The Moon Thieves will be the opening movie for Osaka Asian Film Festival 2024

The Special Opening Film of the 19th Osaka Asian Film Festival (running from March 1-10) will be the Japan Premiere screening of The Moon Thieves (盜月者). This is the third feature film from Steve YUEN Kim-Wai (袁劍偉) and it stars members of Cantopop boyband MIRROR.

This stylish crime drama features a story that includes real-life historical facts based on an attack that took place on a watch shop in Tokyo in 2010 that was carried out by a gang of thieves from Hong Kong. The film, shot on location in Tokyo and Hong Kong, features thieves locked in a thrilling game of betrayal while executing audacious acts of larceny. The thieves are played by Anson LO (盧瀚霆), Edan LUI (呂爵安), Louis CHEUNG (張繼聰), Michael NING (白只), and with KEUNG To (姜濤) for a special appearance, as a ruthless watch dealer.

STORY

Vincent Ma Man-shun (Edan LUI) is an expert at making “refitted” watches. He buys pawned watches, removes parts, and refits them into custom-made watches which he sells for a profit. Their legality is questionable since his products are essentially counterfeits. This is leverage used by a crooked watch dealer, the ruthless Uncle( KEUNG To), to force Vincent to put together a team of thieves to steal three valuable watches from a store in Tokyo. He will be working with veteran thief Chief (Louis CHEUNG), explosives expert Mario (Michael NING) and young master lock breaker Yoh (Anson LO). Right from the get-go, Vincent sees a lack of trust and understands that each man has an ulterior motive for joining and it all comes to a head when they find an even more valuable watch - The Moonwatch - and one of the members takes it. Thus, a thrilling story where they are pursued by the yakuza ensues...

ABOUT THE CAST AND CREW

Steve Yuen Kim-Wai is a veteran director of commercials and music videos. His feature-film debut Heaven In The Dark (暗色天堂/2016) was nominated for the Best Lead Actor and the FIPRESCI Award at the Golden Horse Film Festival. His follow-up film, Legally Declared Dead (死因無可疑/2019), received praise while on the international festival circuit. In 2022, he directed the 15-episode TV drama about basketball We Got Game which stars members of MIRROR and ERROR, two Cantopop boybands, as well as actor Louis CHEUNG (The Narrow Road (窄路微塵/ OAFF2023)).

For his film The Moon Thieves (2024), he once again worked with actor Louis CHEUNG and members of MIRROR, Edan LUI (Over My Dead Body (死屍死時四十四/ OAFF2023), Hong Kong Family (過時·過節/OAFF2023)), Anson LO (It Remains (釀魂/2023), Hong Kong Family), and KEUNG To (Mama’s Affair (阿媽有咗第二個/OAFF2022)). They are joined by Michael NING (Anita (梅艷芳/OAFF2022), Hand Rolled Cigarette (手捲煙/OAFF2021)).

The Moon Thieves will have its world premiere in February in Hong Kong. Its Japan premiere screening takes place on March 05, midway through OAFF 2024, as the Special Opening Film. It will be the first title to play at the festival’s main venue of ABC Hall where there will be an opening ceremony to welcome guests.

Official website: https://oaff.jp/

©2024 Emperor Film Production Company Limited MakerVille Company Limited All Rights Reserved

Hong Kong Family (過時 過節) a film starring by Mirror members Edan Lui & Anson Lo, released in Osaka

 

"Hong Kong Family", one of the Hong Kong films made its Japan premiere in 18th Osaka Asian Film Festival on March 2023, Based on director Eric's family, depicts the gap of communication in Asian traditional culture which make all members struggle to live together by keep calm and be patient, or just banish themself from a family.

It begins with an explosive argument between a miserable mother (Teresa Mo) and a distant father (Tse kwan-ho) who have reached the end of their patience with each other at Dongzhi festival's dinner in a winter.

When the dad waves a knife at mom and strikes his son (Edan Lui) , it begins an eight-year wait for the family to reckon with their problems. The arrival of a cousin (Angela Yuen ) from UK who is determined to see everyone gather together for another Dongzhi Festival's dinner sets in motion a thaw that allows them to rethink their relationships. Mirror's Edan Lui takes the role of a son and amazingly shows his emotional acting in the dramatic story after left home with his friend (Mirror's Anson Lo)

Directed by Eric Tsang who graduated from The Chinese University of Hong Kong's Journalism and Communication faculty and works as artist and filmmaker.

Hong Kong Family หนึ่งในภาพยนตร์ฮ่องกงที่เปิดตัวในญี่ปุ่นในงานเทศกาล Osaka Asian Film Festival ครั้งที่ 18 เนื้อเรื่องดัดแปลงจากครอบครัวของตัวผู้กำกับเอง เผยช่องว่างทางการสื่อสารในวัฒนธรรมเก่าแบบเอเชีย เมื่อสมาชิกในบ้านพยายามที่จะอยู่ร่วมกันด้วยการนิ่ง-อดทน หรือไม่ก็เนรเทศตัวเองออกจากบ้านเมื่อเห็นความขัดแย้ง

เรื่องราวเริ่มต้นจากการโต้เถียงกันอย่างรุนแรงระหว่างแม่ที่ต้องแบกรับภาระทุกคนในบ้าน กับพ่อที่ดูเงียบขรึมเก็บตัว ความอดทนที่มีต่อกันสิ้นสุดลงในอาหารค่ำวันเทศกาลตังโจ้ย พ่อควงมีดข่มขู่ต่อหน้าแม่และลูก ลูกชายตัดสินใจหนีออกจากบ้านไปอยู่กับเพื่อน (Anson Lo สมาชิกวง Mirror) จนกระทั่งเรียนจบและได้งาน หาเลี้ยงชีวิตด้วยตัวเอง

ผ่านไป 8 ปี ทุกคนเริ่มคิดทบทวนปัญหาของตัวเอง จนกระทั่งญาติคนหนึ่งเดินทางมาจากอังกฤษ เธออยากให้ทุกคนกลับมารวมตัวเพื่อทานอาหารค่ำในเทศกาลตังโจ้ยอีกครั้ง พวกเขากลับมาทบทวนความสัมพันธ์กัน "เอดัน ลุย" สมาชิกวง Mirror รับบทลูกชาย ตีบทแตกแสดงอารมณ์ออกมาได้อย่างน่าทึ่ง อีกหนึ่งผลงานการกำกับของเอริค จาง ผู้กำกับคลื่นลูกใหม่ที่น่าจับตามองจากฮ่องกง

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