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| XU HAOFENG (DIRECTOR) |
THE FINAL MASTER- PRODUCTION NOTES
In award-winning director Xu Haofeng’s film
adaptation of his acclaimed short story,
The Final Master, the last torchbearer of Wing-Chun seeking to pass
down his art is caught in a power struggle with local officials and must choose
between what is right and what is expected in order to fulfill his destiny.
Director:
Xu Haofeng
Writer: Xu
Haofeng
Starring:
Liao Fan, Song Jia, Jiang Wenli, Jin Shi-Jye, Song Yang and Huang Jue
Distributor:
United Entertainment Partners
Theatrical
Release Date: June, 2016 (North America)
2016 Seattle
International Film Festival
***Official Selection***
52nd Taipei Golden
Horse International Film festival (2015)
Nominee of Best Supporting Actress
and Best Adapted Screenplay
***WINNER of Best Action
Choreography***
Genre:
Kung Fu, Period Drama, Action
Country:
China
Running
Time: 109 minutes
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
In 1912, during a period of internal and
external conflicts, the Republic of China was established, giving rise to the
local military forces throughout the country. After assuming control of the
local governments, militants expand into the social and economic sphere.
Tianjin, the then-mecca of martial arts, also
could not escape military’s encroachment. With the military taking over the
martial arts schools, the style of the martial arts evolved into one of
training soldiers and armies.
The Final Master captures the ethos of this era, delineating the
conflicts between individual vs. collective, and new vs. traditional values. In
this tragic era, does one go with or against the flow? This is the internal
struggle the protagonist in the film faces.
The protagonist in the film is a martial artist
from the South attempting to promulgate his arts in the North. Southern martial
arts style is very clean, simple and individualistic, which contrasts strongly
with the style of the North. The Northern martial arts style is heavily
influenced by being the political center for hundreds of years, full of
ritualistic and stately moves.
The knife artistry in each region specifically
symbolizes different ideologies.
The North is one of political consciousness with
the South being one of individual will.
To fully illustrate this contrast, the film’s
action sequences are specifically choreographed with knives. Both the South and
the North knife artistry involve intricate footwork and steps. As such, rather
than following the common Hong Kong action films style of quick edits and
flashy dance-like moves, The Final
Master is filmed with long, full-body shots.
In the end, we see the Southern martial arts
prevails, that the individual will is able to go against and break through the
political consciousness.
Filmography
The Final Master- 2015 (Director, Writer,
Choreographer)
Official
Selection of 2016 Seattle International Film Festival
Nominated
for Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Choreography of
Golden Horse Awards 2015
The Grandmaster- 2013 (Writer)
Winner of
Best Screenplay, Hong Kong Film Awards 2014
Judge Archer- 2012 (Director, Writer, Editor,
Choreographer)
Nominated
for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Action Choreography of Golden Horse Award
2012
The Sword Identity- 2011 (Director, Writer, Editor,
Choreographer)
Orizzonti
Official Selection of 68th Venice International Film Festival
Nominated
for Best Upcoming Director and Best Adapted Screenplay of Golden Horse Award
2011
Xu
Haofeng (Director)- BIOGRAPHY
Biography
Xu Haofeng (born in 1973) is a
Chinese director, producer, screenwriter, professor and writer. He is best
known for his best-selling novel, Monk
Comes Down the Mountain, and his award-winning screenplay for Wong
Kar-wai’s The Grandmaster.
Born in 1973, Beijing, China, Xu
Haofeng began learning martial arts when he was 14. He first started in Xingyi
Quan, a martial arts style centered on bare-handed fighting. As he continued
his study of martial arts, he entered Beijing Film Academy for film directing.
Upon graduation in 1997, he sought apprenticeship with two martial arts
masters, one of whom inspired him to write the biographical novel, Shi Qu De Wu Lin. After learning about
the master’s stories and gathering historical evidence, he published the novel
in 2006, creating a national sensation.
In 2007, Xu follows up with martial
arts fantasy Monk Comes Down the Mountain in 2007, which became a best-seller.
Its popularity garnered the interest of filmmaker Chen Kaige, who adapted the
novel into a film of the same title in 2015. The film earned US$38.25 million
in its 4-day opening weekend in China, becoming one of the highest grossing
opening weekend in China.
In 2011, Xu debut as film director
with The Sword Identity, which premiered at the 68th Venice Film
Festival to positive reception. The following year, he was approached by Wong
Kar-wai to be a screenwriter for The
Grandmaster. The film won Best Screenplay in the 33rd Hong Kong
Film Awards, and was selected as Hong Kong’s submission for the Best Foreign
Picture in the Academy Awards.
In 2014, Xu published a critically
acclaimed novella The Master, which
became the basis for his 2015 film The
Final Master. The film is the official selection of 2016 Seattle
International Film Festival and was nominated for 2015 Golden Horse Awards Best
Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress and Best Choreography. The film won Best
Choreography.
The Final
Master will be released theatrically in North America in June
2016.
CAST
LIAO FAN as Master Chen
Born in Hunan, China, Liao Fan graduated from Shanghai
Theatre Academy. He made his acting debut on the first Chinese teen drama TV
series Cherish Our Love Forever in 1998. In 2003, Liao Fan won the Best Actor award at the 18th Singapore International Film
Festival for his performance in Green Hat. In 2008, he was nominated for
Best Actor at the
45th Taipei Golden Horse International Film Festival and Awards for his
performance in Ocean Flame. In 2014, Liao Fan won Silver Bear for Best
Actor for his role in Black Coal, Thin Ice at the 64th Berlin film
festival, making him the first Asian actor to win this award.
JIN SHI-JYE as Zheng Shanao
A Taiwanese actor, play writer,
stage director and film director. Born in Pingtung, Taiwan, Jin is one of the
most exceptional actors both on stage and on screen. In the movie world, Jin is
most well known for his role in The Grandmaster, Brotherhood of Blades,
and The Guillotines. In 2011 and 2014, he was nominated for Best Supporting
Actor for My Spectacular Theater, and Brotherhood of Blades at
The Taipei Golden Horse Awards.
THE FINAL MASTER- CREDITS
Production Company:
Beijing Century Partner Culture & Media
Inc.
Heyi Pictures
Distribution Company (North America):
United Entertainment Partners
Starring:
Liao Fan
Song Jia
Jiang Wenli
Jin Shi-Jye
Song Yang
Huang Jue
Directed by: Xu
Haofeng
Screenplay by: Xu Haofeng
Produced by: Lou Xiaoxi
Producers: Lisa
Li and Hu Xiaofeng
Director of Photography:Wang Tianlin
Production Designer: Xian Ruiqing
Action choreography by: Xu Haofeng
Music by: An
Wei.
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