Latest news with #ShanghaiInternationalFilmFestival
India Today
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
China uses AI to revive 100 classic Kung Fu films
Chinese movie studios are plunging into the future with a bold initiative to revive more than 100 classic martial arts films using artificial at the Shanghai International Film Festival, the venture will digitally restore classic films featuring Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and Jet Li digitally, breathing new life into the classic films for modern-day production, titled the "Kung Fu Movie Heritage Project: 100 Classics AI Revitalisation Project," will refurbish classics such as Fist of Fury (1972), Drunken Master (1978), and Once Upon a Time in China (1991).advertisement The goal is to enhance the visuals, sound, and overall quality—without altering the original stories or standout remake is John Woo's blockbuster A Better Tomorrow (1986), which is being reimagined as a fully animated, AI-produced movie. The role originally played by Chow Yun-fat will be rebooted in a cyberpunk setting. Producers claim it will be the world's first fully AI-generated animated feature Pimin, president of the China Film Foundation, called the venture both a tribute to the history of cinema and a leap toward the future.'These films are gems,' he said. 'AI will make them relevant to audiences today in a new way.'As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Tian Ming, president of Shanghai Canxing Culture and Media, pledged that the project would stay true to the originals while delivering an enhanced viewing experience. The project is backed by a 100 million yuan budget (approximately $13.9 million).Must Watch
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
TGE's Films become a Global Brand in the Entertainment Industry to Shine Bright at the Box Office
PARIS and NEW YORK and SINGAPORE, June 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- AMTD Group Inc. ("AMTD" or the "Group"), alongside The Generation Essentials Group (NYSE: TGE), a subsidiary of the Group under AMTD Digital (NYSE: HKD), jointly announced that following its premier as the opening film at the Shanghai International Film Festival on June 21st, TGE's latest release, "She's Got No Name", has gained remarkable momentum over the past five days and is poised for great success. The film achieved great success on its opening day pre-sale, ranking first in both box office revenue and audience turnout among all releases during the 2025 summer movie season in China. As of today, its total pre-sale box office has exceeded RMB30 million (USD4.2 million). The anticipation surrounding the film has been exceptional, making it the most expected release of the season. Notably, it has become a leading hit in smaller cities in China and has garnered strong interest from female audiences and young viewers—underscoring its broad appeal and widespread popularity. From a marketing perspective, the movie campaign has generated significant global attention, reaching over 1.3 billion people. The film has topped Douyin's trending topic list and secured fourth place on Weibo's hot search chart, highlighting its strong momentum and influential presence. In addition to "She's Got No Name", TGE's upcoming film "My First of May" held a special preview screening on Father's Day, June 21st. The tickets for the preview event sold out in no time very quickly, reflecting strong audience interest. It also received an enthusiastic response, with viewers expressing deep emotional resonance with the heartfelt father-daughter story portrayed in the film. In addition to the two highly anticipated films, TGE has established a proven track record of success in the past few years, consistently resonating with audiences and achieving strong box office performance. About The Generation Essentials Group (formerly known as World Media and Entertainment Universal Inc.) The Generation Essentials Group, jointly established by AMTD Group, AMTD IDEA Group (NYSE: AMTD; SGX: HKB) and AMTD Digital Inc. (NYSE: HKD), is headquartered in France and focuses on global strategies and developments in multi-media, entertainment, and cultural affairs worldwide as well as hospitality and VIP services. TGE comprises L'Officiel, The Art Newspaper, movie and entertainment projects. Collectively, TGE is a diversified portfolio of media and entertainment businesses, and a global portfolio of premium properties. About AMTD Group AMTD Group is a conglomerate with a core business portfolio spanning across media and entertainment, education and training, and premium assets and hospitality sectors. About AMTD IDEA Group AMTD IDEA Group (NYSE: AMTD; SGX: HKB) represents a diversified institution and digital solutions group connecting companies and investors with global markets. Its comprehensive one-stop business services plus digital solutions platform addresses different clients' diverse and inter-connected business needs and digital requirements across all phases of their life cycles. AMTD IDEA Group is uniquely positioned as an active super connector between clients, business partners, investee companies, and investors, connecting the East and the West. For more information, please visit or follow us on X (formerly known as "Twitter") at @AMTDGroup. About AMTD Digital Inc. AMTD Digital Inc. (NYSE: HKD) is a comprehensive digital solutions platform headquartered in France. Its one-stop digital solutions platform operates key business lines including digital media, content and marketing services, investments as well as hospitality and VIP services. For AMTD Digital's announcements, please visit Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains statements that may constitute "forward-looking" statements pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "aims," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "likely to," and similar statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the beliefs, plans, and expectations of TGE, AMTD IDEA Group and/or AMTD Digital, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the filings of TGE, AMTD IDEA Group and AMTD Digital with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and none of TGE, AMTD IDEA Group and AMTD Digital undertakes any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law. For AMTD IDEA Group:IR OfficeAMTD IDEA GroupEMAIL: ir@ For AMTD Digital Inc.:IR OfficeAMTD Digital ir@ For The Generation Essentials Group:IR OfficeThe Generation Essentials GroupEMAIL: tge@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE AMTD IDEA Group; AMTD Digital; The Generation Essentials Group Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Peter Chan's Noir Drama ‘She's Got No Name' Debuts in Shanghai After 'Experimental' Two-Part Overhaul
A mystery has been resolved this week at the Shanghai International Film Festival as Peter Chan's re-worked version of She's Got No Name helped open the event, before going on an almost-immediate limited release on 120 screens spread across this vast acclaimed Hong Kong filmmaker's decision to split the film – which made its premiere out of competition at Cannes in 2024 – into two parts had raised eyebrows, as did the news that the first installment would take the marquee billing at China's major annual cinema the end, it all makes the Cannes version's 150-minute running time and twisting narrative arc had prompted questions of the film's commercial potential, the version of She's Got No Name that screened at SIFF comes in at a tight – and tense – 96 minutes that dig deep into the darkness of the real-life tale of an abused woman Zhan-Zhou (played by Zhang Ziyi), charged with the murder of her husband in the Japanese-occupied Shanghai of the 1940s. It was a case that gripped war-torn Shanghai, given the gruesome details of the murder and subsequent dismemberment of the victim, the fact that the victim's head was never found, and the desperate circumstances of poverty and abuse under which it all also provided an ideal platform to showcase a production where Shanghai itself plays a scene-stealing, co-starring role, while its stars were on hand to ramp up the glamour during the festival's opening day after the opening finds Chan being whisked between screenings as the film rolls out across Shanghai before its nationwide opening on June 21. He's in a reflective mood, sipping coffee in between engagements in the back of a people-mover as the rain-soaked city streams past Got No Name's narrative is now split between the aftermath of the murder – Zhan-Zhou's incarceration and trial and the emergence of it all as a cause célèbre – and what's to come in the next film, which introduces new characters (including the down-at-heel lawyer who came to Zhan-Zhou's aid) and the first whispers of feminism in China.'It's a very experimental thing to do, I know,' says Chan of the bold, two-part approach to his Got No Name marks a definite shift in tone and in mood for the 40-year veteran who has never been afraid of jumping genres, from the romance of Comrades, Almost a Love Story (1996) to the action of The Warlords (2007), and on to the comedy of American Dreams in China (2013).This first installment is all shadows and noir-steeped depictions of desperate people in desperate times, while Zhang is almost unrecognizable in the lead, playing a character beaten down by fate and by toxic were obviously taken by all involved, but today Chan is content as his vision for the film has been realized, and he talks through the process with The Hollywood we have to start with the decision to turn one film into two. When did this concept first come to you?Last year, we got all the support from the China film authorities to expedite things so a film that wrapped in March could go to Cannes in May, including censorship and everything. It's about a wife murdering her husband, dismembering him. Obviously, there is blood and gore, and even the issue of feminism, which is a hot-button topic in China right now, hotter probably even than in the US. There were a lot of hiccups that could have happened, and they didn't. It was smooth sailing. Except the two-and-a-half-hour version was too short for my vision, and it was also too long for commercial release. So we ended up being neither here nor was the work you decided you had to do? I ended up cutting a four-hour film, which actually lends itself to be a four-part [TV] series, and I thought, 'This is my movie.' Then I took it back here, to production partners Huanxi Medi,a and their thinking was that the first two parts and the second two parts could be put together and it could be two movies. It's a very experimental thing to do, I know. It sounds so unprofessional to say something is experimental when it's at this scale and budget in an industry that is quite advanced, China. But it truly is a very experimental experience, almost surreal to a certain extent. So this is probably one of, if not the most ambitious, production I've ever been was the actual work done on what you had at your disposal? Were there reshoots?No. Last year at Cannes, things like special effects were not done. We simply didn't have time. There were also a few scenes that we initially decided were too sentimental, small details about Ziyi's character that had to be trimmed, even though I thought that made her a little vague. So we could expand on that, and also small details about other characters. There were scenes that had to be shortened in the Cannes version to make the two and a half hours. But now the two films will be three-and-a-half hours with the same material we such a different film for you in terms of tone and mood, especially. How did you approach that change?It's such a dark vision, this first episode. The second is a little bit better because the second is more humanistic and more about relationships, more like my movies, actually. We decided very early on that we wanted to make Shanghai look different from all the TV series that have been shot here. There have been so many TV series shot here, spy movies, everything. So we always thought that we wanted to make it more formalistic in terms of how we place our shots, and we found architecture, art deco, that you could frame it in a more formalistic style, while also exploring expressionism, German expressionism, and its dark shadows. So, it has become one of my more cinematic and stylish movies, which is a good change for me, after 30-odd years of directing. To venture into territories that you are less comfortable with its very did you develop Zhang Zhi's character, who slowly emerges with such strength?Like all my movies, I'm attracted to the story first, and – other than Warlords and American Dreams in China – all of my movies are about strong women. My central characters have always been strong women and weak men, and so it is in this so much of it all hinges on Zhang's performance, which is And she didn't care about what she looked like; she was completely immersed in the movie. Ziyi is so strong, as a character herself, and she's always been like that, in every movie. So we wanted her to be tough in this movie, but she had to end up being tough. She starts being completely weak, vulnerable, and victimized, and futile, and slowly you see that about playing here at SIFF, given that Shanghai plays such a role in the film itself? How has that experience been for you?There is just so much around here. We found a whole block that somehow was untouched from 100 years ago. When I first saw the location, three families were still living there, but now it's empty. There is a policy here now where they have realized that there are so many heritage buildings and they should be preserved. Shanghai was the film capital of China from the 1920s and '30s, and Shanghai is now experiencing a revival of being a cinema hub. I'm sure they're trying the best they can to get a certain attention, a national image for cinema, so where better to showcase a movie completely shot in Shanghai, helped by the Shanghai government to secure all the locations, than here? More from The Hollywood Reporter Karen Gillan Doesn't Fear Imposter Syndrome Natalie Portman-Produced French Animated Film 'Arco' Wins Annecy Shanghai Fest Returns With Local Premiere of Zhang Ziyi's 'She's Got No Name,' AI Debates and a Lynch Retrospective Best of The Hollywood Reporter 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts Hollywood Stars Who Are One Award Away From an EGOT 'The Goonies' Cast, Then and Now
India Gazette
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- India Gazette
Sivaranjini J directorial 'Victoria' becomes India's solo entry at 27th Shanghai International Film Festival, filmmaker shares her journey
Washington DC [US], June 16 (ANI): Director Sivaranjini J is thrilled as her debut feature film Victoria has been selected as the sole entry from India at the 27th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) 2025. The film will be screened under the Asian New Talent section of the festival. Sivaranjini opened up about her journey from a small village in Kerala to gaining international recognition, revealing that she had once given up on her 'dream' of becoming a filmmaker due to the immense struggles faced by independent directors today, reported Variety. In an interview with Variety, the 'Victoria' director said that she feels 'honoured' for the recognition received by her film at the Shanghai International Film Festival 2025. 'I am feeling really honoured by the recognition. On a personal level, it feels like a significant milestone, considering how unattainable making a feature film once seemed to me. It's an acknowledgement of the collective effort of my team and the risks we took with this film,' said Sivaranjini as quoted by Variety. As per the outlet, Sivaranjini developed the project under the Kerala State Film Development Corporation's (KSFDC) Women's Empowerment scheme, which proved instrumental in bringing her vision to life. She calls it a huge 'turning point' in her filmmaking journey. 'By then, I had almost given up on my dream of becoming a filmmaker, aware of the immense struggles independent filmmakers often face. The state government grant was a huge turning point for me. The grant enabled me to pursue my dream without the usual commercial expectations of the producers. We also had access to the facilities of Chitranjali Studio owned by the state government,' said Sivaranjini as quoted by Variety. The film had its premiere at the 29th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) in 2024. As per Variety, the movie centres on Victoria, a young beautician who is caught between family expectations and personal desires when she plans to elope with her Hindu boyfriend against her conservative Catholic parents' wishes. Set almost entirely within a beauty parlour, the story complicates when Victoria must care for a neighbour's sacrificial rooster intended for a church offering. Sivaranjini J. also shared the inspiration behind her movie, saying that the idea of 'Victoria' struck her five years ago when she visited a neighbourhood beauty parlour in her home village on the outskirts of Kochi, Kerala. 'I encountered a rooster with its legs tied, near their toilet. I enquired and learned it was a sacrificial rooster soon to be taken to the nearby St. George church as an offering. A rooster inside an all-ladies beauty parlour was the image that inspired me to write the script,' said Sivaranjini. Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) announced the selection of Victoria through their Instagram handle. The cast of the film includes Meenakshi Jayan, Sreeshma Chandran, Jolly Chirayath, Steeja Mary, Darsana Vikas, Jeena Rajeev, and Remadevi. The technical team features Anand Ravi as director of photography, Abdul Khader A.K. handling art and production design, with Sivaranjini serving as editor, and Abhaydev Praful composing the music, reported Variety. (ANI)
Associated Press
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
SIFF opens with record-breaking premiere rate
SHANGHAI, June 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from The 27th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) raised the curtain on June 13, launching 10 days of cinematic celebration that will run through June 22. With a record-breaking lineup and a dynamic fusion of art and industry, this year's festival sets a new benchmark in scale, diversity, and ambition. The 27th SIFF received more than 3,900 submissions from 119 countries and regions, the highest total in its history. Among them, more than 2,800 films were submitted for competition in the five Golden Goblet Award categories. Notably, this year's festival includes more than 1,820 world premieres and over 520 international premieres. The combined premiere rate exceeds 80 percent, setting a new festival record. The Golden Goblet jury — comprising 21 members from 13 countries and regions —is chaired by Italian director Giuseppe Tornatore. The jury includes a younger-than-usual cohort of creatives, especially in the Asian New Talent category, with an average age of just 35. Their diverse backgrounds and fresh perspectives are expected to bring bold insights to this year's selections. Film lovers can look forward to over 400 films screened across approximately 1,500 sessions, including around 100 in-person Q&A sessions with filmmakers. These screenings cover a wide range of genres, themes, and styles, reflecting SIFF's commitment to both artistic excellence and audience engagement. In addition to the film showcase, industry-focused events will shine a spotlight on the future of cinema. The SIFFORUM, SIFF Masterclass, and International Film & TV Market will gather top professionals for high-level discussions, trend forecasting, and cross-border collaboration. SIFF also continues to support emerging talent. This year's SIFF ING focuses on two cutting-edge creative tracks — AIGC and vertical video — to discover, encourage, and nurture the next generation of filmmakers. Related events will be held from June 20 to 21. Special events such as the Belt and Road Film Week, Sci-Fi Film Week, and SIFF XR will zero in on emerging sectors, new technologies, and cross-industry convergence — offering fresh perspectives and expanding the possibilities of global cinema. The Golden Goblet Award Ceremony will be held on June 21 at the Shanghai Grand Theatre, where the festival will honor outstanding artistic achievements from around the world. For more information: View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE
