[2010.07.31] VENICE PUTS JOHN WOO DAY ON PRIME TIME

courtesy of singtao.com

courtesy of takungpao.com

John Woo (Ng Yu Sum)'s new film REIGN OF ASSASSINS (GIM YU) will be released at the end of September in the Mainland and early October in Hong Kong. As the 67th Annual Venice Film Festival announced "John Woo Day" for its Lifetime Achievement Award winner, director Ng Yu Sum, the film will hold its global premiere on September 3. The cast including Michelle Yeoh (Yeung Chi King), Jung Woo-Sung, Barbie Hsu (Tsui Hei Woon), Shawn Yue Man Lok will appear in Venice with Ng Yu Sum.

The film festival director Marco Muller created special screening of REIGN OF ASSASSINS for John Woo Day. Since the announcement of "Lifetime Achievement" last December, the committee has been planning a Ng Yu Sum film theme and organizing series film screening. REIGN OF ASSASSIN will be Ng Yu Sum's first major wuxia film and has been invited to hold its global premiere there very early on as a salute to Ng's film achievement. The original time was set for two days after the award on September 4, but due to Marco Muller it received special treatment. Ng Yu Sum said, "Earlier Marco Muller came to China and saw some rough cut of REIGN OF ASSASSIN. He expressed that he liked this film very much and felt that the story was great. He decided to change the film screening to Friday, September 3, which traditionally has been the film festival prime time. The evening screening can be considered the prime time slot's prime time." September 3 has become "John Woo Day", with THE KILLER (DIP HUET SEUNG HUNG) screening in the afternoon and REIGN OF ASSASSIN at night. Then the award will be presented to Ng Yu Sum.

Ng Yu Sum innovated the action film nucleus to make visual art even more procedural and become the example of Asia and Hollywood action film. This is the reason that the Venice Film Festival committee announced Ng Yu Sum to be its Lifetime Achievement Award winner. Ng Yu Sum stated that his innovative footsteps have not stopped because of the award, as REIGN OF ASSASSINS will be the peak of his film career.