In Depth With: NAI An & Johnny MA, with a Screening of Old Stone

1:15 PM, Monday August 12 @ Innis Town Hall

Host: SHEN Wei, Artistic Director, MulanIFF
Language: Mandarin and English, with translations

Following an industry screening of Old Stone, directed by Johnny MA, NAI An (in-person) and Johnny MA (via Zoom) will share with us the story behind Old Stone, and the collaborative journey between this emerging Chinese Canadian director and the world-renowned Chinese producer. They will provide in depth insights and details on how an overseas director should go about recruiting a local Chinese crew and the myriad intricacies of film financing in China. Audience members will also get the chance to ask questions.

Speakers

NAI An

NAI An is an internationally celebrated producer. She graduated from the Central Academy of Drama, majoring in directing. She works as an independent film producer, and films she produced include Suzhou River (2000), Blind Massage (2014), and The Shadow Play (2018). She has served as a judge for the international competition at the Sundance Film Festival and the Young Cinema Competition at the Hong Kong International Film Festival. As an actress, NAI An was awarded Best Actress at the 65th Festival del Film Locarno with When Night Falls (2012).

Johnny MA

Johnny MA was Born in Shanghai, China. He immigrated to Canada at the age of ten years old. After working in both the finance and fashion industry, he earned his Master of Fine Arts degree in Directing and Screenwriting from Columbia University in 2010. Since 2020, Johnny resides in between Vancouver, Canada and San Sebastian del Oeste, Mexico.

Price

Regular: $25
Student: $10

Access included in Filmmaker Pass

Schedule

1:15 PM – 1:20 PM: Opening Welcome
1:20 PM – 2:40 PM: Industry Screening of Old Stone
2:40 PM – 3:30 PM: Talk with NAI An & Johnny Ma
3:30 PM – 3:45 PM: Q&A

Old Stone

When a drunk passenger causes taxi driver Lao Shi to swerve and hit a motorcyclist, he stops to help the victim. As no ambulance arrives, he drives him to the hospital, but soon has to face the rules of today’s Kafkaesque China. With his family and life endangered, he desperately seeks a way out.

Old Stone is the debut feature of Johnny MA. Winner of Best Canadian First Feature Film, Toronto International Film Festival 2016.

Host

SHEN Wei

Originally from Wuhan, China, SHEN Wei spent her formative years in Shenzhen before relocating to Toronto in 2008. She holds a BBA from the University of Toronto and has worked in the public sector. In 2018, she co-founded the Mulan International Film Festival. Driven by a commitment to fostering cinematic talent and diverse narratives, she pursued an MFA in film production at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she recently graduated.

Co-Presenter