• Asian superstar Aaron Kwok, the first of IFFAM’s Talent Ambassadors, greets Artistic Director Mike Goodridge (first right), Head of Festival Management Lorna Tee (first left) and IFFAM Secretary General Alice Augusto (second right) (Photo courtesy of IFFAM Organising Committee)
  • Acclaimed director Chen Kaige will serve as International Competition Jury President (Photo courtesy of IFFAM Organising Committee)
  • MGTO promoted Macao in a themed event with Tracy Choi in the Village International．China Pavilion during the Cannes Film Festival

Aaron Kwok Appointed as First 3rd IFFAM Talent Ambassador

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The 3rd International Film Festival & Awards．Macao (IFFAM) will take place in Macao Cultural Centre from 8th to 14th December, 2018. Continuing the theme of 'A New Avenue to the World of Films', the organising committee has invited distinguished director Chen Kaige as International Competition Jury President and has recently announced Hong Kong star Aaron Kwok as the first of this year's Talent Ambassadors.

As previously announced, Chen Kaige will head the Jury of the 3rd IFFAM. Embarking upon his career in 1984, Chen Kaige has earned numerous honours for his work, with his first directed film Yellow Earth winning various awards, while his piece de resistance - Farewell, My Concubine - was awarded the 1993 Palme d'Or, the Cannes Film Festival's top award for Best Movie, and still remains the only Chinese directed film to have been so honoured. Chen is also one of only two Chinese directors to have clinched a Golden Globe Award. With his talent and experience of directing, Chen Kaige will undoubtedly provide deep insights into the industry, creating a new avenue into the World of Films.

Meanwhile, Asian superstar Aaron Kwok has accepted the role of being the first of this year's Talent Ambassadors for the 3rd IFFAM. Aaron Kwok is a star actor in terms of number of blockbuster movies and popularity, and is best known for his consecutive Golden Horse Awards for Best Leading Actor with Divergence and After this Our Exile. He also won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor for Port of Call.

Aaron Kwok says that IFFAM is a viable platform for providing substantial support to emerging directors with comprehensive resources and extensive encouragement. IFFAM also serves as a stage for directors to reveal their talent and absorb experience, exchanging ideas with film experts and emerging directors. Kwok says he believes that IFFAM can genuinely develop the film industry, and would like to invite more cinemaphiles, emerging filmmakers and aspirants to participate in the Festival.

The Artistic Director of the 3rd IFFAM, Mike Goodridge, remarked that Chen Kaige and Aaron Kwok joining the Festival was a great pleasure and honour, with director and actor boasting careers both rich and profound.

For more information about IFFAM, please visit: www.iffamacao.com.


Macao Film & Tourism Step into 71st Cannes Film Festival

The 71st Cannes Film Festival was held from 8th to 19th May in southern France. With the aim of further enhancing Macao's reputation in the global film industry as well as boosting Macao's tourism development, Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) together with Macau Films & Television Productions and Culture Association supported local film director Tracy Choi in presenting her work at the internationally prestigious film festival.

Choi also took the opportunity to attend various exchange sessions in which she met with international professional filmmakers and promoted Macao as an ideal backdrop for filmmaking.

During the Festival, 70 countries and regions set up pavilions in the Village International to showcase their film industry development. A 'Meet Macao by Her Culture Treasure' promotion session was held in the Village International．China Pavilion on 14th May whereby MGTO introduced the current Macao tourism situation to international film professionals. It also promoted a range of outdoor filming locations in the city via the Hollywood movie Now You See Me 2, Hong Kong movies Isabella and Casino Tycoon II, and so forth, with Macao filmmaker Tracy Choi sharing her experiences during the session.

In the 2nd China New Force held during the Cannes Film Festival a recommendation committee comprising around 100 respected film critics selected ten outstanding movies directed by young Chinese-language filmmakers. Being selected as one of the ten movies, Macao film Sisterhood was screened in Paris at the beginning of May. On 17th May, Sisterhood was awarded the Jury Prize at the 'Beijing Night' Beijing International Film Festival Promotion & 2nd China New Force Award Ceremony.