The 35th Hong Kong International Film Festival (March 20 - April 4) will open this Sunday evening. Yesterday, the reporter confirmed from the Film Festival Association that due to the impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake, many Japanese filmmakers, including actress Matsutake and director Iwai Shunji, have already confirmed their absence. Just the day before, on the guest list received by the reporter, the names of these two big stars were still included.
The Film Festival Association expressed understanding for the absence of these Japanese filmmakers, revealing that the guests also felt regretful about their absence, but as it is a difficult time in Japan after the earthquake, they all hope to stay in their hometowns with their families.
Iwai Shunji's schedule remains unchanged
The annual Hong Kong International Film Festival has always been a sacred place for Asian stars to gather. Especially since five years ago, when the festival established the Asian Film Awards ceremony, the number of visiting Japanese and Korean stars has increased year by year. Many Japanese filmmakers have won big awards, such as the first "Best Actress" award being won by Nakama Yukie for her role in "Love Letter." In the 2009 award ceremony, three films—“Tokyo Sonata,” “The Taste of Yoko Yamazaki,” and “Departures”—respectively won the Best Film, Best Director (Hirokazu Koreeda), and Best Actor (Masahiro Motoki) awards, creating the best performance for Japanese films in this award category.
This year’s Asian Film Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on the evening of March 21st. A total of four Japanese films—"Confessions," "Thirteen Assassins," "Norwegian Wood," and "Little Brother"—are participating in the selection of nine nominations. Among them, Matsuzaka Toki, the lead actress of "Confessions," is seen as a strong contender for the "Best Actress" award.
Including Matsuzaka Toki, Aoi Yū (nominated for Best Supporting Actress in "Little Brother"), Rinko Kikuchi (nominated for Best Actress in "Norwegian Wood"), and renowned director Iwai Shunji who was supposed to be an award presenter, none of them will appear at the event.
Mr. Lin, spokesperson for the Asian Film Awards, said: "Due to the Great East Japan Earthquake, there are now many uncertainties regarding Japanese guests. Some people may change their minds even if they agreed to attend today. So far, only Nakajima Tetsuya (the director of 'Confessions') has confirmed that his plan will not change."
Mr. Lin further stated that the conference understands the absence of Japanese filmmakers, as it is a very momentous time for Japan domestically. All absent guests have expressed their wish to remain in the country with their families during this tough period.
The Organizing Committee is actively contacting Chinese-language filmmakers to "save the day"
The Hong Kong International Film Festival consists of three main segments: the Hong Kong International Film Festival screenings, the Asian Film Investment Forum, and the Asian Film Awards ceremony.
This year, the festival will screen 250 films in the screening section, among which there are 15 Japanese films. Besides arranging a special exhibition of 8 short films by the renowned Japanese puppet animation artist Hachiro Kawamoto, Iwai Shunji's old work "Love Letter" and new film "Vampire Hunter," as well as the first Japanese 3D animated film "Tofu Ninja" directed by Giichiro Sugii and Masakazu Kawana, will also be screened. Among them, "Vampire Hunter" will premiere in Asia.
The festival side stated that the screening plans for the above-mentioned Japanese films will not change, but both the guest appearances and the Asian Film Awards ceremony might undergo changes. Especially Iwai Shunji, whose hometown is Sendai, one of the severely affected areas by the earthquake.
"Although my family is safe, many relatives and friends live there. I am very worried. I can only pray for peace and safety," Iwai Shunji revealed on Weibo. He mentioned that the street names of his hometown evoke memories like those of old classmates, but now it is all in ruins. "It's hard to accept the reality."
As Japanese heavyweights continue to take leave, the festival side is actively contacting celebrities from mainland China and South Korea to "save the day."
Currently, the confirmed guests attending the Asian Film Awards ceremony on the evening of March 21st are mainly Chinese-speaking artists, including: Chow Yun-fat, Feng Xiaogang, Xu Fan, Huang Xiaoming, Chen Kaige, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Zhao You Ting, Han Geng, and others.
The conference stated that they are actively inviting Jiang Wen and Ge You, the other two leading actors of "Let the Bullets Fly," to participate in the award ceremony, but as of yesterday, no response had been received. And frequent festival visitors like Chen Kun, Fan Bingbing, and Li Bingbing have confirmed that they will not participate in any related activities due to work commitments.
As for the opening ceremony of the Hong Kong International Film Festival on the evening of March 20th, it will be supported by the team of the opening film "Single Men," including director Johnnie To and Wong Jing, lead actors Gu Tianle, Louis Koo, and Gaoyuan Yuan, as well as the festival image ambassador Eason Chan.