Category: Cinema

F1RST: A Celebration of Aboriginal Film is back for its Second Year in Victoria, BC

Next month will present various opportunities to acknowledge what makes this continent special with its look at what its F1RST settlers have done when they settled this land. 

F1RST- A Celebration of Aboriginal Film PosterVisitors to Victoria, British Columbia might want to plan if they want to take part at F1RST: A Celebration of Aboriginal Film while here. This short movie marathon run by the folks from the Victoria Film Festival is now in its second year. It may well be replacing Feast Food+Film, an event that may have ended when the pandemic hit.

In this follow-up to last week’s post, this introduction provides more information about this sophomore event and what to expect next. After this show is Free-B Summer Nights screenings at Beacon Hill Park.

When a lot of events, operations, and festivals, including this blog, makes our home in this region, we are all honoured to be based on the traditional territory of the Lekwungen-speaking peoples of the Songhees Nation and Xwsepsum Nation, and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples, whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.

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Tsui Hark in 2025. Upcoming Releases and Updates.

Legendary filmmaker Tsui Hark is one busy man! And we got a recap on what to expect soon in theatres. Not only can we get to revisit the classics, but also expect his trademark style in two upcoming projects.

Shanghai Blues Original Movie PosterRelease Date: June 20, 2025

Shanghai Blues has been updated to 4K and unlike other releases, Tsui Hark knows that audiences have to experience this classic on the big screen instead of just releasing it to disc! This film is one part comedy and another romance. As for what’s next on this auteur’s plate, fans can look forward to the release of Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants sometime this year, and in pre-production is Shih, Queen of the Sea. The former is a new take on a fond tale and the latter concerns one of the meanest pirates to sail the Asiatic seas! Both are equally ambitious works, and we’re glad this filmmaker is not retiring soon.

Shanghai Blues Plot Synopsis

In 1937, after The Second Sino-Japanese War breaks out, a soldier and a young woman have an awkward meet cute in darkness under a bridge as they seek refuge during a bomb raid. Although they can’t see each other’s faces, they promise to meet again after the dust settles. Ten years later, the soldier, now a burgeoning songwriter and tuba-player in a marching band, is back in town desperately searching for his would-be soulmate. As fate would have it they end up living in the same building unbeknownst to each other. Through a series of mishaps he mistakes her new ingénue roommate for his love interest and wacky love triangle hijinks ensue.

Shanghai Blues Picture Still
Shanghai Blues in 4K (sample image)

Consummate auteur Tsui Hark almost single-handedly reinvented Hong Kong cinema in the 80s and 90s with uber-kinetic genre opuses, amping up cinematic spectacle whether with special effects or sheer unbridled energy. This Hong Kong styled homage to the screwball comedies of yesteryear features black belt level slapstick and delightfully droll romcom shenanigans. With striking mise en scène and inspired production design Shanghai Blues, “…luscious, loving and a lot of fun…one of Tsui Hark’s most enjoyable works” — Richard James Havis, South China Morning Post.

The 4K restoration of SHANGHAI BLUES was supervised from the original negative by Tsui Hark with L’Immagine Ritrovata and the soundtrack remixed by One Cool Sound.

Tsui Hark Biography

Tsui Hark HeadshotThis filmmaker is widely regarded as one of the most influential filmmakers in Hong Kong cinema, known for his innovative style and pushing the boundaries of filmmaking. He emerged as a key figure during the 1980s Hong Kong New Wave, challenging genre conventions and censorship restrictions with films like Butterfly Murders and Dangerous Encounters of the First Kind. And with his film series Once Upon a Time in China and Detective Dee turning into major commercial successes, Tsui remains of the highest-grossing filmmakers in Chinese-language cinema.

In 1984, Tsui co-founded Film Workshop, leading to a series of commercially successful films that defined the golden era of Hong Kong cinema. Works such as A Chinese Ghost Story, Swordsman, and Once Upon a Time in China solidified his dominance in Asia. After directing films in Hollywood, Tsui returned to Hong Kong in the mid-1990s and expanded his reach globally with films like Iron Monkey and Time and Tide, which reinvented the Hong Kong action genre for international audiences.

A Chinese Ghost Story 1987

From 2011, Tsui ventured into 3D filmmaking with films like Flying Swords of Dragon Gate and Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon. His film The Taking of Tiger Mountain 3D earned him the Best Director award at the Golden Rooster Awards and the Hong Kong Film Awards.

Other notable achievements were co-directing and co-producing The Battle at Lake Changjin, a record-breaking Chinese film that garnered Best Directors and Best Film awards at the Golden Rooster Film Awards. Most recently, his film Septet: The Story of Hong Kong, was an Official Selection for the 2020 Cannes Film Festival, and his adaptation of the classic Jin Yong novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes was released in 2025.

At This Year’s Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, These Three Short Works Deserve Special Attention

Time flies at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, and what’s offered is a look at the shorts that show why the magic is alive for new talents looking to make a difference.

Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival LOGOSome folks may well say the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival moved quite fast this year. I seem to recall that some years had more days added to it than others, and I’d have to check my archives to verify if that’s true or not.

As I reported before, I’ve chosen to look at the shorts presented this year and I suspect half of what’s presented will be available at other similarly themed events. When my focus is on the genre of magical realism, what I offer is a look at these shorts which really caught my attention above all other screenings. Sadly, when doing remote coverage, some films might not be accessible, and that’s okay. They may show up at Fantasia Film Festival or another local Asian celebration of movies next, and I’m crossing my fingers!

Ruya

Sany (Bernadette Balagtas) is a dreamweaver, and in this world, they are more than storytellers. They interpret life’s major events and it’s woven into a tapestry. Not everyone can read the colours and patterns put into the t’nalaks. I couldn’t help but want to be reminded about how strings intertwine in what The Fates from Greek legend weave; however, those threads have a different meaning. And unlike what the dreamcatcher does, what’s made here is more about remembering one’s heritage more than anything else.

Ruya Movie Picture Still

Sadly, after she suffers a heart attack, she can’t continue making this long piece of cloth. And it’s up to her daughter Ruya (Yssamei Panganiban) to understand what this tapestry means to the family. And when not everyone is familiar with indigenous Filipino culture, what’s revealed is fascinating!

I was captivated by the later moments as the film attempts to explain who Fu Dalu, the Spirit of Abaca, is. Even then, what this story presents is scratching the surface. Afterwards, I researched further, and I’m glad the aboriginal fascination with the Dreaming isn’t limited to Australia!

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A Nerd’s Guide to the 2025 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival

Although the number of genre films seems small in this year’s Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, the number of drama are always high as the 2025 event is ready to rumble starting tomorrow!

Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival LOGORuns: May 1st to 7th, 2025

When I have a fondness for films made in Asia, I’m always excited to see what the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival will screen. This event kicks off tomorrow, and I’m always curious about who may become the next Bong Joon Ho. Or rather, wonder if this event will premiere the next exciting genre flick! My coverage over the years always considers this side of the show before extending the list to other movies that pique my interest.

And while some years offer more fantastical works than others in the short film category, there’s still some good drama to find! This top picks in what to see also considers this category too.

Chinatown Cha-Cha
China, Directed by Luka Yuanyuan Yang

CHINATOWN CHA-CHAThe 92-year-old previous nightclub dancer Coby Yee decides to get back on stage again after joining the senior dance troupe Grant Avenue Follies. Together they go on a tour for the last time, bridging once isolated Chinese communities in the US, Cuba, and China.

From Okinawa With Love
Japan & USA, Directed by Hiroshi Sunairi

In the 1970s, Okinawan photographer Mao Ishikawa worked as a barmaid for African American GIs and published an impressive photography book.

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All The Scary Details You May Want To Know About Vampire Zombies From Space with Michael Stasko

In part two, fans might want to be careful in what gets revealed concerning all those Easter eggs that can be found in Vampire Zombies From Space.

Mike Stasko - WRITER_DIRECTOR_PRODUCERWhen Mike Stasko makes up one third of the core team who helped fine tune what Vampire Zombies From Space is, I’m really hoping for more! His latest film is almost similar to Casey Walker’s A Little Bit Zombie, a movie made more than a decade ago. Both deal with how victims eventually become a member of the walking dead, and to find a cure is rarely explored. I will post an old interview I did with him and include updates regarding his next horror movie, which is currently in post-production. And please visit this link to read part one with writer Jakob Skrzypa.

While the circumstances are completely different between these two particular films, I’m a sucker for zombie comedies. It’s a subgenre that gets a movie made at least once every two years, but not a lot of them stand out because they lack originality. The last time I laughed out loud was with Anna and the Apocalypse! The fact that it’s also a musical says it all.

There are honestly not enough movies being made that marry random genres together. I have to say it was by sheer luck that this movie and Night of the Zoopocalypse released nearly back to back. The dose of nostalgia and euphoria I had was on cloud nine. Afterwards, I had to fall back to the animated medium to rewatch Monsters vs Aliens to round out what I feel are in my top five favourites of this subgenre. 

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The Alien (UFO) Cinematic Agenda at SXSW 2025 and Nerdy Picks For the Horror Enthusiast

SXSW is always worth paying attention to because of its various premieres in the cinematic front. This year looks exceptional if you love invasion themed material!

SXSW Logo Poster OrientaedSXSW is shaping up to be the year the aliens took over Austin, Texas. Now that this event is in full swing, I’ll be paying attention to how well certain films will do, and how fast they will get (pardoning the pun) picked up by distributors.

Usually, all I do is pay attention to the midnight madness movie screenings over other debuts. When this mega event celebrates music, tech, and film, it’s often the latter two that I have more interest in. That’s because the movies give me a good idea of what to expect when Montreal’s Fantasia Film Festival announces their lineup. When there’s five films that share concerns over UFO visitations, I hope these films will land elsewhere later this year!

And while this enormous event has much more entertainment to consider, I have to round out the list to ten than the usual five. There are some fabulous documentaries that have my attention, and as for other buzz worthy films, what I offer is a list of works that definitely have my interest beyond the usual midnight madness picks. What I present works in alphabetical order that are “coming soon.”

Ash

Ash Movie Poster 2025A woman wakes up on a distant planet and finds the crew of her space station viciously killed. Her investigation into what happened sets in motion a terrifying chain of events.

The Age of Disclosure

An unprecedented film–featuring 34 senior members of the U.S. Senate, House, military and intelligence community–revealing a cover-up of the existence of non-human intelligent life and a secret war to reverse engineer technology of non-human origin. (World Premiere)

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