Hong Kong stars coming to Vancouver: Chow Yun-Fat, Aaron Kwok, Jackie Chan, and more

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      While Vancouver received a visit from one of the world's biggest screen stars in April—Bollywood's Shah Rukh Khan—we're about to witness the arrival of numerous glitterati from another part of Asia.

      A bevy of Hong Kong stars are scheduled to light up our Vancouver summer with their presence.

      Two major HK actors, Chow Yun-Fat (The Man From Macau; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and Aaron Kwok (Port of Call) will star in the action drama Project Gutenberg.

      Directed by Felix Chong (Infernal Affairs, Overheard), the big-budget feature stars Catherine Chau (The Menu) as a detective leading Hong Kong police in pursuit of currency counterfeiters. After extraditing a gang member (Kwok) from Thailand, they trace the trail back to the gang leader (Chow).  

      The cast also includes Liu Kai-Chi (Weeds on Fire) and Zhang Jingchu (Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation).

      Zhang Jingchu

      Filming had already begun and will take place in Hong Kong, China, Thailand, and Canada.

      In Vancouver, the production will shoot from July 13 to 31.

      The film will have its theatrical release in 2018.

      Aaron Kwok

      Kwok is considered one of the Four Heavenly Kings, which referred to Hong Kong's biggest entertainers in the 1990s and 2000s. The other three were Jacky Cheung, Andy Lau, and Leon Lai.

      Action-comedy star Jackie Chan

      Prior to that, Hong Kong Airlines will be bringing the indestructible, comedic martial-arts powerhouse Jackie Chan to Vancouver as their celebrity ambassador to launch their first flight on the new route from Vancouver to Hong Kong.

      He'll also be participating in Canada Day celebrations at Canada Place on July 1.

      Echoes of a Rainbow

      Recently, Hong Kong directors Alex Law and Mabel Cheung visited Vancouver for the screening of their 2010 film Echoes of a Rainbow at the Cinematheque on June 1.

      The film kicked off the film series Creative Visions: Hong Kong Cinema 1997-2017 that runs until June 23. On the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administration Region (HKSAR), the HKSAR government is presenting a cinematic retrospective, which takes a look at the stories and images from the city that Vancouver has had longstanding ties with.

      Filmmaker Fruit Chan

      This week, two films from filmmaker Fruit Chan will screen on Friday and Saturday (June 9 and 10): 1997's Made in Hong Kong (Heung Gong jai jo), made from leftover film stock, and the 2004 horror Dumplings (Jiao zi).

      Filmmaker Ann Hui

      After that, two films from acclaimed auteur Ann Hui will take to the screen on June 15 and 16: 2008's The Way We Are (Tin shui wai dik yat yu ye) and 2011's A Simple Life (Tou ze), which screened at the 2011 Vancouver International Film Festival.

      Filmmaker Hei-yan Heiward Mak

      On June 23, director Hei-yan Heiward Mak will be in Vancouver to introduce her 2008 debut feature film High Noon (Lit yat dong hung), which follows the misadventures of seven high-school boys.

      Port of Call

      For those who want easier access to catching a glimpse of the aforementioned Kwok, Philip Yung's 2015 crime thriller Port of Call (Daap hyut cam mui) will screen on June 22 and 23 to close out the series.

      For full screenings details, visit the Cinematheque website. 

      You can follow Craig Takeuchi on Twitter at @cinecraig or on Facebook

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