Producer Steve Long Finalizes Script for "Father John"

28 March 2009 Shanghai -- Steve Long of Golden Quill Productions penned the script for his latest production "Father John" to be shot in Shanghai in late May/ early June 2009. Long says the script is currently undergoing final revisions. 

Long tapped Richard Trombly as director for this film noir-style intrigue and espionage thriller. The feature-length film is expected to premier in Shanghai this summer and then enjoy an international video release. Trombly is currently in Kunming, China as Associate Producer on the feature film Distance Runners.

"I immediately realized the potential of this script when Steve Long first discussed this project with me," says Trombly. "It draws from his background of experience within the American Consulate and other departments of the foreign service."

Trombly expects the film to have wide appeal because it will feature some off-the-beaten-path views of Shanghai and will draw and Long and Trombly's familairity with China's most international city.  

"Shanghai offers a unique mix of the traditional Chinese culture alongside a thriving and modern metropolis," says Trombly. "Shanghai is also ideally suited to a spy film. The mere name 'Shanghai' evokes the mystery and allure of the East."  

The film will offer some cloak and dagger action with a host of international villians, says Trombly. He also hopes to show some of the charm of the city and its people that has drawn him and thousands of other expats to enjoy living in this swarming metroplolis.

For production support, Long looks to Meiwenti Productions. This will be a micro-funded production. Long, currently head of the IT department at the US Consulate in Shanghai, is a devoted  tech-lover and will be using much of his own equipment accumulated over the years. Much of the crew and cast talent, however, will come through the Meiwenti network. Meiwenti will help locate active members in the independent film community that will bring this project together at a rapid pace and micro-budget. 

Distance Runners meets the press

March 18, 2009 Kunming, China - As Distance Runners kicked off filming in Kunming, China, several reporters turned out to see the stars. Huang Lu and Shao Wen expressed their eagerness to be in this film by first-time director, Robert Vicencio. (Vicencio is known for his role in Miss Saigon and as a performer.)  Local reporters and press from Chengdu (Huang Lu's hometown) came to interview the actors and crew of this feature film about running an ultramarathon in the remote countryside of Yunnan. 

Huang Lu 黃璐 said she was happy to return to Western China for this feature.  Since her starring role in Mang Shan (Blind Mountain) 2007, Huang has starred in several internaitonal features, including the acclaimed (The Red Awn 2007)  and director Xiaolu Guo's (She, a Chinese 2009) which was filmed in London.

Huang Lu joins the cast of Distance Runners

Shao Wen is the male lead in this sports/drama film being shot in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China. He plays a runner that recovered from a crippling accident and must face his past. 

Scriptwriter Richard Trombly poses with the lovely Huang Lu and co-star Shao Wen

For helping to make this film possible, Vicencio said he appreciated the support of shoe maker, New Balance.  Expect a product placement or two. 

Filming "Distance Runners"

March 17, 2009 Kunming, China -- "Distance Runners" has opened filming. Director Robert Vicencio says his vision is to make an inspirational movie about making dreams come true. 

For lead character Li Shan (Shao Wen "In Love with an Angel" and "Unnamed Heroes") finding

 his dreams does not come easy. A popular and athletic youth, he suffers a crippling accident, falls into depression and drives away the love of his life, Wen Yi (Huang Lu "Blind Mountain") [on IMDB as the Chinese title Mang Shan 2007] 

Star Shao Wen, center, with singer/actress Li-tong Hsu and Kyle Rothstein )

The road to recovery begins when he meets a foreign doctor, Alistair Crane, that heals his body and becomes his mentor. Alistair introduces him to running as a physical therapy. But Shan has big dreams and undertakes a 188km (112 mile) run through the hills of Yunnan. He has a spiritual journey that leads to the restoration of his soul as he struggles through this torturous race course and faces his past.

Shanghai Fest tries to ride Slumdog's fame

http://www.screendaily.com/ScreenDailyArticle.aspx?intStoryID=43805&Category=

 

Boyle to chair Shanghai film festival jury Sen-lun Yu in Beijing 27 Mar 2009 10:22

The Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) has announced that Danny Boyle will chair the international jury at the upcoming 12th edition of the festival (June 13-21). Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire had its China premiere in Beijing yesterday (March 26) and the film is opening on more than 1,000 screens this weekend. At a press conference in Beijing this week, Boyle said he would give full support to SIFF and expressed interest in working with China. "When you have a city that is full of people and stories like Mumbai, Beijing or Shanghai, it's just so much excitement and potential for a filmmaker. It's like a dream come true," he told Chinese media during the Slumdog premiere. SIFF director Tang Lijune had tried in previous years to invite Boyle to chair the festival's international competition, also known as the Jinjue Competition. "The great success of Slumdog made us more determined to have him at SIFF," she said. "One of the goals of SIFF is to further enhance its market function through co-production events. Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire is generally considered as a good example of cultural exchange between the East and West." This year SIFF will again hold its two co-production markets – CFPC (China Film Pitch and Catch) and CoFPC (Co-Production Film Pitch and Catch).

Beijing Film festival/ Kunming Filming "Distance Runners"

Films at Beijing New International Movie Week. 

Since the Meiwenti Swat Chick party on Feb 26, I went to Beijing Feb 28-March 2 for the Beijing New International Movie Week, where I presented my Chinese language short films Dengdai (The Waiting) and Gua Shuo Shidian (Melon Harvest) to audiences in Beijing. http://www.beijingfilmfest.org My short films can be viewed at: www.vimeo.com/richardtrombly  

The director (me) got a chance to have a question and answer session after the film. It seems the films were both well-received by the Beijing audience. The event was covered by local news media and I was interviewed by several reporters but I was unable to stick around to see the next night's news report.

I basically got off the plane from Beijing and was right off to Kunming out in Yunnan Province, China. We did a whilrwind 2 week period of preproduction and opened filming on "Distance Runners" on March 17.

Swat Chick party a grand success

Swat Chicks Rock Shanghai

I regret to say that I have not posted a blog since before the February 26 Swat Chick GALA fundraiser in Shanghai's Latitude Lounge for the short science fiction/action film Shanghai 2020.

Juan vargas and the Meiwenti International Swat Chick Squad

The Swat Chick party drew around 200 people to come out on a rainy Thrusday night to support Meiwenti, the heroic badboys of independent film, led by Juan Vargas.  I was part of the scriptwriting crew, mostly as the futurist and technology consultant.

Severin of Shang Hai productions is a co-director is SH 2020

Shanghai 2020 is deep into filming with a crew of 40+ and more than 200 actors and extras. All these people are donating their talents and time to make this film happen. It is all people who are employed in other fulltime work... though some are film professionals. SH 2020 is being filmed over 4 weekends and some evenings and will soon be wrapped and going into an intensive postproduciton.    The meiwenti crew wants to premier this film in MAY 2009 in Shanghai, so the schedule is tight..... but Meiwenti means "no problem" in Chinese, so  --  Meiwenti!!!!

Learn more at www.meiwentiproductions.com