15/11/2019 - Once again bringing the East and the West closer together, the Asian festival and market is promoting Macao as a cultural and creative destination

In less than a month’s time, the fourth International Film Festival & Awards‧Macao (IFFAM) will be ready to kick off and is once again aiming to bring the West and the East closer together, and spur on the development of Macao’s film, cultural and creative industries by enhancing and facilitating opportunities for exchange revolving around international productions. This year’s edition, which spans eight different programmes, will run from 5-10 December.

A total of almost 50 films will be showcased as part of the fourth IFFAM programme, which is curated by its artistic director, Mike Goodridge, while the festival will open with Jojo Rabbit [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by New Zealand director Taika Waititi.

Ten films are included in the International Competition, all directed by first-time or sophomore filmmakers, who are vying for the $60,000 (€54,500) IFFAM Best Film Award. They are: Bellbird by Hamish Bennett (New Zealand), Bombay Rose [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Gitanjali Rao (UK/India/France/Qatar), Buoyancy by Rodd Rathjen (Australia), Family Members by Mateo Bendesky (Argentina), Give Me Liberty by Kirill Mikhanovsky (USA), Goldie by Sam de Jong (USA), Homecoming by Adriyanto Dewo (Indonesia), Lynn + Lucy [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Fyzal Boulifa
film profile] by Fyzal Boulifa (UK/France), Two/One [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Juan Cabral (UK/China/Canada) and Two of Us [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Filippo Meneghetti
film profile] by Filippo Meneghetti (France/Luxembourg/Belgium/Netherlands).

The chair of the jury will be Chinese director-producer-screenwriter Peter Chan Ho-sun, and the other members are president and CEO of VREGA Ellen Eliasoph, Indonesian actress Dian Sastrowardoyo, Myanmarese director Midi Z and British actor Tom Cullen.

New Chinese Cinema, the competitive section of IFFAM that focuses on films from Chinese-speaking territories, is being organised for the second year in a row and will present six films, including two Cannes-premiered titles: To Live to Sing [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Johnny Ma (China/France) and Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains by Xiaogang Gu (China). Romanian director-producer Cristian Mungiu will head the jury.

Other programme highlights include the World Panorama, where ten celebrated directors and award-winning films from major international festivals are due to be showcased; a selection of mainstream movies in the UK and Japanese Galas; a non-competitive genre slate called “Flying Daggers”; and the “Directors’ Choice” retrospective. Finally, to celebrate the 20^th anniversary of the establishment of the Macao Special Administrative Region, a special presentation is being organised that includes five new Macao-produced features. Juliette Binoche will serve as one of the talent ambassadors for the fourth IFFAM, along with Hong Kong star Carina Lau, and K-pop performer and actor Kim Junmyeon (aka Suho).

The Industry Hub of the festival, headed by June Wu and unfolding from 6-8 December, will take place across three different platforms: the IFFAM Project Market (IPM), the IFFAM WIP, and the Macao Forum, which is a closed-session event.

The IPM has selected 14 feature-length film projects, with more than half of them hailing from Asia, and the vast majority are genre films. The European talents are represented by Irish director Lorcan Finnegan’s (Vivarium [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lorcan Finnegan
film profile]) supernatural revenge thriller Nocebo, Portuguese helmer Leonor Teles’ (Ashore [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]) journey of self-discovery Baan [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Leonor Teles
film profile] (working title: Uk Kei) and Spaniard Geoffrey Cowper’s psychological horror Welcome. In addition, French producer Sylvain Grain is taking part with debutant Chilean director Joy Penroz’s fantasy-drama Blue Mountain.

The complete selection of the 2019 IFFAM Project Market is as follows:

Blue Mountain - Joy Penroz
Producer: Sylvain Grain (Chile/France)

The Convenience Store - Satoshi Miki
Producer: Emi Ueyama (Japan)

The Day and Night of Brahma - Sheetal Magan
Producer: Sheetal Magan (South Africa)

Dead Packet - Simon Yin
Producer: Gary Lee (Hong Kong)

Dear Wormwood - Dodo Dayao
Producers: Bianca Balbuena, Bradley Liew, Patti Lapus (Philippines)

Drum Wave - Natalie Erika James
Producers: Anna McLeish, Sarah Shaw (Australia/Japan)

Escape to Oz - Sam Voutas
Producers: Jane Zheng, Melanie Ansley (Australia/China)

Everybody Leaves - Phyllis Grae Grande
Producer: Alemberg Ang (Philippines)

The Fortune Tower - Harriet Wong Teng Teng
Producer: Cynthia Mo (Macao/China)

Investigator Mendonza - Maxim Bessmertny
Producers: Jeff Tang Hon Hung, Jorge Cordeiro dos Santos (Macao)

Nocebo - Lorcan Finnegan
Producers: Brunella Cocchiglia, Emily Leo (Ireland/UK/Philippines)

Perspectives - MAO Weiqing
Producer: SONG Jia (China)

Baan [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Leonor Teles
film profile] (working title: Uk Kei) - Leonor Teles
Producer: Filipa Reis (Portugal)

Welcome - Geoffrey Cowper
Producers: Cayetano Casas, Norbert Llaràs (Spain)

Finally, the IFFAM WIP programme, which has reached its second edition and includes films in the final stage of post-production, will showcase three projects, including Dutch director Jim Taihuttu’s Indonesian wartime drama The East [+see also:
interview: Martijn Lakemeier
film profile].

The selection of the 2019 IFFAM WIP is as follows:

Low Season - Naruebordee Wechakum
Producer: Panu Aree (Thailand)

The East [+see also:
interview: Martijn Lakemeier
film profile] - Jim Taihuttu
Producers: Sander Verdonk, Shanty Harmayn Hofman, Benoit Roland (Netherlands/Belgium/Indonesia)

Yakuza Princess - Vicente Amorim
Producer: LG Tubaldini Jr (Brazil)