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• THE DRUMMER at the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival

  2008-11-28 3:11AM / 標準BLOG / 會員可以看
  2個評論

  
  

  

  The Drummer was the opening film for the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival on 12th November. It was an electrifying night, even the mayor David Miller and Member of Parliament Olivia Chow came to show their support.

  

  
  
  The venue was at Bloor Cinema where I used to see art films when I lived in Toronto.
  
  RED CARPET
  
  
  Deanna Wong (Executive Director) of Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival walked the Red Carpet with me
  
  Toronro mayor, David Miller, with my parents in the background
  
  
  
  Deanna, Mayor Miller, my parents and I posed for photographs
  
  The night began with a 10 minute Taiko drumming performance by RAW (Raging Asian Women). It was an auspicious start. The performers really fired up the crowd.
  
  
  RAW (Raging Asian Women)
  
  
  The Bloor Cinema is an 850 seat cinema. We had a full house on Opening Night. (Balcony not shown)
  
  
  
  
  SPEECHES
  
  
  Executive Director, Deanna Wong, opened the festival and welcomed the guests.
  
  
  Ms. Maureen Siu from the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office, Member of Parliament Ms. Olivia Chow and Mayor Mlller
  
  
  Artistic Director Heather Keung introduced me and The Drummer, saying that my first feature (a digital film) A Small Miracle was in their 2001 program and that seven years later, The Drummer is opening the festival.
  
  
  I was thrilled to present my film to the Toronto crowd.
  
  Click here to watch the Mayor’s and my speech
  
  Family friend, father, mother, uncle Bobby.
  
  During the screening, there was a black out between reel changes. It was a technical error. I nearly had a heart attack when that happened. It went black for 10 seconds but the sound can still be heard. It’s of the sound of a violent fight scene. When the image finally came back the audience quickly got back on track.
  
  
  
  I joked during the Q & A after the screening that the blackout was the result of the Canadian Censor board cutting out the excessive violence.
  
  AFTER PARTY
  
  
  Friends: Jennifer Walton, Katherine Johnston, Mary Laundry, Me, Heather Keung and Claudette Brundage. They're old friends who have all traveled far to come to the screening. I have not seen most of them for 20 years.
  
  Toronto International Film Festival Midnight Madness programmer Colin Geddes reminiscing about the first time he went to Hong Kong. He's an expert on Hong Kong cinema
  
  
  Friends whom I haven’t seen in 20 years, Pat Noonan, Victoria Williams and Diane Konkin
  
  
  
  
  HONG KONG 100 YEARS OF FILM
  
  
  I was on a panel at the University of Toronto, organized by the festival on the history of Hong Kong films, headed by Bart Testa, a professor of Cinema Studies at the University of Toronto.
  
  
  Bart Testa
  
  Raymond Phathanavirangoon (programmer for both Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival) and Colin Geddes
  
  
  Colin Geddes talking about 70's Hong Kong films