Kong, shaping not only its music industry but also its cinematic landscape,” said Emily Hoang, Visual Communications Programmer. “Many of the films in our showcase, especially Anita and Rouge, are deeply intertwined with the influence of Cantopop icons like Anita Mui and Leslie Cheung. Their music, style, and stories have transcended generations, making Cantopop an essential part of Hong Kong’s cultural identity and a powerful vehicle for storytelling in cinema. This event is a celebration of that rich legacy.”
"The development of Cantopop and Hong Kong films both reflect and influence the lives and stories of Hong Kong people throughout Hong Kong's recent history. The selections of this year's Hong Kong Generations of Cinema will take the audience on a journey to explore the past, present and future of Cantopop and Hong Kong cinema," said Jacko Tsang, Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, San Francisco.
Tickets for LAAPFF PRESENTS: HONG KONG GENERATIONS OF CINEMA 2024 are available now on the festival’s website. For more information on showtimes, please visit https://laapffpresentshkcinema2024.eventive.org/welcome
ABOUT LAAPFF
Since 1983, the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival has presented over 5,000 films, videos, and digital mediaworks by Asian & Pacific Islander artists, and features seminars, panels, in-person guest appearances, and filmmaker awards. The Film Festival continues to be the largest festival of its kind in Southern California and is the premier showcase for the best and brightest of Asian Pacific cinema.
WHAT: LAAPFF PRESENTS: HONG KONG GENERATIONS OF CINEMA 2024
WHERE: AMC ATLANTIC TIMES SQUARE 14, THEATER 4 (450 N Atlantic Blvd, Monterey Park, CA 91754)
WHEN: SATURDAY & SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26-27, 2024
TICKET PRICE: $5.00
TO SECURE TICKETS AND VIEW FILM SCHEDULE: https://laapffpresentshkcinema2024.eventive.org/welcome
FILM LINEUP
Saturday, October 26, 2024
DAYS OF BEING WILD
Directed by Wong Kar-wai
94 minutes
1990
Set in the 1960s: Yuddy, a disaffected playboy who breaks hearts as quickly as he conquers them, searches for his biological mother. Meanwhile, lovelorn Li-zhen is hopelessly enamored with Luddy, and a policeman is caught in the middle of their turbulent relationship.
HAPPY TOGETHER
Directed by Wong Kar-wai
96 mins
1997
Lai (Tony Leung Chiu Wai) and his boyfriend, Ho (Leslie Cheung), arrive in Argentina from Hong Kong, seeking a better life. Their highly contentious relationship turns abusive and results in numerous break-ups and reconciliations. When Lai befriends another man, Chang (Chen Chang), he sees the futility of continuing with the promiscuous Ho. Chang, however, is on his own personal journey and, ultimately, both Lai and Ho find themselves far from home and desperately lonely.
ROUGE
Directed by Stanley Kwan
96 mins
1987
Rouge bridges past and present in its tragic romance between a humble courtesan and the wayward scion of a wealthy family, who embrace death by suicide pact amid the opulent teahouses of 1930s Hong Kong. Fifty years later, she returns to the city-state to find him, drawing a young contemporary couple (Alex Man Chi-leung and Emily Chu Bo-yee) into her quest to rekindle a passion that may be as illusory as time itself. With its lush mise-en-scène and transcendently melancholy mood, this sensuous ghost story is an exquisite, enduringly resonant elegy for both lost love and vanishing history.
Sunday, October 27, 2024
ANITA
Directed by Longmond Leung Lok-Man
140 minutes
2021
The life of Anita Mui, chronicling her journey from a child performer to becoming one of world's most recognized music icons.
JULY RHAPSODY (4K RESTORATION)
Directed by Ann Hui
103 mins
2002
High school teacher Lam Yiu-Kwok (Jacky Cheung) is in the midst of a midlife crisis. His wife, Man-Ching (Anita Mui), has been unfaithful; his friends are reaping the rewards of successful business careers while he earns a comparatively meager salary at an unglamorous job; and one of his young students, Choy-Lam (Karena Lam), has fallen for him. When Man-Ching leaves for a month to help her former lover, a jealous Yiu-Kwok is tempted to retaliate by pursuing an affair with Choy-Lam.
THE LYRICIST WANNABE
Directed by Norris Wong
110 mins
2023
Set in Hong Kong and Taiwan following the bittersweet journey of aspiring lyricist, Sze, this cinematic mix of light comedy and sobering cynicism reveals the emotional toll of dreaming big in the inhospitable Cantopop scene. As Sze’s determination clashes with the industry’s indifference, she grapples with the fear of failure and the elusive nature of success. With the delightful flourishes of a young girl’s diary, the film captures Sze’s inner world, where every lyric carries the weight of her aspirations.
