Asian films, filmmakers shine at Palm Springs Film Festival
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E-mail Xinhua, January 9, 2014
People formed a long line from the entrance of the Annenberg Theater all the way around the building, which even extended to the sidewalk of the street, before the theater opened for the screening of Chinese director Feng Xiaogang's film "Back to 1942."
Such a sight is not unusual at the 25th Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF).
A day earlier, when Indian film Lakshmi was shown, a similar queue of audience wound up to the street side as well.
More than 15 films from Asia were featured at PSIFF, and several Asian filmmakers have come all the way from their countries to attend the festival with their films and conduct Q&A with their audiences after each screening.
"I'm overwhelmed and touched by the audience's response," Elahe Hiptoola, producer of Lakshmi, told Xinhua.
Lakshmi is a film based on true events. Lakshmi is a 14-year-old girl sold into prostitution, and her unyielding resolve to give up hope and her courageous acts eventually brought down her oppressors.
Nagesh Kukumnoor, director of Lakshmi, also came to the festival. The two have worked in making 13 films together. Hiptoola credited Kukumnoor as starting India's independent film industry.
"My first film was a huge success in India," said Kukumnoor.
They took a different route for their latest film, which Hiptoola called a "social contribution" in which they address the issue of abduction and prostitution of women in India.
It is their first film to enter the international film circuit. They were thrilled by the reception they have received at PSIFF.
Hong Kong director Wong Kar Wai also attended the Festival with his film The Grandmaster, which has been nominated in the Best Foreign Language category for the Academy Awards.
Wong participated in the "Talking Pictures Program" organized by PSIFF to explore "the careers and creative choices of the top talents in the world of cinema." Wong talked about his latest film as well as his other award-winning hits.
Wong told Xinhua that PSIFF is an important venue for foreign films.
Anthony Chen, director of ILO ILO from Singapore who had won several awards for his debut feature film, also showed up at the Festival.
ILO ILO is Singapore's Academy Awards entry for this year. It's a story about an over-stretched middle class family and the Filipino maid they bring into their home to help care for their troublesome 10-year-old son.
Chen was honored as one of "10 Directors to Watch" by Variety at the Festival.
"I'm honored to be here and hope it (the award) will bring many more good things to come," he told Xinhua.
South Korean director Kang Yi-kwan also attended the Festival with his film Juvenile Offender, which is his country's contender for the Academy Awards. The film is a story of a troubled 16-year-old who winds up in a detention center until the authorities track down the mother he thought was dead. It is regarded as a "neo-realist, social conscience drama."
Kang, who studied sociology in college before turning to filmmaking, said in an interview with Xinhua that he had studied juvenile offenders and made a short film on the issue before doing the feature film.
"My goal is to have a story that the audience can enjoy and also think about these problems in society," said Kang.
Philippe Muyl, a French director who has made a Chinese film in collaboration with producers in China, attends the Festival with his film Nightingale. Muyl takes the audience on a Chinese road trip through spectacular mountain villages to discover the daily existence of the people and the beauty of nature.
The story is about the relationship between a grandfather and his granddaughter. A previous film "The Butterfly" was very popular with Chinese audiences, which led him to the production of this new film.
"People perceive China through television and film," Muyl told Xinhua. "I want them to see the beautiful countryside they don't know."
Nightingale has three screenings at the festival and is well received by the audience as "poetically and beautifully done."
Asian films and their filmmakers are well received at the festival, one of the largest in the United States.
"I'd like to see more Chinese film submissions for PSIFF," said Therese Hayes, Programmer for Asian films at PSIFF.
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