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Jia Zhang-ke's Short Film 'Torino Shadow' Selected for Cannes

CultureEntertainment5d ago
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Director Jia Zhang-ke's new short film, 'Torino Shadow', has been selected for the Cannes official selection. The 32-minute film, conceived during a visit to Turin's Museo Nazionale del Cinema, explores connections between Guangdong province and Italy. World sales for the film are being handled by mk2 films.

Facts First

  • Jia Zhang-ke's short film 'Torino Shadow' is part of the Cannes official selection
  • The 32-minute film moves between Taishan in Guangdong and Turin, Italy
  • mk2 films is handling world sales for the project
  • Jia Zhang-ke staged his first theater production, a play about an ancient Chinese physician, premiering May 1
  • Jia expects to start shooting his next feature film after the Pingyao International Film Festival later this year

What Happened

Jia Zhang-ke conceived the idea for his short film 'Torino Shadow' while visiting the Museo Nazionale del Cinema in Turin. The 32-minute film, now part of the Cannes official selection, moves between Taishan in Guangdong province and Turin. The film features visual parallels, including firemen in both locations and shadow puppetry in Taishan and the film museum. It incorporates a long sequence from Nanni Moretti's 'Caro Diario'. World sales for the film are being handled by mk2 films.

Why this Matters to you

If you follow international cinema, you may have new films to anticipate from a prominent director. Jia Zhang-ke's distribution label, Unknown Pleasures, has acquired 'Filipinana', a film by Filipino director Rafael Manuel that premiered at Sundance and screened at the Berlinale, suggesting it could be released to audiences. The label will also participate in forthcoming projects from Apichatpong Weerasethakul and Miguel Gomes, which may broaden the range of films available to you.

What's Next

Jia Zhang-ke expects to start shooting his next feature film after the Pingyao International Film Festival later this year. His distribution label's involvement in new projects from other directors suggests a pipeline of future films for audiences.

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