Crocodile has first bite of Montreal
By Stephen Cremin
Thu, 09 August 2012, 15:40 PM (HKT)
The comedy-drama has a pan-Chinese cast including Taiwan's Barbie HSU 徐熙媛, Mainland China's GUO Tao 郭濤 and Hong Kong's LAM Suet 林雪 in the tale of a giant crocodile on the loose with €100,000. LIN Lisheng 林黎勝 won the best director prize for his film at the China Movie Channel Media Awards at the Shanghai International Film Festival 上海國際電影節 in June.
Seventeen films have been selected for the World Competition, including three dramas from Asia, Claude GAGNON's Karakara カラカラ, FURUHATA Yasuo 降旗康男's Dearest あなたへ and YANG Yazhou 楊亞洲's Wings 最長的擁抱 (2011). The three directors — two working in Japan, one in China — are regular guests of the festival, which has showcased their previous films.
The seven member jury, headed by Greta Scacchi, includes Chinese actor WANG Xueqi 王學圻 and South Korea's KIM Dong-ho 김동호 | 金東虎, the former director of the Busan International Film Festival 부산국제영화제. The other jury members are French producer Véra Belmont, Canadian actor Michel Côté, Russian critic Andrei Plakhov and Spanish actress Goya Toledo.
Films from Japan and China also dominate other sections of the festival.
WANG Quanan 王全安's Chinese epic White Deer Plain 白鹿原, which premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival, screens out of competition, together with three Japanese films, NARUSHIMA Izuru 成島出's Admiral Yamamoto 聯合艦隊司令長官 山本五十六 (2011), KIMIZUKA Ryoichi 君塚良一's Reunion 遺体 明日への十日間 and The Floating Castle のぼうの城 (2011), directed by INUDO Isshin 犬童一心 and HIGUCHI Shinji 樋口真嗣.
Highlights of the panoramic Focus on World Cinema section include SUO Masayuki 周防正行's A Terminal Trust 終の信託, NISHIKORI Yoshinari 錦織良成's KON-SHIN 渾身, AN Zhanjun 安戰軍's Brother 黑暗中的救贖, YANG Yong-hi 양영희 | 梁英姬's Our Homeland かぞくのくに and North Korea-China co-production Meet in Pyongyang 平壤之約 ' 평양에서의 약속.
Curiously, there are no films from South Korea in this year's lineup. Southeast Asia is represented by Vietnam's Mother's Soul Tâm hồn mẹ (2011), the Philippines' The Hermit's Crab Mariana and French-Cambodian documentary Golden Slumbers Le sommeil d'or (2011). South Asia is represented by India's B.A. Pass and Sri Lankan co-production With You, Without You Oba nathuwa oba ekka.
This year's lineup comprises of 212 features, 144 shorts and 16 medium-length works. According to festival organisers, more than half the feature films are world or international premieres.
| 聯合艦隊司令長官 山本五十六
Low-key but emotionally moving study of the man behind the Pearl Harbor attack.
| Le sommeil d'or
Pioneering documentary on Cambodia's golden film age is only half a meal.
Meet in Pyongyang
| 平壤之約 | 평양에서의 약속
Glossy China-North Korea co-production is intriguing but short on human drama.
Million Dollar Crocodile
China's first creature movie is a modest, fun item, with good-quality visual effects.
Low-key drama of a North Korean visiting his family in Japan is interesting but unfocused.
White Deer Plain
Potentially epic peasant drama, with a fine cast, is undercut by an uninvolving approach.
Lost in translation
Selling and marketing Chinese-language films overseas is becoming trickier
Jeonju to celebrate Indian cinema
Indie focus in Beyond Bollywood
Kirishima does its Thing
High school drama wins at Japan Academy Awards
Kim to receive Udine award
One Asian festival salutes another
Gangster, Mystery top AFA nominations
Hong Kong may lose awards if funding not stabilised
Iron Man 3 lands in Beijing
Wang poses for PR shots
Wang joins cast of Iron Man 3
Superhero film shoots in Beijing
Horse carries off prize at IFFI
Indian festival wraps in Goa
Kerala unveils wide-ranging lineup
Indian festival under way in Dec
Asia sends 15 to Oscars race
Malaysia, Singapore quietly make submissions
Odin snaps up Crocodile sales
Chinese monster movie sells Asia, N America
Mainland films lead Golden Horse race
Mystery and Beijing Blues shortlisted
Tokyo sidesteps China crisis
Six Asian films in competition; one from Mainland
Homeland gets Japan nomination
Korean-Japanese tale joins Oscar race
Luang Prabang opens SE Asian shop window
Laos festival highlights region's diversity
Cinefan wraps after fruitful week
Indian festival scores with art, commerce discussion
Durban to play Asian tunes
SA festival takes film to new places
Karakara goes to Bitters End
Okinawa road movie locks local distributors
Odin's get a bite on Crocodile
Chinese CGI movie heads for Cannes market
Woodsman and Light dazzle Nippon Connection
German festival recognises films by Okita and Yamasaki
Sydney proclaims diversity
Festival unveils sneak preview
Buff fit for Hong Kong opener
Festival proclaims diversity, depth of retrospective work
Asia scrapes Berlin consolation prizes
Short films score well, while features are shunned
White Deer Plain hunted down
Berlin competition film secures sales rep
White Deer is Berlin's dark horse
Wang Quanan's epic family drama closes competition lineup
Tsunami washes through Berlin Forum
Festival sidebar features four from Japan
Dubai opens under Cruise control
Strong lineup of Indian cinema and Bollywood stars
Gangor rewarded at Cinemanila
Festival finds new home in Taguig City
Cinemanila relocates to Taguig City
Argento and Aunor receive Lifetime Achievement Awards
Toei joins space race
AFM slate expanded by imminent releases
Chronicle wins Montreal prize
Wins for Japan's Harada Masato and Zeze Takahisa
Japanese pair premiere in Montreal
World Film Festival keeps its options wide open
Busan bosses fly to Okinawa
Japanese comedy festival expands jury
World Film Festival enjoys Asian harvest
Montreal programmes films across all sections