By APA Staff
It's a Wonderful Afterlife for Gurinder Chadha
After directing films like Bend It Like Beckham and her short in Paris, je t'aime, director Gurinder Chadha is working on a new project. Her company, Bend It Films, partners with TIFC to release It's a Wonderful Afterlife. Based on the screenplay written by Chandha and husband Paul Mayeda Berges, Afterlife is described as a fusion of My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Shaun Of The Dead. Chadha anticipates Afterlife will be a film with an Indian element while being aimed at a global audience. The film will star top international actors, including legendary Shabana Azmi (Loins of Punjab Presents), Sendhil Ramamoorthy (Heroes), and Shaheen Khan (Bend It Like Beckham). It is scheduled to have its world release in 2010. --LiAnn Ishizuka
Park Ji Yoon comeback
Long-time Korean singer Park Ji Yoon is returning after a six year hiatus. This is not entirely surprising given the many older singers who have recently released albums -- such as Kim Hyun Jung or Uhm Jung Hwa, whose respective eighth and tenth albums were released this summer. The release of Park's new album comes shortly after her lead role in a musical production Cleopatra. Park Ji Yoon took a semi-retirement after her sixth album due to differences with producer JYP, as Park was uncomfortable with the sexuality of the lyrics. According to the Arirang TV website, there have been rumors since 2007 that Park Ji Yoon has been working on a new album, but until the recent official announcement, the singer/actress had denied these claims. The question of how this album will be received remains. Six years is a very long time in the entertainment industry, given the fluctuations of style. When Park Ji Yoon first left the industry in 2003, the pop cultural climate was much more sexual. The new album, her seventh, will be composed primarily of acoustic ballads, as well as songs written by Park herself. --Frederick Stiehl
First Female Indian Idol
On March 1st, Sourabhee Debbarma, the first woman in the show's four-season history to win Indian Idol, received a trophy, a contract with Sony Music, and a new car. Beating out her competitors Torsha Sarkar and Kapil Thapa, the 23 year-old singer from Tripura sang and danced as big names -- such as John Abraham and the rest of the New York film cast, along with the Maharaja of her hometown -- watched her celebrate her victory. She plans on moving to Mumbai to further her career in the music business and hopes to release an Indian Idol album in the near future. --Megan Chun
Prison Designs
Things have taken an interesting and fashionable turn for inmates at maximum-security New Bilibid Prison in the Philippines. Designer Puey Quinones has recruited them to help him with his collection. Quinones conducts weekly workshops at the prison where he creates couture cocktail dresses, bags, and belts with the help of the inmates. The pieces are later sold in various boutiques for hundreds of dollars. Quinones expressed that he was uncertain about even entering the prison at first, but was delightfully surprised when the inmates embraced the workshops. Though the inmates receive a small fee for their work, many say they are not doing it for the money. In fact the workshops give them a sense of dignity because they know that others appreciate their work. Quinones believes that everyone deserves a second chance, and with these workshops and training, when the inmates get out, they will be endowed with a new skill. --Kristie Hang
China set to produce anniversary Communist revolution film
In celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the Communist Revolution, the China Film Group will produce a film boasting the most powerful lineup in the history of Chinese cinema. Directed by Huang Jianxin, the lineup will feature directors Chen Kaige and Feng Xiaogang in acting roles, alongside actors Andy Lau, Jiang Wen and Ge You. Tang Guoqiang and Zhang Guoli will take on the roles of first chairman of the People's Republic of China (PRC), Mao Tse-tung and his civil war rival "Generalissimo" Chiang Kai-shek, respectively. Filming began on February 2nd at the Huairou production base near Beijing, and there will be locations in Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Nanjing through May. The film, loosely translated to “The Great Cause of China’s Foundation” is set to be released on September 10 of this year. –Kanara Ty
Dreamgirls in Korea
Dreamgirls, the acclaimed Broadway show of 1981 and the praised 2006 film adaptation featuring Beyonce Knowles, has once again hit the stage -- this time in Korea. Making use of multiple LED screens and more than 400 costumes, the musical debuted at the Charlotte Theatre in Korea on February 27. Focusing on the struggles that three women face in show business, the musical has taken the story to an international level, no longer focusing only on the music of Motown. The show is scheduled to continue at the Charlotte Theatre until July 26 and eventually work its way to other major cities including Boston in the fall and New York in 2011. --Megan Chun
Vietnamese Golden Kite Awards dominated by The Legend
Martial arts drama The Legend is Alive picked up five Golden Kite Awards this past February. Organized in 2008 by the Vietnam Cinematography Association, this year’s ceremony praised the action flick by giving out the Best Actor Award to Dustin Nguyen, Best Director to Luu Huynh, as well as awarding the film with Best Cinematopgraphy, Best Score and Best Picture (in a tie). The Legend is Alive features Nguyen as a mentally disabled martial arts master who takes on a gang of human traffickers. Is this a sign that Vietnam will be producing more martial arts based films in the future? – Kanara Ty
Lee Jun Ki on Tour
Korean Actor Lee Jun Ki (The King and the Clown, Iljimae) will hold a concert this coming April 18th, as announced by his managers at Mentor Entertainment. The concert will be held in Seoul, and 8000 spectators are expected to attend. This concert, entitled "Episode 2," is his second concert after his singing debut in March of 2006. The concert is in preparation for Lee Jun Ki's prospective world tour under the musical director Kim Hyung Suk. The concert has been planned ever since the end of the series Iljimae, and it demonstrates Lee's multifaceted talent in acting, singing, and dancing. --Frederick Stiehl
Rain and Fashion
International superstar Rain is adding his own fashion line onto his already impressive resume. His new line titled Six to Five has already begun to infiltrate various department stores and will soon expand to other Asian countries, Europe, as well as the US. Rain, who himself serves as the line's head designer and main model, describes Six to Five as casual and practical, with a hint of edginess shown through the use of bold colors and accessories. Many well-known celebrities showed up at the launch, including golf star Michelle Wie, actors Kim Sun-ah and Jung Jun-ho, and singers Seo In-young and Yoon Kye-sang. Lee Hyo-ri even arrived dressed in pieces from the Six to Five women's line for the occasion. --Kristie Hang
Kylie Minogue sings with Akshay Kumar in Blue
Already boasting exploding boats and untrained sharks in open water, Bollywood film Blue now has an Austrailian singer to add into its mix. Pop star Kylie Minogue will be singing two songs that will be featured in the much anticipated film, and she will also be shooting a music video with Bollywood celeb and lead of the film, Akshay Kumar. They will be dancing to the award-winning choreography of Farah Khan, and all of the film's music will be composed by recent Oscar winner A.R. Rahman. The film follows Akshay Kumar as he searches for an underwater hidden treasure. The film is set to be released in India on May 1. --Megan Chun
Against Conspiracy in the works
Korean Activers Entertainment and US production company Hyde Park Entertainment plan to co-produce a Cold War Film titled Against Conspiracy. The film follows the true story of Kim Soo Im, a woman who was tried and executed as a Communist conspirator in 1950, based on her relationships with US Colonel Baird and North Korean official Lee Gang Kook. The rights to the film were purchased from Kim and Baird's son, Won Il, in 2006. The prime motivation for the film, however, is the 2008 report by Pulitzer-winning journalist Charles J. Hanley on declassified documents pointing that Kim was most likely innocent when tortured and executed by South Korean forces during the anti-Communist fervor. Korean director and producer Martin Cho wrote the treatment for the film, which is being rewritten in English by Paul Aiello. The film is to be shot 70% in Korea and 30% in the United States. The US budget for the film is $20 million, and the Hollywood director has yet to be announced. The profits from the film are to be split, half taken by Hyde Park and financiers Film Financial Services, and the other half by Activers Entertainment. The rights to the film are also split, Activers taking distribution in Asia and remake rights, and Hyde Park taking the remaining territories. Production is expected to begin in late 2009. --Frederick Stiehl
Filmfare 2009
At this year's Filmfare Awards, the new generation of Bollywood young'ins got a chance to show their chops onstage. While Shah Rukh Khan (last year's host with Saif Ali Khan) is nursing an injured shoulder, Ranbir Kapoor (Saawariya, son of Rishi) and Imran Khan (Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, nephew of Aamir) took over hosting duties. It was a successful night for Jodhaa Akbar, which took home Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor for Hrithik Roshan. Priyanka Chopra took home Best Actress for Fashion, as well as Kangana Ranaut for Best Supporting Actress. Arjun Rampal took home Supporting Actor for Rock On! Another film that got some credit was Mumbai Meri Jaan, which took home the Best Jury Award and Best Screenplay. For a full list of the winners, click here. --Ada Tseng