About the Event
Now on its twelfth year, the Ateneo de Manila University’s Ricardo Leong Center for Chinese Studies, together with Film Development Council of the Philippines, and Credit Suisse, with the cooperation of Ateneo Celadon, and Shangri-La Plaza and Shang Cineplex, once again bring you the Spring Film Festival this February 13 to February 18, 2018.
The film festival is organized every year to promote Chinese language and culture in mainstream Philippine society, particularly among young Filipinos, so that they may become bridges between the Philippines and China.
Featured Movies
OUR SHINING DAYS (2017)
Director: WANG Ran
Artists: Lulu Xu, Yuchang Peng, Eason Chan, Chen Jing, You Zha
Running Time: 1:40 minutes
Genre: Musical, Comedy
Awards: Best New Talent- Peng Yuchang
Nomination: 12th Chinese Young Generation Film Forum
In order to win the heart of the handsome leader of the Classical Orchestra, wacky sophomore student Jing (Xu Lu) teams up with her male buddy You (Peng Yuchang) to form a Chinese music ensemble along with a bunch of cosplaying outcast. What started out as a reluctant alliance among a group of misfit slowly becomes a journey of self-discovery, and ultimately a daring quest to revitalize what has long been considered ageing musical tradition. Despite all odds, Jing and You manage to hold the band together and prove that it’s not the appearance, but the heart and will that shine and define you as a person.
WHAT A WONDERFUL FAMILY (2017)
Director: HUANG Lei
Artists: tars: Ni Yan, Lorene Ren, Daxun Wei
Running Time: 1:43 minutes
Genre: Comedy, Drama
A husband (Lee Lichun) and wife (Zhang Weixin) have been married for 50 years. For her birthday, the husband asks the wife what she wants for her birthday present. She replies that she wants a divorce. The wife's divorce announcement sends the entire family into chaos. Their three children are thrown into a state of panic to hear this news of separation, not to mention their own issues: the marriage crisis between the eldest son (Huang Lei) and his wife (Sun Li), the domestic conflict between the career daughter (Christina Hai) and her deadbeat husband (Wang Xun), and the financial struggle between the youngest son (Wei Daxun) and his fiancée (Ren Rongxuan). Amid the sudden tumult of life, each member of the family begins to voice out their respective grievances.
WALKING PAST THE FUTURE (2017)
Director: LI Ruijun
Artists: Yang Zishan, Yin Fang
Running Time: 2:09 minutes
Genre: Drama
Nomination: Festival de Cannes, Prize of Un Certain Regard
Yaoting, daughter of aging migrant workers living in the city, is coping with harsh reality whilst their dreams of a better future are crumbling in an era of drastic changes in China. With a dim hope of providing her family with a home of their own, she takes part in a series of highly-paid medical experiments, with tragic consequences.
OFFICE (2015)
Director: Johnnie TO
Artists: Chow Yun-fat, Sylvia Chang, Eason Chan, Tang Wei
Running Time: 2:03
Genre: Musical, Drama
Awards:
Hong Kong Film Awards Best Art Direction William Chang, Alfred Yau
Hong Kong Film Awards Best Original Film Score Lo Tayu, Keith Chan Fai-young
52nd Golden Horse Awards Best Art Direction William Chang, Alfred Yau
Billion-dollar Company Jones & Sunn is going public. Chairman Ho Chung-ping (Chow Yun Fat) has promised CEO Chang (Sylvia Chang), who has been his mistress for more than twenty years, to become a major shareholder of the company. As the IPO team enters the company to audit its accounts, a series of inside stories start to be revealed. Lee Xiang (Wang Ziyi), a new hire at Jones & Sunn, brings with him youthful ideals and dreams. Within the neoliberal market, the logic of intrigue rules, complicated by entanglements of love-hate relationships, which weaves a power play and a pathos-laden tragedy inside the office.
MONSTER HUNT (2015)
Director: Raman HUI
Artists: Wallace Chung, Eric Tsang, Sandra Ng Kwan Yue, Wei Tang, Chen Yao, Yan Ni, Bao Jianfeng, Yuexin Wang.
Running Time: 1:58 minutes
Genre: Comedy, Action
Box office US$385.28 million
Awards:
2015 CineAsia Awards Director of the Year- Raman Hui
18th Huading AwardsBest Chinese Director- Raman Hui
12th Guangzhou Student Film Festival Most Popular Actress- Bai Baihe
13th Changchun Film Festival Most Popular Actress- Bai Baihe
In a fantasy world far, far away, monsters ruled the earth. Then came human’s all-out war in an attempt to seize the land. They eventually outwitted the monsters and succeeded in driving them into the dark mountains. Ever since, monsters were forbidden to step into the land again. For all these years, the two races have lived in their separate worlds. While there seems to be apparent peace in the human world, the monster world writhes in chaos as the dark lord is plotting to overthrow the current reign. In order to end the royal bloodline, he orders the assassination of the pregnant monster queen, forcing her to flee and take refuge in a small village in the human world. Getting wind of the monster queen’s whereabouts, monster hunters from all over the world, including the female rookie Xiaonan (Bai Baihe) who desperately tries to make her mark, arrive at the village to capture the queen. During the pursuit, average young guy Tianyin (Jing Boran) is caught up in the middle. Knowing the end is near, the dying monster queen spills her egg into Tianyin’s mouth in a hopeless attempt to save her heir, making him the bearer of the future monster king. With both worlds wanting to capture him alive, the lives of both Tianyin and the newborn monster are in great danger. As luck would have it, Xiaonan appears and saves the day. She offers to protect the “pregnant” Tianyin under the condition that they sell the newborn monster for a good profit. Who would have thought, the fate of the human and monster races would lie in their hands. Do they have what it takes to confront the danger ahead?
COLD WAR2 (2016)
Director: Longman Leung
Artists: Aaron Kwok, Tony Leung, Chow Yun-fat, Charlie Young, Janice Man, Eddie Peng, Aarif Rahman, Tony Yang, Chang Kuo-chu, Wu Yue, Fan Zhibo, Ma Yili, Bibi Zhou
Running Time: 1:50 minutes
Genre: Action
Box office: US$115 million
“Cold War”, the codename for the rescue operation of five hijacked police officers, is deemed a partial success. Despite political outcry, the potent rescue led by Acting Police Commissioner Sean Lau (Aaron Kwok) gains him promotion to the highest rank in the police force, yet causes Deputy Police Commissioner Waise Lee (Tony Leung Ka Fai) his reputable career. Joe Lee (Eddie Peng Yuyan), son of Waise and the sole suspect of the conspiracy, is captured and taken into custody. The missing of the hi-tech police sprinter is still a misery. Before the case is drawn to a close, however, a bigger threat lies ahead of the newly-appointed Chief Police Commissioner. Sean’s wife is taken captive in broad daylight, with anonymous kidnappers demanding that he personally releases and escorts Joe in exchange of her freedom. To save his wife is to put his career at stake, but he has no other option. Though his wife eventually comes out unharmed, Joe flees and is saved by a mysterious man. Sean realizes Joe does not act alone; a powerful figure is masterminding every move and is always one step ahead. The judiciary committee initiates an impeachment proceeding against Sean for his alleged abuse of power. One of the jury is Osward Kan (Chow Yun Fat), an influential senior counsel and independent member of the judicial council. He becomes the key figure in determining Sean’s fate. No one can tell whether he is friend or foe. Sean’s adversaries within the police force, in an attempt to bring down his career, are desperate to get Osward on their side. With the enemies moved from the street to the political arena, the real kingpin, who’s been lurking in the dark all along, is bringing his master plan into play.
Other events at the Shangri-La:
February 13 to 18, Mall Hours:
The Ateneo Confucius Institute and Shangri-La Plaza present Chinese Painting Exhibit
February 17 (Saturday) 2:00pm- 3:30PM:
Ateneo Ricardo Leong Center for Chinese Studies and Shangri-La Plaza present: Chinese Music Concert: Royal Melodies.
February 18 (Sunday), 2:00-4:00PM:
Ateneo Ricardo Leong Center for Chinese and Shangri-La Plaza present: Chinese Painting Workshop: “Chinese Painting on Jeans” (materials are provided for free). Old Navy is the official sponsor of jeans for this event.
Sponsors of this festival: Flexo Marketing Corporation, Richprime Global Inc., Ateneo Confucius Institute, Auto Nation Group Inc. Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce & Industry Inc., Old Navy.
Media Sponsors: Chinatown TV, Inquirer.Net, Inquirer Pop, Click the City, When in Manila, What’s Happening.PH, Philippine Primer, Rappler, The Philippine Star, Manila Bulletin
For more information, please call Ateneo de Manila University Ricardo Leong Center for Chinese Studies at +632-426-6001 locals 5280 and 5284. For tickets, please call Shang Cineplex at +632-633-2227.