In recent news, two films starring the Golden Horse Award-winning actor Wu Kang-jen, “Rich Youth” and “Wish Someone Longevity”, faced cancellations at the Beijing Film Festival due to reasons like “adjustment of film promotion cycle” and “irreparable copy damage.” This unexpected turn of events has triggered criticism from fans.
Wu Kang-jen, a Taiwanese artist, clinched the Best Actor award at the 60th Golden Horse Awards last year for his performance in “Rich Youth”, a film that received praise in Taiwan. Scheduled for a screening at the Beijing Film Festival on April 27, Wu was also invited to participate in a dialogue with the curator, Shadan, and attend a pre-screening exchange event at the Mainland China Film Archive. However, on April 25, they were suddenly informed that the screening would be postponed due to an “adjustment in the promotional cycle.” Since the film festival was nearing its end, the films were effectively not shown as planned.
Similarly, Wu Kang-jen’s film “Wish Someone Longevity” was selected for the “Focus on the Future” section at the Beijing International Film Festival. Originally set to screen on April 20 and 23, it was unexpectedly announced a day before the screenings that they had to be canceled due to “irreparable copy damage.” Fans questioned the sudden cancellations, prompting Hong Kong director Zhu Ziyuan to apologize on social media and express hope for a future opportunity to showcase the film to a wider audience.
“Longing for Longevity” was produced by Kwan Kan Pong and directed by the emerging director Zhu Ziyuan, who also wrote and starred in the film. The movie had previously received four nominations at the Hong Kong Film Awards, with Hong Kong actress Tse Wing-yan winning the Best New Performer award for her portrayal of Lam Tsz-yuen. Wu Kang-jen himself was crowned the Best Actor at the Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards in January.
The 14th Beijing International Film Festival took place from April 18 to 26, co-organized by the Central Radio and Television Station of the Communist Party of China and the Beijing Municipal Government. “Wish Someone Longevity” was nominated in the “Focus on the Future” section, with the official Weibo account of the film festival promoting the movie on April 14.
Not only were Wu Kang-jen’s two films affected by the cancellations, but also two film exchange events were called off. Fans expressed frustration and criticized the Beijing Film Festival, demanding the return of Wu Kang-jen and the opportunity to watch the films.
Other films that faced cancellations at the Beijing Film Festival included “Groundhog Day,” “Bramble Tree Sunshine,” “Sherlock on the Plain,” and “City Abyss,” each canceled last minute due to issues related to subtitles, weather, copies, among others.
Beyond the realm of cinema, Taiwanese pop diva Hebe Tien recently faced opposition after a lifting of a ban, resulting in the cancellation of her performance at the Tianjin Music Festival. Similarly, Taiwanese singer-songwriter Crowd Lu, who was supposed to perform at the Beijing Music Festival, had his show abruptly canceled by the organizers citing bodily ailments among key production team members. Netizens mocked the situation, lamenting the arbitrary nature of such restrictions and boycotts: “Art knows no boundaries except in China! It’s so boring to see these constant boycotts!”