Quirky, colorful Chinese flicks in the 9th Spring Film Fest at the Shang

MANILA, Philippines - Another colorful showcase of Chinese cinema awaits cinephiles at Shangri-La Plaza, home of the country’s premier film festivals. Organized by the Ateneo de Manila University’s Ricardo Leong Center for Chinese Studies, together with the Cultural Division of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, Confucius Institute at the Ateneo de Manila University and the Film Development Council of the Philippines, in cooperation with the Ateneo Celadon and Shangri-La Plaza, the 9th Spring Film Festival runs from Feb. 13 to 22, at the Shang Cineplex.

Aimed to promote Chinese language and culture in mainstream Filipino society especially among the youth, the 9th Spring Film Festival features a lineup composed of works from great Chinese directors along with other exciting flicks from across genres.

Headlining this year’s festival is Caught in the Web by leading Chinese auteur Chen Kaige. The director, who won the 1993 Cannes Palme d’Or for Farewell My Concubine, creates a story that weaves the lives of an employee and an intern. The story takes off when white-collar worker Ye refuses to give up her seat on the bus to a senior citizen and a journalist intern catches her act on videotape. The video gets aired on a news show, sparks intense debate on and off the Internet, and soon brings tremendous changes in the lives of both characters.

Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Kar Wai also features in the festival with his film The Grandmaster. Starring famous Chinese thespians Tony Leung and Zhang Ziyi, The Grandmaster is an epic action feature inspired by the life of the legendary kung fu master, Ip Man. The story follows the master, who is also famed for teaching martial artist Bruce Lee, on his adventures during the golden age of Chinese martial arts. The multi-awarded film promises to be a visual treat with its stunning locations and cinematography.

China’s first internationally released animated feature Legend of Kung Fu Rabbit brings in the fun and laughter in this year’s festival. An ordinary rabbit named Tu, who makes pancakes for a living, telepathically gets the ultimate kung fu power after rescuing a dying kung fu master from an attack. Now, he must harness his newfound gift to save the Kung Fu Academy from the hands of an evil panda.

Meanwhile, romance rules in the movie, Love Deposit. He Muyang opens a café named “Bank of Love” where people can come to record on video what they want to say to their lovers, with their lovers not knowing what the message is. If the lovers break up after a year and do not come back to pick up the tapes, the tapes will then be discarded. The story takes a sweet turn as a girl named Yu Xiaoyu sets out to retrieve her boyfriend’s video from He Muyang’s café.

Prepare to be touched with Sunlight on Fingertips. The heartwarming family drama explores the dynamics of parents who work in the city and their children who are left in the county. In order to be reunited with their parents, Shi Xiaohe and his sister Shi Xiaoyu join a “See Your Family” trip organized by the county. Witness the adventures of the siblings as they fight hard to see their parents again.

Veteran detective Huiling is at the core of the film Beijing Blues. The detective has built a name for himself for catching over 1,600 thousand criminals in the streets using his minicam technique to record evidence as he follows his suspects. An ordinary arrest leads to something more explosive as Huiling discovers a scam in which children are used to extract money in fake car accidents. As he investigates the case, Huiling hears that the famous thief Zhang is in town. Huiling sets out to hunt his most elusive prey yet which boils down to an action-packed battle of talent and wits.

Don’t miss out on this chance to explore Chinese culture through colorful flicks in the 9th Spring Film Festival at the Shang. Admission is free on a first-come, first-served basis.

For film schedule and synopses, visit www.facebook.com/shangrilaplazaofficialfanpage. Follow Shang on Instagram @shangrilaplazaofficial.