Category: May

Hong Kong Salento International Film Festival 2018

The seventh Hong Kong Salento International Film Festival (HKSIFF) presents six of the best films from last year’s Salento Film Festival at the Grand Cinema from the 8-13 May. The films are from from Italy, Russia, Israel, Taiwan and Iran.

American Fango, the semi-autobiographical film by Italian director Gabriele Altobelli, presents a love and self-searching story about an Italian actor who leaves Rome and goes to New York where he pursues romance with several beautiful ladies.

Blue Hollywood, the feature directorial debut of award-winning Italian director Francesco Gabriele, is about two young actors who meet on the path to a shared dream, the Acting Summer Programme held in London. Stepping foot in Hollywood, they walk at their own pace due to different approaches, priorities and even life-changing decisions. It is a journey filled with desire, determination and disappointment.

Beneath the Silence is set in 1973, a time when PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) was not recognized as a medical condition. Daphna, the wife of an ex-soldier, struggles to get help from the military in order to maintain her husband Menashe’s last bits of sanity while their 10-year-old son, Shlomi, tries to understand what has happened to his father and why he is different from what he was. It is the debut feature film by the Israeli filmmaking duo Erez Mizrahi and Sahar Shavit. 

About Love, directed by the famous Russian Director Vladimir Bortko, is inspired by L. Tolstoy’s novel “Anna Karenina”. It is a film about adultery and erotic romance, showing the life and moral values of modern elites.

The Iranian film Cold Breath, directed by Abbas Raziji, illustrates the struggles of Maryam, an impoverished person who was born as a woman but lives as a man. When her daughter succumbs to cancer she must find a way to pay for treatment. Trusting in love for survival, Maryam faces her greatest fears head on when her secret is revealed.

The Receptionist is the debut film of London-based Taiwanese director Jenny Lu. The story is based on real facts and portrays the dark underworld of the illegal massage parlours business in London. It is filmed in the first person angle of the Taiwanese college graduate Tina who has resorted to work as a receptionist in a massage parlour during the economic crisis in 2008.

HKSIFF Screening Schedule:

8 May, 7:50 pm – About Love
Vladimir Bortko | Russia 2017 | 93 min | Category: III

9 May, 7:50 pm – Beneath the Silence
Erez Mizrahi & Sahar Shavit | Israel 2016 | 106 min | Category: IIB

10 May, 7:50 pm – American Fango
Gabriele Altobelli | Italy/USA 2017 | 104 min | Category: IIB

8 May, 9.45 pm / 9 May, 9.55 pm / 10 May, 9.50 pm / 11 May, 7:50 pm (SOLD OUT) / 13 May, 7.50 pm – The Receptionist
 Jenny Lu | Taiwan/UK 2016 | 100 min | Category: IIB

12 May, 6:10 pm – Blue Hollywood
Francesco Gabriele | Italy/UK/USA 2017 | 82 min | Category: III

13 May, 6:10 pm – Cold Breath
Abbas Raziji | Iran 2017 | 85 min | Category: IIA

Ruby Law’s Debut Playboy Shoot

Local photographer Rugby Law celebrated the release of her first USA Playboy shoot – which appears in the May/June 2018 issue – in Wanchai on 4 May. The surprise event organised by her friends saw Law presented with a smoking jacket and a pipe in honour of her Playboy debut.

Law is the first female Hong Kong photographer to appear in the US print edition of the famous magazine – and she’ll soon be appearing again as she’s been commissioned to shoot another set.

Featuring a local model Reluca the 5 hour shoot took place in Bali and showcases Law’s slightly dark, personality  driven style.

You can see more of Ruby’s work here: www.rubylaw.photos

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9 May, 2018 – edited for clarity that it was a surprise party

First Step Towards Japan 2019 Rugby World Cup

Hong Kong’s men begin their attempt to qualify for the Japan 2019 Rugby World Cup when they kick off their Asia Rugby Championship campaign away to Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur (16.30) on the 5 May.

With Japan already qualified for the World Cup as hosts, this year’s Asia Rugby Championship will be contested by Hong Kong and South Korea (second and third on last season’s table) and Division I champions Malaysia in the home-and-away competition. South Korea beat Malaysia 35-10 in the opening round last weekend to go top of the table.

Hong Kong need to win the Asian Championship outright to advance to the second stage of RWC 2019 qualification, a home-and-away series against Oceania qualifiers Cook Islands. The winner of that series advances to a four-team knockout competition in the final stage of qualification in France in November.

Coach Jones has kept faith with the squad that started Hong Kong’s recent 49-27 warm-up match loss to the University of Waikato Chiefs Development side on 21 April.

“There is an element of ‘we’re not sure’ ahead of this match,” said Jones, “But, we’re going in with good preparation and confident that we can perform and cope with anything that Malaysia can throw at us.”

There’s one change in the forwards and one in the backs for Saturday, with lock Jamie Pincott and up-and-coming winger Max Denmark earning starts. Kyle Sullivan and wing Conor Hartley, both of whom started against the Chiefs Development squad, have moved to the bench for the Malaysia test.

“We have a couple of injuries heading into the campaign but are not making any excuses. We feel that this the best team to start the Asia Rugby Championship and are respecting Malaysia,” added Jones.

“The unknown elements on Saturday are primarily the conditions, which were horrendous last week, and perhaps did not give a fair impression of the quality of the players that were on show from both sides. We are very comfortable going to Malaysia and Korea and hopefully can steal a few wins, which would set us up nicely for a feel-good finish at home,” said Jones.

“We are not looking to get ahead of ourselves and know we have to focus on one game at a time and make sure we are playing to our structures and plans. We are not worrying about the outcomes because if we do we will put some pressure on ourselves that we don’t need,” Jones added.

The match will be live streamed on the HKRU Facebook page.

Hong Kong squad v Malaysia:

1. Daniel Barlow, 2. Benjamin Roberts, 3. Dylan Rogers, 4. James Cunningham (Captain), 5. Jamie Pincott, 6. Nicholas Hewson, 7. Toby Fenn, 8. Thomas Lamboley, 9. Liam Slatem, 10. Matthew Rosslee, 11. Max Denmark, 12. Tyler Spitz, 13. Max Woodward, 14. Salom Yiu Kam-Shing, 15. Jack Neville.
Reserves: 16. Alexander Harris, 17. Adam Fullgrabe, 18. Jack Parfitt, 19. Kyle Sullivan, 20. Michael Parfitt, 21. Jamie Lauder, 22. Robert Keith, 23. Conor Hartley.

Additional reporting and photos: HKRugby

Big Rowing Day

Under the sunshine and gentle breezes of the Shing Mun River more than 500 rowers celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Hong Kong, China Rowing Association.

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The ‘Big Rowing Day’ was the kickoff event of the HKCRA’s 40th anniversary and featured many past and present Hong Kong Olympians including Lee Ka Man (2016), Lee Yuen Yin (2016), Tang Chiu Mang (2016), Chiu Hin Chun (2016), Leung Chun Shek (2012), Lok Kwan Hoi (2012), Chow Kwong Wing (2008), So Sau Wah (2004, 2008, 2012), Lo Ting Wai (2004), Michael Tse (1996), Ho Kim Fai (1992), Lui Kam Chi (1992), Chiang Yun Kuen (1992), plus upcoming Asian Games medal hopes: Chan Tik Lun, James Wong Pak Yan, Yuen Yun Lam, Wong Wai Kin, Wong Sheung Yee, Loo Ka Fu, Hui Wing Ki And Winne Hung Wing Yan.

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2018/Big-Rowing-Day-1-May-2018/i-Qj4g285

If you would like to learn more about rowing in Hong Kong check out the HKCRA’s website www.rowing.org.hk or their facebook page www.facebook.com/hkrowing.

Rugby Sevens World Cup 2018 Fixture Schedule Announced

Hong Kong will take on Russia in their first game of the Rugby Seven World Cup in San Francisco this July, with the winners playing New Zealand for a place in Cup competition.

The 2018 Sevens World Cup features 24 men’s and 16 women’s teams and will be played on 20-22 July at the AT&T Park in San Francisco’s Bay Area.

An innovative tournament format will see every match count. In both the men’s and women’s tournaments teams will have to win every match in order to be crowned World Cup winners.

In the men’s competition, where nations will be competing to get their hands on the Melrose Cup, there will be an initial knock-out preliminary round featuring the nations ranked ninth to 24th, while the top eight seeds progress automatically to the round of 16.

The women will be the first to take to the pitch at AT&T Park as Fiji face Spain in the first match of the tournament on 20 July. Top seeds and reigning World Cup holders New Zealand, who will enter the competition high on confidence following their recent gold medal performance at the Commonwealth Games, will face Mexico in the round of 16.

Olympic champions and current World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series leaders Australia will take on Papua New Guinea while hosts USA, seeded fifth, will wrap up the round of 16 action against China, who are an emerging force following their victory in the World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series Qualifier in Hong Kong in April.

The men’s tournament also gets underway on day one with Kenya, runners-up in the recent Hong Kong and Vancouver legs of the World Sevens Series, facing Tonga in the first game of the preliminary round.

In the evening session on the first day of competition current Olympic champions and World Rugby Sevens Series leaders Fiji will take on the winner of Japan v Uruguay in the round of 16, while reigning World Cup champions New Zealand will face the winner of Russia v Hong Kong.

Top seeds South Africa will encounter the winners of Ireland v Chile, while host nation USA, ranked fifth, wrap up the first day of competition as they are drawn against the winner of Wales v Zimbabwe in the final match of the day.

World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont said: “The release of the match schedule marks another exciting step on the journey to the highly anticipated Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 in San Francisco. Fans can now begin to plan their tournaments and teams can focus on their prospective opponents.

“There has never been a more competitive World Rugby Sevens Series than this year’s edition, with five different winners in the first five rounds in the men’s series, and only 16 points separating the top four nations in the women’s series, we are all set for a great showcase of the drama and excitement of rugby sevens at the first Rugby World Cup event ever to be held in the USA.”

Additional reporting and photos: World Rugby

Dua Lipa @ MacPherson Stadium – 1 May, 2018

Earlier this year at the Brit Awards she won Best Female Solo Artist and Breakthrough Act. This week singer-songwriter Dua Lipa made her Hong Kong debut at a sold-out MacPherson Stadium.

The seventeen song show started with Blow Your Mind, included her hits and finished in rousing fashion with a two song encore.

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Setlist:
Blow Your Mind (Mwah)
Dreams / No Lie
My Love
Lost in Your Light
Garden
Last Dance
Be The One
Thinking ‘Bout You
New Love
Genesis
Scared To Be Lonely
Homesick
No Goodbyes
Hotter Than Hell
Begging

Encore
IDGAF
New Rules

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2018/Dua-Lipa-MacPherson-Stadium-1-May-2018/i-KRsjM5L

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Leicester City Win Soccer Sevens

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Leicester City claimed the Soccer Sevens for a second time defeating defending champions Aston Villa 3-0 in Sunday’s final at Hong Kong Football Club.

The tournament’s leading scorer 18 year-old Josh Eppiah scored twice, while Joshou Gordon was also on target as Leicester produced a dominant performance to add to their 2013 title.

Eppiah’s brace took him to eight goals for the competition, edging Villa’s seven-goal Harry McKirdy for the top scorer accolade. The forward was also named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player to cap an excellent three days.

“I’m over the moon and proud of myself. I took my chances well but the team and the staff around me have helped,” said Eppiah, who also scored twice in the 3-1 quarter-final win over West Ham United and once in the semi-final victory against Glasgow Rangers.

“This whole tournament has been amazing and I’d love to come back next year because I’m still a youngster and have more years to come back and do the same as I did today,” Eppiah added. “The boys fought, held on, came back and in the final we were all up for it so we came out and gave it everything we have.”

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Six-time winners Villa had impressed on the way to the final defeating Italian debutants Cagliari Calcio 3-0 in the last eight and French newcomers Olympique Marseille in the semi-final.

But Leicester had also looked strong over the weekend after winning all five of their games, and captain Hamza Choudhury’s man-marking of McKirdy in the final proved key as the Foxes nullified Villa’s main threat before running out deserved winners.

Runners-up in the previous two edition, West Ham enjoyed success this time around by lifting the Shield following a 2-0 victory over Cagliari in the final. After being eliminated by Leicester in the Cup quarter-finals, the Hammers dropped down to the Shield and returned to form to beat local side HKFA U-23s in the semi-final, before Joe Powell and Jaanai Gordon netted in the final against Cagliari.

Tournament debutants Bayer Leverkusen were crowned Plate champions as goals from Julijan Popovic and Berkan Arik helped claim a 2-1 win over Wellington Phoenix in the final. The German side defeated hosts Hong Kong Football Club and Kashima Antlers in the quarter- and semi-finals before seeing off the New Zealanders.

Citi All Stars retained their Masters Tournament title after Jamie Cureton scored his second goal of the game at the death to clich a dramatic 3-2 victory over Wallsend Boys Club in the final.

The match-winning strike capped an excellent weekend for the former Norwich City forward, who claimed the top scorer award with nine goals before being named the Masters Tournament MVP.

“We’ve played well throughout the entire tournament and from the second half [in the final] I thought we performed really well and deserved to win it,” said Cureton. “It’s my job to score goals, I didn’t expect to get as many as nine, but I’m very pleased. I came three or four years ago and we didn’t do very well, so I’m hoping the nine goals and winning will get me an invite again next year.”

Tournament debutants, and major disappointments, playonPROS won the Masters Shield after Emile Heskey scored a sublime free-kick to claim a 3-2 victory over Discovery Bay in the final.

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Soccer-Sevens-HK-Football-Club-28-May-2017/i-jKpFB5M

Additional reporting and images: HKFA Soccer Sevens