#hkff

The Hong Kong Film Festival is back in Kuala Lumpur for a fourth time, after which it will debut in Penang.

By SETO KIT YAN [email protected]

DIRECTOR Ann Hui 許鞍華/许鞍华 and leading lady Deanie Ip 葉德嫻/叶德娴 of A Simple Life 桃姐 graced the launch of the fourth Hong Kong Film Festival (HKFF 2012) 第4届香港电影节2012之爱在香港 at GSC Pavilion, KL last week.

The award-winning A Simple Life 桃姐 will kick off the fest, which will also feature seven other movies, namely Big Blue Lake 大蓝湖, Mr & Mrs Single 隐婚男女, Merry-Go-Around 東風破/东风破, The Road Less Travelled 一路有你, Frozen 為你鍾情/为你锺情, The Drunkard 酒徒 and Quattro Hong Kong I & II 香港四重奏 I & II.

Admission to all the screenings is RM5, except for A Simple Life 桃姐, for which normal ticket prices apply. Visit gsc.com.my/News/hkff12showtimes.htm for the screening schedule.

HKFF 2012 will be held in the Klang Valley from today till Sunday at GSC Pavilion, GSC Mid Valley, KL, and GSC 1 Utama, Petaling Jaya. The festival will then make its way north, so film buffs can catch screenings at GSC Gurney Plaza, Penang, from March 22-25.

It is organised by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Asean, and co-organised by 988, with the support of Golden Screen Cinemas (gsc.com.my).

For details on 988, the radio station operated by The Star, visit 988.com.my.

Here are the synopses of the movies:

A Simple Life 桃姐

Directer: Ann Hui 許鞍華/许鞍华

Cast: Andy Lau 劉德華/刘德华, Deanie Ip 葉德嫻/叶德娴, Wang Fuli 王馥荔, Qin Hailu 秦海璐

A heartwarming film inspired by the true story of producer Roger Lee (played by Lau) and loyal servant Tao Jie (Ip), whose relationship changes when illness strikes the latter.

Big Blue Lake 大蓝湖

Director: Jessey Tsang Tsui-shan 曾翠珊

Cast: Leila Kong 唐寧/唐宁, Lawrence Chou 周俊偉, Amy Chum 覃恩美

Cheung Lai Yee (Kong) leaves Ho Chung Village to pursue her passion for theatre but returns to find adventure and love with Lin Jin (Chou).

The Drunkard 酒徒(rated PG 13)

Director: Freddie Wong 黃國兆/黄国兆

Cast: John Chang 张国柱, Joman Chiang 蒋祖曼, Irene Wan 温碧霞, Wei Wei 韦伟, Katie Kwok 郭善珩, Elena Kong 江美仪

To make ends meet, Lau (Chang) resorts to writing popular swordplay serials and pulp fiction. He ends up drowning his sorrows in alcohol and his fair share of women such as dance hall girl Lulu (Chiang), his landlady Mrs Wong (Wan) and his very realistic girlfriend, Lily (Kong).

Frozen 為你鍾情/为你锺情

Director: Derek Kwok 郭子健

Cast: Janice Vidal 卫兰, Janice Man 文詠珊, Aarif Rahman Lee 李治廷, Leon Lai 黎明

Winnie (Vidal) mistakenly resurrects her mother Gigi (Man), who had been cryogenically frozen, and both set off in search of her boyfriend Kit (Lee), who has become a shadow of his former self.

Merry-Go-Round 东风破

Director: Mak Yan Yan 麦婉欣, Clement Cheng 郑思杰

Cast: Nora Miao 苗可秀, Teddy Robin 泰迪罗宾, Ella Koon 官恩娜, Lawrence Chou 周俊伟

Upon learning that she has a terminal disease, Merry (Koon) travels to meet her online friend Allen (Chou), whose Aunt Eva (Miao) is a Chinese medical practitioner. She then finds work with Uncle Bill (Teddy), who runs Tung Wah Coffin Home.

Mr and Mrs Single 隐婚男女 (rated U)

Director: Patrick Kong 葉念琛/叶念琛

Cast: Eason Chan 陳奕迅/陈奕迅, Rene Liu 劉若英/刘若英, Bai Bing 白冰, Harlem Yu 庾澄庆

While trying to maintain his yuppie lifestyle, Mike (Chan) is goaded by his best friend (Yu) into taking a job as assistant to CEO Mandy (Liu). But he has to keep his marriage to Jenny (Bai) a secret.

The Road Less Travelled 一路有你

Director: Derek Chiu 赵祟基

Cast: Louis Koo 古天樂/古天乐, Karen Mok 莫文蔚, Huang Yi 黄奕

On the Hong Kong-Guangzhou expressway, Yan (Huang) and Hu (Koo) find that their lives intersect when the former’s husband is killed in an accident. But she dismisses his affection as misguided sympathy.

Quattro Hong Kong I & II 香港四重奏 I & II

Director: Herman Yau, Heiward Mak, Fruit Chan, Brillante Mendoza 布里杨文杜沙, Ho Yuhang 何宇恆, Stanley Kwan 关锦鹏

Cast: Dennis To, Chui Tien-you, Kate Yeung, Joey Kan, Kitty Fung, Rene Durian, Kara Wai, Michelle Wai, Gordon Lam 林家楝, Terence Yin

Hong Kong directors are joined by filmmakers from Malaysia and the Philippines as they get together to tell stories of the Hong Kong they love in this collection of short films.

(source: thestaronline; story also in > The Star > Star2 > Movies > page 17 > on Thursday 15 March 2012.)