A new UK studio - backed by film director James Cameron - has been rejected permission to be built. The Buckinghamshire studio was denied planning permission on a controversial development, due in part to concerns from campaign groups about the local quarry area. According to local newspaper the Bucks Free Press, the leader of Marlow Town Council had previously said he and fellow members were "taking legal advice" after receiving "libellous abuse" for their perceived support of the project. Film director James Cameron had supported the project and considered it as a potential base and training center for Lightstorm3D, a company he set up to develop tools and tech for movies.

The matter has been appealed at the UK courts and awaiting review.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscars) announced its show dates for its upcoming 97th awards in 2025. The Oscars Awards will take place on Sunday, 2 March 2025.

Additional events:

General entry, Best Picture, RAISE submission deadline: Thursday, November 14, 2024

Governors Awards: Sunday, November 17, 2024

Preliminary voting begins 9 a.m. PT: Monday, December 9, 2024

Preliminary voting ends 5 p.m. PT: Friday, December 13, 2024

Oscars Shortlists Announcement: Tuesday, December 17, 2024

Eligibility period ends: Tuesday, December 31, 2024

Nominations voting begins 9 a.m. PT: Wednesday, January 8, 2025

Nominations voting ends 5 p.m. PT: Sunday, January 12, 2025

Oscars Nominations Announcement: Friday, January 17, 2025

Oscars Nominees Luncheon: Monday, February 10, 2025

Finals voting begins 9 a.m. PT: Tuesday, February 11, 2025

Finals voting ends 5 p.m. PT: Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Scientific and Technical Awards: Tuesday, February 18, 2025

97th Oscars: Sunday, March 2, 2025


For additional information please visit the website of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

In the wake of the increasing popularity of South Korean cinema around the world, Netflix has responded by including a list of newly produced S. Korean films, including its first Korean animated film. Netflix could no longer ignore the popularity of S. Korean films and its viewers wanting more for next year decided to start adding more to their list of available films.

Some of the new films coming up are:

In the sci-fi disaster genre, "The Great Flood" promises a high-stakes survival story set on Earth's final day. Directed by Kim Byung-woo, who previously helmed "The Terror, Live" and "Take Point," the film features Kim Da-mi and Park Hae-soo as they battle to save a child amidst a global deluge.

Breaking new ground for Netflix, "Lost in Starlight" marks the platform's debut Korean animated feature. Directed by Han Ji-won, this space romance features the voice talents of Kim Tae-ri and Hong Kyung. The story follows an astronaut selected for a journey to Mars, intertwining themes of family, love, and interplanetary exploration.

Shifting gears to youth-oriented content, "Love Untangled," directed by Namkoong Sun, transports audiences back to 1998. Starring Gong Myoung, Shin Eun-soo, Cha Woo-min, Youn Sang-hyun and Kang Mi-na, the film explores themes of first love and friendship, centered around a high school student's quest to confess her feelings to a popular classmate.

The action-packed "Mantis" (working title) expands the universe established in "Kill Boksoon," following an assassin's return to a chaotic industry. The film marks Lee Tae-sung's directorial debut and is co-written by Byun Sung-hyun, promising to deliver intense action sequences and complex character dynamics.

"Hellbound" collaborators Yeon Sang-ho and Choi Gyu-seok reunite for "Revelations," a thriller that intertwines faith and crime. The film stars Ryu Jun-yeol as a pastor driven by divine revelation and Shin Hyun-been as a detective haunted by her past, both pursuing their own versions of justice in a missing person case.

In response to demands and the new tax credit offered for independent filmmakers Pinewood Studios of UK is opening a new hub exclusively for the independent filmmakers. The new hub will help filmmakers with low budgets to create their films and bring them to the audiences.

The new film hub will incorporate sound stages, as well as production offices and ancillary areas such as workshop space. The facility will have support services and packages designed to meet the unique needs of lower budget, independent films – while having access to the Pinewood Studios ecosystem from camera hire to drone photography to post production. Independent producers will also be welcome to use the "Prep Den" to develop their projects before being green-lit. The facility will be serviced by 100% renewable electricity sources and available to film productions with budgets that sit within the IFTC framework from summer next year.

Please visit Pinewood Studios information page for more information on the new project.

Seven Traditional Chinese food popular and consumed during the Spring Festival each year. Each of the food has different meaning and considered to bring longevity, wealth, health and also good luck for the upcoming year. Read more about these food and hopefully you'll also try to make and taste some of these.

1) The dumpling is a traditional lucky food in China and enjoys worldwide popularity now. With a history of 1,800 years, it is not only a staple food of people in Northern China, but also an essential dish in various festivals, especially in Chinese New Year.

Dumplings are often eaten on the New Year's Eve for its Chinese name 'jiaozi' has a meaning of changing of years.

Flavor: salty
Cooking Methods: boil or steam

Meanings:
– symbol of wealth for its shape like an ancient Chinese gold ingot.
– Lucky coins will be hidden in dumplings and someone who discovers them can get the best of luck and great wealth in the coming year.

Different fillings of dumplings have different meanings:
– Celery, qincai in Chinese, means hardworking leads to wealthy life.
– Leek, jiucai in Chinese, means everlasting affluence.
– Cabbage, baicai in Chinese, refers to a hundred ways of making a fortune.

2) Referring to the Chinese New Year food ideas, fish is an indispensable dish on the reunion dinner.

Fish has its Chinese pronunciation as 'Yu', which means surplus and fortune. So there is a blessing speech as 'Nian Nian You Yu' in Chinese which means that 'May you have surpluses and bountiful harvests every year.' What's more, in ancient China, fish was also regarded having a function of exorcising.

Flavor: salty
Cooking Methods: steam or braise

Different kinds of fish represent different meanings:
– Chinese mud carp: Its Chinese name 'li' means gifts, so eating it can bring people good luck and blessing.
– Crucian carp: Its Chinese name 'ji' means very good fortune.
– Catfish: The Chinese name is 'nianyu', literally meaning 'year surplus' and standing for a rich life.

Some rules of eating fish in Chinese New Year:
1. Don't turn over the fish after you have finished eating one side. In Chinese culture, it means unlucky.
2. To show respect, the head of fish needs to be placed toward elders or distinguished guests.
3. In southern China, some people just eat the middle part of the fish on the New Year Eve, leaving the head and tail to the next day to symbolize completeness.

3) Glutinous Rice Balls, aka Tangyuan and Yuanxiao, is a lucky food during the Lantern Festival (Yuanxiao Festival). However, in many places of Southern China, it is also a Chinese New Year food. Unlike dumplings, the dough of Tangyuan is made by glutinous rice powder with the stuffing such as bean paste, brown sugar and all kinds of fruits and nuts.

There are two kinds of Glutinous Rice Balls:
– Tangyuan in south China: Make the wrappers first, fill in the stuffing, and then knead them into balls.
– Yuanxiao in north China: Filling is divided into small balls first, and put into a sifter with flour. Shake the sifter to let the flour stick onto the balls.

Flavor: sweet
Cooking Method: boil
Meaning: The round shape represents completeness and family reunion.

4) There is no doubt that Longevity Noodles are a special food for Chinese New Year. They are usually eaten on important festivals or one's birthday, especially for old people. Eating longevity noodles in the New Year symbolizes that everything is going to be smooth in the coming year.

Flavor: salty; some sour and spicy
Cooking Method: boil
Tip: The longevity noodle is made by one single and continuous noodle. You must eat it from the beginning to the end and don't break it while eating, or the good wish will be broken.

5) Wonton is also a kind of lucky dish you can find in the Chinese New Year food list. Like dumplings, Wontons are popular during the Chinese New Year because of the shape, which is like a Chinese silver ingot.

Flavor: salty
Cooking Method: boil
Meaning: People believe that eating wontons can bring wealth and treasure. On the other hand, Wonton in Chinese has similar pronunciation with "Hundun", which means the beginning. Eating Wontons in the New Year symbolize a wish of a good start.

6) It is obvious to see from the name Spring Rolls that it is a food to welcome the spring so it's very common to enjoy them during the Spring Festival.

Fresh vegetables or ingredients in spring time are wrapped inside and people eat it to welcome a new spring. Now it has also become a dessert in some places in the reunion dinner.

Flavor: both sweet and salty
Cooking Method: fry
Meaning: The golden appearance shows the wealth and treasure, which also means a fresh start.

7) As one of the traditional Chinese New Year foods, Glutinous Rice Cake with a history of 1,500 years was originally used to worship the gods and ancestors.

Widely eaten in different parts of China, it is made of glutinous rice powder but varies in ingredients and flavors – jujube Niangao and white Niangao in Beijing, yellow rice cake in Shanxi, water mill rice cake in Ningbo, Guangdong Niangao with brown sugar, and fried Niangao with ribs in Shanghai.

Flavor: both sweet and salty
Cooking Method: steam, fry, boil for soup
Meaning: The Chinese pronunciation of the Cake, Niangao, has a homophonous meaning of 'increasing prosperity year after year', which gives people new hope of a rising performance in career and study.

LEARN ABOUT THE CHINESE SPRING FESTIVAL

The Spring Festival is an annual event held in China and in Chinese communities around the world. This massive event takes place on different dates each year, but it typically begins during the beginning of February and continues until the middle of the same month.

The date changes for the Spring Festival are attributed to the fact that the holiday is based off of the lunar calendar instead of the solar calendar. This is a time of the year that is characterised by happy gatherings and close family interaction. The Chinese Spring Festival has an extensive history that represents the rich culture of the Middle Kingdom.

History
The Chinese Spring Festival dates back to the beginning of the Shang Dynasty about 4000 years ago. During this time, the Spring Festival began as a tradition of respect to ancestors and deities during the close and beginning of years. In order to prepare for this festival, people clean every part of their homes and bodies. This ritual of spring cleaning is a tradition that continues in most parts of China even in today.

Deity worship is also carried out, but to a lesser degree than it did in China's past. This is now closer associated with holiday tradition than it is with actual religious practice. When China's economy became heavily involved in agricultural production, the Spring Festival began to be celebrated for the incoming warm weather and planting of crops.

In addition to the celebration of deities and ancestors, there are also legends and wise tales linked to the celebration of the Spring Festival. The most popular tale is about the nian (年) monster and the closing of the year. According to Chinese legend, the nian was a beast that devoured animals and humans for every day of the year. After it was discovered that the yearly monster could be driven away with the color red, people used red excessively for the first two weeks of the new year. Red is now a lucky color that is used in clothing and fireworks during the Spring festival. The color red is expected to drive away the nian monster and bring good fortune for the year ahead.

Traditions
In addition to using red in clothing, decorations, and fireworks, there are also many other traditions associated with the legends and history surrounding the Spring Festival. In accordance with cleaning the home and body, new clothing is often bought prior to the festival. Family elders also give children money in a red purse or envelope. In return, children show great respect and appreciation to the elders and ancestors.

There are a few things that are forbidden during the Spring Festival. In general, people are not allowed to speak of illness, death, or other things with a negative connotation during the beginning of the new year. It also forbidden to use the unlucky number four, or si (四) unless it is absolutely necessary. When spoken, four sounds similar to the word for death, so it is considered to be an omen for misfortune.

During the Spring Festival, there are a range of greetings that can be used to express good tidings to friends, families, and strangers. The traditional greeting for the Chinese New Year is guonian hao (过年好). This is a phrase used to celebrate the passing of the year. Although this is a more contemporary phrase that is used mainly by young people, xinnian kuaile (新年快乐) is also used in urban centers such as Shanghai and Hong Kong. This phrase is a literal translation of the Western greeting of 'happy new year'. Both of these phrases can be used to politely wish people a good Spring Festival, but guonian hao is more authentic than xinnian kuaile.

Celebrations
As with any great celebratory event, the Chinese Spring Festival is holiday with many entertaining activities for people of many ages. During the half month-long festival, Chinese and people from across the world can experience dragon dances, grand fireworks displays, street festivals, crafts, parties, live music, and many other events.

On the final day of the festival, or the 15th day of the first lunar month, a lantern festival is held. Families and organizations from across China and Chinese communities place lanterns along the street for people to enjoy. Some lanterns are simple while others are quite elaborate. Some people also hang riddles along the streets for visitors to solve. If a person can solve the riddle, he or she goes to the owner of the riddle to collect a prize. Prizes usually come in the form of small trinkets, baked goods, or candy.

Also read about the seven most popular Chinese food consumed during the Spring Festival, these believed to bring longevity, health, wealth and good luck for the next year.

Latest announcement from China Film is LEGEND OF THE CONDOR HEROES: THE GREAT HERO will be released for the 2025 Spring Festival (28 January to 3 February  2025). Please see image here published for the 2025 Spring Festival list of films - you can learn more about the Chinese Spring Festival. Although this is the latest plan, China Film might change this and the release date might be earlier, especially if additional films are added and the list is rearranged. We post news as we receive it.

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Former Warner Bros. and Disney executive Mr. Mitsuru Oda is hired by Skybound Entertainment to lead its Japanese division and oversee business across Asia. Mr. Mitsuru has worked 15 years at Warner Bros., Japan, where he recently served as Senior Vice President.

Congratulations to Mr. Mitsuru and wishing him best of success in his new career!

Akira Kurosawa's Japanese classic film SEVEN SAMURA will be shown in theaters again in New Zealand. The re-release is for the 70th anniversary of the making of the film. Show times are from October 17 to 25. More information and if you're in New Zealand tickets can be purchased here: https://www.flicks.co.nz/movie/seven-samurai/

Official trailer for the film: Seven Samurai Trailer

Action thriller 'Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In' has been selected by The Federation of Motion Picture Producers of Hong Kong as Hong Kong's entry to the 97th Academy Awards to represent the region in the best international feature film category of the Oscars.

The film is set in 1980s Hong Kong. It follows the story of Chan Lok-kwun, a troubled youth who accidentally enters the notorious Kowloon Walled City. Lok-kwun, a refugee from the mainland, is trying to survive by participating in underground fighting rings. He seeks to buy a fake ID to improve his life but is betrayed by Mr. Big, a local crime syndicate boss. In a desperate move, Lok-kwun steals drugs from Mr. Big and flees to the Walled City, where he encounters Cyclone, the local crime lord who rules the area with a mix of authority and compassion. In the Walled City, Lok-kwun learns about the order and chaos within the community and forms bonds with Cyclone and his gang. On the other hand, Mr. Big and his gang try to take over the Walled City, leading to intense battles.

Also Chan Lok-kwun's father is revealed to be Jim, the notorious 'King of Killers' who murdered Chau's family. Now, Lok-kwun must pay for that.

The cast includes emerging actors Raymond Lam, Terrance Lau, Tony Wu and German Cheung, opposite established stars Louis Koo, Philip Ng and Sammo Hung. Producers are John Chong, known for Infernal Affairs, and Wilson Yip of Ip Man.

Macau-born filmmaker Cheang was awarded best director at this year's HKFAs for murder mystery Mad Fate and is also known for Limbo, Dog Bite Dog and The Monkey King franchise. Twilight Of The Warriors marks his first Oscar submission.

A trilogy is planned that includes prequel Twilight Of The Warriors: Dragon Throne and sequel Twilight Of The Warriors: The Final Chapter.

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