Gong Li to head Shanghai Fest jury

The 17th Shanghai International Film Festival will run from June 14 to June 22. Gong Li is the first actor as well as the first female to serve as the jury's president. She knows her way around film festival politics, having served on juries at Cannes, Tokyo, Berlin and Venice.

Film Business Asia

Gong Li and Zhang Ziyi are all smiles in Cannes

It may have been Monaco; I recognize neither the Beaux-Arts pile, complete with a battery of cannons, in the background nor the guy in the blue suit that both Gong Li and Zhang Ziyi seem to be happy to see. The absence of a crowd of photographers following them around also indicates the setting isn't the film festival.

No matter what part of the Riviera they graced, both of them looked exquisite wearing outfits that could be called casual only in a place where evening dresses and dinner jackets are worn at 11:00 AM. Together, looking as if they are about to do a grip and grin:

Sina

Isabella Leong back in Hong Kong for short run play

Isabella Leong is returning to the Hong Kong entertainment world and is currently in rehearsal with Jim Chim for his play "Sign of Happiness". She plays a deaf-mute woman while Chim portrays a speech therapist who tries to bring laughter into her life. Leong has been rehearsing for 12 hours per day, working especially hard since she has to interpret the character using movement, body language and facial expression with no dialog. Based on some of the images from rehearsals she and Chim could be a mixed gender Vladimir and Estragon:

One hopes that Robin Williams doesn't get his hands on the rights to "Sign of Happiness":

For those interested, Jim Chim seems very politically knowledgeable and willing to discuss it at length. Here is an interview from a couple of years ago. He discusses how Hong Kong residents view Mainlanders, the (at the time) upcoming election, internet censorship and much else.

Opening night is May 30 at the Hong Kong Culture Centre, scheduled for only three performances.

Sina; Jaynestars; Time Out; xin.msn

Fan Bingbing shares Blink make-up snapshots while storming through Australia on X-Men tour

Fan Bingbing while flying around the land down under publicizing "X-Men: Days of Future Past" took time to post some photographic self-portraits to her eight million or so followers so that they would know she hadn't forgotten them:

Leaving Singapore for Melbourne, she didn't try to go incognito but went with the lovably goofy look--huge sunglasses, oversize jacket, baseball cap with crossed pistols (?)

And a cloth doll stuffed in her back pocket:

Hitting a movie star pose and then working the rope line, giving adoring fans a chance to take selfies.

FBB Weibo; Forbes; SMH

More from Cannes: Angelababy out and about, Jane Zhang sings, Zhang Ziyi hobnobs.

Angelababy showed up at a number of Cannes venues--at the opening of "How to Train Your Dragon II" on the arm of Mark Chao:

There were some photoshoots using the Cannes beachfront as a completely generic backdrop, pictures that could have been taken anywhere that has some sand and an ocean:

Jane Zhang sang for her supper (or at least her flute of Champagne) and headlined China Night at the festival, wearing a dress with a huge panda appliqued or embroidered on it:

A typical scrum of reporters and photographers pins Jane Zhang against a backdrop:

Zhang Ziyi had her hand kissed by Spanish director Pedro Almovodar and got a side hug from queen of all she surveys Cate Blanchett, who seems taller than most people she encounters on a movie set:

One more of Cate Blanchett with her co-star:

Sina; xinhuanet; xin.msn

Cannes opens without FBB; Gong Li and Zhang Ziyi are stunning on red carpet

The 67th Cannes Film Festival got underway with the premier screening of "Grace of Monaco" and Fan Bingbing never looked better. But she was half a world away at the Beijing opening of "X-Men: Days of Future Past", appearing with Hugh Jackman and Peter Dinklage at the Chinese capital before scooting off to Singapore for for another red carpet rendezvous:

The distaff side of the Chinese film industry was well represented by Gong Li and Zhang Ziyi. Zhang Ziyi flew in from London (and yes, her arms were really tired) and made it from the airport with the help of a bodyguard and a Mandarin speaking minder:

Gong Li got from the Nice airport to the Cap d Antibes without assistance--she knows her way around, having come to Cannes since 2004. One expected to see Yves Carcelle since he has been her permanent escort at the film festival but he has moved on from running Louis Vuitton to helping give away some of Bernard Arnault's billions.

They made it to the red carpet for the opening, a showing of "Grace of Monaco". Both actresses were (as usual) devastatingly gorgeous, Gong Li in Roberto Cavalli and dripping with diamonds and pearls from Piaget, for whom she is a major brand ambassador and Zhang Ziyi in a gown by Stéphane Rolland that was a hint of art deco and a prince's ransom in diamonds from Chopard.