Programme Cancellation Notice
The programme “HKIFF Cine Fan Programmes” to be held on 9 & 10 Jan, 19, 20 & 21 Feb have been cancelled. Please contact organizers for enquiries. Thank you for your understanding.
The Hong Kong International Film Festival Society’s Cine Fan Programme embarks on a journey of wit and humour in the new year with a selection of great classics from the legendary Billy WILDER and Eric ROHMER!
- Renowned as one of American cinema’s all-time greats, Billy WILDER eschewed a distinctive style for tightly crafted stories and strong characters, freely mixing slapstick antics with screwball frenzy and bitter irony, exemplary in the ten classics in this selection. His acerbic take on Hollywood’s grand delusions in Sunset Boulevard (1950), the stereotype-bending farce in Some Like It Hot (1959), and cynical indictment of sexism and capitalism in The Apartment (1960) marked the pinnacles of his illustrious career. A great storyteller with unparalleled versatility, WILDER pioneered film noir with Double Indemnity (1944) and brought to light the devastating effects of alcoholism in The Lost Weekend (1945). Many also credit his immense talent as an actor’s director for the memorable performances and enduring appeal of Hollywood legends such as Kirk DOUGLAS, William HOLDEN, Marlene DIETRICH and Charles LAUGHTON.
- Equally acclaimed for his witty dialogue and intellectual humour, French maestro Eric ROHMER had never failed to fascinate with his revelations of the dilemma of love and ambiguities of life. Six of the eight films in this ROHMER selection will reflect on the paradox of his heroes/heroines, such as the confusion a lover creates with hurtful suspicions in The Aviator’s Wife (1981), or the agonies of affection and deception between friends and lovers in My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend (1987). Blessed by his exquisite understanding of the female psyche, Béatrice ROMAND and Pascale OGIER were named Best Actress at Venice for their respective performance in A Good Marriage (1982) and Full Moon in Paris (1984). The master himself won Best Director at the Berlinale with Pauline at the Beach (1983) and the Venice Golden Lion with The Green Ray (1986). Completing the selection are ROHMER’s playful and experimental Perceval (1978) and Four Adventures of Reinette and Mirabelle (1987).
- The Golden Age will present two contemporary classics starring the incomparable Audrey HEPBURN. Under the indelible direction of Billy WILDER in Sabrina (1954) and Stanley DONEN in Two for the Road (1967), HEPBURN’s sophisticated elegance shines distinctively and delights the audience through sizzling chemistry with Humphrey BOGART, William HOLDEN and Albert FINNEY. Two Cannes Grand Jury Prize winners will feature under Back to the Screen: Dalton TRUMBO’s Johnny Got His Gun (1971) and the late Alan PARKER’s Birdy (1984), both delivering a strong, disquieting cinematic statement about the cruelty of war.
- Four restored classics from the cancelled 44th Hong Kong International Film Festival will feature in this Cine Fan Programme. They include two iconic comedies, Edward SEDGWICK and Buster KEATON’s The Cameraman (1928) and Charlie CHAPLIN’s The Circus (1928), as well as two affecting romances, Frank BORZAGE’s Street Angel (1928) and Robert BRESSON’s Four Nights of a Dreamer (1971).
- From The Film Foundation, which celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2020, are George MARSHALL’s Destry Rides Again (1939), Luis BUÑUEL’s Los Olvidados (1950), Elia KAZAN’s Wild River (1960), and Nietzchka KEENE’s The Juniper Tree (1990), four restored classics reflecting its mission of championing the rich diversity in world cinema.
- From the world-renowned Cineteca di Bologna, Cine Fan will present four restored classics under the Journey Through Italian Cinema series that highlight their boldness and creativity. They include Guido BRIGNONE’s silent Maciste in Hell (1925) – with live accompaniment by local musician KUNG Chi-shing, Roberto ROSSELLINI’s neorealism masterpiece Rome, Open City (1945), Marco FERRERI’s satirical comedy, The Conjugal Bed (1963), and Bernardo BERTOLUCCI’s suspense thriller, The Spider’s Stratagem (1970).
Programme Trailer
09/01 (Sat) | 14:45 | Double Indemnity
09/01 (Sat) | 17:30 | The Lost Weekend
09/01 (Sat) | 20:00 | Birdy
10/01 (Sun) | 14:30 | Sunset Boulevard
10/01 (Sun) | 18:15 | Ace in the Hole (a.k.a. The Big Carnival)
10/01 (Sun) | 21:00 | The Circus
19/02 (Fri) | 20:00 | Maciste in Hell
20/02 (Sat) | 14:30 | Destry Rides Again
20/02 (Sat) |17:00 | Witness for the Prosecution
20/02 (Sat) |19:45 | Ace in the Hole (a.k.a. The Big Carnival)
21/02 (Sun) | 14:30 | Los Olvidados (a.k.a. The Young and the Damned)
21/02 (Sun) | 17:15 | The Apartment
21/02 (Sun) | 20:15 | Irma la Douce
27/02 (Sat) | 15:00 | Maciste in Hell
27/02 (Sat) | 17:25 | Perceval
27/02 (Sat) | 20:40 | The Aviator’s Wife
28/02 (Sun) | 14:30 | Sabrina
28/02 (Sun) | 17:45 | Two for the Road
28/02 (Sun) | 20:50 | Some Like It Hot
The full programme and schedule are now available at cinefan.com.hk. Starting from 10 December, the public can purchase tickets online through URBTIX. Regrettably, for those who prefer buying tickets in person, box-offices and ticket counters at all URBTIX outlets and screening venues will remain closed until the Government lifting restrictions mandated by the latest COVID-19 regulations . In the view of the latest social distancing measures by the government, the Society will make adjustments on the programme arrangement if necessary.
The above contents are provided by Hong Kong International Film Festival Society
