News From Abroad

By Joaquin Farinas

Action Sequels To Be Released Back To Back
In Hong Kong, shooting recently began on "Internal Affairs III," the final film in director Alan Mak's trilogy about the rivalry between police forces and triad gangs. Principal photography began quickly, right on the heels of the wrap up of production on "Internal Affairs II". The first "Affairs" film garnered numerous awards in addition to a modest box office. Re-teaming with Co-director Andrew Lau (who also stars in two of the "Affairs" films) and Co-writer Felix Chong, Mak developed both scripts earlier this year. Admitting that "Affairs II", a prequel to the first movie which is set while the characters are still in their teens might not have the star power to drive a big box office, Mak expects the final installment to fare much better. The final chapter, which reunites all the actors from the original film, is one of Hong Kong's most anticipated films of the year.
Mak plans to release both back-to-back in October and December.

Hong Kong's Box Office Showing Signs of Improvement
Hong Kong's summer box office is showing signs of improvement, however slightly, after lackluster numbers for the past year. Attributed to World Cup fervor the previous summer and poor film offerings for the fall, the major contributor to low movie turn out has been due to SARS outbreaks. The outbreaks of SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and the fear of contamination kept many people away from the dark, crowded confines of movie theaters. In its aftermath, however, people seem to be flocking back to the box office, in search of entertainment to distract them from the crisis.

American blockbusters helped lure Hong Kong moviegoers back into the theaters as well. Among the biggest draws were "Finding Nemo" ($4.1 million), "The Matrix Reloaded" ($3.5 million), and "Terminator 3" ($2.3 million). Local movies also earned big numbers, including the vampire movie "The Twins" ($3.7 million) and "Good Times, Bad Times" ($2.6 million).

The fall releases are looking promising. Among the anticipated films are the Johnnie To/Wai Kafai love story "Turn Left, Turn Right," "Running to Karma" and "Floating Landscapes." The highlight of the year, however, will be the remaining films in the "Internal Affairs" series slated for release in October and December of this year.

Cable Station in Singapore Holds Monopoly
Cable Company, StarHub maintains its monopoly on pay television in Singapore as no other company emerged as a bidder for a second pay television license. StarHub, who controls 36% of the cable penetration in Singapore, was widely expected to go unrivaled for a second license after its seven-year exclusive contract expired this summer. The company Telco SingTel, largely seen as StarHub's chief rival was deterred from obtaining a license by StarHub's exclusive dealing with U.S-based cable companies HBO and Discovery. After eight years of low subscribers in the cable market, however, it appears unlikely that a second pay television company will be able to thrive in Singapore.

Wuriguk Yonguso Celebrates 10th Anniversary
Korean actor troupe Wuriguk Yonguso, or Theater Lab, is in preparation to celebrate its 10th anniversary. Founded in 1994, the company set out with the goal to both modernize theater traditions and bring the world's attention to Korean theater to overseas audiences. The troupe plans to stage six classic dramas at the National Theater in downtown Seoul. Titling the six-series project "Drama is Drama," the troupe will reinterpret such classics as "Hamlet" and Chekhov's "The Seagull." Modern works include "Okdano, " "Clumsy People," "Chamdulsu Opta (Can't Get Any Sleep)," and "Seoul Citizen 1919" written by Japanese playwright Hirata Oriza. The series will be launched on October 15th with "Clumsy People" and will run until the end of December.

Courtesy of The Korea Times October 7, 2003

Hundreds Gather for the Adventure Hua Hin Challenge
Sixty-four teams gathered last week in Sam Roi National Park in Thailand for the annual Hua Hin Challenge to test their determination among various courses in trail running, mountain biking, sea kayaking, jungle running and beach activities. The grueling race was 44-km long and consisted of a 20.5 km mountain bike ride, an 18 km run and 5.5 km kayak race. While over a quarter of the participants were accomplished triatheletes, marathon runners or professional athletes, many amateurs, ages ranging from the mid-twenties to the mid-sixties, came out to test their personal endurance in a race that averaged over nine hours. Participants raced in men's, women's and mixed categories. Winners were announced in each category.

Courtesy of the Bangkok Post October 2, 2003

Journalists Pledge Cooperation
A number of prominent journalists and editors in Southeast Asia have agreed to cooperate to form a joint force to promote freedom of press and build a more democratic society. The journalists united in order to interact more efficiently and create a more regional community, as the media of the various countries has in the past often worked separately on a country-by-country basis. This unification was at the prompting of Indonesian president Megawati Soekarnoputri who appealed to members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). Members of ASEAN include Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Brunei.

Courtesy of the Jakarta Post October 7, 2003

7th Annual Pusan Film Festival Heads Underway
Ceremonies commenced Thursday in South Korea as the Pusan Film Festival, Asia's largest and most important International film festival, opened to enthusiastic crowds. Appealing to both the industry and the general public, the Pusan festival has attracted massive crowds from all over the world since its 1998 inception. This festival, however, marks the first year in which neighbor North Korea has been allowed to submit entries. The country has eight submissions in all, including a screening of "Hometown" (1949), North Korea's first feature film. Among other films scheduled to screen this year are the Chinese drama "The Orphan of Anyang", Pakistan's "Still Water" and the Korean film "Mad Minutes". The festival runs through Friday, October 12th.

Courtesy of Pusan Film Festival Online and EFP-online.com

Shone Uemura Retrospective Showing at Hiroshima Prefecture Art Museum
A new generation of art lovers will be able to discover the works of Japanese artist Shone Uemura. The artist, who lived from 1875 to 1949, was one of a few female, Japanese artists who received recognition for her works, painted in the traditional Japanese style. Undeterred by the prejudice of her male contemporaries, she continued to receive praise for her work all her life, even attaining the Order of Culture in 1948, the first woman to receive this honor. The exhibit runs through the 19th of October at the Hiroshima Prefecture Art Museum before moving to the Utsunomiya Museum until mid-December.

Courtesy of the Japan Times October 8, 2003