To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) will present a specially curated programme, Revisiting Chinese Cinema: The Beginning of a New Journey, showcasing twelve timeless Chinese-language classics that the festival has championed over the years.
As part of the programme, HKIFF is delighted to welcome filmmakers Chen Kaige, Tian Zhuangzhuang, Huang Jianxin, Tsai Ming-Liang and Ann Hui to participate in masterclasses and seminars and share their passion for cinema.
Since the early 1980s, HKIFF has served as a platform for audiences to discover and appreciate the immense talents of a new generation of filmmakers from the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, opening doors for their groundbreaking works to receive recognition at major international film festivals.
Fifth Generation of Chinese Mainland Filmmakers
The renowned Fifth Generation of Chinese Mainland filmmakers created a wave of transformative cinema — characterised by symbolic, visually stunning narratives — that propelled Chinese film onto the international stage. Chen Kaige’s Yellow Earth (1984) combines a profound concern for the land and its people with a bold, innovative aesthetic.
Zhang Yimou’s Red Sorghum (1988) presents a visually lavish folk tale that honours the vitality and resilience of Chinese peasants.
Tian Zhuangzhuang’s The Horse Thief (1986) powerfully depicts the Tibetan people’s struggle against the relentless forces of nature, religious doctrine, and secular life. Rounding out the mainland contingent, Huang Jianxin’s The Black Cannon Incident (1985) marks a new chapter in China’s political comedy, skewering paranoia and bureaucratic absurdity with razor-sharp wit.
Hong Kong’s New Wave Filmmakers
Hong Kong’s New Wave filmmakers brought extraordinary creativity and an experimental spirit to local cinema. Tsui Hark’s The Butterfly Murders (1979) broke conventions by infusing the wuxia genre with sci-fi elements — a genuinely audacious move for its time.
Ann Hui’s The Secret (1979) captivates with its non-linear structure, expressing humanistic concerns through the clash between tradition and modernity. Patrick Tam’s The Sword (1980) pioneers a new form of martial-arts poetry, intertwined with syncopated rhythm and unconventional montage. Meanwhile, Allen Fong’s Ah Ying (1983) masterfully tells a real-life story in documentary style, serving as a pivotal allegory for examining Hong Kong’s social transformation and cinematic evolution.
Taiwan’s New Cinema
The filmmakers of Taiwan’s New Cinema made their mark by transcending genres and forging entirely new cinematic frontiers, with an innovative language that emphasises emotional realism above all else. The anthology film In Our Time (1982), directed by Tao Te-Chen, Edward Yang, Ko I-Chen, and Chang Yi, reflects contemporary life and the societal changes reshaping Taiwan. Wan Jen’s Ah Fei (1983) opens a new chapter in feminist cinema, challenging gender inequality with quiet but searing conviction.
Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s Dust in the Wind (1986) showcases his trademark long takes and sweeping scenery shots, weaving together his visions of land and history into something deeply meditative.
Tsai Ming-Liang’s style-defining Rebels of the Neon God (1992) captures the desires, passions, and restless violence of young rebels searching for life’s meaning — a film that announced one of cinema’s most singular voices.
Festival Details
HKIFF50 runs for 12 days, from 1 to 12 April 2026, with the full programme to be announced on 10 March. Revisiting Chinese Cinema: The Beginning of a New Journey will feature the following twelve films:
- 1979 — The Butterfly Murders, dir. Tsui Hark
- 1979 — The Secret, dir. Ann Hui
- 1980 — The Sword, dir. Patrick Tam
- 1982 — In Our Time, dir. Tao Te-Chen, Edward Yang, Ko I-Chen, Chang Yi
- 1983 — Ah Ying, dir. Allen Fong
- 1983 — Ah Fei, dir. Wan Jen
- 1984 — Yellow Earth, dir. Chen Kaige
- 1985 — The Black Cannon Incident, dir. Huang Jianxin
- 1986 — The Horse Thief, dir. Tian Zhuangzhuang
- 1986 — Dust in the Wind, dir. Hou Hsiao-Hsien
- 1988 — Red Sorghum, dir. Zhang Yimou
- 1992 — Rebels of the Neon God, dir. Tsai Ming-Liang
