New York Asian Film Festival: NYAAF 2019 features more Chinese films

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The 18th New York Asia Film Festival is underway, featuring more Chinese films this year. Our reporter John Terrett shows us more.

For almost 20 years, the New York Asian Film Festival has highlighted movies from the region.

This year, in the era of big screen, television and now streaming, more Chinese flicks are being showcased than ever before. The genres range from coming-of-age stories to screwball comedies, action-drama and horror.

SAMUEL JAMIER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NYAFF "In general, it's become easier to just make a film and that's true in China as well, I mean the technical means aren't as expensive as it used to be."

Two Chinese films caught my eye this time. Wushu Orphan is written and directed by Huang Huang, a 2008 graduate of the Beijing Film Academy who first dipped his toes into the movie world as a young boy in Anhui Province - quite literally!

HUANG HUANG DIRECTOR, 'WUSHU ORPHAN' "Near my home, there was a cinema, but in the summer would flood and so I used to have to sit on the top of the back of the seat and actually have my feet immersed in water. It was fun!"

Huang's film is the kind of coming-of-age story of the kind beloved by Hollywood for years. The tale of a boy in an enclosed martial arts school bullied by his classmates because he prefers academic subjects over Kung Fu. In keeping with the bittersweet pangs of growing up, he also has a crush on the school's pretty young doctor.

HUANG HUANG DIRECTOR, 'WUSHU ORPHAN' "I believe that the North American audience probably has different and more laughing points when you have these moments in the film, and I just feel very honored and proud that film has the chance to be shown to the North American audience."

Wu Nan also graduated from the Beijing Film Academy and has worked as a screenwriter with the best of the best in Chinese cinema. Her directorial debut is a slapstick comedy about a cute family dog and Tibetan Mastiff at war with each other.

WU NAN DIRECTOR, 'PUSH AND SHOVE' "The Hollywood film industry has given the Chinese a chance to see what the best films look like, but that's only part of what the Chinese want. They also want to see stories connected to their real lives, but with the Hollywood quality of production."

All this is happening in the year in which Chinese movies stories have made it big in New York.

"Lucky Grandma" of the Tribeca Film Festival in April and blockbuster "Wandering Earth" opened to worldwide acclaim in February.

NYAFF Executive Director Samuel Jamier says science fiction and crime thrillers are the latest craze for young upcoming Chinese filmmakers who he says are whip-smart and among the most talented in the world today.

SAMUEL JAMIER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NYAFF "There really, really well read, extremely well educated. You can talk to them for hours about cinema."

JOHN TERRETT NEW YORK "Once films were made for the big screen and the small screen only. But the future is 5G streaming on your cell, and Chinese filmmakers are proving they are ready and able to make compelling content for movie fans to enjoy whatever the platform. JOHN TERRETT, CGTN, New York."