Hong Kong Film Award nominations

Three of the five nominees for Best Director for the Hong Kong Film Awards are women--Ann Hui for "Our Time Will Come", Karean Pang for "29+1 and Sylvia Chang for "Love Education".

Zhou Xun--also nominated for best actress--aims a pistol in "Our Time Will Come", a drama concerning World War II resistance to the Japanese occupation.

Hui is on familiar ground--this is her 13th nomination as best director. She has won five times.

Follow the links for full list of nominees.

China Entertainment News
SCMP

Vivian Chow on tour

Vivian Chow is on tour and stopped in Hong Kong for her 30th anniversary concert. Lots of costume changes including plenty of beads, feathers and sequins, plenty of props and a cadre of dancers.

And a bit of nostalgia:

Some rehearsal shots from an Indonesian site:

Sina
WowKeren

Li Yuchun--eclectic footwear at Weibo event

Li Yuchun won a few gongs at the recent 2017 Weibo Awardt, mixing and matching her shoes and outfits.

Athletic shoes with a traditional cheongsam:

Stiletto heels with half-androgynous (top half) outfit:

cfensi

Karen's back

Karen Mok announced a concert tour the other day:

Sina Slide
Sina

Li Bingbing for "Guardians of the Tomb"

Li Bingbing has been doing press for Guardians of the Tomb. the Chinese/Australian production she is stars in. It will be released in China, Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia the first week of February and includes actors from the PRC, Oz and Sarawak along with a couple of Americans. Since the plot hinges on a groups of adventurers getting lost in a cave full of deadly (and apparently really big) funnel spiders, Li Bingbing brought a non-toxic eight-legged pet to one of the press appearances.

A still from the movie--Li Bingbing gets a good view of a several thousand year old corpse about to come to life.

Principal photography was finished two years ago it was delayed while the Australian special effects house finished the scary CGI spiders, resurrected partially mummified corpses and winding caves.

Chopflix (more stills, trailers, interviews)
Screen Daily review

China wants to export movies with Chinese values. Washington Post freaks out.

Some movers and shakers in the Chinese movie industry attended a one day seminar on how best to
tell stories rooted in "Socialism with Chinese characteristics". The Washington Post clutched its
pearls and called for the fainting couch at the idea that "propaganda" might find its way onto
the Jade Screen, ignoring the decades of production of Hollywood in which truth, justice and
the American Way were confirmed before the final credits rolled. I don't know if anyone pays
attention to concepts like cultural hegemony these days but it is useful when analyzing the output
of a dominant political and economic power.

Among those in attendance were Angelababy, Yang Mi and Zhou Dongyu, a couple of young idols and
several directors and writers.

Zhou Dongyu at the Toronto International Film Festival:

Angelababy at Cannes:

Washington Post Global Times Telesurtv