Contemporary films lined up at the 12th Spring Film Festival

A more contemporary theme welcomes the Year of the Dog at the 12^th Spring Film Festival this February 13-18, 2018 at the Shang Cineplex.

Presented by the Ateneo de Manila University Ricardo Leong Center for Chinese Studies, together with the Film Development Council of the Philippines, and Credit Suisse, with the cooperation of Ateneo Celadon, and the Shangri-La Plaza Mall, the Spring Film Festival will screen six contemporary Chinese films dating from 2015-2017.

Other activities lined up for the festival include a Chinese Painting Exhibit by the Ateneo Confucius Institute on February 13-18, 2018 during mall hours. The Ateneo Ricardo Leong Center for Chinese Studies presents Royal Melodies, a Chinese music concert on February 17, 2018, 2:00-3:30 PM and a Chinese Painting on Jeans painting workshop on February 18, 2018, 2:00-4:00 PM with Old Navy as the official sponsor of jeans in this event.

Here are the six films lined up for the festival.

Cold War 2/寒戰II

Director: Longman Leung and Sunny Luk

Cast: Aaron Kwok, Tony Leung, Chow Yun-fat, Charlie Young, Janice Man, Eddie Peng, Aarif Rahman, Tony Yang, Chang Kuo-chu, Wu Yue, Fan Zhibo, Ma Yili, and Bibi Zhou

The sequel to the 2012 film, Cold War 2/寒戰II (2016) is a police procedure thriller featuring an all-star cast.

Monster Hunt/捉妖記

Director: Raman Hui

Cast: Bai Baihe and Jing Boran

Breaking box office records in China when released back in 2015, Monster Hunt/捉妖記 is set in a fantasy world where humans have driven the monsters into the dark mountains. The fate of the world hangs in the balance with the birth of the future monster king in the hands of the unlikeliest of humans.

Office/華麗上班族

Director: Johnnie To

Cast: Chow Yun-fat, Sylvia Chang, Eason Chan, Tang Wei

Released in 2015, the musical drama/comedy Office/華麗上班族 tells the story of a billion dollar financial firm that is about to go public. But drama, along with secrets, surface before the company gets listed at the stock exchange.

Our Shining Days/ 闪光少女

Director: Wang Ran

Cast: Lulu Xu, Yuchang Peng

Our Shining Days/ 闪光少女 (2017), is about a wacky sophomore student Jing who forms a Chinese music ensemble composed of oddball characters to win the heart of a handsome piano student she adores. 

Walking Past the Future/路過未來

Director: Li Ruijun

Cast: Yang Zishan and Yi Fang

Screened at the Un Certain Regard section at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, Walking Past the Future/路過未來 (2017) is about the struggles of migrant workers living in the city and the drastic lengths they have to go through to ensure their survival in the drastically changing China.

What a Wonderful Family!/ 麻煩家族

Director: Huang Lei

Cast: Huang Lei, Hai-Qing, Xun Wang, Lichun Lee, Sun Li

What a Wonderful Family!/ 麻煩家族 is the 2017 Chinese remake of the Japanese hit comedy where the wife, when asked by her husband of 50 years what she wants for her birthday, asks for a divorce sending the entire family into chaos.

Here is the screening schedule of the Spring Film Festival at Cinema 4 of the Shang Cineplex.

February 13, 2018

7:00 PM Gala: Our Shining Days

February 14, 2018

2:00 PM Cold War II

4:30 PM What a Wonderful Family!

7:00 PM Office

February 15, 2018

2:00 PM Cold War II

4:30 PM Monster Hunt

7:00 PM Walking Past the Future

February 16, 2018

1:30 PM Walking Past the Future

4:30 PM Our Shining Days

7:00 PM What a Wonderful Family!

February 17, 2018

2:00 PM What a Wonderful Family!

4:30 PM Monster Hunt

7:00 PM Office

February 18, 2018

1:30 PM Monster Hunt

4:30 PM Office

7:00 PM Our Shining Days

The 12^th Spring Film Festival is presented by the Ateneo de Manila University Ricardo Leong Center for Chinese Studies, together with the Film Development Council of the Philippines and Credit Suisse, and with the cooperation of Ateneo Celadon, and Shangri-La Plaza.