Beijing Visitor Guide

Closing the festival is the Asian premiere of Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, winner of the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at Berlinale, from renowned Japanese director HAMAGUCHI Ryusuke. For the first time ever, HKIFF45 will go hybrid with both in-theatre and online screenings and audience-engagement events. Today's announcement of its full line-up also takes a new format, pre-recorded at FWD House 1881 and broadcasted online. 

During the 12-day extravaganza, over 190 titles from 58 countries and regions, of which 10 are world, 11 international and 43 Asian premieres, will be presented in close-to 230 screenings in theatres, and nearly 60 films are available through online platform. Multi-talented actor Aaron KWOK will return as the festival ambassador for the third consecutive year. Equally acclaimed is director Stanley KWAN, this year's Filmmaker in Focus. 

The retrospective honouring KWAN will feature 13 of his seminal works and a commemorate book. The renowned filmmaker will also attend a Face to Face seminar on 5 April to share his insights on films, art, and life with the public. 

Though filmmakers are unable to come to Hong Kong due to the health crisis, HKIFF45 has specially arranged two Master Classes by celebrated documentarians, Frederick WISEMAN and HARA Kazuo, who will meet the audience through live online streaming following the screening of their latest works, City Hall and Reiwa Uprising respectively. Audiences will also be able to connect with various filmmakers through seminars, post-screening talks, and other online events. Award-winning films of international cinema are the usual highlights of the HKIFF programme.

This year's showcase includes Wife of a Spy, with which KUROSAWA Kiyoshi is named Best Director at Venice; Golden Globes Best Foreign Language Film winner, Minari, by Korean-American director Lee Isaac CHUNG; Dear Comrades!, the Special Jury Prize winner at Venice by Russian director Andrei KONCHALOVSKY; as well as master documentarian Frederick WISEMAN's City Hall, Gianfranco ROSI's Notturno, and Maria SPETH's tenderly powerful documentary, Mr Bachmann and His Class, another Silver Bear winner from this year's Berlinale . 

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Shochiku Cinema, one of Japan's most historical and influential studios, HKIFF45 is proud to present a special retrospective programme showcasing ten masterpieces from ten maestros including MIZOGUCHI Kenji, OZU Yasujiro, IMAMURA Shohei and YAMADA Yoji, paying tribute to the remarkable achievement of Shochiku Cinema. In addition to the Japanese masterpieces, HKIFF45 also brings to audience a selection of newly restored classics from world and Chinese-language cinemas. Highlights include Tih Minh, a rarely-seen silent era crime serial in 12 episodes by Louis FEUILLADE; Jean-Luc GODARD's Breathless, beautifully restored for its 60th anniversary; The Goddess, a silent masterpiece directed by WU Yonggang and starring RUAN Lingyu; TSUI Hark's The Butterfly Murders, a pioneering work of the Hong Kong New Wave movement, as well as four restored classics by Stanley KWAN. In particular, four newly-restored masterpieces by WONG Kar Wai, including In the Mood for Love, are must-see for cinephiles.

Mohammad Reza ASLANI's Chess of the Wind, a long-lost censored Iranian gem recently restored, will be screened alongside its successors, in a new section entitled "Iranian New Cinema", which introduces the exciting new works from promising filmmakers who herald a new movement in Iranian cinema. Their aspiring spirits can be matched by the filmmakers in the "Fantastic Beats" section, which will impress young audience with Kajillionaire by Miranda JULY, and popular Japanese films like Underdog, We Made a Beautiful Bouquet and All the Things They Never Said.

To celebrate its 45th edition, HKIFF has tailor-made a limited edition souvenir boxset, consisting of cross shoulder bag, zipper bag, Moleskine pocket notebook, masklab respirators, ticket holder / mask keeper, die cut pins, bag key clip and paper clips. HKIFF has also designed crossover merchandise, which include the Festival tee shirt, a crossover with Teemaker, now available on the teemaker website [https://teemakerhk.com/]; and the Festival mask, a collaboration with local mask brand masklab, now available on the masklab website [https://masklab.hk] and stores.

As part of its continuous efforts in making cinema accessible and affordable to the public, HKIFF will offer a special discounted fare of HK$28 to students, elderly, people with disabilities and CSSA recipients, hold free community screenings, and add Chinese subtitles to foreign language films. HKIFF45 will be held simultaneously in-theatre and online from 1 to 12 April.

The public can purchase tickets online (http://www.hkiff.org.hk/), through all URBTIX outlets (for screenings at Cultural Centre, City Hall, Arts Centre and Tai Kwun only) or MCL Cinema's website [http://www.mclcinema.com], mobile ticketing app and K11 Art House box office (for screenings at K11 Art House only) from 10am on 18 March.