The 2008 Chinese American Film Festival

The 2008 Chinese American Film Festival

CAFF 2008 to vibrate San Francisco, the symbol of arts and diversity, with its 12 featured films from China and Hong Kong The world is getting smaller. Intercultural exchange and free trade amongst countries have become the norm. The break down of boundaries between countries emphasizes the birth of a new entity – the global community. And one of the most potent agents of such communication, appreciation and understanding is the medium of cinema. The 2008 Chinese American Film Festival (known as CAFF) is scheduled to be held on November 8th until November 20th in San Francisco. EDI Media Inc. as its organizer officially released the news recently in partner with Shenhart

Entertainment, Rudy Morgan Organization, Dot Media, 4 Star Movie Theatres and World Channel in San Francisco and EIA.12 selected and award winning films from China and Hong Kong will be screened at Marina Theatre and 4 Star Theatre with a list of confirmed VIPs of directors and producers.

Festival opening including a reception and party will start at 4pm at Marina Theatre with the new Tibetan film entitled GANGLAMEDO. The director and producer of GANGLAMEDO will be attending.
 
Admission:

Opening Film and Party: $12.00
General Admission: $5.00
Festival Pass: $35.00 for as many films as you would like to see!


Opening Film冈拉梅夺Ganglamedo (China, 2008)@ Marina Theatre

11/8 4:00pm *
Filmmakers in attendance

*Opening reception and partyAlso showing @ 4-Star Theatre

11/19 8:30pm
11/20 4:20pm

Sypnosis:

A young Tibetan woman, a soon-to-be bride, becomes a household name in Lhasa for her extraordinary mystic singing of an old song Ganglamedo - The Snow Lotus, which happens to be her own name. Surprisingly, she disappears on her wedding night.Sixty years later, another singer, a young Chinese girl An-Yu, tries the same song and gains the audience. But she suddenly loses her voice one evening when singing it, and then disappears too.Is Ganglamedo nothing but a regrettable music?The first feature about life in modern Tibet, Banglamedo combines the mystery of Tibetan traditions, an age-old legendary love story, and elements of modern popular culture. It focuses on the life of the younger generations in Tibet and tries to interpreting their emotions and confusions in a changing world. - SIFF Runtime: 96 minsDirector: Wei DAIActors: Shichen JUNG, Zinchen Denchu, Hao ZHENG, Sorangcho

文雀 Sparrow (2008

)Showing @ 4-Star
11/15 8:10pm
11/17 8:30pm
11/18 4:40pm

The dapper Kei (Simon Yam) leads a four-man team of pickpockets (played by Gordon Lam, Kenneth Cheung, and Law Wing Cheong), each adept at relieving unsuspecting tourists of their valuables. But their daily thievery is interrupted when Chung Chun Lei (Kelly Lin) enters their lives, bringing with her an elegance and mystery that immediately attracts. She approaches each man separately, drawing each in like moths to a flame, but what's her angle? Is she a thief? And why is she constantly on the run from suit-wearing thugs? Runtime: 87 minsDirector: Johnnie To Kei-FungCast: Simon Yam Tat-Wah, Kelly Lin, Gordon Lam Ka-T

投名状 The Warlords (2007)

Showing @ 4-Star
11/18 8:30pm
11/19 2:15pm
11/20 8:30pm

Filmed by Zhang Che in 1973 as The Blood Brothers, it's a heroic tale of three blood brothers and their struggle in the midst of war and political upheaval. It is based on "The Assassination of Ma," a Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) story about the killing of general Ma Xinyi. Directed by Peter Chan (PERHAPS, LOVE) and Wai-man Yip, it stars three of Asia's most accomplished actors: Jet Li, Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro.-IMDBRuntime: 126 minsDirector: Peter Chan Wai-man YipCast: Jet Li, Andy Lau, Takeshi Kaneshiro

五颗子弹 Gun of Mercy (2007)

Showing @ 4-Star
11/15 9:50pm
11/16 8:10pm
11/17 4:30pm

The story follows Officiar Ma and three prisoners as they struggle to survive against the forces of nature and each other. Officier Ma is a good cop, a sympathetic cop, determined to do his job. He must transport three convicts to a new location. Each prisoner faces a different fate. One has only two months left to serve; one is to stand trial, and if convicted faces anywhere from 15 years to death; and one is to be executed when they arrive. Runtime: 92 minsDirector: Xiao FengCast: Jiang Wu, Liu Peiqi, Wu Dawei, Lin Bin .

婚礼，Marriage Trap (2008)

Showing @ 4-Star

11/14 4:25pm
11/17 12:15pm
11/20 2:20pm

Marriage Trap," directed by Zhang Cheng and starring actress Tao Hong and "Crazy Stone" actor Guo Tao, is a love story between an astute marriage swindler Xiao Tao (Tao Hong) and a scrupulous wedding host Lao Guo (Guo Tao).Xiao Tao uses Lao Guo's love to swindle his money, but the plot takes several twists and turns and in the end, it's hard to tell who traps whom.The film was produced by veteran Hong Kong filmmaker Manfred Wong, who, at the film's Beijing premiere on Wednesday, compared its weighty jests to the ones in "Crazy Stone," and told the audiences to expect a laugh-out-loud comedy. -China.orgRuntime: 98 minsDirector: Zhang ChengCast: Guo Tao, Tao Hong


夜上海，The Longest Night in Shanghai (China/Japan, 2007)

Showing @ 4-Star
11/14 9:20pm
11/18 12:15pm

A fussy Japanese stylist Naoki Mizushima meet the feisty taxi driver Lin Xi and go through the night in Shanghai. Neither speaks a word of the other's language and Naoki can't even remember the name of his hotel. As his assistants and bozo interpreter search for Naoki, love blooms between several players, including Naoki's crazy agent and a pert female cop.Runtime: 107 minsDirector: Zhang YibaiCast: Masahiro Motoki, Vicki Zhao, Naomi Nishida, Takashi Tsukamoto


红美丽Shanghai Red (2006)

Showing @ 4-Star
11/16 9:55pm
11/18 2:45pm

A rare Hollywood production that features a Chinese cast, Shanghai Red unveils a complex story of vengeance and deception, starting with a mysterious murder case. Vivian Wu stars as Zhu Meili, an aggressive woman who pushes her husband to earn more money for the family. Unfortunately, her man gets killed by their business competitors, leaving the guilt-stricken Meili determined to take revenge. Obsessed with vengeance, she turns her desires, passion, and all her emotions into a destructive force.Director: Oscar L. CostoCast: Wu Junmei, Richard Burgi, Zhong Zhentao, Ge You

刮痧The Treatment (2001)

Showing @ 4-Star
11/17 2:15pm
11/20 12:15pm

Hong Kong indie film icon Tony Leung stars in this Chinese production about cultural misunderstanding and intolerance. Datong (Leung) is a patrician of a St. Louis Chinese-American family and a designer of violent video games. When Datong's father (Zhu Xu) visits from China, he performs some traditional Chinese medicine on his young grandson. Though painless, the treatment leaves bright red marks on the skin, which are interpreted by the kid's teacher as welts. Soon the Child Welfare Agency is accusing the family of child abuse and transfers the kid to a foster home. This film was screened at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival. -DVDAsian.comRuntime: 105 minsDirector: Zheng XiaolongCast: Tony Leung Kai Fai, Zhu Xu, Jiang Wenli

Waiting in Beijing (China/USA, 2008)

Showing @ 4-Star
11/16 4:05pm
11/19 4:30pm


Set amidst the contemporary Beijing, China of 2003, Waiting In Beijing tells the story of a search for love amid turbulent and changing times and places. GEORGE KERRY is a young American man in love with an Iraqi woman, NADIA. When Nadia is ordered back to Baghdad just as American troops enter Iraq, George and Nadia make a promise to reunite in Beijing. A stranger in a strange land, George finds work and friends among the many “expats” also living in China. Here George’s journey really begins. Director: Alan ZhangCast: Kelly Nyks, Steph Song, Tala Ashe

磨剪子抢菜刀，The BirthdayShowing

@ 4-Star

11/14 12:30pm
11/15 4:15pm

In a suburban village nearby a small town in Northeast China, Grind-smith Li is about to celebrate his 65th birthday. Yet due to city planning, the house that he and his wife has lived in for almost a lifetime has to be demolished. It looks necessary to call his sons and daughter for a party, not only for the birthday celebration, but the demolishing and its consequences. So, there come his first son, Da Bao and his wife, second son, Er Bao with a borrowed fiancée…In the discussions that follow, the disperse of the demolishing compensation money and the caretaking of San Bao, the mentally disabled third son of Li’s, the birthday party turns into a tragedy… Director: Ning, JingwuCast: Zhu, Jiansan; Wang, Changlin; Wang, Changli; Wang, Suyun

小火车Toy TrainShowing

@ 4-Star
11/15 12:15pm
11/19 12:15pm

Toy Train is a story about kids, and a mind opener for grownups.When Yang Bo reports on Tan Feng, curiosity turns into greediness, friendship to jealousy, and trust, betray; when Tan Feng gets his punishment as a result, soul starts to feel the grief in tears, and innocence pays the bill for growing.It’s all about two boys and one toy train, a childhood story told in a graceful way yet to interpret friendship, betray and growing.The Toy Train rolls away and disappears in distance with Yang Bo and Tan Feng on board leaving us where we are, deep in thoughts, about past and future…Director: Zheng

世界上最疼我的那人去了My Beloved Has Gone
Showing @ 4-Star
11/14   2:20pm
11/16   12:15pm

Ke, a successful writer, decides to come to Beijing to visit her mother. When the news is announced by Mother’s caretaker to her, Mother’s initial response is but to pick up the phone. And upon arrival, Mother asks the “visitor” if she needs help; evidently Mother’s eyesight has gone down to nearly zero. From Mother’s heavily tilted left shoulder, her overcautious walk as if on ice, her talk of no subjects at all and from the fact that she can’t stop her saliva dripping out of her mouth while talking, Ke discovers that Mother is really and suddenly getting old.Taken by the unexpected findings, Ke blames herself that during the past years when Mother needs her help the most, she has left her alone. And she is determined to never abandon Mother again.Screenwriter/Director: Ma, Li WenCast: Si Qin, Gao Wa; Huang, Suying; Shi, Weijian; Zhang, Shengxian; Gong, Bei Bi