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Jeonju 2018 Review: Graduation (2018) Reviewed by Andrew Chan (FCCA)One of the joys of the annual Jeonju Film Fest is the discovery of new directing and acting talents and with Graduation, a film about the difficulty of cracking the Korean film industry and the coming of age process in survival, growing up and pursuing your dreams. I enjoyed watching this film by the 23 year old director Hui Ji-ye, who’s vision and story is easily beyond her years and combining the effortless natural acting of first time lead Lee Tae-kyung, makes the film an easy viewing yet providing those tense...

Reviewed by Andrew Chan (Film Critics Circle of Australia) Martial Arts maestro Vincent Zhao is back as the role that made him known to the Western market - Wong Fei Hung! In-spite of the VOD release, this is a big thing to the martial arts world of fans. Exactly 24 years since Once Upon a Time in China ("OUATIC") 4 and 5, when the young and fresh Vincent Zhao took on the mountain of a mantle left behind by the legendary Jet Li. Since then, Vincent Zhao, unable to make a career in Hong Kong, left the shores and struggled...

Guardians of the Tomb (2018) - Australia / China Review by Andrew ChanWith the Tomb Raider being released next week, it’s probably timely that we get a kick out of the Aussie and Chinese coproduction flick - Guardians of the Tomb. Starring Chinese superstar in Li Bing Bing and Taiwanese pop star Wu Chun, the formulaic adventure thriller film is directed by Australian Kimble Rendall (previously helmed the box office success in China - Bait 3D). What we get is what we expected, but with low expectations, the film ends up enjoyable and the premises of deadly funnel web spiders...

Agent Mr. Chan 棟篤特工 (2018) - Hong Kong Reviewed by Andrew ChanIt’s been almost too long since stand up comedian Dayo Wong appeared on the big screen. Most of them were cheap and disposable films that bombed out in the local box office. However with Agent Mr. Chan this is about to change. Opening during the lunar Chinese new year period, the film already grossed over $20 million HK during the 4 days holiday. Whilst there are plenty of laughter and laugh out loud moments, Wong manages to steer clear of genre cliches and produces something awkwardly enjoyable if not entirely...

Amar (2017) - Spain Reviewed by Andrew Chan Amar is such a powerful character and first love relationship exploration that ultimately leaves us with breathtaking devotion and feelings of bonds of how two different lovers interacts and respond to its changing surrounding and the effects of change has on them. Director Esteban Crespo opens the film in the most striking manner, with the duo played excellently by Maria Pedraza and Pol Monen as the two have sex without any fear and passion that drills level of trust.  Dangers of first love and overwhelming by things happening in the real world...