Friday, December 23, 2011

Ateneo Celadon to hold “Spring Film Festival”

 

spring festival

 

Ateneo to hold 6TH SPRING FILM FESTIVAL

Admission is now FREE

Have you ever seen Jet Li in a dramatic role? Did you know that China only recently produced its first 3D fully animated film? How much do you really know about Confucius? If you are interested in answering these questions, then the Spring Film Festival is for you.

Now on its sixth year, the Spring Film Festival of Chinese films is organized by the Ateneo de Manila University (Ricardo Leong Center for Chinese Studies, Celadon, and Confucius Institute) to celebrate the Chinese New Year and to help Filipinos understand China through the popular medium of film.

This year, through the auspices of the Cultural Office of the People’s Republic of China, the festival features six films that cater to different age groups and audiences. Our leading film, Ocean Heaven, features Jet Li in a father-son drama. In the other films, audiences will be treated to a comedy about going home for Chinese New Year, a wedding that sets off the urban/rural debate, an environmental animated film, and the sight of Chow Yun-fat as Confucius.

Unlike previous years when a minimal admission fee was charged, this year’s festival will experiment with free admission. Schools are welcome to bring their students for block screenings on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Following are brief synopses of the featured films:

Ocean Heaven – Ocean Heaven is a family drama which features a father- Sam Wang (played by Jet Li), who is solely taking care of his autistic child- Dafu. Wang finds out that he has liver cancer and has a few days to live. Not only does Wang have to cope with his own suffering and impending death, he also has to deal with the heartache of leaving Dafu with no immediate family. This heartwarming film shows the challenges of being a single parent and how parents, even on their last days, would do anything just to ensure the safety and happiness of their children.

Fans of Jet Li will definitely be surprised to see him in this movie because this is the first to cast Li in a non-kung-fu film where he won the 2010 Wen Zhang Best Actor Award. The movie was also recognized by the Shanghai Media Awards, CCTV Movie Channel Media Awards 2010 and Golden Goblet Award. In July 2011, Li even named one of his charity projects as Ocean Heaven Project to help children with autism, celebral palsy and other disorders

Lost on Journey- a comedy film narrating Li Chenggong’s travel as he endures bad luck after bad luck just to celebrate New Year’s Eve with his family. Li hops from a plane, to a train,to a bus, and to a boat in the desire to be with his family during the most important event of the year. And along the way, he meets a stranger Niu Geng who later helps him discover something important about himself and the goodness of other people. This movie is a funny presentation of how bad luck brought two different worlds together.

Country Wedding- tells a story of a couple who is about to get married with their families getting so excited to the point that their parents started to meddle with the wedding plans. The bride’s mother, insists on holding the wedding at a ritzy hotel in Beijing whereas, the groom’s father, being the director of a cooperative in a rural village, feels indebted to the community, wants to share the wedding to the whole village. The couple are getting in between as conflicts arise between the in-laws. This film is a funny portrayal of the clash of cultures between the city and country side.

Confucius – Confucius, known as the “Great Sage”, lived during the time when China’s dynasties were in chaos and engulfed by corruption and greed. He strongly believed that ethics and education will put all things to order. His wisdom was sought by different dynasty leaders but only to be abandoned after he dutifully served his purpose. The world knows so much of his teachings, but little is known of his hardships. This biographical drama shows the sufferings and pain Confucius endured and the principles he fervently kept that became the foundation of China’s ethics, morality and law. Starring Chow Yun-Fat as Confucius, Nominated for Best Actor at the 30th Hong Kong Film Awards. Other nominations include Best Cinematography,Art Design,Costume Design and Original Song.

Bodyguards and Assassins - In 1905,Hongkong was under the British rule and revolution was on the rise. Sun Yat-Sen was set to land in Hong Kong to meet and to unify faction leaders to finally take down the corrupt and crumbling Qing Dynasty. Because of this, Dowager Cixi wanted Sun Yat-Sen assassinated. For the Chinese people who had been clamouring for freedom, they understood that keeping Sun Yat-Sen alive would mean keeping China’s hope to be liberated. Li Yutang, a businessman, gathered a tofu vendor, rickshaw pullers, a beggar and an orphan to serve as bodyguards. These bodyguards displayed their superb fighting skills as they battle it out with the assassins to protect Sun Yat-Sen,whom they haven’t even met. This action-historical movie garnered numerous awards from the 4th Asian Film Awards,29th Hongkong Film Awards,16th Hongkong Film Critics Society Awards and 47th Golden Horse Awards.

King of Milu Deer- this 3D animated movie focuses on environment protection. It is a story of a white deer, Yoyo, who turned into a lady and made friends with Tzan-the prince of Kingdom of Clouds and Dreams. Tzan was ordered by the minister to search the Labyrinth Mountain to hunt for the Milu Deer to use it as a sacrifice to bring rains in the kingdom. But Tzan discovered the beauty of the Labyrinth Mountain and got closer to Yoyo. Together, they fought sea lizard monsters, fire,soldiers, and the evil Minister to save the wildlife and natural resources of the Labyrinth Mountain. This movie became the highest grossing Chinese Animated film of all time and received the Best Animated Film of the 13th Huabiao Awards.

For other information please call For more information, please call Ateneo Leong Center 426-6001 local 5208-5209; 5280. For tickets, please call Shang Cineplex at 633-2227

6TH SPRING FILM FESTIVAL 2012

Screening Schedule

January 20 – 29

Cinema #4

JANUARY 20 (FRIDAY)

Opening Night

(by invitation only)

JANUARY 21 (SATURDAY)

Country Wedding (1:30)

1:00 pm

Lost on Journey (1:35)

1:30 pm

Lost on Journey (1:35)

3:00 pm

Confucius (2:00)

3:30 pm

GALA

6:00 pm

Bodyguards & Assassins (2:15)

6:00 pm

Ocean Heaven (1:40)

7:00 pm

Ocean Heaven (1:40)

9:00 pm

JANUARY 22 (SUNDAY)

JANUARY 23 (MONDAY)

Ocean Heaven (1:40)

1:30 pm

Country Wedding (1:30)

1:30 pm

The King of Milu Deer (1:30)

3:30 pm

Bodyguards & Assassins (2:15)

3:30 pm

Confucius (2:00)

5:30 pm

Ocean Heaven (1:40)

6:30 pm

Bodyguards & Assassins (2:15)

8:00 pm

Lost on Journey (1:35)

8:30 pm

JANUARY 24 (TUESDAY)

JANUARY 25 (WEDNESDAY)

Bodyguards & Assassins (2:15)

1:30 pm

The King of Milu Deer (1:30)

1:30 pm

Lost on Journey (1:35)

4:30 pm

Confucius (2:00)

3:30 pm

Confucius (2:00)

6:30 pm

Ocean Heaven (1:40)

6:00 pm

The King of Milu Deer (1:30)

9:00 pm

Country Wedding (1:30)

8:00 pm

JANUARY 26 (THURSDAY)

JANUARY 27 (FRIDAY)

Lost on Journey (1:35)

1:30 pm

Ocean Heaven (1:40)

1:30 pm

Country Wedding (1:30)

3:30 pm

Lost on Journey (1:35)

3:30 pm

The King of Milu Deer (1:30)

5:30 pm

Confucius (2:00)

5:30 pm

Confucius (2:00)

7:30 pm

Bodyguards & Assassins (2:15)

8:00 pm

JANUARY 28 (SATURDAY)

JANUARY 29 (SUNDAY)

The King of Milu Deer (1:30)

1:30 pm

Lost on Journey (1:35)

1:30 pm

Ocean Heaven (1:40)

3:30 pm

Country Wedding (1:30)

3:30 pm

Lost on Journey (1:35)

5:30 pm

Bodyguards & Assassins (2:15)

5:30 pm

Confucius (2:00)

7:30 pm

Ocean Heaven (1:40)

8:30 pm

Wednesday, 30 November 2011 09:29Written by Administrator

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