Film Hong Kong Directors blog on making movies in Hong Kong

Control Principal photography completed

count_almasy@rocketmail.com (Kenbiroli) — 2012-09-28T03:44:44Z

My new film, Control, finished principal photography last Sunday. Thank you to the whole crew for all the hard work

Shooting in progress

count_almasy@rocketmail.com (Kenbiroli) — 2012-09-12T04:33:40Z

Shooting my new film CONTROL.

H Projects

count_almasy@rocketmail.com (Kenbiroli) — 2012-04-28T23:44:36Z

Huayi Brothers announced its slate on 22, April, 2012 for 2012 and 2013 under the umbrella of H Projects. My project "Control" was also included in the announcement along with other directors like Tsui Hark, Stephen Fung, Feng Xiaogang, Pang Ho Cheung, Wu Ershan, Doze Niu and Korean director Kim Yong-hwa.

From left to right: Chen GuoFu, James Wang, KimYong-hwa, Kenneth Bi, Doze Niu, Wu Ershan, Peng HaoXiang, Stephen Fung, Tsui Hark, Feng Xiaogang and Wang ZhongJun

Happy New Year of the Dragon

count_almasy@rocketmail.com (Kenbiroli) — 2012-01-22T04:59:34Z

We received great news from SARFT before CNY got the censorship approval for our new China-HK co-production. Happy Year of the Dragon!

Berlin International Film Festival

count_almasy@rocketmail.com (Kenbiroli) — 2011-02-19T11:27:23Z

The Berlinale Palast

The Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg and its counterpart in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Film Development Council invited ten Hong Kong directors during the Berlinale for an exchange.

The Hong Kong contingent and Medienboard Berlin Brandenburg's Teresa Hoefert de Turégano and Christiane Raab

The Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg had actually invested in my film The Drummer through my producer, Twenty Twenty, in Germany. They are an important film funding entity for films throughout the world.

They had arranged a tour for us at the Studio Babelsberg where such classics as Metropolis, the Marlene Dietrich films, and modern classics like Polanskis The Pianist, Ghost Writer, and Tarantinos Inglorious Basterds were made.

Marlene Dietrich and Brad Pitt

Alfred Hitchcock made films in Studio Babelsberg and learnt about German Expressionist cinema there

Derek Tsang, Saville and Adam Wong in the prop shop

Adam Wong, Saville, Derek Tsang and Clement Chang looking at a piece of the Berlin wall

This backlot was built in the 80s. They change the façade to accommodate the film. Polanski shot The Pianist and Kevin Spacey shot Beyond the Sea here.

Quentin Tarantino shot Shosannas, played by Mélanie Laurent, cinema exterior of Inglorious Basterds at the end of the street on the left

And a street in the huge studio is dedicated to him

We also visited the Holocaust museum

Mélanie Laurents new film was selling at the European film Market.

THE REAL GIRLS of GIRL$

count_almasy@rocketmail.com (Kenbiroli) — 2010-09-09T11:26:26Z

The Girls of GIRL$ handed out gifts and "gratitude" tickets at Langham Place cinemas at 9pm tonight (9 September, 10) as the film is gathering momentum...

All's fair in love and war and promotion

GIRL$ CLIMBING AT THE BOX OFFICE

count_almasy@rocketmail.com (Kenbiroli) — 2010-09-08T00:52:18Z

Despite being shown on only 11 screens across Hong Kong, the local audience is claiming GIRL$ as their "Hong Kong" film. It was my intention to make a film about Hong Kong for Hong Kong people. I always believed it would work because there aren't any fake romance or fake love in this film like in most co-production hybrid films we see today. The audience has been starved of anything genuine from their real lives for a long time.

I hope they keep coming out to enjoy GIRL$ as it heads towards the second week which is beating films that have more than double the number of cinemas GIRL$ has.

"A DARING and BOLD HONG KONG FILM" Hong Kong Film Magazine

"A look at Hong Kong's modern social issues" Ming Pao Daily

"Solid performances from the four actresses" Sing Tao Daily

"New generation of neo-realism, especially in the depiction of sexual encounters on the internet." Local preeminent film critic Shek Kei from Ming Pao daily

"Documentary style - realistic" Apple Daily

"It's been a long time a Hong Kong film has stayed so true to Hong Kong." New Monday

GIRL$ OPENS SEPTEMBER 2, 2010

count_almasy@rocketmail.com (Kenbiroli) — 2010-09-01T12:46:10Z

GIRL$ opens September 2 in Hong Kong.

Check out the videos here.

http://www.alivenotdead.com/kennethbi/GIRL-TRAILER-SHORT-MAKING-OFs-profile-1062175.html

GIRL$ GALA PREMIERE

count_almasy@rocketmail.com (Kenbiroli) — 2010-08-29T04:42:47Z

In anticipation of the release of my new film, GIRL$, on September 2, the distributor had a Gala premiere on 27th Aug in the heart of Hong Kong Mongkok Broadway cinema. It was packed with people. Two of the leads in the film, Bonnie Xian and Michelle Wai handed out condoms to the public as a gimmick.

Bonnite Xian and Michelle Oriental daily photo

Condoms sponsored by Sagami xtreme

Funny photo: Me, Karson Lok, Bonnie Xian, Michelle and Deep Ng Photo by Sing Pao Daily

Afterwards, Bonnie, Michelle and the producer, Ng Kin Hung went to get some desert with J.J. Jia (star of Gallants)

MY SHORT FILM - LIVE ON INTERPRETATIONS SITE

count_almasy@rocketmail.com (Kenbiroli) — 2010-05-02T23:19:59Z

My first fictional short I FELT LIFE WITH BOTH MY HANDS has gone live on Interpretationsfilm.com (See previous blog on details). Other filmmakers of these shorts with the same script include David Chan (visual effects artist, Fast & Furious), Evan Jackson Leong (Short form, music video and documentary director), Spencer Nakasako (Emmy Award winning director, Refugee), Danny Pudi (star of NBCs Community) with his filmmaking team of Timothy Kendall and Chris Marrs, Wong Fu Productions (indie production company w/15 million views of their shorts online), Mora Stephens (Independent Spirits Awards John Cassavettes Award-winning director, Conventioneers), Iris Yamashita (Oscar nominated writer, Letters From Iwo Jima)

They have also kept a blog of the event that showcased these films... http://youoffendmeyouoffendmyfamily.com/interpretations-filmmaking-panel-live-blogging-2-4pm-pst/

SHORT FILM I FELT MY LIFE WITH BOTH MY HANDS

count_almasy@rocketmail.com (Kenbiroli) — 2010-05-01T04:04:33Z

I just finished my first fictional short film, a 3 minute film called I FELT MY LIFE WITH BOTH MY HANDS. Its part of a program spearheaded by filmmaker Justin Lin, whose credits range from independent film BETTER LUCK TOMORROW to major studio films like THE FAST & THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT and 2009's FAST & FURIOUS. He's working alongside Elaine Chin and Anderson Le from the Hawaii International Film Festival to encourage new filmmakers to present their unique point of views.

Their website youoffendmeyouoffendmyfamily.com commissioned a group of filmmakers to make these 2-3 minute shorts and all of us directors were given the same script to explore its endless possibilities. The short film has to feature four specific lines of dialogue in any form we choose. This initiative is called Interpretations, and these shorts will be used as inspirations for a competition later to help new filmmakers find and develop their own voice.

These films will be presented on May 2nd, 2pm at the Director's Guild of America on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. Check them out if you're in L.A.

The website for Interpretations will go live on May 2, 2010. All the commissioned shorts will be on the website http://www.interpretationsfilm.com/

Seth Henderson helping out cinematographer Sam Koa

I worked with Sam Koa again on this short, the cinematographer for my last two films The Drummer and GIRL$. After having shot GIRL$ on RED One, we decided to use an even more mobile camera, Canon EOS 5D Mark II with a set of superb lenses.

My students from my scriptwriting courses filled out my crew. In two days, we ran about 12 locations. I couldnt have done it without their help.

Students Jianhong Huang, Tiger Song, Yuanchang Li, Cinematographer Sam Koa, Diogo Cordes Aniceto Martins, Kenneth Bi and Seth Henderson

Same group plus art director Jung Li in the white shirt and Candy Wong, production manager/assistant director

A friends friend full of tattoos came in to act.

Trailer for the new film I directed GIRL$

count_almasy@rocketmail.com (Kenbiroli) — 2010-03-28T00:53:56Z

Trailer for the new film I directed GIRL$. It will make its Wrold Premiere at the Hong Kong International Film Festival on April 5th, 2010.

THE DRUMMER DVD RELEASED IN US

count_almasy@rocketmail.com (Kenbiroli) — 2010-01-14T12:11:22Z

THE DRUMMER, now available on DVD! Add it to your Netflix Que (http://tinyurl.com/Netflix-DRUMMER), Blockbuster Que (below) or buy it on Amazon (http://tinyurl.com/Amazon-DRUMMER)!

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER

count_almasy@rocketmail.com (Kenbiroli) — 2010-01-03T03:25:55Z

Follow Kenneth Bi on Twitter

THE DRUMMER in PITTSBURGH

count_almasy@rocketmail.com (Kenbiroli) — 2010-01-01T09:26:29Z

International Cinema Sunday

The Drummer will be screening in Pittsburgh, Sun Jan 3 2pm

Location:
Center for Museum Education - Classroom A
4400 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Sunday, January 3, 2010
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Contact:
Bonnie
(412) 622-3114
newandfeatured@carnegielibrary.org

http://www.carnegielibrary.org/events/details.cfm?event_id=48583

Film Hong Kong  Directors blog on making movies in Hong Kong