Chinese Film Panorama 2016: A Showcase of International Award-winning Films will be held from September 26 to October 23 to showcase 11 works as highlights of the Chinese films that have won international awards. Audiences will be able to revisit signature works and get to know more about the development of Chinese cinema.

     Since the 1980s, Chinese cinema has been developing rapidly with a vision and efforts to be global in perspective and international in approach, Since then, the emergence of international award-winning films has drawn worldwide attention to Chinese films and filmmakers.

     The programme is jointly presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) and the South China Film Industry Workers Union, and films will be screened at the Theatre of Hong Kong City Hall, the Cinema of the Hong Kong Film Archive and the Lecture Halls of the Hong Kong Space Museum and the Hong Kong Science Museum. Film details are as follows:

Opening film: "Postmen in the Mountains" (1999)
A retiring old postman from the rugged Xiangxi region is passing his lifetime job on to his son by accompanying him on the first delivery, together with his loyal dog. The son witnesses the exquisite view, rustic villagers and the old postman's passion to work and affection towards the dog along the way. The old postman also realises that there was a lack of fatherly love and affection during the son's childhood.
Awards: Air Canada People's Award in the Montreal World Film Festival 1999, Best Foreign Film in the Mainichi Film Awards 2002 and Audience Favorite Film in the Maine International Film Festival 2003. 

"Old Well" (1986)
Generations of peasants from northwestern China struggled and made sacrifices to obtain groundwater by well-digging and finally succeeded. The collective triumph of perseverance and the private romance between individuals are captured well.
Awards: Tokyo Grand Prix - The Governor of Tokyo Award, Best Actor and the FIPRESCI Award in the Tokyo International Film Festival 1987 and Special Jury Award in the Hawaii International Film Festival 1987.

"The Horse Thief" (1986)
A Tibetan horse thief steals for living but, in fact, he is kind-hearted, takes good care of his family, and is a karma believer with god-fearing humility. The film tells about the religious rituals and local customs of Tibetan life.
Award: City of Fribourg Prize in the Fribourg International Film Festival 1988.

"King of the Children" (1987)
A young man is assigned to teach in rural Yunnan during the Cultural Revolution. The harsh environment makes him begin by teaching students with a dictionary. No sooner has he developed a good rapport with his students than he has to leave.
Award: Educational Contribution Award in the Cannes Film Festival 1988.

"The Swordsman in Double-Flag Town" (1990)
Honouring his father's dying words, a swordsman travels to Double-Flag Town to marry his betrothed bride. He experiences a father-in-law breaking a promise and is targeted by a bandit. The arduous and dangerous journey is presented as a highly stylised pastiche of spaghetti westerns and wuxia films.
Awards: Film Critics Award in the Berlin International Film Festival 1993 and Grand Prize in the Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival 1992.

"The Story of Qiu Ju" (1992)
A peasant woman's husband is hurt in a quarrel with the village chief. In spite of her pregnancy she travels from village to town to fight for justice. She demonstrates admirable perseverance and effort in this film.
Awards: Golden Lion Award and Volpi Cup Best Actress in the Venice Film Festival 1992, Most Popular Film in the Vancouver International Film Festival 1992 and Best Foreign Film from the French Syndicate of Cinema Critics 1993.

"On the Beat" (1995)
In 1990s Beijing, members of the police security bureau take care of order and disputes in neighbourhoods. The film connects the stories and trivialities between the officers and residents, including handling a rabid dog and confronting gamblers and gangsters, with a human touch and comic gusto.
Awards: Grand Prix (Foreign Film) in the Entrevues Belfort Film Festival 1995, Special Jury Mention in the San Sebastian Film Festival 1995 and Best Feature Film in the Torino International Festival of Young Cinema 1995.

"Still Life" (2006)
A coal miner and a nurse go to a town along the Three Gorges Dam site separately in search of their spouses. The former looks for his wife who ran away while the latter attempts to find her husband, with whom she has lost contact for years. Their lonely and painful search is filled with lament.
Awards: Golden Lion Award in the Venice Film Festival 2006, Best Foreign Film in the Mainichi Film Awards 2008 and Best Cinematography and Best Foreign Film in the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards 2008.

"Getting Home" (2007)
Migrant worker Zhao in Shenzhen has pledged to return home the body of his best friend who died far from his home. He gets on a long-distance bus with the body disguised as an unconscious drunkard. Along the way, Zhao keeps his promise despite confrontations with thieves, fraudulent shops and accidents.
Awards: Prizes of the Ecumenical Jury (Panorama) in the Berlin International Film Festival 2007, NETPAC Award for Asian Film in the Kerala International Film Festival 2007 and Grand Prix in the Pacific Meridian International Film Festival 2007.

"The Piano in a Factory" (2010)
A group of laid-off workers from a steelwork factory form a band to earn a living by performing at weddings and funerals. In order to help the leader fight with his ex-wife for his daughter's custody, the bandmates use scrap metal to build a piano and make the daughter's dream come true.
Awards: Best Actor Award in the Tokyo International Film Festival 2010, Grand Jury Prize of the World Competition in the Miami Film Festival 2011 and Jury Recommendation in the Sydney Chinese Film Festival 2011.

"Black Coal, Thin Ice" (2014)
A series of murders are linked to a mysterious woman whose husband and lovers all fell victim to foul play. An ex-cop who inspected the murder of the husband five years ago approaches the woman to start investigation again and gradually falls in love with her.
Awards: Golden Bear for Best Film and Silver Bear for Best Actor in the Berlin International Film Festival 2014 and Achievement in Cinematography in the Asia Pacific Screen Awards 2014.

     "Still Life" is in the Chongqing and Shanxi dialects, while the other films are in Putonghua. All films have Chinese and English subtitles.

     Tickets priced at $55 are now available at URBTIX. Credit card bookings can be made at 2111 5999 or on the Internet at www.urbtix.hk. For enquiries, please call 2734 2900. Detailed programme information and concessionary schemes can be found at all performance venues of the LCSD, or by browsing the website: www.lcsd.gov.hk/fp/en_US/web/fpo/programmes/2016cfp/index.html.

Ends/Friday, August 26, 2016
Issued at HKT 12:00

NNNN