[2025.03.11] THE 50TH HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL CELEBRATES ITS GOLDEN JUBILEE

Regarding MIRROR's online store being restructured as its company artists' shared online platform, Anson Kong says that MIRROR and their junior colleagues are under the same roof

Film Festival ambassadors Tony Wu and Angela Yuen look forward to watching movies for free the most

ANSONBEAN is working as an independent singer currently
courtesy of on.cc

Anson Kong reveals that the company once worried whether the homosexual subject would be suitable for him, but he feels that it would have been very regrettable not to perform.

Tony Wu (left) and Angela Lam (right) are honored to be the 50th Hong Kong International Film Festival ambassadors

Director Herman Yau (second right) with Anson Kong (left), Patrick Tam (right), and ANSONBEAN (second left) promote their film WE'RE NOTHING AT ALL (NGOR MOON BUT SI SUP MOR)
courtesy of mingpao.com

The "50th Hong Kong International Film Festival" (HKIFF) Golden Jubilee celebration will be held from April 1st to 12th. Yesterday at the press conference, Angela Yuen Lai Lam, Tony Wu Tsz Tung, WE'RE NOTHING AT ALL (NGOR MOON BUT SI SUP MOR) director Herman Yau Lai To, actors Patrick Tam Yiu Man, Anson Kong Yip Sun (AK), ANSONBEAN Chan Ngai Sun (ANSONBEAN), SPARE QUEENS (DAI FUN JUNG)'s director Tom Chung Sing and producer Chan Hing Ka, THE DATING MENU (CHU SI FAT BAN)'s director Amos Why (Wong Ho Yin) and actor Siuyea Lo Chun Yip, as well as the Asian premiere opening film WE ARE ALL STRANGERS' Singaporean director Anthony Chen and the closing film CYCLONE (CHIU FUNG)'s Hong Kong director Philip Yung Tsz Kwong, producer Sun Fei and actor Edwynn Li attended in support.

This year's festival would screen more than 215 films from 71 countries and regions, including 11 world premieres, 4 international premieres and 49 Asian premieres. In the 322 screenings, the audience would be able to interact with the filmmaker in focus Jia Zhangke; French actress Juliette Binoche; Chen Kaige, Tian Zhuangzhuang, Huang Jianxin, Ann Hui On Wah, Enyedi Ildiko, Anthony Chen, Pen-Ek Ratanaruang, Ben Rivers and other international directors.

This year's theme of HKIFF is "Beyond Fifty, Dare to Imagine the Future", celebrating the festival's half-century of achievements in promoting film cultural exchange, and marking a new chapter. Winner of Best Actress at the Taipei Film Festival Gingle Wang and winner of the 2024 Asian Film Awards Rising Star Award Thai actor Metawin Opas- iamkajorn will serve as "Dare to Imagine the Future" Asian ambassadors and will appear during the film festival to promote film cultural exchanges with Hong Kong ambassadors Yuen Lai Lam and Wu Tsz Tung.

Yuen Lai Lam bluntly said that she was eager to meet and interact with the French actress Juliette Binoche, and Wu Tsz Tung pointed out that this year has many films that he has looked forward to experiencing and discussing with the audience. Regarding the future development of films, Yuen Lai Lam believed that global films are facing the challenges of AI creating new experiences of light and shadow and fast-paced challenges, but they should still pay attention to the artistic value of movies to nourish the soul and to empower. Wu Tsz Tung agreed that the environment is changing rapidly, young people have even more creative space. He believed that future films may move towards two directions: innovative creation and regaining human touch.

Both believed that as long as everyone do their duties well, the industry will make progress. Serving as ambassador for the second year, Yuen Lai Lam felt very honored and said with a smile that it was very "worth it" to receive a free VIP pass. She watched 19 movies last year, and hoped to break the record this year. She specifically wanted to see the restored version of Wong Ka Kui's CAGEMAN, and would meet with Wu Tsz Tung to watch movies. Wu Tsz Tung joked that he wanted to learn from his senior sister Yuen Lai Lam, and his first choice was to watch the master class movie. Speaking of Daniel Wu (Ng Yin Cho) taking Takuya Kimura's place in TWILIGHT OF THE WARRIORS: THE FINAL CHAPTER (GAU LUNG SING JAI JI JUNG JEUNG), Wu Tsz Tung said that he also found out from the report. "How would children like me know? There is no script yet. I only know that work will start in April and we will need to train, and the position arrangement of each actor is fixed."

Yau Lai To said the reason that he self-financed and directed WE'RE NOTHING AT ALL. "When I was little I had the same idea as director Yung Tsz Kwong, if I would win the lottery I would invest in film productions. Although I haven't bought a ticket in many years, I have saved up some money to make monvies. I fulfilled this promise so there is one less lie in the world."

AK has two films at the film festival, WE'RE NOTHING AT ALL and SPARE QUEENS; the former is a collaboration with ANSONBEAN. He encouraged ANSONBEAN, who has just transitioned into an independent singer, and expressed his support. Kong Yip Sun revealed that this film was in negotiation for a very long time because the company once considered whether the homosexual subject would be suitable for him, but the director was still willing to wait for her and he was very grateful. "I really want to make Yau Lai To's movie. This is a challenge I have never encountered before. The subject is so daring that the company was a little worried. I felt that it would be very regrettable not performing, so I tangled with the company." Was the company worried that he would become a category III film actor? He said, "I don't know, actually I made BACK HOME (CHUT YUET FAN GUAI), which was already a category III film. I understand the company's concerns, I only start from the art perspective."

Reportedly MIRROR's online platform MIRROR SHOP has been restructured into MakerVille artists' online platform The Makers Shop to help MIRROR's junior colleagues and save on resources. Kong Yip Sun said that he had no idea, feeling that MIRROR SHOP becoming a company artist shop would be no problem. "When a shop has even more products for sale, isn't it a good thing? All the artists are under the same roof, supporting everyone is a good thing." Some MIRROR fans said that they would no longer financially support MIRO fan club, was he afraid of a wave of fan resignation? Kong Yip Sung declared, "Oh My God! Today I come to promote movies, why would there be so many things affected. I feel the need to support the junior colleagues. What is good for them, is good for me, good for everyone. There is no you or me. The most important is everyone is happy to have work."

His MIRROR bandmate Jer Lau Yin Ting performed two concerts with Yoga Lin, Wilson Ng Lam Fung and Justin Lo (Juk Tin), the admission rate of which was 60 to 80%. Did he feel it was related to the lack of promotion? Kong Yip Sun said that lately he has been busy with making a drama so he did not pay attention to many things. He hoped to comfort his good brother through the interview and said to the camera, "Brother are you OK?" Was he afraid of being affected? Kong Yip Sun chuckled and said, "Truth has already told everyone, I don't get to perform a solo concert. Luckily I made two movies in recent years. The two movies would soon meet everyone." He mentioned SPARE QUEENS was made two years ago with Chrissie Chau Sau Na and Stephy Tang Lai Yan. Has he consoled Chau Sau Na who has been entangled in a scandal? He reacted drastically. "No, I believe that during promotion I will see her. I know what everyone want to ask, here is your microphone back." Then he immediately jumped away to create a funny scene.

ANSONBEAN said that after his Media Asia contract ended, he has become a self-financed independent singer. Although it has been stressful, he would work hard and felt that he was already very happy to have a new song and a movie release. Speaking of his early knee injury, he said that he has recovered after therapy. Now he could even make action films.

This year, "Beyond Fifty: The Golden Jubilee of the Hong Kong International Film Festival" will be exhibited in the exhibition hall of the Hong Kong City Hall and is open to the public free of charge. In addition, the festival will present the Asian premiere of the film concert IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE (FA YEUNG NIN WA) in collaboration with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, and all three performances have been sold out.