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A scene from 100 Yards. Courtesy of Well Go USA Entertainment

For many of us, the first thought the title 100 Yards evokes is of a football field. But this is a period Chinese martial arts drama that’s long on action and short on plot coherence. An old wushu master dies and designates his top student (Andy On) as his successor, rather than his son (Jacky Hueng). Both are top-notch fighters, but the old boy thinks the future of their discipline is bleak in the early 20th century, and that his scion should embrace the region’s burgeoning international economy by becoming a banker. Jacky don’t like that none.

The tedious story involves periodic flareups between the two guys, plus threads involving a gang of slingshot-wielding dock workers, a council of martial arts elders, a handful of foreigners and probably others I’m forgetting. It covers China at a...

100 Yards is a powerful look at human ambition and its shadows on the soul in modern martial arts movies. This film mirrors the darker undercurrents of desire, pride, and the never-ending pursuit of superiority. It was directed by the evocative Xu Haofeng and his brother Xu Junfeng. Philosophical questions have been at the heart of their previous works, and here, they explore the existential problems that come with looking for a legacy in Tianjin in the 1920s.

There was a palpable buzz surrounding 100 Yards, like an electric current running through the film festival circuit, luring audiences with promises of physical spectacle and a deep meditation on the nature of rivalry. The film was ready to challenge the conventions of its genre as rumors of its technical prowess and emotional depth spread.

It invited viewers to engage with the turmoil of its characters—not just as fighters but as...

Box office darling Anora, Sean Baker’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner from Neon, goes wide Friday after a slow platform, expanding to 1,104 screens as indies continue to bust onto screens. Searchlight Pictures’ A Real Pain adds eight locations, with Focus Features’ Conclave and A24’s Heretic continuing, and launching, respectively, in wide release.

A Real Pain starring Kieren Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg, who also wrote and directed, adds theaters in Los Angeles, New York and Toronto after a strong opening last weekend, when it took the third-highest per-theater average of the year. It goes to 900+ theaters across all major markets next week.

Opening in moderate release: Roadside Attractions and Lionsgate’s launch of Artist Equity’s Small Things Like These starring Cillian Murphy at 795 theaters.

Directed by Tim Mielants and written by Enda Walsh, the film is based on the bestselling book of same name by Claire Keegan. It...

This week, the Chinese action and drama movie 100 Yards is set to premiere in theaters and On Digital. In order to tease martial arts fans to its heart-pumping fights, Collider has teamed up with Well Go USA to bring you an exclusive sneak peek that underscores the raw and reality-like fighting style of the movie. The movie officially premieres this Friday, November 8.

Blazing fast combat. Pronounced tension between tradition and modernity. Sound effects so intense that several foley artists probably died of exhaustion. A fight to inherit a famous martial arts academy, galvanized by a mutual obsession over the late master’s unbeatable secret technique. “100 Yards” is nothing if not a classic martial arts movie, and yet this bruising story about turn-of-the-century Tianjin — co-directed by Xu Haofeng, who previously scripted Wong Kar Wai’s “The Grandmaster” — has been shot and staged with such radical elegance that it seems less like a throwback than it does the pursuit of a new form. It’s a form this film is only able to achieve at the cost of its soul, as Xu and his brother Xu Junfeng struggle to sustain any of what makes their initial premise so compelling, but the moments when “100 Yards” lands its blows are exhilarating in a way...

Dazzling martial arts and stylish production design do battle with an undercooked story and one-note central characters in “100 Yards,” which comes to U.S. theaters on Friday after a limited local release for China in September. Initially an engaging portrait of two fighting aces duking it out for control of a martial arts academy in 1920s Tianjin, this handsomely packaged effort directed by brothers Xu Haofeng (“The Final Master” and co-writer of Wong Kar-wai’s “The Grandmaster”) and feature debutant Xu Junfeng is great to look at but runs aground with a seemingly endless series of encounters between status-obsessed males who become less and less interesting the longer their feud drags on. Action fans simply seeking top-drawer wushu combat should be satisfied, but general viewers may grow impatient with a repetitive plot that struggles to deliver compelling human drama from its promising elements.

“100 Yards” gets off to a...

Amsterdam and Beijing-based film sales company Fortissimo Films has picked up licensing duties to upcoming “Escape From the 21st Century,” a Chinese sci-fi action title.

The story follows three friends who discover they have the power to travel back and forth 20 years with a sneeze. However, the future is not as good as they hoped and need to take on the responsibility of saving the world. The action shuttles between 1999 and 2019 and on Planet K, which is very similar to Earth.

The film is directed by Li Yang (short and co-directed feature “Lee’s Future”) and stars Zhang Ruoyun (“Joy of Life”), Zhong Cuxi (“Youth”) and Song Yang (“Wrath of Silence”).

The picture is produced by Desen International and is headed for a mainland China commercial release on Aug. 3 through Enlight Pictures. Fortissimo is handling rights in the rest of the world ex-mainland China.

Watch the trailer here.

Fortissimo had a busy Cannes,...

Fortissimo Films has secured international rights to upcoming Chinese feature Escape From The 21st Century and will launch sales at Toronto in September.

The Amsterdam and Beijing-based sales company has landed rights to the action sci-fi feature ahead of its local release, which Chinese distributor Enlight Pictures today revealed is set for August 3.

The story follows three friends who discover they have the power to travel back and forth 20 years with a sneeze. However, the future is not as good as they hoped and need to take on the responsibility of saving the world.

Produced by Scity Films, it marks...

China- and Netherlands-based sales firm Fortissimo Films has picked up the international rights to new Chinese animation feature “The Umbrella Fairy.” It will launch the film next month at the Cannes Market.

“The Umbrella Fairy” tells the story of Qingdai, a royal umbrella’s fairy. As Qingdai fails her mission to guard a sword’s fairy who escapes the royal pavilion for vengeance, she embarks on a journey with a young craftsman to prevent a war.

Put together with a strongly Oriental aesthetic, the film brings together a rich mix of Chinese traditional crafts, architecture and opera, creating a unique fantastical world.

The film is the directorial debut of experienced animator Shen Jie, who has previous animating credits on “Mr. Miao,” from 2020, and “Crystal Skies of Yesterday.”

Production is by Maoyan Entertainment, a company which has its roots in online film ticket sales, but which has diversified into film marketing,...

Chicago, Il – January 18, 2024 – Asian Pop-Up Cinema (Apuc) proudly presents a 2024 Lunar New Year Celebration with the stylish martial arts film 100 Yards and pre-show entertainment for this year of the Dragon on February 17 in the Claudia Cassidy Center at the Chicago Cultural Center (78 E. Washington).

In Asian culture, the Dragon holds a significant place as an auspicious and extraordinary creature, unparalleled in talent and excellence. It symbolizes power, nobility, honor, luck, and success. Consequently, adding to the feature presentation Apuc is presenting a pre-show entertainment beginning at 1:00pm with a lion dance accompanied with live drumming performed by Master P.C. Leung & Team. 100 Yards screens at 2:00pm. Admission is free, RSVP is required.

Co-presented by Apuc and The Chicago Film Office of Dcase, the free event is supported by the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Chicago.

To reserve tickets and get more information, visit asianpopupcinema.

The latest film from the director of ‘Farewell My Concubine’ will be released in China in late September.

Fortissimo Films has secured international rights to Chinese war epic The Volunteers: To The War by Chen Kaige, the acclaimed director of Farewell My Concubine and The Battle At Lake Changjin.

The Amsterdam and Beijing-based sales company will launch sales on the feature at the Asian Contents and Film Market in Busan next month, following its release in China on September 28. The international sales agreement excludes North America, Australia and New Zealand.

The film, previously known as The Great War, is the...

On the occasion of “100 Yards” having its international premiere in Toronto, we speak with Xu Haofeng and Jacky Heung about the reception of the audience in Toronto, the appeal of wuxia nowadays, Xu Haofeng co-directing with his brother, Xu Junfeng and Jacky Heung co-starring with his wife, Beahayden Kuo, and the approach to the visuals and the action scenes.

Xu Haofeng has emerged as one of the most renowned authors, scriptwriters and directors of martial arts titles, with his credits including “The Grandmaster” (as a script-writer), “The Hidden Sword” and “The Final Master”. His latest works in particular combine wuxia tropes with ultra stylish visuals, with the last among the aforementioned titles being a distinctive sample. The same applies to “100 Yards”, which he co-directed with Xu Junfeng, which had its international premiere in Toronto

100 Yards is screening at Toronto International Film Festival

The story is set in 1920s Tianjin, just as a respected martial artist and leader of a wushu Academy is about to die. A regulated duel between the top apprentice, Qi and the master's son, Shen, kickstarts the saga, with the former winning relatively easily, and thus earning the ownership of the academy, with Chairman Meng acting as the steward of the deceased, enforcing his will.

1920s Tianjin, in Northern China. The son of a martial arts master and his most talented apprentice fight to take over a prominent martial arts academy. But rather than obey the rule of settling disputes behind closed doors, they take their fight to the street. 100 Yards is co-directed by filmmakers Xu Haofeng and Xu Junfeng (making his feature directorial debut). The screenplay is written by Xu Haofeng. It's produced by Jacky Heung. This initially premiered at the 2023 Shanghai Film Festival this summer, and it next plays at the Toronto Film Festival this fall.