49th Hong Kong International Film Festival
 HKIFF official poster | |
| Opening film |
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|---|---|
| Closing film | Dreams (Sex Love) by Dag Johan Haugerud |
| Founded | 1977 |
| Hosted by |
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| Festival date | Opening: April 10, 2025 Closing: April 21, 2025 |
| Website | HKIFF 2025 |
The 49th Hong Kong International Film Festival (Chinese: 第49屆香港國際電影節) is set to take place from 10 April to 21 April 2025. Louis Koo was selected as the Filmmaker in Focus for this edition and masterclasses led by Albert Serra, Juho Kuosmanen, and Leos Carax will be featured.
The festival is set to open with the Japanese crime film The Brightest Sun by Tetsuya Nakashima and the Malaysian-Hong Kong drama Pavane for an Infant by Chong Keat Aun, and closes with the Norwegian drama Dreams (Sex Love) by Dag Johan Haugerud. This year, 195 films from 69 countries were screened, including six world premieres, two international premieres, and fifty-two Asian premieres. Angela Yuen was chosen as the new ambassador of the HKIFF starting this edition, succeeding Karena Lam.
Background
[edit]The theme of the 49th Hong Kong International Film Festival is "Dialogue - Conversation of Film".[1] The festival's poster, designed by local company Trilingua Design, features sound tracks as the background, accompanied by classic quotes from international films.[1] Angela Yuen was named the new ambassador of the Hong Kong International Film Festival in late January 2025 starting from this edition, succeeding Karena Lam.[1][2] Louis Koo was announced as the Filmmaker in Focus for the festival on 7 February 2025.[3] Albert Lee, the executive director of the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society, explained that Koo, who served as the HKIFF ambassador for five years starting in 2014, was chosen for both his acting career and filmmaking efforts through his production companies, which embody the essence of Hong Kong cinema to both the industry and the public.[3][4] A commemorative book on Koo will be published in collaboration with Moleskine.[4]
Catalan filmmaker Albert Serra and Finnish filmmaker Juho Kuosmanen were announced as features in the Masterclass section later that month, with both presenting at the festival in person and marks Kuosmanen's first visit to Hong Kong.[5][6] French filmmaker Leos Carax and Japanese actress Sakura Ando were also announced as features in the Masterclass and Focus section respectively in March.[7][8] A full lineup was announced on 17 March 2025.[9] Other notable guests at the festival included Chinese filmmakers Wang Bing, Vivian Qu, Japanese filmmaker Shinobu Yaguchi, and Taiwanese actor Lee Kang-sheng.[10] A total of 195 films from 69 countries were screened, featuring six world premieres, two international premieres, and fifty-two Asian premieres.[11] Ticket prices ranged from HKD$55 to $100.[12] The film festival is set to take place from 10 April to 21 April 2025.[4]
Program sections
[edit]Opening and closing films
[edit]The following films were chosen as the opening and closing features of the film festival, marking the world premiere of The Brighest Sun:[13][12]
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opening film | ||||
| The Brightest Sun | 時には懺悔を | Tetsuya Nakashima | Japan | |
| Pavane for an Infant | 搖籃凡世 | Chong Keat Aun | Malaysia, Hong Kong | |
| Closing film | ||||
| Dreams (Sex Love) | Drømmer | Dag Johan Haugerud | Norway | |
Gala Presentation
[edit]Two Hong Kong films, which had only premiered at Busan International Film Festival and Tokyo International Film Festival in 2024, have been selected for screening in the Gala Presentation section:[10]
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley of the Shadow of Death | 不赦之罪 | Jeffrey Lam, Antonio Lam | Hong Kong |
| Montages Of A Modern Motherhood | 虎毒不 | Oliver Chan |
Cinephile Paradise
[edit]The following films have been selected for screening in the Cinephile Paradise section:[10][14]
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| April | აპრილი | Déa Kulumbegashvili | France, Italy, Georgia |
| Bel Ami | 漂亮朋友 | Geng Jun | China |
| The Girl with the Needle | Pigen med nålen | Magnus von Horn | Denmark, Poland, Sweden |
| Girls on Wire | 想飞的女孩 | Vivian Qu | China |
| Kill the Jockey | El jockey | Luis Ortega | Argentina, Mexico, Spain, Denmark, United States |
| Limonov: The Ballad | — | Kirill Serebrennikov | Italy, France, Spain |
| Parthenope | — | Paolo Sorrentino | Italy, France |
| Queer | — | Luca Guadagnino | Italy, United States |
| Stranger Eyes | 默視錄 | Yeo Siew Hua | Singapore, Taiwan, France, United States |
| Teki Cometh | 敵 | Daihachi Yoshida | Japan |
| Vermiglio | — | Maura Delpero | Italy, France, Belgium |
| When Fall Is Coming | Quand vient l'automne | François Ozon | France |
Firebird Awards
[edit]Young Cinema Competition (Chinese-language)
[edit]The following films were selected to compete in the Young Cinema Competition (Chinese-language) at the Firebird Awards.[14]
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Quiet at Sunrise | 世界日出時 | Zhu Xin | China |
| Blue Sun Palace | 藍色太陽宮 | Constance Tsang | United States |
| The Botanist | 植物學家 | Jing Yi | China |
| Eel | 河鰻 | Chu Chun-teng | Taiwan |
| Green Wave | 前程似錦 | Xu Lei | China |
| My Friend An Delie | 我的朋友安德烈 | Dong Zijian | China |
| To Kill a Mongolian Horse | 一匹白馬的熱夢 | Jiang Xiaoxuan | Malaysia, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, United States |
| Valley of the Shadow of Death | 不赦之罪 | Jeffrey Lam, Antonio Lam | Hong Kong |
Young Cinema Competition (World)
[edit]The following films were selected to compete in the Young Cinema Competition (World) at the Firebird Awards.[14]
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Ox | 黒之牛 | Tsuta Tetsuichiro | Japan, Taiwan, United States |
| The Devil Smokes | El diablo fuma | Ernesto Martínez Bucio | Mexico |
| Horizon | Horizonte | César Augusto Acevedo | Colombia, France, Luxembourg, Chile |
| Peacock | Pfau - Bin ich echt? | Bernhard Wenger | Austria, Germany |
| Perfumed with Mint | Moattar Binanaa | Muhammed Hamdy | Egypt, France, Tunisia |
| The Things You Kill | — | Alireza Khatami | France, Poland, Canada, Turkey |
| Wondrous is the Silence of My Master | Otapanje vladara | Ivan Salatić | Montenegro, Italy, France, Croatia |
| Yunan | يونان | Ameer Fakher Eldin | Germany, Canada, Italy, Palestine |
Documentary Competition
[edit]The following films were selected to compete in the Young Cinema Competition (Documentary) at the Firebird Awards.[14]
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| An American Pastoral | Une pastorale américaine | Auberi Edler | France |
| The Guest | Gość | Zvika Gregory Portnoy, Zuzanna Solakiewicz | Poland, Qatar |
| Holding Liat | — | Brandon Kramer | United States |
| Paul | — | Denis Côté | Canada |
| Riefenstahl | — | Andres Veiel | Germany |
| Seeds | — | Brittany Shyne | United States |
| Songs of Slow Burning Earth | Pisni zemli, shcho povilno horyt' | Olha Zhurba | Ukraine, Denmark, Sweden, France |
| Yalla Parkour | — | Areeb Zuaiter | Sweden, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Palestine |
Pan-Chinese Cinema
[edit]Filmmaker in Focus
[edit]Louis Koo was announced as the Filmmaker in Focus for the film festival on 7 February 2025, showcasing ten of his previous works.[15][16]
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Year of release | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Suspect | 極度重犯 | Ringo Lam | 1998 | Hong Kong |
| Bullets Over Summer | 爆裂刑警 | Wilson Yip | 1999 | |
| Naked Ambition | 豪情 | Dante Lam | 2003 | |
| Throw Down | 柔道龍虎榜 | Johnnie To | 2004 | |
| Run Papa Run | 一個好爸爸 | Sylvia Chang | 2008 | |
| Connected | 保持通話 | Benny Chan | 2008 | |
| Accident | 意外 | Soi Cheang | 2009 | |
| Drug War | 毒戰 | Johnnie To | 2012 | |
| Paradox | 殺破狼・貪狼 | Wilson Yip | 2017 | |
| Warriors of Future | 明日戰記 | Ng Yuen-fai | 2022 |
Masters and Auteurs
[edit]The Masters
[edit]The following films were selected for screening in the Masterclass section:[14]
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| By the Stream | 수유천 | Hong Sang-soo | South Korea |
| Hard Truths | — | Mike Leigh | United Kingdom, Spain |
| I'm Still Here | Ainda Estou Aqui | Walter Salles | Brazil, France |
| Iron | Dzelzs | Vitaly Mansky | Latvia, Ukraine, Czech Republic |
| Megalopolis | — | Francis Ford Coppola | United States |
| Phantosmia | — | Lav Diaz | Philippines |
| Scénarios / Exposé du film annonce | — | Jean-Luc Godard | France |
| Separated | — | Errol Morris | United States, Mexico |
| Youth (Spring) | 青春（春） | Wang Bing | France, Luxembourg, Netherlands |
| Youth (Hard Times) | 青春（苦） | ||
| Youth (Homecoming) | 青春（歸） |
Leos Carax: The Glamour of Decadence
[edit]The following films were selected for screening in the Masterclass section:[7]
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Year of release | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Night Is Young | Mauvais Sang | Leos Carax | 1986 | France |
| Les Amants du Pont-Neuf | — | 1991 | ||
| Annette | — | 2021 | France, Germany, Belgium, United States, Japan, Mexico, Switzerland | |
| It's Not Me | C'est pas moi | 2024 | France |
The Subversive Cinema of Albert Serra
[edit]The following films were selected for screening in the Masterclass section:[5]
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Year of release | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honor of the Knights | Honor de cavalleria | Albert Serra | 2006 | Spain |
| Birdsong | El cant dels ocells | 2008 | ||
| Story of My Death | Història de la meva mort | 2013 | Spain, France, Romania | |
| Liberté | — | 2019 | Spain, France, Germany, Portugal | |
| Pacifiction | — | 2022 | ||
| Afternoons of Solitude | Tardes de soledad | 2024 | Spain, France, Portugal |
The Empathetic Touch of Juho Kuosmanen
[edit]The following films were selected for screening in the Masterclass section:[17]
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Year of release | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki | Hymyilevä mies | Juho Kuosmanen | 2016 | Finland |
| Compartment No. 6 | Hytti nro 6 | 2021 | Finland, Germany, Estonia, Russia | |
| Silent Trilogy | Mykkätrilogia | 2024 | Finland |
Les Auteurs
[edit]The following films have been selected for screening in the Les Auteurs section:[14]
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Blue Trail | O Último Azul | Gabriel Mascaro | Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Netherlands |
| The Damned | — | Roberto Minervini | Italy, United States, Belgium, Canada |
| Eight Postcards from Utopia | Opt ilustrate din lumea ideală | Radu Jude, Christian Ferencz-Flatz | Romania |
| Kontinental '25 | — | Radu Jude | |
| Ernest Cole: Lost and Found | — | Raoul Peck | United States, France |
| The Invasion | — | Sergei Loznitsa | Netherlands, France, United States |
| Misericordia | Miséricorde | Alain Guiraudie | France, Spain, Portugal |
| An Urban Allegory | Allégorie citadine | Alice Rohrwacher, JR | France |
| Sex | — | Dag Johan Haugerud | Norway |
| Love | Kjærlighet | ||
| Dreams (Sex Love) | Drømmer |
Global Vision
[edit]The following films have been selected for screening in the Global Vision section:[14]
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asia | ||||
| The Land of Morning Calm | 아침바다 갈매기는 | Park Ri-woong | South Korea | |
| Santosh | — | Sandhya Suri | India, France, United Kingdom, Germany | |
| Super Happy Forever | — | Kohei Igarashi | France, Japan | |
| Viet and Nam | Trong lòng đất | Minh Quý Trương | Vietnam | |
| Europe | ||||
| Diciannove | — | Giovanni Tortorici | Italy, United Kingdom | |
| Drowning Dry | Sesės | Laurynas Bareiša | Latvia, Lithuania | |
| Ghost Trail | Les Fantômes | Jonathan Millet | France, Germany, Belgium | |
| Harvest | — | Athina Rachel Tsangari | United Kingdom, Germany, Greece, France, United States | |
| The New Year That Never Came | Anul Nou care n-a fost | Bogdan Mureșanu | Romania, Serbia | |
| Of Dogs and Men | על כלבים ואנשים | Dani Rosenberg | Israel | |
| On Falling | — | Laura Carreira | United Kingdom, Portugal | |
| Quiet Life | — | Alexandros Avranas | France, Germany, Sweden, Estonia, Greece | |
| Souleymane's Story | L'Histoire de Souleymane | Boris Lojkine | France | |
| The Sparrow in the Chimney | Der Spatz im Kamin | Ramon Zürcher | Switzerland | |
| To a Land Unknown | — | Mahdi Fleifel | United Kingdom, Germany, France, Greece | |
| Toxic | Akiplėša | Saulė Bliuvaitė | Lithuania | |
| The Trail Left by Time | Los restos del pasar | Luis Soto Muñoz, Alfredo Picazo | Spain | |
| Waves | Vlny | Jiří Mádl | Czech Republic, Slovakia | |
| America | ||||
| Baby | — | Marcelo Caetano | Brazil, France, Netherlands | |
| Beloved Tropic | Querido Trópico | Ana Endara | Panama, Colombia | |
| Carnival Is Over | Os Enforcados | Fernando Coimbra | Brazil, Portugal | |
| The Message | El mensaje | Iván Fund | Argentina, Spain, Uruguay | |
| Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed | — | Hernán Rosselli | Argentina, Portugal, Spain | |
| Universal Language | Une langue universelle | Matthew Rankin | Canada | |
| Africa | ||||
| Everybody Loves Touda | في حب تودا | Nabil Ayouch | France, Morocco, Belgium, Denmark | |
| On Becoming a Guinea Fowl | — | Rungano Nyoni | Zambia, United Kingdom, Ireland | |
Fantastic Beats
[edit]The following films have been selected for screening in the Fantastic Beats section,[14] marking the world premiere of the Japanese romance film Sato and Sato.[18]
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unreachable | 片思い世界 | Nobuhiro Doi | Japan |
| She Taught Me Serendipity | 今⽇の空が⼀番好き、とまだ⾔えない僕は | Akiko Ōku | |
| Sato and Sato | 佐藤さんと佐藤さん | Chihiro Amano | |
| The Red Envelope | ซองแดงแต่งผี | Chayanop Boonprakob | Thailand |
| Bird | — | Andrea Arnold | United Kingdom, France |
| Kneecap | — | Rich Peppiatt | United Kingdom, Ireland |
| Angry Squad: The Civil Servant and the Seven Swindlers | アングリースクワッド 公務員と7人の詐欺師 | Ueda Shinichiro | Japan |
| Ravens | — | Mark Gill | Japan, France, Belgium, Spain |
Restored Classics
[edit]Eight restored film classics from various eras and regions were selected for showcase at the festival:[19]
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Year of release | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Wind | — | Victor Sjöström | 1928 | United States |
| Man's Castle | — | Frank Borzage | 1933 | United States |
| Pépé le Moko | — | Julien Duvivier | 1937 | France |
| Seven Samurai | 七人の侍 | Akira Kurosawa | 1954 | Japan |
| Murdering the Devil | Vražda ing. Čerta | Ester Krumbachová | 1970 | Czechoslovakia |
| Bona | — | Lino Brocka | 1980 | Philippines |
| Tasio | — | Montxo Armendáriz | 1984 | Spain |
| The Sweet Hereafter | — | Atom Egoyan | 1997 | Canada |
Focus
[edit]Ando Sakura: A Beautiful Metamorphosis
[edit]The following films which starred Japanese actress Sakura Ando were selected for screening in the Focus section:[8]
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Year of release | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 mm | 0.5ミリ | Momoko Andō | 2014 | Japan |
| 100 Yen Love | 百円の恋 | Masaharu Take | ||
| Shoplifters | 万引き家族 | Hirokazu Kore-eda | 2018 | |
| Bad Lands | バッド・ランズ | Masato Harada | 2023 |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c 莫匡堯 (24 January 2025). "香港國際電影節︱袁澧林任電影節大使 接棒林嘉欣：心情興奮緊張" [Hong Kong International Film Festival︱Angela Yuen Appointed HKIFF Ambassador, Succeeding Karena Lam: [I] Feel Excited and Nervous.]. HK01 (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 24 January 2025. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
- ^ 杜正之 (25 January 2025). "香港國際電影節 袁澧林擔任大使" [Hong Kong International Film Festival, Angela Yuen Serves as Ambassador.]. Hong Kong Economic Times (in Chinese). Retrieved 27 February 2025.
- ^ a b 許育民 (7 February 2025). "古天樂成香港國際電影節焦點影人 獲表揚為「香港製造」品牌故事" [Louis Koo Becomes Filmmaker in Focus at the Hong Kong International Film Festival, Recognized for the "Made in Hong Kong" Brand Story.]. HK01 (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 20 February 2025. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
- ^ a b c Soriano, Jianne (19 February 2025). "Hong Kong International Film Festival returns in April; Louis Koo to be Filmmaker in Focus". Lifestyle Asia. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
- ^ a b 路西 (24 February 2025). "加泰隆尼亞名導阿爾拔塞拉將來港 第49屆香港國際電影節推作品展暨大師班" [Catalan Director Albert Serra to Visit Hong Kong for the 49th Hong Kong International Film Festival's Screenings and Masterclass.]. Orange News (in Chinese). Retrieved 27 February 2025.
- ^ 杜正之 (15 February 2025). "芬蘭名導演首訪港" [Finnish Director's First Visit to Hong Kong.]. Hong Kong Economic Times (in Chinese). Retrieved 27 February 2025.
- ^ a b 羅茜 (12 March 2025). "香港國際電影節設里奧卡哈斯名家講座暨專題展 導演來港與觀眾交流" [Hong Kong International Film Festival Hosts Masterclass and Special Exhibition by Director Leos Carax for Audience Engagement]. Orange News (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 12 March 2025. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
- ^ a b "第四十九屆香港國際電影節 日本影后安藤櫻出席名家講座" [49th Hong Kong International Film Festival, Japanese Award-winning Actress Sakura Ando Is Set to Attend the Masterclass Section.]. Ming Pao (in Chinese). 14 March 2025. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
- ^ "香港國際電影節｜古天樂膺焦點影人 接受全裸演出 嘆賀歲片票房低". Ming Pao (in Chinese). 17 March 2025. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
- ^ a b c Shackleton, Liz (17 March 2025). "'The Brightest Sun', 'Pavane For An Infant' To Open HKIFF; Leos Carax & Ando Sakura Among Filmmakers Set To Attend". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
- ^ "香港國際電影節4.10開幕 選映195部國際電影 古天樂成焦點影人 袁澧林任大使". Sing Tao Daily (in Chinese). 17 March 2025. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
- ^ a b Li, Lei (17 March 2025). "Hong Kong film festival to feature films from 69 countries, regions". China Daily. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
- ^ Brzeski, Patrick (17 March 2025). "Hong Kong Film Fest to Open With Japan's 'The Brightest Sun,' Co-Production 'Pavane for an Infant'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "49th Hong Kong International Film Festival Programme and Booking Folder" (PDF). Hong Kong International Film Festival. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
- ^ "古天樂成香港國際電影節焦點影人 對台前幕後貢獻無數 獲表揚為「香港製造」品牌故事" [Louis Koo Becomes Filmmaker in Focus at the Hong Kong International Film Festival, Recognized for His Numerous Contributions Behind and In Front of the Camera as a "Made in Hong Kong" Brand Story.]. Sing Tao Daily (in Chinese). 7 February 2025. Archived from the original on 11 February 2025. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
- ^ 許育民 (17 March 2025). "HKIFF49｜廖子妤許恩怡《搖籃凡世》開幕 重溫古天樂10部焦點作" [HKIFF49｜Fish Liew and Natalie Hsu's Pavane for an Infant Opens, Revisiting Louis Koo's 10 Highlighted Works.]. HK01. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
- ^ 路西 (14 February 2025). "芬蘭導演尤荷古奧斯曼連將參香港國際電影節 以默劇講述三段意外旅程". Orange News (in Chinese). Retrieved 17 March 2025.
- ^ Suzuki, Moto (17 March 2025). "天野千尋監督5年ぶり新作『佐藤さんと佐藤さん』、岸井ゆきの＆宮沢氷魚主演で今秋公開" [Director Chihiro Amano's First New Film in Five Years Sato and Sato, Starring Yukino Kishii and Hio Miyazawa and Will Be Released This Fall.]. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
- ^ 路西 (28 February 2025). "第49屆香港國際電影節公布「修復經典」片目 黑澤明《七俠四義》再現銀幕" [49th Hong Kong International Film Festival Announces "Restored Classics" Lineup, Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai Will Be Screened Again.]. Orange News (in Chinese). Retrieved 1 March 2025.