The memorable 50th Hong Kong International Film Festival will open with Anthony Chen’s We Are All Strangers and close with Philip Yong’s Cyclone, both of which will be screened for the first time in Asia at the event.
HKIFF50 will be held from April 1st to 12th under the theme “50 and Beyond: Framing the Future” and will screen 215 films from 71 countries and regions, including 11 world premieres, 4 international premieres, and 49 Asian premieres.
Chen’s film, which opens the festival at the Hong Kong Cultural Center on April 1, is the final chapter in his Growing Up trilogy, exploring the nature of family and belonging beyond traditional blood ties. The film, starring Yeo Yan Yang and Ko Jia Rah, recently became the first Singaporean film to be screened at the Berlin Film Festival.
Directed by Yun, Cyclone stars Liu Youchao, Edwin Lee and Jenny Suen and centers on transgender identity and experiences of social exclusion. The film had its world premiere at the Rotterdam International Film Festival earlier this year and will make its Asian debut at the HKIFF50 screening on April 12th.
Internationally renowned filmmakers such as up-and-coming director Jia Zhangke, Juliette Binoche, Chen Kaige, Tian Chuanchuan, Fang Zhenxing, An Hui, Tsai Mingliang, Ildiko Enyedi, Penek Ratananaluan, Edwin and Ben Rivers are scheduled to attend.
On the occasion of its Golden Jubilee, HKIFF50 has appointed Taiwanese actress Jingle Wang, winner of the Best Actress Award at the 22nd Taipei Film Festival, and Thai actor Metawin Opasiamkhayoung, winner of the Academy of Asian Film Awards’ Asia Rising Star Award in 2024, as visionary ambassadors for Asia. They join festival ambassadors Angela Yuen and Tony Wu.
The festival will also feature three sold-out performances of the Asian premiere of In the Mood for Love – In Concert, a collaboration with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra featuring live accompaniment and new interpretations of Wong Kar-Wai’s classic film music. The free exhibition “50 and Beyond: Hong Kong International Film Festival Golden Jubilee Exhibition” will be held at Hong Kong City Hall.
