The 23rd annual Made in Hong Kong Film Festival, co-presented by the Smithsonian’s Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery with the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, features some of the most talked-about recent films out of Hong Kong. These free screenings feature a variety of films from cops and gangsters to a popular contemporary topic, zombies.
On select Fridays this summer, the Freer|Sackler kicks off its first annual Friday-night summer series, Fridays@Freer|Sackler. On July 13, 20, 27 and Aug. 3, the Freer Gallery of Art will be open until 8 p.m. Visitors can enjoy live music on the museum steps, drinks on the plaza, Asian flavors by local chefs and evening access to museum exhibitions.
This year’s Made in Hong Kong Film Festival lineup includes:
Shock Wave, Friday, July 13; 7 p.m.—One of 2017’s biggest hits in Hong Kong, this pitch-perfect action flick stars Andy Lau as a bomb disposal expert in a deadly race against time. Directed by Herman Yau, Hong Kong/China, 2017, 118 min., DCP, Cantonese with Chinese and English subtitles.
Colour of the Game, Sunday, July 15; 2 p.m.—Harkening back to classic gangster flicks of the ’80s and ’90s, Colour of the Gameboasts a stellar cast and gripping storyline filled with battles and double crosses. Directed by Kam Ka-wai, Hong Kong, 2017, 104 min., DCP, Cantonese with Chinese and English subtitles.
Paradox, Friday, July 20; 7 p.m.—A widower battles his way through the Thai underworld to find is kidnapped daughter in this prestige production, which features award-winning fight choreography. Directed by Wilson Yip, Hong Kong/China, 2017, 99 min., DCP, Cantonese, English and Thai with Chinese and English subtitles.
Concerto of the Bully, Sunday, July 22; 2 p.m.—A street punk kidnaps a singing sensation and reveals his own musical soul. Directed by Fung Chih-Chiang, Hong Kong, 2017, 95 min., DCP, Cantonese with Chinese and English subtitles.
Zombiology: Enjoy Yourself Tonight, Friday, July 27; 7 p.m.—A pack of slackers combats hordes of hungry undead in this comedic riff on the zombie pop-culture craze. Directed by Alan Lo, Hong Kong, 2017, 107 min., DCP, Cantonese with Chinese and English subtitles. Director Alan Lo and actress Venus Wong will attend the screening and be available for interviews from 2 to 5 p.m. in the Meyer Auditorium.
Our Time Will Come, Sunday, July 29; 2 p.m.—Winner of three Hong Kong Film Awards, this film brings to life the resistance movement that arose when Japan occupied the island during World War II. Directed by Ann Hui, China/Hong Kong, 2017, 130 min., DCP, Cantonese and Japanese with Chinese and English subtitles.
Legendary Weapons of Kung Fu, Friday, Aug. 3; 7 p.m.—A cult-classic martial arts film gets a new score, mixed live by DJ 2-Tone Jones, in this event from DC’s own Shaolin Jazz. Directed by Lau Kar-leung, Hong Kong, 1982, 109 min., DCP, Cantonese with English subtitles.
The Secret, Sunday, Aug. 5; 2 p.m.—Inspired by a real life incident, The Secretturns sensational headlines into a map of social and psychological currents. Directed by Ann Hui, Hong Kong, 1979, 90 min., DCP, Cantonese with Chinese and English subtitles.
I’ve Got the Blues, Sunday, Aug. 12; 2 p.m.—Artist Yank Wong, a true renaissance man who expresses his creativity in multiple forms, is the center of this lively documentary. Directed by Angie Chen, Hong Kong, 2017, 90 min.; DCP, Cantonese and English with Chinese and English subtitles.
The Made in Hong Kong Film Festival is free and open to the public. All films are screened in the Meyer Auditorium of the Freer Gallery of Art. Admission is first come, first served. Auditorium doors open 30 minutes before show time. Visit asia.si.edu/filmsfor full descriptions, schedule updates and admission policies.
The Freer Gallery of Art will host the music and cuisine for this year’s Fridays@Freer|Sackler summer series:
“Mystic Folk and Asian Flavors,” July 13; 5–8 p.m.
Features Hong Kong street food by Tiger Fork, modern Chinese and Korean cuisine by CHIKO and music by Folks of Bengal.
“Global Nomads,” July 20; 5–8 p.m.
The music and culinary journey includes sounds by DJ Ayes Cold and Tibetan cuisine by Chef Dorjee Tsering.
“Music in Motion,” July 27; 5–8 p.m.
East Asian music will include performances by Mongolian horsehead fiddle player, Khatanbold Urlagbaatar and traditional Korean music with Washington Samul Nori. Cuisine by Chef Dorjee Tsering.
“Hip-Hop and Kung Fu,” Aug. 3; 5–8 p.m.
The final summer series event features Washington, D.C.’s own Shaolin Jazz, which spotlights parallels among hip-hop, jazz and martial arts cultures. Hong Kong street food by Tiger Fork and Indian cuisine by Rasa will be the featured cuisine.
Fridays@Freer|Sackler are free and open to the public. Food and drink are available for purchase. Visit asia.si.edu/eventsfor full details.
About the Freer|Sackler
The Smithsonian’s Freer Gallery of Art and the adjacent Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., together comprise the nation’s museums of Asian art. It contains one of the most important collections of Asian art in the world, featuring more than 40,000 objects ranging in time from the Neolithic to the present day, with especially fine groupings of Islamic art, Chinese jades, bronzes and paintings and the art of the ancient Near East. The Freer|Sackler also contains important masterworks from Japan, ancient Egypt, South and Southeast Asia and Korea, as well as the Freer’s noted collection of works by American artist James McNeill Whistler.
The Freer|Sackler is part of the Smithsonian Institution, the world’s largest museum, education and research complex, which is dedicated to the increase and diffusion of knowledge.
About the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office
The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office is the permanent representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. Its mission is to strengthen the economic, trade, investment and cultural ties between Hong Kong and the United States.