Lee Hoi-Sang (15 April 1941 in British Hong Kong - 9 September 2024).

A direct disciple of Wind Chun grand master Ip Man and veteran actor of nearly 40 years playing various roles in Hong Kong films and TV dramas. Lee Hoi-Sang used his martial arts skills in various roles as well as teaching the art to students. He died 9 September 2024 at the age of 83 due to a bacterial infection.

Full filmography
1974    Shatter - Referee Hanson Lee - Uncredited
            Heroes Two - Tibetan Lama Fighter in Red - Kung Fu Invaders
            The Drug Addict    - Boss Tseng (Lung Tai) - Xi Du Zhe
            Mad World of Fools - Brief Appearance - Guai Ren Guai Shi
            The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires - Uncredited
            Young Lovers on Flying Wheels - Xu Ci Hua   
            Paris Killers - Support Role
   
1975    The Spiritual Boxer - Shum   
            The Young Rebel - Master Liu   
            Flatfoot in Hong Kong - Peking Opera Thug - Uncredited
            Big Brother Cheng - One of Prince Ji's Men
   
1976    The Condemned - One of Sheng's Men   
            Million Dollars Snatch - Detective   
            Bruce Lee: The Man, the Myth - Challenger to Bruce Lee on the set of Enter the Dragon - Documentary

1977    Enter the Invincible Hero - Intro Fighter - Archive Footage
            Executioners from Shaolin - Monk Chi San   
            Deadly Angels - Chen Lai (Thug)   
            The Invincible Armour - Hu Lung   
            Money Crazy - Chan's Bodyguard - Fat Chin Hon
            Soul Brothers of Kung Fu - Master Hai Sheng Lee - Bei Po
            Winner Takes All - Support Role   
            He Has Nothing But Kung Fu  - Wang's Top Fighter
   
1978   Enter Three Dragons - Iron Head   
            The 36th Chamber of Shaolin - Abbot of Justice   
            Dynamo - Bald Training Partner   
            Soul of the Sword - Sire's Chief Pole Fighter - Sha Jue
            Shaolin Mantis - Mongol Fighter   
            Bruce Lee in New Guinea - Blue Cape Fighter - Big Boss in Borneo
            Enter the Fat Dragon - Professor Pai's Karate Thug   
            The Tattoo Connection - Eyepatch - Cameo
            Swordsman and Enchantress - One of 2 Zombies of the West   
            Hello, Late Homecomers - Support Role   
            The Extras - Tiger   
            Warriors Two - Ya Chao (Iron Fist)   
            Shaolin Challenges Ninja - Bald Pupil   
            Dirty Tiger, Crazy Frog - Crab Claw Master (White Brow Monk)   
            Descendant of Wing Chun - Ma Lung   
            Heroes of the East - Martial Art Student   
            Follow the Star - Kidnapper   
            Enter the Game of Death - First Boss
   
1979    Kung Fu Genius - Li Hai Sheng - Tian Cai Gong Fu
            The Incredible Kung Fu Master - Yang Wei   
            The Best Hustler Wins - Teahouse Strongman   
            Bruce and the Iron Finger - Bald Killer   
            Three Avengers - Guo Lie - Enter Three Dragons
            The Reckless Cricket - Street Performer (Old Fellow)   
            Money Trip       
            Green Hat Guy      
            Knockabout - Painter Danno   
            Fists and Guts - Big Pang (Blacksmith)   
            Legend of Feng Hsui - Bit Part
            Odd Couple - Bald Thug with Knives   
            Butcher Wing - Master Woo Ching Cheng   
            Last Hurrah for Chivalry - Pak Chung Tong   
            Goose Boxer - White-Crested Crane   
            Magnificent Butcher - Master Ko Ba Tin   
            My 12 Kung Fu Kicks - Kwai (Iron Skin Master)   
            The Shadow Boxing - Zhou Qian Tai - Spiritual Boxer 2
            Ol' Dirty Kung Fu - Lung Yung Feng - Mad Mad Kung Fu
            Funny Children
       
1980    Bastard Kung Fu Master - Kung Fu Monk - Cameo
            The Kung Fu Warrior - Support Role   
            The Young Master - Kam's Second Bodyguard   
            An Old Kung Fu Master       
            The Buddhist Fist - Mr. Chen   
            Young Outcasts - Hai-Sheng Li   
            The Sword - Chou Huan   
            Laughing Times - Ting's Bodyguard   
            Two Toothless Tigers - Support Role
   
1981    Game of Death II - Bald Spade Fighter Monk - Assistant Stunt Coordinator
            Phantom Killer - Kam Tin Bar (Chin Tien Pa) - Pink Skull
            The Gold Hunters - Lee Shan - Rat Street
            Krazy Kops   
            Security Unlimited - Robber with Pump-gun   
            The Prodigal Son - Chang's Kungfu Teacher
   
1982    Shaolin Prince - Monk Dao Kong - Stunt Coordinator
            The Big Sting - Shark   
            Mercenaries from Hong Kong - He Ying's Bald Killer
   
1983    Play Catch - Billion's Thug - Shao Ye Wei Wei
            Shaolin and Wu Tang - Brother Fa-Chi   
            Demon of the Lute - Chia-Sheng (Red-Haired Evil)   
            Shaolin Intruders - Abbot Kong Xing - Stunt Coordinator
            Men from the Gutter - Zeng Cai   
            Project A - Li Chou Kou   

1984    The Supreme Swordsman - Qing Qing's Grandfather   
            Crazy Kung Fu Master - Bald Gangster   
            The Company - Gangster   
            Wits of the Brats - 4 Eyes   
            The Lightning Fists of Shaolin - Instructor Zheng Hong - Stunt Coordinator
            Lust for Love of a Chinese Courtesan - Bald Swordsman (Ju San's Brother)   
            The Ghost Informer - Robber   

1985   Crazy Shaolin Disciples - Master Kua (Monk Guy Hong)   
            Disciples of the 36th Chamber - Tiger Lei   
            The Protector - Wing (Hong Kong Version) - Uncredited
            Crazy Romance - Prison Guard in Van   
            My Lucky Stars 2: Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars - Boss Lau's Driver   
            Heart of Dragon - Rascal at Restaurant - The First Mission

1986    Peking Opera Blues - Captain (Soldier with Moustache)   
            The Family Strikes Back - One of Kiu's Henchmen   

1987    Project A Part II - Choy
   
1988    One Way Ticket to Bangkok
       
1989    Miracles - Sang (Thug)
   
1990    Front Page - Dragon
   
1991    Don't Fool Me - Big Mouth   
            Legend of the Dragon - Blind Temple Keeper   
            The Banquet - Man at Dinner
   
1993    First Shot - Rice Shop Boss (Chiu's Man)   
            Bogus Cops - Triad in Bar - Zou Lao Wei Long
            The Kung Fu Scholar - Copper Head
   
1994    The Wild Lovers - Prisoner - Chi Re Qing Yuan

1995    Kung Fu Cop
       
2003    Dragon Loaded
       
2008    The Luckiest Man - Fat's Buddy
   
2009    Kung Fu Chefs - Great Grandfather
   
2011    The Fortune Buddies - Kung Fu Expert
   
2012    I Love Hong Kong 2012 - Kwok Ching's Colleague   

2020    Kung Fu Stuntmen - Self - Documentary

7 September 2024, (Sat) 6:30 PM local time, if you're in the Los Angeles area the 2nd Hong Kong On Screen Film Festival is showing Director Tsui Hark's 1991 film ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA in a 4K restoration.

Once Upon a Time in China sees Jet Li inhabit and redefine the role of real-life folk hero Wong Fei-hung, the main character of the world's longest-running movie series – yes, even more prolific than James Bond. As worldwide colonial forces seek to invade and rule over 19th-century Guangzhou, Wong, the locally popular doctor and martial arts teacher, must save his city from further conflict between East and West. In the role that cemented his stardom, Li portrays Wong's masculinity not only with bedazzling martial arts choreography, but also with modern-day vulnerability,

Please visit the website for more information and for tickets here: ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA

Also visit Hong Kong On Screens film festival website for additional films that will be featured this year: List of featured films

 

Did you know? Many classic films from Hong Kong have won key awards at the Berlin International Film Festival, known as one of the "big three" film festivals in the world. Recipients include major directors such as Ann Hui, Yim Ho, Allen Fong, and Stanley Kwan and this year, SUK SUK director Ray Yeung joins the ranks with his new film ALL SHALL BE WELL, winning two awards including the Teddy Award for Best LGBTQ Film across all sections, marking Hong Kong's first Teddy Award in 26 years after HOLD YOU TIGHT. Yeung's international achievement is well worth celebrating, and the Hong Kong On Screen Film Festival is proud to host the Los Angeles Premiere of his film! Tickets are still on sale through our official website: ALL SHELL BE WELL

More films shown at the 2nd Hong Kong On Screen Film Festival in Los Angeles, CA, USA: List of Films

Hong Kong On Screen is a non-profit organization supported by volunteers. Please help them by giving your donations: Donation

Global Box Office News

This season Disney, together with its 20th Century Studios brand, led summer 2024 with $1.53 billion (USD) thanks to a comeback in brands Pixar with 'Inside Out 2' and MCU with 'Deadpool & Wolverine', as well as its Fox brands of 'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' and 'Alien: Romulus'. Disney is up 121% over last summer's $692 million misfires of 'Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny', 'The Haunted Mansion' and the foreign fallout of 'Little Mermaid'.

Universal came second that also includes Focus Features films with $754.6M (+23% from the summer of 'Oppenheimer', the studio grossing $616M) built chiefly on the backs of 'Twisters' and 'Despicable Me 4'. 'Fall Guy' didn't fire off summer, and it was always meant to be off-season programming, but talk about getting blood from rock with $92.9M for that feathered fish off a $27.7M opening, a 3.3x multiple. That's close to the same multiple of David Leitch's last directed summer movie, 'Bullet Train' - it is noteworthy.

Sony was third after starting the summer streak back in early June with 'Bad Boys: Ride or Die', followed by its female romance renaissance, 'It Ends With Us'. The Culver City lot collected $520.4M including Sony Classics and Crunchyroll labels. The studio wasn't without their failures as they swung for the fences with this weekend's Blumhouse title 'Afraid' ($4.4M 4-day), 'Harold and the Purple Crayon' ($17M) and their distribution of Apple's silly expensive $100M 'Fly Me to the Moon' ($20.4M), off which Sony collected a distribution fee.

Paramount is next for the summer with $250M fueled by 'A Quiet Place: Day One' ($138.9M) and 'If' ($111.1M). Not serious for the Melrose lot which is about to get swallowed up by Skydance after a long summer negotiations - Skydance is the current motion picture administration in charge now. No need to get an ego and turn it upside down with fresh faces when the factory is humming, capisce?
After a robust spring with Legendary's 'Dune: Part Two' and 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire', which stateside combined grossed close to half billion, Warner Bros. couldn't crack $170M (-81% from the summer of 'Barbie' which drove $877M) comprised of two Shyamalan family movies, 'Trap' and 'The Watchers'; Kevin Costner's three-hour part-one western, 'Horizon', and George Miller's 'Mad Max: Fury Road' ($168M) price tag prequel, 'Furiosa', which the Burbank, CA lot had great faith in, however, the film didn't register with any mass audience at $67.4M.

Remembering Hong Kong's great actress Cheng Pei-Pei (6 January 1946 in Shanghai, China - 17 July 2024 in San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA) whose career continued on for decades with over a 100 films behind her, making a name for herself among the best-known actors. She was lead actress in King Hu's 1966 film Come Drink With Me, played Jade Fox in the Ang Lee directed 2000 film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and also acted in Disney's 2020 remake of Mulan.

She was born Jiang Pei-Pei in Shanghai. she was the eldest of four siblings; she had a brother and two sisters. Her father, Jiang Xuecheng, was a Kuomintang member who worked for the Shanghai Municipal Police in Shanghai International Settlement. After World War II, Jiang established China's first ink factory. In 1952, when Cheng was 6, her father was labeled a counter-revolutionary and sent to a labor camp in Inner Mongolia; she never saw him again, he died in 1963 without his family knowing. Cheng's mother was initially her father's secretary and later decided to change the children's surname to her own to protect them from their father's political consequences.

Cheng attended World Elementary School in Shanghai where she was a schoolmate of future movie stars Grace Chang and Chen Hou. She went to the Shanghai No. 3 Girls' High School, where she was a schoolmate of Lydia Shum. She also studied ballet for six years in Shanghai. In the mid-1950s, Cheng's mother and siblings moved to Hong Kong, leaving Cheng in the care of a nanny in Shanghai before the nanny also left. Cheng lived independently for several years and following her mother finally moved to Hong Kong in 1960. In 1963, she was admitted to the training program at Shaw Brothers Studio. After graduating she joined the studio and made her film debut in The Lotus Lamp (1965), playing the male scholar Liu Yanchang opposite Lin Dai. Cheng followed this with her first female lead role in the Taiwanese drama film Lovers' Rock (1964).

Due to her Mandarin skills and dance background, she quickly worked her way up in the Hong Kong film industry at a time when the Mandarin-language productions commanded higher budgets and wider distribution than Cantonese works. Cheng gained fame for starring in the Hong Kong wuxia film Come Drink with Me directed by King Hu in 1966. The story of the film was set during the Ming Dynasty, Cheng playing 'Golden Swallow' who is a skilled swordswoman on a mission to rescue her brother. Cheng continued to play expert swordswomen in a number of films throughout the 1960s.

In 1970, at the peak of her career, Cheng married and subsequently retired from acting, moving to the United States for her husband's business endeavors. She attended business school at the University of California, Irvine and also taught Chinese dance in Southern California. In the 1980s she founded a television production company in the United States and traveled across Hawaii and Northern California at her own expense to produce a documentary series about Chinese Americans. Both Cheng's TV business and her marriage failed around the same time. In 1987 she divorced from her husband but continued to live with him for two years. In 1989, her company declared bankruptcy and Cheng moved out of their house.

With the comedy Flirting Scholar (1993), Cheng successfully returned to acting in the 1990s Hong Kong. In 2000, she returned to international attention with her role as Jade Fox in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon  directed by Ang Lee, whom Cheng had befriended in the 90s when she was host of KSCI's Mandarin talk show, Pei-Pei's Time.

Into the 21st century, she became active across Greater China with Chinese TV dramas such as Young Justice Bao (2000), Chinese Paladin (2004), and The Patriot Yue Fei (2012), as well as Singaporean TV dramas Spring of Life (2002) and Women of Times(2006). She gained new popularity among the younger generation with Chinese reality show Divas Hit the Road (2014). Her notable international credits included the action film Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li (2009), the British drama Lilting (2014), the Canadian drama Meditation Park (2017), and Disney's live-action remake of Mulan (2020) as the match maker.

Upon receiving a lifetime achievement award in Hong Kong in 2015, Cheng reflected on her acting career as follows: "I always remember that I represent the Hong Kong people. So no matter where I am in the world, I will always identify myself as a Hong Kong actress and maintain the professionalism that a Hong Kong actress should have."

Filmography

2022        The King of Wuxia - as Self
2020        Mulan - as The Matchmaker

2019        Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks - as Self
2019        Bell Chamber - as Qin Yi
2019        In a New York Minute - as Amy's Mother
2019        Flirting Scholar from the Future - as Mistress Hua
2017        Meditation Park - as Maria
2017        Blind Date (52 episodes)
2017        Little Valentine (40 episodes) - as Niu Zhenzhen
2016        Goldstone - as Mrs. Lao
2016        Dragon Girls! - as Herself
2016        Good Take, Too! - as (segment "The Lighthouse of My Life")
2016        The Sleeping Beauty (80 episodes) - as 秦奶奶
2015        Lost in Wrestling - as Yuanyuan
2015        回到未來錢 (1 episode)
2014        The Eyes of Dawn
2014        The Scroll of Wing Chun White Crane
2014        Lilting - as Junn
2014        Divas Hit the Road (8 episodes)
2014        The Legend of Run Run Shaw - as Herself
2013        千金归来 (50 episodes) - as Mother Rong
2013        Legend of Hua Mulan (57 episodes) - as Grandma Xia
2012        Singular Cay
2012        非常后妈 (30 episodes) - as 杜奶奶
2012        自古英雄出少年 (38 episodes) - as 贝婆婆
2012        Time and Tide Wait for No Man: A Touch of King Hu - as Self
2011        Speed Angels - as Auntie Fen
2011        Coming Back - as God Ni
2011        Legendary Amazons - as She Taijun
2011        Shanghai Legend (16 episodes) - as 毛坚
2011        The Guardsman
2011        My Wedding and Other Secrets - as Mrs Chu
2010        一一向前冲 (28 episodes) - as Dr. Tian
2010        A Weaver on the Horizon (36 episodes)
2010        Flirting Scholar 2 - as Madame Wah
2010        Fortune King Is Coming to Town! - as Mrs Liang

2009        Remembrance Of Dreams Past (42 episodes) as 陆老夫人
2009        Blood Ties - as Madam Lee
2009        Taishan Kung Fu
2009        Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li - as Zhilan
2009        Basic Love
2008        Kung Fu Killer 2 - as Myling
2008        Kung Fu Killer - as Myling
2008        Love Under the Sign of the Dragon - as Tham
2008        Special Boys - as 兰姑妈
2007        They Wait - as Aunt Mei
2007        The Counting House - as Lia
2007        Shanghai Baby - as Conny
2006        Book and Sword: The Final Battle
2005        House of Harmony - as Amah
2005        李卫辞官 (42 episodes) - as 李卫母
2005        Dandelion (22 episodes)
2005        Strange Tales of Liao Zhai (36 episodes) - as 苗婆婆【阿宝】
2005        A Century of Light and Shadow - as Herself
2005        Insuperable Kid Huoyuanjia
2004        The Miracle Box - as Joanna's Mom
2004        Shui yue dong tian (30 episodes) - as 龙婆
2003        Cinema Hong Kong: The Beauties of the Shaw Studio as Herself
2003        Cinema Hong Kong: Wu Xia - as Herself
2002        Springs of Life (1 episode) - as Yun Shu Heng
2002        Naked Weapon as Faye Ching
2002        The Art of Action: Martial Arts in the Movies - as Self
2002        Romance of Book and Sword (46 episodes) - as Empress Dowager Chongqing
2002        Flying Dragon, Leaping Tiger - as Liu Ru Yan
2002        Book and Sword - as Huang Tai Hou
2001        Grit & Polish: Heroines from Hong Kong - as Self
2001        Shadow Mask - as Red Goddess
2001        Legendary Fighter: Yang's Heroine (40 episodes) - as 佘赛花
2001        Heroes in Black (20 episodes) - as 冯 母
2000        Lavender
2000        Young Justice Bao (40 episodes) - as Bao's Mother(包夫人)
2000        Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - as Jade Fox
2000        Fist Power - as Brian's mother

1999        The Truth About Jane and Sam - as Sam's mother
1999        A Man Called Hero - as Bai Sulian
1999        Hua Mulan (48 episodes) - as Li Liang's Mother
1999        Four Chefs and a Feast
1999        Young Master Of Shaolin (40 episodes) - as Wumei
1999        Lord Of Imprisonment (56 episodes) - as 老板娘
1998        马永贞之争霸上海滩 (22 episodes)
1997        Master Ma (42 episodes)
1996        Top Fighter 2 - as Self (Archive Footage)
1996        How to Meet the Lucky Stars
1996        Wong Fei Hung Series : The Final Victory
1995        Wong Fei Hung Series (20 episodes)
1994        From Zero to Hero
1994        Lover's Lover
1994        The Gods Must Be Funny in China
1994        Wing Chun - as Ng Mui
1994        Kung Fu Mistress
1993        Kidnap of Wong Chak Fai - as Kung Tse Sam
1993        Flirting Scholar - as Madame Wah
1988        Painted Faces - as Ching

1984        Huo Dong Ge (30 episodes) - as 陈士超
1983        All the King's Men
1982        Lady Piranha- as Jo 'Lady Piranha' Chan

1974        Whiplash - as Hu Pien-Tze
1973        None But the Brave - as Shao Ying
1972        The Yellow Muffler - as Singer
1971        The Shadow Whip - as Miss Yun/Yang Kai Yun
1971        The Lady Hermit - as Leng Yu Shuang (Lady Hermit)
1970        Brothers Five - as Heroine Yen Hsing-kung
1970        Lady of Steel - as Fang Ying Qi

1969        The Golden Sword - as Ngai Jin-Feng
1969        Raw Courage - as Shangguan Xiuyi
1969        The Flying Dagger - as Yu Ying
1969        Dragon Swamp - as Qing-Erh / Fan Ying
1968        The Jade Raksha - as Leng Qiu Han (The Jade Raksha)
1968        That Fiery Girl - as Hot Chilli/Pearl
1968        Golden Swallow - as Golden Swallow Xie Ru Yan
1967        Operation Lipstick - as Li Bing
1967        Blue Skies - as Chen Yun
1967        The Dragon Creek - as Kuo Erh Niu
1967        The Thundering Sword - as So Jiau Jiau
1967        Hong Kong Nocturne - as Chia Chuan Chuan
1966        The Joy of Spring - as Herself (Cameo)
1966        Princess Iron Fan - as White Bone Demon
1966        Come Drink with Me - as Golden Swallow
1965        The Lotus Lamp - as Liu Yan-Chang
1965        Song of Orchid Island - as Olan
1964        Lover's Rock - as Lin Chiu-tzu
1964        The Last Woman of Shang - as Dancing girl

The Busan International Film Festival has grown from Korea's first international film festival to Korea's largest, and has become a film festival loved by many filmmakers and audiences not only in Asia but also in the world. As of 2019, 299 works were invited from a total of 85 countries, and the number of theaters that started with 6 has increased to 37. In addition, the 'Busan Cinema Center' opened in 2011, which is an exclusive venue of the Busan International Film Festival and has become a landmark in Busan.

In the early days of its establishment, it was simply focused on building the best film festivals in Asia and promoting Korean films to the world. Today, it is also serving as a bridgehead to promote Asian films to the world by discovering and supporting various films and talented filmmakers.

As a non-competitive film festival that rose to the top in such a short period of time, the Busan International Film Festival played a decisive role in making Busan the center of the film industry as well as the city of film.

About the festival

28 Screens in 7 Theaters
Busan Cinema Center, CGV Centum City, LOTTE CINEMA Centum City, KOFIC Theater
※ Community BIFF: MEGABOX Busan Cinema, Busan Museum of Movies, Hansung 1918 Busan Lifestyle Culture Center

279 films in total
Official Selection: 224 films from 63 countries (World + International Premiere: 99 films / World Premiere: 86 films / International Premiere: 13 films )
Community BIFF: 55 films

This year

1) Increased number of screenings, expansion in quantity and quality
Compared to last year's 209 screenings, this year's screenings will increase by roughly 8%, to 224. This is the result of efforts to maintain a scale befitting Asia's top film festival through self-financing, despite the 50% cut in government subsidy compared to last year. To keep up with the increase in screenings, the KOFIC Theater has been secured as an additional venue.

2) The Asian Filmmaker of the Year Award – KUROSAWA Kiyoshi
The recipient of this year's Asian Filmmaker of the Year Award will be director Kurosawa Kiyoshi. Kurosawa has made many genre films such as Cure (1997), Pulse (2001), and Retribution (2006), but he has gained a wider fandom with his unique individuality as an auteur. This year, two of his new films will be shown at the Busan International Film Festival: Serpent's Path (2024) and Cloud.

3) Special Program in Focus – 'Miguel GOMES, a filmmaker of Joyful Melancholy'
A Special Program in Focus on Miguel Gomes, who won the Best Director Award at Cannes Film Festival this year for Grand Tour, and established himself as a young master of the 21st century with his feature Tabu (2012), will be presented. Busan International Film Festival 2024 will showcase eight feature films of the auteur, and invite the director—also a former film critic—to shed light on his cinema.

4) Special Program in Focus – 'Teen Spirit, Teen Movie'
A Special Program in Focus that gathers new films with teenage narratives from around Asia will be presented. These coming-of-age films that have garnered much international attention include: Tiger Stripes (2023), which won the Grand Prix Prize at Critics' Week during Cannes Film Festival 2023; City of Wind (2023), winner of the Orizzonti Award for Best Actor at Venice International Film Festival 2023; My Sunshine, premiered in the Un Certain Regard section of Cannes Film Festival 2024; and Happyend, which was invited to the Orizzonti section of Venice International Film Festival 2024.

5) Special Program in Focus – 'In Memory of LEE Sun-kyun'
A Special Program in Focus of the works of the late actor Lee Sun-kyun, who passed away in 2023, will be presented. Lee's well-known films Paju (2009), Our Sunhi (2013), A Hard Day (2014), Parasite (2019), Land of Happiness, as well an episode from the limited TV series My Mister (2018), will be screened, for a total of six works. This will be an opportunity to reflect on the significance and presence of Lee Sun-kyun as an actor.

6) The newly inaugurated 'Documentary Audience Award'
The festival is introducing the Documentary Audience Award in order to promote and popularize Asian documentary films and filmmaking. The award will be given to the film that received the highest rating from festival audiences in the Wide Angle – Documentary Competition section, with a prize of KRW 10,000,000.

7) Festival offers Forum for Open Discussion and Communication
The Busan International Film Festival has always strived to create a space for open discussion and communication within the festival. This year the BIFF, in collaboration with major film companies, has initiated an open space for industry professionals, audience members, and experts to interact and communicate. Major participating groups include CJ ENM, NETFLIX, The E&M, and DMP Studio. Glenn S. Gainor (Head of Physical Production Amazon Original Movies, Amazon Studios), TJ Falls (Vice President of Visual Effects, Lucasfilm), and others will be featured panelists.

Microsoft to showcase Coalescence of Contents and Technology
Since drawing attention for its message "AI Is Not Creative, You Are" at Marché du Film 2024, Microsoft will be hosting a booth at the Busan International Film Festival and Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM), marking its first appearance at an Asian film festival. At BIFF Hill, part of the Busan Cinema Center, Microsoft will host a lounge where audience members can experience AI firsthand. Microsoft's ACFM booth will preview a Copilot feature, showcasing the coalescence of technology and contents.

9) Community BIFF, BIFF Everywhere, Connecting the Future
Community BIFF and BIFF Everywhere will connect its participants under the name of the cineaste. The keyword of the 7th Community BIFF is 'Future', and the keyword of the 4th BIFF Everywhere is 'Connect'. These two events set out to collaborate with various corporate institutions, academia, and other organizations, in pursuit of a brighter future for the next generation. Encouraging all young spirits who have their own aspirations, Community BIFF and BIFF Everywhere will step up as an irreplaceable, community-driven cultural celebration encompassing almost everything including film, dance, music, literature, science, technology, and urban landmarks.

10) ACFM launches 'Producer Hub' & AI Conference
This year, ACFM has established 'Producer Hub' to actively support information sharing and networking for producers aiming for international co-production and financing. South Korea has been selected as the 'Focus Country' for the first year, and various panel talks and networking events will be held accordingly. Strengthening its core conferences and hosting AI and OTT-related conferences, ACFM plans to provide the grounds for in-depth discussions on how Asia's IP and film industries can combine AI technology to be a trendsetter in today's rapidly changing digital environment, as well as survival strategies of Asian OTT platforms.

11) Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT Awards
Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT (ACA&G.OTT) Awards 2024, now in its 6th year, is set to take place on Oct 6, 18:00 KST at the Busan Cinema Center. Since its inception in 2019, ACA & G.OTT Awards has encouraged the growth of the Asian contents market and expanded its scope globally since 2023, celebrating worldwide television, OTT, and online creative content. This year, ACA & G.OTT 2024 has selected 41 nominees from 10 countries across 11 categories, out of 201 submissions from 16 countries. The final winners will be determined by seven international jurors.

Please also visit the Official Website for additional information

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Hong Kong's legislature has passed a new law banning films deemed to violate China's national security interests, limiting freedom of expression in the territory. Punishment for violating the law includes up to three years imprisonment and $130,000 (USD) in fines.

Critics say the legislation will stifle the vibrant local film industry. Last year, China imposed a national security law on Hong Kong that effectively outlawed dissent. The legislation, which came after huge pro-democracy protests in 2019, criminalises secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces. Critics say it is aimed at crushing dissent but China says it is meant to maintain stability. The film censorship law was approved in the opposition-free Legislative Council. It gives the chief secretary - the second-most powerful figure in the city's administration - the power to revoke a film's licence if it is found to "endorse, support, glorify, encourage and incite activities that might endanger national security".

Why is Hong Kong worried? Hong Kong's year under controversial law experts and content producers have raised worries about the impact of the legislation, which does not cover films posted online, on creativity and freedom of expression.

The bill was passed by a simple showing of hands, at the last meeting of the council's much extended current term. And despite the lack of opposition in the legislature, lawmakers still debate. Councillor Luk Chung-hung claimed it was political films that hindered creativity, not the proposed censorship law. Another councillor, Priscilla Leung, who is also a law professor, insisted the bill was in full compliance with human rights laws, and she hoped to stop such films from "brainwashing" young people.

Filmmakers will certainly be concerned. Dr Kenny Ng of the Hong Kong Baptist University's Film Academy said the new law would see film distributors worrying if their already-approved films would be withdrawn, meaning more uncertainty in the industry. Book publishers have admitted to self-censoring and the largest pro-democracy paper, Apple Daily, closed earlier this year amid a national security investigation. Meanwhile, many opposition figures are already in prison or in exile.

Hong Kong has created a world wide fan base with millions of fans who are now upset and fear that their favorite style of films will never be the same. The cinema of Hong Kong is one of the three major threads in the history of Chinese-language cinema, alongside the cinema of China and the cinema of Taiwan. As a former British colony, Hong Kong had a greater degree of political and economic freedom than mainland China and Taiwan, and developed into a filmmaking hub for the Chinese-speaking world (including its worldwide diaspora).

For decades, Hong Kong was the third largest motion picture industry in the world following US cinema and Indian cinema, and the second largest exporter. Despite an industry crisis starting in the mid-1990s and Hong Kong's transfer to Chinese sovereignty in July 1997, Hong Kong film has retained much of its distinctive identity and continued to play a prominent part on the world cinema stage. In the West, Hong Kong's vigorous pop cinema (especially Hong Kong action cinema) had a long and strong cult following, which was part of the cultural mainstream, widely available and imitated.

The 1994 film of The Crow is the ultimate in '90s goth movies, so much so that it even came with a tragedy of its own, when star Brandon Lee was accidentally shot and killed on set by a mistakenly forgotten live bullet in a gun used for the film. It was Brandon's defining role, and remains so by default, but the movie's eternal and its soundtrack by established hitmakers (The Cure) connected with the followers and audiences. The film's success has also brought success to merchandises related to it ever since. The film, however has never been followed up by another hit from the comic frenchise.

The Crow is a 2024 American gothic superhero film directed by Rupert Sanders from a screenplay by Zach Baylin and William Schneider. A reboot of The Crow film series, it is the fifth film in the franchise, and is the second film, after the 1994 film, to adapt the 1989 comic book series by James O'Barr. The film stars Bill Skarsgård as Eric / The Crow, a man who is resurrected to avenge the deaths of himself and his girlfriend

This year several studios came together and attempted a restart and released the remake of the film, hoping to start another franchise that can be successfully followed by more films. The film opened on 23 August 2024 but did not do nearly as well as expected.

THE NEW STORY

To escape Roeg, a centuries-old crimelord who has made a pact with the devil to send the souls of innocents to Hell in exchange for eternal life, a young woman named Shelly takes refuge in a rehabilitation institution, where she meets and befriends Eric, a young man with a troubled childhood. When Marian, Roeg's right-hand, arrives at the institution looking for Shelly, they both escape together.

Eric and Shelly fall in love, bonding over their shared love of music. One night, however, Roeg's men find and murder them both. In the afterlife, Eric wakes up in an abandoned trainyard where Kronos, a spirit guide, explains that he will have to kill Roeg in exchange for getting Shelly back. Eric, revived and assisted by a crow, hunts down and kills Roeg's men. He later discovers that Roeg took possession of Shelly's mind, forcing her to kill another woman, causing Eric to doubt his love for Shelly. Because of this, Eric is told by Kronos that he can now never live again with his lover.

Despite this, Eric's love for Shelly is stronger than his will to live and he makes a deal with Kronos to take Shelly's place in Hell after he completes his mission. He tracks Marian to an opera house, killing all of Roeg's men and Marian herself, who discloses Roeg's location before Eric decapitates her. Roeg manages to subdue Eric and attempts to steal his powers before Eric is able to transport them both to the trainyard, where he quickly finishes Roeg and saves Shelly's soul.

After a brief reunion between the lovers, Shelly is revived on the night of their deaths while Eric accepts his fate, content in his belief that their souls will one day find each other again.

 View the Official Trailer from Lionsgate

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Acclaimed actor Nicholas Tse is increasingly moving to behind the camera to continue Hong Kong's long tradition of action cinema. In Herman Yau's explosive thriller Customs Frontline (2024), he not only plays the role of an officer who goes up against an arms smuggling operation but also makes his debut as an action director, building on 25 years of experience that has included working closely with Jackie Chan and the late Benny Chan.

It is not the first time Tse has diversified, having debuted as a singer in 1996 before moving into acting. His feature credits include New Police Story, Beast Stalker and more recently Raging Fire. For his performance in 2010's The Stool Pigeon, Tse won the Hong Kong Film Award for best actor, making him the first person to have won in the three major acting categories – best actor, best supporting actor and best new performer – at the awards.

Also known as an entrepreneur and TV chef, directing might next be on the cards with the highly-anticipated sequel New Police Story 3.

We congratulate Nicolas for his current achievements and wishing him much success in his career and life in the future.

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The WSAcademy promotes film music worldwide through the annual presentation of the World Soundtrack Awards, which recognise outstanding achievements, as well as through the development of other promotional activities. The WSAcademy supports both emerging and established composers for screen.

Through the organisation of film music seminars, masterclasses, workshops and other activities at Film Fest Ghent, the WSAcademy actively contributes to the education and study of this art form. The WSAcademy engages itself in the preservation of the history of film music through recordings, publications and the development of an archive.

The WSAcademy also develops initiatives that are aimed at offering public platforms to new film music talent and networking activities for the creatives and industry professionals involved in music and sound for screen.

Please also visit the Official Website for more information.

Hong Kong on Screen Film Festival has selected Director Tsui Hark's 1980 film DANGEROUS ENCOUNTER: 1ST KIND as the opening film for the festival. The film is a 2K restoration version and will be playing on the big screen in Los Angeles, California at the Eastwood Performing Arts Center on Aug 24 starting at 7:30 pm local time (Pacific Time).

The Hong Kong censor immediately banned the first version of the film for its violent content and forced a restructuring of the film. In the original version, the teenagers make bombs and leave them in public places, a reference to the 1967 rebellion in Hong Kong. In the revised version, the teenagers are merely introduced as hit-and-run drivers. The original ends with a montage of photographs of the mayhem of 1967. The censored version of the film has a runtime of 95 minutes, while the uncut version has a runtime of 100 minutes, though both versions contain unique material (approx. 17 minutes in the original cut, and approx. 13 minutes in the theatrical cut). The publicity generated by the initial banning of the film generated interest in the film, ensuring large audiences for the censored version that was released in Hong Kong theaters.

Cast:
- Lieh Lo as Tan
- Lin Chen-Chi as Wan-Chu
- Albert Au as Paul
- Lung Tin Sang as Lung
- Che Biu Law as Ko
- Ray Lui as Inspector Lui
- Bruce Baron as Bruce
- Chu Shing-Choi as Paul's Mother
- Lee Chun-Wa as Former Mr. Hong Kong
- Richard Da Silva as Uncle Hark
- Nigel Falgate as Nigel
- Fung Yun-Chuen as Paul's Father
- Deannie Yip as Police Officer
- Nick Wai Kei Lam as Money Launderer
- Leong Po-Chih as Head of Interpol Unit
- John Sham as Interpol Officer
- Stephen Shin as Interpol Officer
- David Wu as Tour Guide
- Ronny Yu as Interpol Officer
- Yuen Wai-Hung as Michel
- Director Tsui Hark as Interpol Officer (uncredited)

The long-unavailable, once-banned New Wave classic by Director Tsui Hark is a wild and violent yet humorous ride through 80s Hong Kong. This is an extremely rare opportunity to see this film in theatres!

本屆電影節的開幕電影將為《第一類型危險》全新2K修復的西岸首映！這部出自徐克導演的新浪潮經典曾經被禁一時，現在更加幾乎失傳，是一趟八十年代香港瘋狂、暴力但好玩之旅。這將會是一場千載難逢的放映！門票現正於我們官方網站發售：

Ticket information and more on the festival is available on Hong Kong On Screen's website here: The 2nd Hong Kong On Screen Film Festival

Ticket and program information available here: Program Schedule

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Location: Seoul, S. Korea
Dates: 22 - 28 Aug 2024

• World's largest international women's film festival
• Developing and supporting gender equal films and female filmmakers
• A networking hub of world's female filmmakers based in Asia
• Contributing to the film industry and its diversity through gender equal films
• Supporting Korean female film directors expanding to global market
• Identify gender equal AV content and develop, plan and support in production
• Expand the value of gender equality throughout the film and TV industry by supporting gender equal films and female filmmakers
• Contribute to settle a gender equal culture in the society by building and running a women's films archive
• By supporting 10 filmmakers, develop and foster future female filmmakers
• Strengthen civil capacity through gender equality culture experience

Please visit the Official Website for additional information

Filipino director Kenneth Dagatan's film MOLDER takes the Bucheon Grand Prize award at the 17th Network of Asian Fantastic Films (NAFF), which also runs together with the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival of South Korea (Bifan). The grand prize also came with a $11,000 cash prize. The film took another award, the Blood Window Award which includes an all expenses paid travel to the Blood Window project market in Argentina at Netana Sur.

Congratulations to Director Kenneth Dagatan and his team!

The full list of awards are listed below:

Bucheon Award (Grand Prize)
Molder, dir. Kenneth Dagatan (Phil-It-Sing)

NAFF Award (Excellence Award)
The Heirloom, dir. Lê Hoàng (Viet)

Asian Discovery Award
Push-Button Syndrome, dir. Riko Murakami (Japan)

Korean Discovery Award
Folklore, dir. Jung Seeum (S. Kor)

NAFF Korean Award
Dhammapada, dir. Lee Taegyeom (S. Kor-Nepal)

NAFF Korean Award
Idiot Girls And School Ghost 2: Teaching Practice, dir. Kim Minha (S. Kor)

TAICCA Award
Bait, dir. Daihachi Yoshida (Japan)

VIPO Award
Naga Swim Upstream, dir. Patiparn Boontarig (Thai)

DHL Award
Dancing Gale, dir. Sammaria Simanjuntak (Indo)

Mocha Chai Award
Virgin Bash, dir. Randolph Zaini (Indo)

Kantana Post Award
Dhammapada, dir. Lee Taegyeom (S. Kor-Nepal)

Blood Window Award
Molder, dir. Kenneth Dagatan (Phil-It-Sing)

Sitges FanPitch Award
The Vampire Of Sheung Shui, dir. Shreyom Ghosh (HK)

Goedam Short Film Production Support
Holo, dir. Choi Junhyuk (S. Kor)
Don't Let Me In, dir. Lee Suhyeon (S. Kor)
Baljjeo, dir. Kim Sung-hyen (S. Kor)
Broken Winter, dir. Jeong Yuwon (S. Kor)

Strange Award
Memory Puzzle, dir. Lim Seunghyun (S. Kor)

Bucheon Award
The Heirlooms, dir. Devina Sofiyanti (S. Kor)

Lionsgate is to produce an English-language remake of Indian action film KILL with 87Eleven Entertainment, one of the production companies behind Lionsgate's John Wick franchise.

The original Hindi-language version of KILL opens in the US through Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions this Thursday (July 4), at the start of the US Independence Day holiday weekend. Openings follow on July 5 in the UK (also through Lionsgate) and India.

Chad Stahelski (director of all four John Wick features), Jason Spitz and Alex Young will produce the English-language version for 87Eleven.

Written and directed by Nikhil Nagesh Bhat, KILL, which was the first runner up for the People's Choice Midnight Madness Award at last September's Toronto International Film Festival, is about two commandos who confront a gang of thieves on an express train to New Delhi. Single-named newcomer Lakshya stars alongside Raghav Juyal and Tanya Maniktala. Producers are Karan Johar, Apoorva Mehta for Dharma Productions and Guneet Monga Kapoor and Achin Jain from Sikhya Entertainment.

Commenting on the remake, Stahelski said: "Kill is one of the most vivid, wild and creative action movies I've seen recently. Nikhil delivers relentless action sequences that need to be seen by as wide an audience as possible. It's exciting to be developing an English-language version – we have big shoes to fill and I'm looking forward to working with Nikhil, Karan, Apoorva, Guneet, and Achin to achieve that."

Johar, Mehta, Kapoor and Jain added: "When we made KILL with Nikhil Nagesh Bhat, we dreamed of global love, and seeing North American theaters chant 'Kill! Kill! Kill!' was like seeing that vision come alive. As we approach our global release, we are thrilled that 87Eleven Entertainment will produce a remake of our film in English. Partnering with Lionsgate, the award-winning studio behind genre-defining action movies, has been incredibly gratifying. This announcement coming before the original film's release is unprecedented and a big win for Indian cinema. We are truly honoured."

The writers of Iron Man, Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby are taking on a film adaptation of India's comic character 'Shadow Tiger'.

Shadow Tiger was published by India's comic publisher, Graphic India. Fergus and Ostby first created the Iron Man film that started the Marvel Cinematic Universe now return again to bring India's popular character to the screen.

Graphic India has produced over 500 episodes of animation across TV and digital platforms with premium global partners including Amazon Prime Video, Cartoon Network, Disney + Hotstar, Netflix, Reliance Network, Viacom18 and others, as well as live action theatrical films in Hollywood, Bollywood and China. In 2021, Graphic India partnered with Disney + Hotstar for the launch of "The Legend of Hanuman" season 1 and 2 that went on to become the most watched series across OTT platforms for 5 consecutive weeks. In November 2021, Graphic India along with Netflix announced partnering with filmmaker Zoya Akhtar for a feature film adaptation of The Archies comics. Set in the 1960s, it will be a live-action musical set and introduce Riverdale to a new generation in India.

Actress Li JunLi has been selected as cast along with actor Nicolas Cage for the new Marvel Studio produced series Spider-Noir, a live action adaptation of the Marvel Comic. The series is planned to be released on Prime Video later.

Spider-Man Noir (Peter Parker), often referred to as Spider-Noir or simply Noir, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Part of the Marvel Noir universe (Earth-90214), this alternate version of Spider-Man is a noir-themed take on the character and emerges in a version of New York during the Great Depression.

In 2009, Marvel Comics created a line of Marvel Noir comics. Taking place in an alternate universe, these stories reinterpreted familiar Marvel Characters to better reflect a hardboiled/crime noir atmosphere, with most of the adventures taking place in the United States during the Great Depression era. The Marvel Noir version of Peter Parker, was created by writers David Hine and Fabrice Sapolsky, and artists Carmine Di Giandomenico (who drew his first stories) and Marko Djurdjević (who designed his costume). Though he was not called "Spider-Man Noir" in the stories themselves, Marvel creators and comic fans use this nickname to distinguish him from the mainstream version of Spider-Man.

The Marvel Noir version of Peter Parker first appeared in the four-issue mini-series Spider-Man: Noir #1 in 2009. The character became popular enough to quickly earn a sequel mini-series later that same year, entitled Spider-Man Noir: Eyes Without a Face and produced by the same creative team. This version of Spider-Man Noir was the first to add a fedora hat to his costume.

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Local animated features led Japanese box office in the first half of 2024 as just two Hollywood titles broke the top 10. Of the 20 highest-grossing films released so far this year, 15 were produced in Japan. Six out of the top 10 titles are anime features. Dominating the first half of 2024 was Detective Conan: The Million-Dollar Pentagram, the 27th annual entry in a series of films about a high school detective who has been shrunk to child-like proportions. The film has earned $94.4m (¥15.19bn) – a record for the long-running franchise. By comparison, 2023's top-grossing film, animation The First Slam Dunk, took $98.6m (¥15.87bn) over the course of its run after opening in December 2022.

The only other film to cross the ¥10bn threshold this year to date is Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle, the latest in a long-running anime franchise about high school volleyball players based on the manga by Haruichi Furudate. The film has earned $69.3m (¥11.16bn) at the local box office.

music festivals have evolved from countercultural gatherings to a booming industry. This week, we take a Deep Dive into the economics behind the beats.

 - Did you know: the first-ever music festival took place in Ancient Greece during the 582 BC Pythian Games, featuring hymns and performances in honour of Apollo, God of the arts?

 - Rooted in a love for music and celebration, these events have evolved to become highly commercialised experiences due to hefty production costs and people's expectations for something new and better every year.

 - With the rise of the experience economy, festivals are incorporating immersive experiences catering to the younger generation's desire for shareable moments.

 - Music festivals are notoriously bad at reporting attendance data, so most published figures are rough estimates.

Organizers are coming up with new ideas to attract visitors. For example festival-goers seeking an experience on a different scale, Florida's Lower Keys Underwater Music Festival is held completely underwater. The event blends entertainment with environmental awareness to champion eco-conscious diving and coral reef protection. In Asia there are also more and festivals starting so music enthusiasts don't have to travel far to experience the upbeat atmosphere of a music festival.

The top five highest grossing festivals in the world in 2023 (in USD):

1) Outside lands Music and Art Festival (USA): $40.1 million
2) Hard Summer Music Festival (USA): $29.9 million
3) Tecate Pa'l Norte (Mexico): $20.7 million
4) Lollapalooza Brazil (Brazil): $19.7 million
5) CMA Music Festival (USA): $19.3 million

One of the biggest music festival scandal in history: The Fyre Festival, which cost millions of dollars that visitors paid and got nothing for it, and also sent main organizer Billy McFarland to prison for four years for fraud.

For the next four years China's entertainment industry is predicted to grow with twice of the U.S. growth and set to close the gap on the U.S. Advertising and consumer spending revenues in the world's second most populous country will shoot up by more than 7% to $362.5B by 2028, according to the report, rising at almost double the rate of the U.S., although the American industry's figure will remain significantly higher at $808.4B.

The U.S., representing more than one-third of global spending in 2023, remains the world's biggest entertainment and media market for the combined advertising and consumer spending markets by a wide margin, but this scale brings with it maturity and hence relatively slower growth. On the other hand China's entertainment industry has been expanding in recent years and continued strong growth means it's steadily closing the gap in terms of market size.

The fastest growing markets between this year and 2028 will be Indonesia and India, the report forecasted, predicting "rapid growth" over the coming years in these territories.

PWC highlighted that each of these nations has its own distinctive market dynamics, pointing to India becoming the world's fastest-growing video-streaming market over the period serving its vast, diverse and widely dispersed population, many of whom are obsessed with sports content in general, and cricket in particular. By 2028 and having grown by more than 8%, India's industry will be worth just shy of $100B, the report said, with Indonesia's a little way behind. The report focused heavily on how advertising revenues are developing in the streaming era, predicting that global ad revenues will top a whopping $1 trillion in two years' time.

By 2028, these revenues will have doubled the figure of 2020, as predicted. It pointed to a "plateauing effect" that has "pushed leading streamers such as Netflix, Disney and Prime Video to reshape their business models and find new revenue streams," including ads and crackdowns on password sharing.

"The big three Western global players in the streaming sector: Disney+, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, all rolled out ad-funded 'hybrid tier' offerings, in which consumers agree to view ads in return for paying a lower subscription fee.

With 1.6 million viewers TWILIGHT OF THE WARRIORS: WALLED IN remains the most watched Hong Kong film in cinemas in Hong Kong. The previous record of 1.53 million viewers was set by court drama A GUILTY CONSCIENCE last year, also the highest-grossing film with a box office of HK$115 million.

If you have not see the film yet, the plot is as follows: many years after the bloody turf war that ushered in an uneasy era of peace in Hong Kong's underworld, the notorious Kowloon Walled City serves as a fortified, lawless safe haven for gangs and refugees alike, but when a skilled underground fighter runs afoul of the most feared Triad boss in Hong Kong, a bounty is placed on his head despite his connections to the leader of the infamous enclave. As his pursuers violate the tenuous territorial truce to exact their vengeance, the fallout reignites old grudges, bringing decades of building tension to a brutal, bloody boiling point.

The project had been in development since the 2000s, where it was set to be co-directed by John Woo and Johnnie To and star an all-star cast of Chow Yun-fat, Andy Lau, Tony Leung, Sean Lau, Louis Koo, Anthony Wong, Sun Honglei, Anita Yuen and Zhang Jingchu, with Nicolas Cage, James McAvoy, Li Baotian, Jang Dong-gun, Li Bingbing and Zhang Fengyi making special appearances, as shown on a teaser poster, although nothing was confirmed. On 13 April 2013, Media Asia announced the project was to be titled DRAGON CITY and set to be directed by Derek Kwok and starring Donnie Yen, who would also serve as action director and producer through his production company, Super Hero Films, and was set to begin production in September of that year.

After seemingly stuck in development chaos for several years, Media Asia once again announced the project on 28 February 2021, with Soi Cheang set to direct while Koo, Richie Jen and Zhang Jin are set to star. Principal photography for the film officially began on 22 November 2021, although the cast was not revealed yet until the film held its production commencement ceremony on 30 November, which was attended by Cheang, producers John Chong and Wilson Yip and cast members Koo, Sammo Hung, Jen, Raymond Lam, Terrance Lau, Kenny Wong, Tony Wu, German Cheung, Philip Ng, Chu Pak Hong and Chung Suet Ying. Koo revealed that two replica sets of the Kowloon Walled City were built for filming, while actual magazines, record albums, televisions and commercials from the 1980s will be used as props. All the main cast spent a year training to prepare for the film's fight scenes. On 3 April 2022, filming was officially wrapped and the film went into the post-production process.

Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In is directed by Soi Cheang, and produced by John Chong and Wilson Yip, with stunts and action choreographed by Tanigaki Kenji. The action film stars Louis Koo, Raymond Lam, Terrance Lau, Philip Ng, Tony Wu Tsz Tung, German Cheung, Richie Jen, Wong Tak Pun Kenny, Fish Liew, Chu Pak Hong, Cecilia Choi, Lau Wai Ming, Aaron Kwok, and Sammo Hung.

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