Guests of 13th Five Flavours Asian FIlm Festival

Retrospective: Fruit Chan

• Fruit Chan

Born in 1969 in China, from where his family emigrated to Hong Kong. A director, producer, actor and screenwriter, representing what is known as the Second New Wave of independent Hong Kong cinematography. Appreciated for films immersed in urban climate, for which he often engaged non-professional actors to show in a close-up the life of modern metropolis. Interested in social issues and fascinated with the Japanese 1960s avantgarde, for instance the works of Nagisa Oshima.
On Sunday, November 17th, in Kino Muranów, the festival audience will have a unique opportunity to participate in the masterclass with Fruit Chan. The artist, who rarely travels to European festivals, will also meet with the audience after the screenings of his films.

• Lam Kee-to

Well-established screenwriter, critic and radio presenter, working in the film industry for over 30 years. He also worked as an animator. He co-wrote screenplays for Tsui Harek and Fruit Han, and was nominated for the Hong Kong Film Awards and Golden Horse Awards.

• Doris Yang

Producer, cinema enthusiast, for over two decades working with Fruit Chan on his subsequent projects, including the award-winning "Made in Hong Kong", "Durian durian", "Hollywood Hong Kong" and the latest "Three Husbands".

New Asian Cinema

• Heiward Mak

Born in 1984, she studied Creative Media at the City University of Hong Kong. At the age of 24, she completed her debut feature film "High Noon" (2008) about the rebellious Hong Kong high school students. She worked with Pang Ho-cheung on the script "Love in a Puff" (2009), one of the biggest hits of the Hong Kong box office, which has already seen two sequels and received the script award at the Hong Kong Film Awards. "Mad World" (2016) was her debut in the role of a producer. Mak continues to support other young Hong Kong filmmakers, sharing her decade knowledge of working within local film industry, shooting short films, full features as well as many commercials and music videos. "Fagara" is her sixth film, completed with Ann Hui as the producer of the project.

• Yi Ok-seop

Born in 1987, she graduated from Seoul Institute of the Arts and Korean Academy of Film Arts. Her original short films gave her a status of a new hope of Korean independent cinema. At Five Flavours she will present "Maggie" – her feature debut shown at film festivals, including Rotterdam and Busan.

• Tashi Gyeltshen

A self-taught filmmaker, journalist, poet and cinema fan. He shot short films, one of which, "The Red Door", was presented during the 11th Five Flavours in the section Focus: Bhutan. His debut feature, "The Red Phallus", was based on a screenplay awarded with Open Doors grant at Locarno festival.

• Gerald Chew

An experienced actor with many theatrical roles to his credit, also known for his numerous TV series and films (he played, among others, in Boo Jonfenga's "Apprentice"). He also worked as a theatre director and screenwriter. At the festival, he will talk about his role in "Repossession".

• Goh Ming-siu

A graduate of Northwestern Universityʼs School of Communications in Illinois, a director and television screenwriter working in Singapore, the author of over 100 episodes of TV series. "Repossession" is his feature-length debut.

• Scott Chong Hillyard

He graduated from Nanyang Polytechnicʼs School of Business Management in Singapore. An actor performing on stage, in TV series, music shows and movies since the age of nine. The co-director and producer of "Repossession".

• Kongdej Jaturanrasmee

He completed film studies at King Mongkut Institute of Technology. A director and screenwriter, who worked also as a teacher, copywriter and restaurant owner. Appreciated for psychological sensibility and the ability to transfer ephemeral emotional states into the screen. His films were presented and awarded at numerous international festivals, In 2012 received the Grand Prix at Five Flavours for "P-047". This year he will present "Where We Belong".

• Jennis Oprasert

Born in 2000, singer and actress. She belongs to the supergroup of idols BNK48, she was in the first line-up of the band founded in 2017. At the age of eight she played in the horror film "The 8th Day", for which she was nominated for the Suphannahong National Film Awards. For her leading role in Kongdej Jaturanrasmee's "Where We Belong" she received the Marie Claire Asia Award for emerging talent.

• Soros Sukhum

Born in Bangkok, graduate of film production at the Faculty of Communication Arts of the University of Rangsit. He began his professional career by working in all areas of film production. This period coincided with the emergence of a new generation of independent filmmakers and within a few years Soros became a leading independent producer in Thailand, collaborating with directors such as Aditya Assarat, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Anocha Suwichakornpong and Kongdej Jaturanrasamee.

Japan: Out of Focus

• Noboru Iguchi

A director and screenwriter born in 1969. He began his career in 1990s as a director of porno films. His "Kurushime-san" of 1997, which combined horror and black comedy, revealed his interest in extreme genre cinema. The titles of his next films confirmed this passion – his filmography contains "A Larva to Love", "Cat-Eyed Boy", famous "The Machine Girl" about a girl with an arm replaced with a machine gun, "Zombie Ass" and "Karate-Robo Zaborgar" presented at Five Flavours 5th edition. This year Five Flavours will host an international premiere of his "Flowers of Evil". 

• Genta Matsugami

Born in Hiroshima in 1981, graduate of Osaka University of Arts. His graduation film "Sanketsu no umi" received the Audience Award at the Pia Film Festival in 2005. He founded a production company of 16 bit. inc. "Demolition Girl" is his first feature film.

Asian Cinerama - Asian Film Awards

• Crisel Consunji

Actress with vocal education, founder of an art school for children. She has been performing since she was ten: she started with theatrical musicals, took part in family programs and many award-winning stage and television productions. On Five Flavours she will talk about her film debut, "Still human", for which she received the Hong Kong Film Award.

• Pema Tseden

A Tibetan director, writer and screenwriter, born in 1969. The first Tibetan who completed education in the prestigious Beijing Film Academy. His feature debut, "The Silent Holy Stones", was the first film shot in the Tibetan language, with all-Tibetan film crew. His films were presented and awarded at numerous international festivals, including Bangkok, Taipei, Locarno, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Venice. He published more than 50 narratives and novels, written both in Tibetan and Mandarin, which were translated into a number of other languages. On Five Flavours he will present his two new features: "Jinpa" and "Baloon".

Polish Flavours

Mariko Bobrik

Born in Japan in 1983. In 2009, she graduated from the directing course of the Lodz Film School. Currently she lives in Warsaw with her family. "The Taste of Pho" is her first feature. The project participated in Cinéfondation: Résidence du Festival de Cannes (2012) as well as in Script Station program of the Talents, Berlinale (2013). The script won a 2nd prize of Script Pro 2015 – a Polish feature film script competition.