In Depth With: YANG Chao, with an educational screening of Jiang Huai

1:00 PM, Thursday Aug 15 @ Innis Town Hall

Host: SUN Li, Coordinator, Industry Outreach & Event, MulanIFF
Language: Mandarin

Following the educational screenings of Run Away, Jiang Huai, and She Hun, YANG Chao will share his experiences in the preparation, shooting, and production with the audience, including script creation, cinematography, and teamwork coordination essential for his achievement. He will also share his experiences from his trips to Cannes and Berlin.

Speaker

YANG Chao

Director, Executive Producer, Professor, and Initiator of A Film. His debut feature, Passages, received a Caméra d’Or Special Mention at the 57th Cannes Film Festival and the Special Jury Award at the Barcelona Asian Film Festival. His feature Crosscurrent was in the main competition of the 66th Berlinale, and is the winner of the Silver Bear Award for Best Artistic Contribution, and was nominated for Best Director by the China Film Director’s Guild Awards. 

YANG Chao has also served as a mentor and jury member at the Hainan Island International Film Festival, Hong Kong International Film Festival, Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival, Young Director Support Program by China Film Director’s Guild, FIRST International Film Festivals, and Falcon Project by Chinese Youth Film Week.

Price

Free with registration. Access included in Filmmaker Pass.

Schedule

1:00 PM – 1:05 PM: Opening Welcome
1:05 PM – 2:30 PM: Screenings of Run Away, Jiang Huai, and She Hun
2:30 PM – 3:15 PM: Talk with YANG Chao
3:15 PM – 3:30 PM: Q&A

Run Away 29min

Lu Lin is a railway mechanic who uses a hammer to tap the wheels of trains, detecting any issues by the sound they make. Lu Lin despises his job and everyone associated with it. He tries to join the company’s basketball team but ultimately fails. For Lu Lin, the only escape is the abandoned airfield of the Air Force Academy. There, he can hear the immensely roar of the airplane engines during idle tests. He loves this sound deeply, as it is the only passion in his otherwise utterly mundane life.

Run Away was awarded at the Cinefondation selection of the 54th Cannes Film Festival.

Jiang Huai 32min

A woman named Lu Jiang searches for a man named Sun Huai amidst the mountains and fields of Xinyang. They meet and miss each other multiple times, before finally reuniting on a ferry crossing the Huai River.The unique landscapes and customs of Jianghuai Culture in Xinyang, director’s hometown, showcased through the actions of two lovers searching for each other across time and space. 

She Hun 18min

During the Song Dynasty, Song Jiang takes Yan Xijiao as his concubine. However, Yan Xijiao has an affair with Zhang Wenyuan (Zhang Sanlang) and threatens Song Jiang with the letters exchanged between him and the Liangshan bandits. Unable to tolerate any longer, Song Jiang kills Yan Xijiao in a act of rage. After her death, Yan Xijiao’s restless spirit returns to the mortal world to find her former lover, Zhang Wenyuan, intending to drag his soul to the underworld for her amusement. Zhang Wenyuan resists but is ultimately captured alive by Yan Xijiao’s ghost. 

The film is adapted from the Kunqu opera Capturing Zhang Sanlang Alive.

Host

SUN Li

SUN Li, graduated from the University of Toronto with a major in History and Cultural Studies. She has experience in planning and executing live performances, including concerts and music festivals, as well as charitable events. In 2024, she joined the Mulan International Film Festival and is a Coordinator for Industry Outreach and Events.

Co-Presenter