• This year's IFFAM will screen over 50 Asian and Western films
  • 3rd IFFAM Talent Ambassador Nicolas Cage will be at the opening ceremony of the festival (Photo courtesy of the IFFAM)
  • The internationally renowned film director Chen Kaige, who is the only Chinese director to win the Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival will serve as the Jury President for the 3rd IFFAM (Photo courtesy of the IFFAM)
  • Yao Chen will mark her presence in IFFAM as the Actress in Focus, with three films starring her to be screened at the 3rd IFFAM (Photo courtesy of the IFFAM)

3rd International Film Festival & Awards.Macao Presents New Avenue to World of Films Screened 8th to 14th December

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The 3rd International Film Festival & Awards.Macao ('IFFAM') - staged from 8th to 14th December - is poised to reveal new dimensions and potential of the cinema under the theme 'A New Avenue to the World of Films' once again. Film industry professionals plus rising and accomplished silver screen stars from around the world will gather in Macao for another moviefest.

The Opening Film 'Green Book', based upon the true story of an unlikely friendship transcending the bias of racism lifts the curtain on this edition of IFFAM. Meanwhile, over 50 Asian and Western films will be screened via various sections in IFFAM including Competition, Gala, Flying Daggers, Best of Fest Panorama, New Chinese Cinema, Director's Choice, Special Presentations, Family Gala and so forth. Some 14 outstanding works of Local View Power will also be presented to audiences. Multi-awarded Mainland China director Zhang Yimou’s new film, the epic Shadow, will close the event on 14th December.

Internationally acclaimed film directors and movie stars, industry professionals and celebrities from around the world will attend the red-carpet presentations, as well as the Opening and Closing Ceremony.

Internationally renowned film director Chen Kaige appointed Jury President

A total of 11 films have entered the Competition, all of which are the first or second feature films of the director, in line with IFFAM's aim to nurture new talent. This year's Competition films are: The Guilty; Ága; All Good; School's Out; Scarborough; Suburban Birds; The Good Girls; White Blood; The Man Who Feels No Pain; Jesus; Clean Up.

The IFFAM jury - comprising leading filmmakers - includes internationally renowned film director Chen Kaige, the only Chinese director to win the Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival so far, who assumes the role of Jury President. Other jury members include Hong Kong film director and producer Mabel Cheung (winner of the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Director), Australian film producer and director Paul Currie, Indian film actress Tillotama Shome, and Oscar-winning Bosnian film director Danis Tanović.

New competition section 'New Chinese Cinema' plus Macao in cinema

This year, the IFFAM Organizing Committee joins hands with Screen International, one of the UK's prestigious film magazines, to present New Chinese Cinema as a new competition section which pits six Chinese language films from various countries and regions against each other. The films competing for Best New Chinese language Film of the Year are: Dear Ex, Baby, Xiao Mei, Up the Mountain, Fly by Night and The Pluto Moment.

Hong Kong film director Shu Kei, British film critic Nick James and Australian film critic and editor Stephanie Bunbury will be jury members for this new competition section.

In addition, the IFFAM will present movies filmed in Macao, including Nobody Nose starring Hong Kong actor Gordon Lam and Empire Hotel starring Rhydian Vaughan, Talent Ambassador of the 1st IFFAM. The Gala section will feature a gastronomy-themed film titled Aruna & Her Palate in line with the 2018 Macao Year of Gastronomy.

Nicolas Cage to deliver Masterclass

Talent Ambassadors have been named as Nicolas Cage, winner of the Oscar for Best Actor and Golden Globe Award; award-winning best actor in Asia Aaron Kwok; and rising Korean star Lim Yoon A. Moreover, Nicolas Cage will share his inspirational experiences and lead an insightful dialogue as keynote speaker of the Masterclass, set to offer a valuable exchange platform for future filmmakers and movie lovers.

This year, a Mainland Chinese film nominated for the Golden Goblet Award in the 21st Shanghai International Film Festival, Lost, Found, will be screened at the Film Festival, as part of the organization's initiative to co-operate with other film industry entities. The leading actress in the film, Yao Chen - recognised by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in 2014 - will mark her presence in IFFAM as the Actress in Focus, with two other films starring her to be screened - namely, Caught in the Web, directed by IFFAM Jury President Chen Kaige; and Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back. The Film Festival will also feature a session titled 'In Conversation with Yao Chen'.

IFFAM Project Market features 14 new film projects

To be held in Macao Cultural Centre, the IFFAM Industry Hub will be attended by over 200 industry professionals from around 20 countries and regions as well as close to 280 media representatives from some 30 countries and regions, facilitating a platform for film industry professionals to connect and tap into business opportunities.

As one of the key sessions, the IFFAM Project Market will bring together 14 new film projects for potential investors to learn more about. In the past, over half of the film projects lined up by Project Market resulted in partnerships for actual production, with film shooting soon to begin for many of them.

Newly introduced this year are the Work-in-Progress presentations designed for film projects in the later stages of production, with works to be introduced to potential funding companies to complete the film and post-production. Three projects have been selected to join this new section.

With the aspiration of encouraging local youth to pursue career paths as independent filmmakers and impel the local film industry to move forward, IFFAM offers full support once again to Local View Power by screening 14 outstanding works supported by this programme. Organised by Macao Cultural Centre, Local View Power has supported more than 100 local film productions over the last 11 years.

Films featured in the IFFAM programme will be screened in Macao Cultural Centre, Macau Tower Convention and Entertainment Centre, and Cinematheque.Passion. Audiences can purchase film tickets on www.macauticket.com or at the aforementioned screening venues during the Film Festival.

For more details of IFFAM, please visit: www.iffamacao.com.