FIRST International Film Festival Line up Unveiled for 2022

Xining, a socioculturally peripheral city in China’s Northwest, is the place to catch the latest Chinese indie films. After all, it is the site of FIRST International Film Festival, the biggest indie film festival in the nation. This year’s edition will run for one week, from July 27 to August 4.


Announced on June 28, the lineup for the 16th edition of the festival includes 19 feature-length productions and 22 shorts that were selected out of 833 submissions.


FIRST Film Festival

The award ceremony at last year’s festival


FIRST, which some have held up as China’s answer to Sundance Film Festival, is famed for promoting rising filmmakers, and this year is no exception. According to a press release from organizers, 83% of the features selected for the 2022 screenings are directorial debuts. Furthermore, 54.8% of the directors were born in the 1990s, and 15.5% were born in the 2000s.


Championing amateurism, FIRST has reported that more than half of the respondents of a questionnaire identify as non-professional directors and screenwriters. The announcement also highlights an entry from a 17-year-old filmmaker — the youngest participant this year.


Once a campus film event, the festival has come a long way since 2006. It is now regarded as the primary outpost for new Chinese arthouse and indie films. 


Directed by Zhang Dalei in 2016, The Summer is Gone won Best Feature at FIRST before snagging three other awards — including Best Feature Film — at the Golden Horse Awards. Xin Yukun’s 2014 film The Coffin in the Mountain has also gone down in history as an indie film that has met commercial success.


The Summer is Gone

Film poster for The Summer is Gone. Image via IMDb


According to FIRST, this year’s documentaries spotlight “public events experienced by socially marginalized groups.”


Previous film selections for FIRST suggest that the festival leans towards specific styles of stories. In addition to championing intimate narratives that speak for a larger societal context, such as urbanization, FIRST also advocates noirs that navigate complex human relationships in contemporary Chinese society, especially if seen through the eyes of outliers.


FIRST Film Festival’s renowned jury members for 2022 include actress Zhang Ziyi (president), director and screenwriter Mei Feng, and Chinese literature and film professor Michael Berry, among others.


See the full lineup for the main competition here


All photos are courtesy of the organizer unless otherwise noted

Chinese Netizens Ecstatic Over Daniel Wu Joining ‘Westworld’ Season 4

In case you haven’t heard, Westworld season four began streaming on HBO on June 26. Chinese fans of the Emmy-winning series have been ecstatic to see a familiar face on the show: California-based Chinese American actor and director Daniel Wu.


While Wu is depicted wielding a mean-looking gun in season four’s trailer, little has been revealed about his role.

The sci-fi-meets-western television series, which began airing in 2016, is set in a futuristic amusement park populated with AI robots called ‘hosts.’ Visitors pay a hefty price to interact with these humanoid androids, which serve as pawns for living out their wildest (and often immoral) fantasies.


Previous seasons of Westworld explored the relationship between hosts and humans, especially after the hosts break out of the park and escape into the real world.


Wu, who appears alongside famous actors like Thandiwe Newton, Aaron Paul, and Evan Rachel Wood in the new season, attended the film premiere with his wife Lisa S. and their daughter.


The 47-year-old, who first rose to fame as a model and actor in Hong Kong in the late 1990s, is commonly associated with AMC’s martial arts series Into the Badlands. Wu has also been a vocal advocate for AAPI representation in Hollywood.

On Weibo, fans are stoked for the fourth season and especially for the appearance of Wu. A hashtag for the latest installment of Westworld and Wu’s debut on the show had received more than 48 million views at the time of writing.


One Weibo user commented, “My crush! This handsome guy is getting older, but I still love him. I’m looking forward to his work!”


Some fans hope the appearance of Wu can turn the show around after its last two seasons, which bewildered some viewers.


“Wow! I really like this drama, although the last two seasons were hard to understand. Glad to see Daniel Wu join the show!” a commenter opined.


Whether in films or literature, the sci-fi genre boasts a strong fanbase in China. Liu Cixin’s The Three-Body Problem and The Wandering Earth, Stanley Chen’s The Waste Tide, and the Marvel Universe have received high acclaim from Chinese audiences.


This article was updated at 11 AM on July 2, 2022, to confirm that Daniel Wu now resides in California, not Hong Kong.


Cover image via VCG

New Chinese Film ‘Lighting Up The Stars’ Grosses $32M in Three Days

Since premiering on June 24, China’s newest box office hit, Lighting Up The Stars, is well on its way to becoming one of the country’s highest-grossing films this year.


According to Variety, the film earned 31.8 million USD in its first weekend alone — roughly 10 million more than Denis Villeneuve’s Dune brought in during its opening weekend last year. Including revenue from preview screenings the week earlier, Lighting Up The Stars finished its opening weekend with a total take of 37 million USD.


The movie’s strong start is a positive sign that the Chinese film industry is making a comeback after being impacted by Covid-19 lockdowns.


Directed by Liu Jiangjiang, Lighting Up The Stars follows Wu Xiaowen, a little orphaned girl, and Mo Sanmei, an ex-conman turned funeral home worker. After Mo saves Wu, she starts to follow him around, and the two form an unexpected bond bordering on a father and daughter relationship.


Zhu Yilong, who rose to fame after starring as the protagonist in the 2018 boys’ love mystery drama Guardian, plays the male lead, while adorable 9-year-old actress Yang Enyou stars as Wu. Despite it being her first time on the silver screen, the child actress has impressed audiences with her genuine performance.


light-up-the-stars-girl

A promotional poster for Lighting Up The Stars featuring child actress Yang Enyou


Serving as a reminder to cherish life, Lighting Up The Stars has been a hit among audiences, scoring 7.5/10 on the IMDb-like platform Douban. Furthermore, fans have been gushing over the film on the microblogging platform Weibo, where one related hashtag has accumulated more than 2 billion views in a week.


Viewers seem particularly touched by the relationship between the little orphan girl and the ex-conman. Some fans even created fan art of stills from the film.


lighting-up-the-stars

Audiences adore the relationship between the funeral parlor worker and the little orphan girl in Lighting Up The Stars


Many have said that Lighting Up The Stars induces both laughter and tears.


“It’s super good! It starts as a comedy but then becomes sad and moving. I ended up crying so hard,” reads one Weibo comment.


“What a great film! It’s really eye-catching, healing, and heartwarming. This is the film I have most wanted to see in the past few years,” gushed another netizen.


All images via IMDb

‘Phygital Art’ Exhibition in Hong Kong Opens a Door to the Metaverse

A portmanteau of the words’ physical’ and ‘digital,’ ‘phygital’ interactive artworks by local and international artists are the main draw at Symphony of the Future, a public art program combining art, lifestyle, and technology.


Unveiled by K11 Art Mall in Hong Kong on June 23, the exhibition will be displayed at Avenue of Stars and Salisbury Garden in Kowloon Central until November or December 2022.


Nighttime view of 'HΞXAVΞRSΞ' by Don Diablo


‘HΞXAVΞRSΞ,’ one of the exhibition’s highlights, was created by Dutch artist, DJ, and musician Don Diablo in partnership with fine arts giant Sotheby’s.


Described as a “portal into the metaverse,” the phygital piece embodies the artist’s vision of the future. It serves to connect the public with the metaverse, which many still deem a mystery.


Blurring the boundaries between the physical and the digital, ‘HΞXAVΞRSΞ’ invites audiences to peek past its virtual doors for a glimpse of constantly changing multimedia art made up of sculptures and music.


In addition to the showcase in Hong Kong, monumental screens are projecting rotating videos onto the walls of the K11 Art Mall in Shanghai.


Daytime view of 'HΞXAVΞRSΞ' by Don Diablo


No stranger to non-fungible tokens, Don Diablo is also vending his ‘HΞXAVΞRSΞ’ videos as NFT art, making the project a one-of-a-kind ‘NFT sculpture.’


Located in Salisbury Garden in Hong Kong, ‘Looking Up’ by Tom Friedman is another phygital piece at Symphony of the Future. Simply whip out your smartphones to scan the QR code attached to the augmented reality piece.



Last but not least, check out ‘A Prelude for the Future,’ a musical performance by local musician Olivier Cong. Accessible via QR codes planted along Hong Kong’s Avenue of Stars, the online concert is also a collision of the digital and the physical.


All images courtesy of K11

10 Epic Chinese Video Games That Aren’t ‘Genshin Impact’ You Should Try

Level Up! is a regular series exploring Chinese youth’s passion for video games and digital entertainment.


China is the world’s largest video game market in both the number of players and total dollar value. Last year, there were 665 million gamers in the country, making for nearly half the total population.


That said, the international gaming community pays relatively little attention to Chinese video games. This is somewhat understandable, as China has a reputation for producing mediocre mobile games emphasizing microtransactions and profit over exciting and engaging gameplay.


The government, meanwhile, has made understandable but sometimes bizarre attempts to limit the amount of screen time for under-18s. There was even an outright ban on game consoles in the country that began in 2000 and didn’t end until 2015.


Further dampening the game-development industry in China was a freeze on video game licensing that extended from August 2021 to April 2022, causing thousands of video game-related businesses to shut down.


But despite these limitations, developers in China have genuinely stepped up their game, so to speak, in recent years. Numerous excellent games are already on the market, and as the industry continues to boom, many more are in development.


Here, we’ve outlined 10 Chinese games that every video game aficionado should check out. We’ve tried to list great games you haven’t heard of, so there will be no Genshin Impact here, or anything with ‘Honor,’ ‘Legend,’ or ‘Kings’ in their titles.

1. Naraka: Bladepoint

PC, with Xbox and PlayStation 5 versions coming this year

If you’re into the wildly popular battle royale genre (think titles like Fortnite, Call of Duty, and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds), this might be the game for you.


Developed by Hangzhou-based 24 Entertainment and first published by NetEase Games Montreal on August 11, 2021, Naraka: Bladepoint is your classic battle royale in many ways. Expect a host of weapons, superhuman characters, and an encroaching arena that shrinks until a single player remains.


In other ways, however, this Chinese video game is wholly its own. For starters, whereas in the aforementioned titles you can kill a competitor from a distance, Bladepoint emphasizes close-contact combat. You can still attack from afar, but a winning strategy will require some up-close-and-personal virtual violence. We’re talking swords, daggers, nunchucks, and something called a ‘bloodripper,’ which looks a bit like a demonic chainsaw fitted with a buzz saw on the end. Not particularly practical in real-life, but certainly ready to get the job done in the fantasy realm.


The intimate combat style reminds us a bit of arcade fighting games like Tekken and Mortal Combat, with movements and an aesthetic that bring the films Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and House of Flying Daggers to mind. The characters, or ‘heroes,’ as they’re called, are all refreshingly unique in their fighting style and weaponry. You can also customize fighters, leading to some mildly uncomfortable renderings of Squidward, Yoda, and more.


Prepare to be hacked to bits repeatedly in the beginning, as there is a bit of a learning curve to the gameplay.

2. Lost Soul Aside

PC, PlayStation 4 and 5

Remember when Lost Soul Aside was first announced in 2016? By now, you’ve probably completely forgotten about it or been driven crazy by the wait. Half a decade ago, the game had only one developer, Yang Bing, and audiences were flabbergasted about how a solitary endeavor could look so damn cool.


Although the development team has grown considerably since the game’s announcement, it is still being helmed by UltiZero Games. Based on the gameplay trailer released in April 2021, audiences have likened it to Final Fantasy XV and Devil May Cry for its fast-paced play and epic visuals.


The main character has a seemingly endless suite of superhuman abilities, and he’s accompanied by a floating robo-dragon (of sorts). The game will have open-world capabilities, and the combat is said to be rather challenging. While there’s no release date yet, we’re anticipating a 2022 arrival.

3. Bright Memory: Infinite

PC, Xbox

No list of games would be complete without including a good ol’ first-person shooter (FPS). Enter Bright Memory: Infinite, an FPS that also includes combat with a variety of swords. Players start with a single blade and machine gun and are armed with a few cool battle moves — a metaphysical pull feature, block, and dodge. As the game progresses, you can collect several additional weapons with their own feel and function.


The game is a remade and expanded version of the original Bright Memory, which came out in early 2019. Both were developed by FYQD, originally a one-person studio run by Zeng Xian Cheng. It’s still quite a small operation, making the noticeable improvements to the second game all the more impressive.


Bright Memory: Infinite was released on November 11, 2021, and so far, the response has been great. The title follows the story of Shelia Tan, a Science Research Organization agent tasked with investigating a mysterious force in the sky that is sucking in its surroundings. You probably won’t get too caught up in the narrative, though, as it’s almost nothing but action after the intro, which we’re okay with.

4. Black Myth: Wukong

PC, “mainstream consoles”

One of China’s most well-known folkloric characters is the Monkey King, Sun Wukong. Sun appears in countless ancient and contemporary texts but is most associated with the 16th-century novel Journey to the West, in which he is a traveling companion of Tang Sanzang, a character based on the real-life Buddhist monk Xuanzang.


The Monkey King has also appeared in numerous theatrical productions, films, TV shows, and more than a dozen video games (even the anime television series Dragon Ball contains elements from the story). But that’s not to say that Black Myth: Wukong isn’t something special.


Developed by indie studio Game Science, Black Myth: Wukong is a third-person action-adventure game where players step into the shoes of the protagonist Monkey King. It is easily the most hyped Chinese game that has yet to be released, and for good reason: The diverse landscapes and characters are laden with nods to Chinese history and cultural esthetic, with stunning visuals and combat scenes that are nothing short of badass.


Small details in the game hold true to the original Monkey King mythology. Take, for instance, the scene in a gameplay teaser where Sun extends his staff and balances on end to defeat a massive white dragon. He can extend the magical golden staff to any length in the original mythology.


Daniel Ahmad, a senior analyst with Niko Partners, says Sun will have 72 abilities in total. So expect to see more mystical moves reflective of the original folklore — things like shapeshifting and splitting into infinite versions of himself.


No specific release date has been set yet, but gamers are anticipating its release in 2023.

5. F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch

PC, PlayStation 4 and 5

Welcome to Shadow Torch, a colonized city of anthropomorphic animals known as ‘furtizens.’ This is a Metroidvania, which, for the uninitiated, is a subgenre of action-adventure games where players navigate an open world, unlocking skills and new areas of the map as the game progresses.


Rayton, a juiced-up rabbit and a former soldier in the war against the occupying Machine Legion, plays the main character. He carries a massive, multipurpose ‘fist,’ a gadget recycled from an old war machine that Rayton once piloted, containing his primary weapons. The city is distinctly steampunk-inspired, and different districts have their own appearance and atmosphere.


The game is two-dimensional and utilizes left-right scrolling to navigate the map. It has a fantastic storyline — albeit with some sub-par English-language voice acting — and features cameos from a host of fascinating humanoid animals, from cats to rats and bears to red pandas, but not forgetting robotic canines.


F.I.S.T was developed by TiGames and came out in October 2021 via Antiidelay. With relatively easy and user-friendly gameplay, it serves as a great introduction to the oversaturated Metroidvania market.

6. Conqueror’s Blade: Paragons

PC

If you’ve ever wanted to control the whims of a maniacal warlord conquering foreign lands, you may want to do some soul searching. Alternatively, lean right in and give Conqueror’s Blade a try.


Like many popular games produced in China, this Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMO) is free to play. While there are some pay-to-play elements, most of these are cosmetic, fortunately, and not necessary to succeed in the game.


Developed by Booming Games, Conqueror’s Blade is a turn-based game that incorporates action and tactical gameplay elements. What’s incredibly cool is the fact it includes both Eastern- and Western-style medieval warfare. Released on March 17, 2022, the latest update — Conqueror’s Blade: Paragons, as seen in the video above, was inspired by medieval France.


It is classified as a ‘sandbox game,’ meaning players have a high degree of control and creativity where gameplay is concerned and don’t necessarily have to follow predetermined objectives or goals (think Minecraft and Grand Theft Auto).

7. Wuchang: Fallen Feathers

PC, unspecified next-gen consoles

Set in imperial China during the collapse of the Ming Dynasty, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers combines history, folklore, and otherworldly dystopian elements that make for a surprisingly fresh take on the ancient era.


Inspired by the turbulent period, players are dropped into a land plagued by unrest. Warlords, banditry, and violence abound. Adding to the mayhem is a mysterious condition causing people to grow feathers and lose touch with their humanity. The protagonist is tasked with unraveling the cause of the strange illness.


This is the first title created by Chengdu-based LenZee Games, formerly Recano Chengdu Hurricane Zone. An action RPG, Fallen Feathers draws influence from games like Bloodborne, Dark Souls, and Sekiro. Don’t hold your breath for a quick drop, though: The game is scheduled for release in 2024.

8. Let’s Hunt Monsters

Mobile

We were hesitant to include this on the list, given its striking resemblance to Pokemon Go (and we don’t want to be responsible for any avoidable deaths). Still, the animated creatures are too cute to overlook!


To be fair to developers TiMi Studio Group, Pokemon Go was never available in China, which explains their urge to fill a much-needed gap in the niche market. After all, how many mobile games require the player to literally be mobile.


Like Pokemon Go, Let’s Hunt Monsters is an augmented reality (AR) game where players catch digital creatures using their real-life geolocations. Instead of Pokemon, however, the hunt is on for creatures inspired by Chinese mythology. To catch all 302 monsters, players use ‘spirit orbs’ (basically yin-yang pokeballs) sourced from ‘Prayer Drums.’


You can also build structures within the game, mirroring gameplay in MMOs. Using the Tencent-developed blockchain, players can even trade digital ‘kittens’ in a feature not dissimilar to the Ethereum blockchain game CryptoKitties.


Let’s Hunt Monsters was first announced by Tencent in April 2018 and has been available on Chinese app stores since April 11, 2019. While there have been numerous attempts to recreate the success of Pokemon Go, none quite measure up, although Let’s Hunt Monsters has come closer than the rest. Five months after its release, the game generated more than 50 million USD in revenue just on iOS.

9. Tower of Fantasy

Mobile, PC

Tower of Fantasy is an action RPG infused with narrative elements and open-world gameplay. If you think that sounds a little too Genshin Impact-y, well, you’re not the only one; the game’s developers have even dubbed their creation a ‘Genshin Impact killer.’


Smack talk isn’t the only scandal they’ve been caught up in, though: They were previously busted using plagiarized content in a promotional video, and later, clearly not learning from their own mistakes, allegedly used reviews for Genshin Impact to boost their own game’s ratings.


Nonetheless, Tower of Fantasy has been in China for a year and is set for worldwide release in 2022, much to global gamers’ excitement. In March of this year, it was reported that the title is undergoing closed beta testing in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Germany.


While Tower of Fantasy is in many ways similar to Genshin Impact, the former takes place in the future and combines elements of science fiction with anime-inspired characters. It also allows character customization and the use of various weapon types irrespective of which character you choose, further setting it apart from its rival.


Released by Hotta Studios and published internationally by Perfect World, the game is set on the post-apocalyptic planet Aida. Once flourishing and technologically advanced, the planet’s energy source, Omnium, has become its undoing, as the radioactive material has caused some of the planet’s remaining inhabitants to mutate.

10. Icey

iOS, MacOS, PC, Android, Nintendo Switch

Initially developed by Shanghai FantaBlade Network in 2017, Icey is a two-dimensional side-scrolling action game — with a few twists. Led by an omnipotent narrator called the ‘Developer’ who guides your every move (should you choose to obey), the goal is to control the eponymous humanoid robot Icey.


In this hack ‘n’ slash melee-style adventure, Icey is armed with a sword and tasked with defeating a powerful enemy called Judas, all while unraveling the meaning of her existence. From start to finish, the Developer aggressively urges you to follow his every direction, but much of the fun lies in defying his overbearing, sometimes passive-aggressive commands.


The game is cheap to purchase, and the story takes no more than a couple of days to complete, though you can start again and unravel the story differently in subsequent sittings. As such, it’s the perfect game for the casual gamer or anyone who wants a few pleasant hours of digital distraction.

Honorable Mention: Stray (Formerly HK_Project)

PC, PlayStation 4 and 5


Carving out a new niche, Stray is not technically a Chinese video game but takes place in a dystopian future in Hong Kong. It was developed by BlueTwelve Studios and will be published by Annapurna Interactive, respectively based in southern France and California. The game is set for release in July 2022.


Players assume the role of a stray cat tasked with navigating the chaotic streets and buildings of a once-flourishing megacity now inhabited solely by robots. Its ultimate goal is to reunite with its family.


The game aesthetic is heavily influenced by the Kowloon Walled City, which was destroyed in the ’90s at the behest of Hong Kong authorities. Once upon a time, it was the most densely packed place on Earth and operated independently from the British colonial government and law enforcement.


Needless to say, it was a fascinating place and one that we regret not having visited before it came crumbling down. But thanks to Stray, a Kowloonesque adventure is still possible. Navigating the city as a furry feline offers players a unique perspective on the digital world and allows for mobility and challenges that a clunky bipedal human simply can’t pull off.


Cover image via heishenhua.com

China’s Mixed Reactions to HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones’ Spin-off With Jon Snow

As avid Game of Thrones (GOT) fans will recall, the finale in the medieval fantasy drama series saw fur-clad warrior Jon Snow riding into the lands beyond the Wall to join the Wildlings — an ending that left ample room for a sequel. 


Sure enough, on June 23, Game of Thrones writer George R.R. Martin confirmed the making of a spin-off series. Developed by HBO under the working title Snow, the new series will revolve around actor Kit Harrington’s character.

The news soon took the Chinese microblogging platform Weibo by storm, with a related hashtag accumulating more than 16 million views at the time of writing.


“Jon Snow is my favorite character in Game of Thrones, even though the ending brought him infamy. I didn’t read the original books, but I love the character in the show!” reads a post by a die-hard fan of the mopey protagonist.


“I look forward to it! Hopefully, the spin-off can be stunning too,” wrote another fan.


On the opposite end of the spectrum: Some Chinese netizens have expressed indifference towards the news. Apparently, many are still rankled by Game of Thrones’ disappointing final season. 


“The ending was even worse than I thought,” reads a comment on Douban. While GOT’s previous seven seasons scored an average of 9.5/10, the eighth season only has a 6.1/10 on the Chinese movie review site.


One of the most infamous conclusions in the history of contemporary television, the finale of Game of Thrones season eight was met with an onslaught of negative criticism that spiraled into a global phenomenon.


“Please don’t… let the actors go free, okay? Are people really excited for the new program considering the ending [of GOT] was so bad?” lamented a Weibo user.


“The masterpiece has turned into a popcorn flick,” reads another comment from a disappointed viewer.

Apart from the Jon Snow sequel, another six Game of Thrones projects are currently in the works. One of them, an animated series titled The Golden Empire, is set in Yi Ti, one of the oldest and wealthiest civilizations in the Game of Thrones universe. Interestingly, the realm bears a stark resemblance to imperial China!


All images courtesy of IMDb