Film News: APUC Lifetime Achievement Award for Hong Kong Pioneer Rebecca Pan, Apr. 20, 2024

Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 18, 2024 - 1:34pm

CHICAGO – The Season 18 Finale of Chicago’s Asian Pop-Up Cinema (APUC) is the Hong Kong Showcase from April 19th-21st, 2024, featuring a Lifetime Achievement Award for the legendary Rebecca Pan, HK filmmakers/actors and current Hong Kong cinema.

In March 1972, Rebecca Pan self-financed the production of the first ever Mandarin musical, “Pai Niang Niang,” and performed it 60 times at the Princess Theatre (in Hong Kong’s Tsim Sha Tsui district). This is a piece of HK art and cultural history, and an important milestone of Rebecca’s long career. This work used the Broadway musical model to adapt the famous myth “Legend of the White Snake,” and brought together Eastern and Western theatrical styles for the first time.

APUC Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient Rebecca Pan
Photo credit: AsianPopUpCinema.org

It’s all in the documentary “Pai Niang Niang: The Last Osmanthus Blossom” on April 20th at AMC NEWCITY at 5:30p (click for tickets), and will feature the 94-year-old Ms. Pan receiving her Award via a virtual video feed.

Also on tap for APUC’s Hong Kong Cinema Showcase, on Friday April 19th is (click title for tickets/info) the U.S. Premiere of ”It Remains”, featuring an appearance by director Kelvin Shum. On Saturday, April 20th, it’s the U.S. Premiere of ”Band Four”, with an appearance by director Lai Yan Chi. And finally, the official “Closing Night Film” of the 18th APUC will be ”We Are Family” with appearances by actor Carlos Chan (recipient of APUC’s Bright Star Award) and director Benny Lau. All of the Hong Kong Cinema Showcase will be at the conveniently located and easy-parking AMC NEWCITY.

APUC Bright Star Award Recipient Carlos Chan of ‘We Are Family’
Photo credit: AsianPopUpCinema.org

Sunday’s HK additional features include ”Elegies”, ”Time Still Turns the Pages” and ”ROB N ROLL”.

The Asian Pop-Up Cinema (APUC) an annual Asian Film Festival, and the brainchild of Sophia Wong Boccio, founder of Sophia’s Choice. The multi-pronged mission of APUC is cultivating an interest in and understanding of Asian cultures via a diverse offering of multi-country and regional films … connecting the Asian film industry with local Chicago film professionals, educators, and students … and promoting Chicago as a destination for international visitors.

The Finale of Season 18 of the Asian Pop-Up Cinema (APUC) presents the Hong Kong Cinema Showcase, April 19th-21st, 2024. For a complete overview of the Asian Pop-Up Cinema, click here.