Hotel 66 Set to Entertain at Sinema Showoff! Random Picks2 min read
Reading Time: 2 minutesAnthony Chen’s HOTEL 66 is the Curator’s Pick for Sinema Showoff! Random Picks in November.
Set during the World Cup Season 2002, the film revolves around the lives of two immigrants, a female security guard and a gigolo, who live and work out of a run-down Chinatown hotel in London.
The film is a true entertainer for the following reasons:
1. The plot is ‘sexily enticing’, yet touching on ‘real’ issues facing a displaced immigrant workforce.
2. The art direction of every frame with the good-looking artistes, hotel set and colour has been choreographed to perfection (at least my layman eyes).
3. The artistes give a convincing portrayal of the characters. The two lead characters are played by professional actors sourced from Taiwan which explains.
HOTEL 66 screens at Sinema Showoff! Random Picks, 30 November, 7.30pm. Admission is FREE. The session is hosted by Sinema and curated by Singapore Polytechnic.
HOTEL 66 (CURATOR’S PICK)
Anthony Chen | Chinese Dialect (Cantonese) | 15 mins | PG
HOTEL 66 relates the uncanny rendezvous of two emotionally displaced workers: an innocent female security guard and a sleek-looking male sex worker. Trapped in their shared environment, through opportune encounters, they find solace in each other amidst their amoral surroundings.
~~~ Previous Screenings ~~~
Official Selection, Singapore Short Cuts 2010Official Selection, Melbourne International Film Festival 2010, Australia
Official Selection, CinemaJove International Film Festival Valencia 2010, Spain
Official Selection, Huesca International Film Festival 2010, Spain
Official Selection, Shanghai International Film Festival 2010, China
Official Selection, Rushes Soho Shorts Film Festival 2010, United Kingdom
Hotel 66 trailer by Anthony Chen
~~~ Director’s Bio ~~~
Anthony Chen graduated with a Diploma in Film & Media Studies from Ngee Ann Polytechnic. His graduation film, G-23, screened at festivals worldwide and won awards in Europe and Asia. His sophomore short, AH MA (GRANDMA), was nominated for the Palme d’Or for Short Film at the 60th Cannes Film Festival, and secured a Special Mention, the first time a Singaporean was awarded in Cannes. Haze, his third short film, was nominated for the Golden Bear for Short Film at Berlin.
Collectively, his films have screened at numerous festivals including Cannes, Berlin, Rotterdam, Pusan, London, Sao Paulo, Stockholm, Sydney, Montreal, Melbourne, Chicago and Hawaii.
Most notably in 2009, Anthony was accorded the Young Artist Award by the National Arts Council of Singapore, one of the most prestigious accolades for the arts in Singapore. He believes in making films that reveal, reflect and explore universal truths about the human condition.
Anthony recently completed his Masters at National Film & Television School, London with a scholarship from Media Development Authority (MDA).
Anthony is married and hopes to pursue a career in the UK while developing projects in Asia.
Article contributed by Ramasamy Rajesree is the Guest Curator for Sinema Showoff! Season 2010 and a lecturer with Singapore Polytechnic’s School of Architecture and the Built Environment. She works with an ethnically diverse student team committed to bring Singapore Films to mainstream audiences here and film appreciative audiences overseas with the support of venue owners and festivals.
