San Francisco, Calif. (March 14, 2018) — The 2018 San Francisco International Film Festival on Wednesday announced that celebrated Chinese filmmaker Wayne Wang will be honored with a special tribute, followed by a screening of his 1995 film “Smoke”, newly remastered and recolored at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 7, at Dolby Cinema at 1275 Market Street, San Francisco. Wang will also take part in an intimate onstage conversation and Q&A.
“Wayne Wang has consistently been among the most interesting and engaging filmmakers at work in the American independent and Hollywood scenes,” said SFFILM Executive Director Noah Cowan. “A pioneer and giant in telling Asian-American stories but with a career that sprawls from Hong Kong to Florida and back again, he continues to inspire us as he rethinks and reinterprets his work for the digital age. We are delighted that he has held back the new version of his masterpiece ‘Smoke’ for our Festival.”
One of the most important Asian-American directors living today, Wang was born in Hong Kong and named after his father’s favorite movie star, John Wayne. He moved to California in the late 1960s and studied film and television at the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland.
Wang’s first feature film, “Chan Is Missing” (1982) was financed through grants and set in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Wang is often identified with films about the Chinese diaspora including, “Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart” (1985), “Eat a Bowl of Tea” (1989), and “The Joy Luck Club” (1993).
The 2018 SFFILM Festival will also showcase some acclaimed features from Asian and Asian American directors. These include from China Vivian Qu’s awards winning “Angels Wear White”. Three directors are represented in the Masters section, Hong Kong’s renowned action filmmaker John Woo’s “Manhunt”, Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda’s latest “The Third Murder”, and a South Korean and French collaboration shot in Cannes from Hong Sangsoo, “Claire’s Camera”, starring the renowned French actress Isabelle Huppert and Korea’s favorite Kim Minhee. In the Marquee Presentations, there’s Film Independent Spirit Awards’ inaugural Bonnie Award honoree, Chinese American director Chloé Zhao’s poetic feature “The Rider”.
For ticket information and complete lineup of the 61st SFFILM Festival go to sffilm.org
