From December 2011 to March 2012 the Singapore Film Comission is proud to bring Singapore short films to Cathay Cineplexes. These six heart-warming stories centered on human relationships are made by Singapore’s talented independent filmmakers. They have been presented at various festivals around the world, such as the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival, Busan International Film Festival, International Film Festival Rotterdam, and the Singapore Short Film festival. Each film shall precede a main feature during its run under Cathay Cineplexes’ premier label, The Picturehouse Selection. Read more about the screenings here!

Do give us your comments on this initiative by participating in this short survey! The survey will take less than a minute but will go a long way in our understanding and supporting of the Singapore film industry.

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After its blockbuster success in India, Aamir Khan starrer 3 Idiots is all set to get a Hollywood remake.

“We are in talks with 3 studios in Hollywood and one company in Italy for the remake of 3 Idiots,” Vinod Chopra told PTI on the sidelines of the ongoing International film festival of India (IFFI).
 

And that’s not it. The film, which released in India in December 2009, is all set to explore other markets. It is releasing in Mainland China with a whopping 900 prints next week.

“Its a first for any Hindi film to release with so many prints in China. It is also being adapted into a stage musical in Taiwan. The film has already made 2-3 million dollars in Hong Kong,” said Chopra.

The film is also getting a Chinese remake.
“The director of Kung Fu Hustle Stephen Chow is also remaking it in Chinese. My films are made with universal values so they connect with audience all over the world. I am hoping my next Ferrari Ki Sawari also tastes the same success.”

Ferrari… starring Sharman Joshi is a film about a father-son relationship and will release in April next year.

via hindustantimes

Lust leads the way but love gets lost in “You Are the Apple of My Eye,” a bawdy, sentimental but still enjoyably Taiwanese coming-of-ager. Directed by prolific author Giddens, adapting his own autobiographical novel, this raunchy item is perfectly pitched at Chinese youth markets, especially with its catchy soundtrack (Sony Music’s Taiwan branch co-produced with local outfit Star Ritz). Biz has been boffo in Taiwan ($12.7 million) and Hong Kong ($1.4 million), and while the film’s depiction of Taiwanese patriotism and lewd humor may offend censors in various territories, a rich international ancillary career awaits. 

With a popular blog and more than 50 novels to his credit, Taiwanese personality Giddens (real name Ko Ching-teng) is almost a presold commodity domestically, spelling widespread interest in this, his feature-film debut (he helmed one segment of the portmanteau film “L-O-V-E”). Told in flashback, the story opens with Giddens’ alter ego, Ching-teng (Ko Chen-tung), being told to hurry because there’s a bride waiting for him. With a bite of an apple and a devilish grin, Ching-teng snaps into a verbose voiceover that accompanies the pic throughout.

Flashing back to 1995, Ching-teng introduces his coterie of buddies from his South Taiwan high school, where sex, not study, is their chief preoccupation. Given that one character is named Boner (Yen Sheng-yu), and Ching-teng has a penchant for looking at Japanese porn and walking around the house naked, the film boasts a sexual frankness that could get it nicknamed “Taiwanese Pie.”

Caught participating in a masturbation contest at the back of a classroom, Ching-teng is relocated to a seat in front of Shen Chia-yi (Michelle Chen), the overachieving, puritanical coed he and all his friends are in love with. Dismayed by Ching-teng’s academic apathy, Chia-yi is nevertheless won over by his display of chivalry, which rescues her from punishment on one occasion.

Read the full story here >>

via Variety

Fans of French films now have reasons to rejoice as cinemas across Singapore will be screening over 20 French films as part of a festival held next month.

From Dec 8 to 13, Golden Village Vivocity, Shaw Theatres Lido, The Cathay Cineplex cinemas and the Alliance Francaise Theatre will be screening French movies as part of the Societe Generale Private Banking 1st Rendezvous With French Cinema. 

The festival programme will feature new film releases, some of which will make their Asian premiere in Singapore.

“The Artist”, directed by Michel Hazanavicius and set in Hollywood between 1927 and 1931, will be the opening film for the festival.

Read the full story here >>

via AsiaOne

While all the movies filmmaker Osman Ali had directed in the past were based on his own story ideas and scripts, he always wanted the challenge of directing a movie based on someone else’s story.

That dream has finally come true with his latest movie, Ombak Rindu, which is based on the bestselling novel of the similar title by Fauziah Ashari.

Osman, whose has directed films such as Cun, Anak Halal and Puaka Tebing Biru, co-wrote the screenplay for Ombak Rindu with scriptwriter Armantono. 

Ombak Rindu is based on Izzah (Maya Karin), a simple kampung teacher who is sold to a brothel by her uncle. Her first customer is a rich playboy Harriz (Aaron Aziz) whom she begs to marry her and save her from her predicament.

Surprisingly, he agrees to her request and takes her to his house. As a matter of fact, this is the only good deed he has done in a long time.

Eventually, he falls in love with Izzah and decides to break off his engagement to his childhood friend Mila (Lisa Surhani).

But due to family pressure, he is forced to marry Mila. Thus begins a triangular love affair which entangles three lives in a myriad of emotions.

Read the full story here >> 

via The Sun Daily