Fresh Wave Festival Loses Three Films as Hong Kong Steps up Political Censorship

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorVeteran security exec Roland Cloutier is stepping down after two and half years as TikTok’s global chief security officer. According to TikTok, the change is part of a restructuring in how the app provider, owned by China’s ByteDance, manages data of U.S.-based users — amid heightened scrutiny from some U.S. lawmakers.“Part of our evolving approach has been to minimize concerns about the security of user data in the U.S., including the creation of a new department to manage U.S.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefTrinity Cine Asia has acquired upcoming Hong Kong comedy “Chilli Laugh Story” for distribution in the U.K. and North America. The work-from-home story of the director Coba Cheng’s relatives sees a locked-down family starting an online business during the pandemic.

Loose Women's Stacey Solomon has shared a behind-the-scenes look as she and husband-to-be Joe Swash film for a new episode of Celebrity Gogglebox. Taking to her Instagram Stories on Monday (July 4), the TV personality documented the couple's preparation for the Channel 4 reality show, with Stacey sharing a video of the couple's living room – including their blacked-out windows.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefThe once vibrant Hong Kong film industry is struggling to recover from the effects of COVID and related problems, a local report has warned. The report identified problems with theatrical box office, local production, co-production with mainland China and film investment.The Motion Picture Industry Association and Hong Kong Box Office Ltd. regular half year report showed that cinemas in the city had been closed for 104 days this year, including Chinese New Year and Easter, both normally peak periods.

Hong Kong novelist and screenwriter Ni Kuang, who penned some 300 screenplays including The One-Armed Swordsman and The 36th Chamber Of Shaolin, has died. According to local media, he passed away on Sunday at age 87.

Echoes Of The Rainbow screenwriter and director Alex Law Kai-yum has died. The Hong Kong filmmaker passed away in hospital on Saturday; no cause of death was given. He was 69.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefAlex Law, one of Hong Kong’s most accomplished filmmakers died on Saturday. He was 69.Law (aka Law Kai-yui) died in hospital with his life partner and long-time filmmaking partner Mabel Cheung by his side.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefNi Kuang, one of Hong Kong’s most distinguished screenwriters and novelists, has died. He was 87.He died on Sunday in Hong Kong, with local media reporting skin cancer as the cause of death.Ni wrote some 300 screenplays, many in the martial arts genre and many for the Shaw Brothers studio with co-writer Chang Chen. He wrote the scripts for classic films “The 36th Chamber of Shaolin” and “One Armed Swordsman” and had a hand in two of Bruce Lee’s six movies “The Big Boss” and “Fist of Fury” though the writing credit went to Wei Lo.As a novelist, Ni wrote the “New Adventures of Wesley” a series of detective stories that often featured aliens and extra-terrestrial creatures.

The next movie in the “Spider-Man” universe is getting going.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentOne year after merging with the promotion org TV France International, Unifrance is preparing a series of strategic events in key markets across Europe, the U.S., China and Japan to fast-track the global distribution of local series and movies. The French film and TV advocacy banner will host trade shows bringing together French sales outfits and international distributors in Paris in January, Biarritz (Southwestern France) in September, as well as in Roma in April, Madrid in June, Berlin in November, New York in March and Yokohama in December.

The drama America’s Family had a strong showing at the 25th annual Dances with Films festival in Los Angeles, claiming the Grand Jury Award for Features as well as the Audience Award for Competition Features when the fest wrapped on Sunday.

Dana Delany (Body of Proof) will join Sylvester Stallone in the new original series Tulsa King for Paramount+.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterDana Delany has joined the cast of “Tulsa King” opposite Sylvester Stallone at Paramount+, Variety has learned exclusively.Stallone leads the series, with other cast members including Andrea Savage, Martin Starr, Max Casella, Domenick Lombardozzi, Vincent Piazza, Jay Will, A.C. Peterson, and Garrett Hedlund.The show follows New York mafia capo Dwight “The General” Manfredi (Stallone), just after he is released from prison after 25 years and unceremoniously exiled by his boss to set up shop in Tulsa, Okla.

EXCLUSIVE: Derek Tsang, who directed the Oscar-nominated Chinese drama Better Days, has signed with Anonymous Content for representation.