JAFF Teams With Asian Film Awards Academy for Hong Kong Cinema Showcase

The Jogja-Netpac Asian Film Festival is partnering with the Asian Film Awards Academy for a second consecutive year to present a Hong Kong film program featuring director Ann Hui and works spanning multiple generations of filmmakers.

Running Nov. 30-Dec. 4 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, the “Together We Dare to Direct” showcase will feature a masterclass with Hui, one of Asian cinema’s most influential female directors, alongside screenings of nine features and four shorts representing different eras of Hong Kong cinema.

The program marks the 20th anniversary of JAFF and builds on the festival’s 2023 collaboration with AFAA, a non-profit founded by the Busan, Hong Kong and Tokyo international film festivals to promote Asian cinema globally.

“JAFF’s collaboration with AFAA represents the transformation of Asian cinema through a selection of curated Hong Kong films lineup, which continues to evolve through various challenges, while reflecting on what can be learned from the journeys by filmmakers across generations and genres,” said Alexander Matius, JAFF program director.

Two of Hui’s works will screen in newly restored 4K: “A Simple Life” (2011) and “July Rhapsody” (2002). The lineup also includes Man Lim Chung’s documentary “Keep Rolling,” which chronicles Hui’s creative process.

Additional features include Tommy Kai Chung Ng’s “Another World,” winner of the 2025 Golden Horse Award for best animated feature; Robin Lee’s documentary “Four Trails,” which won best new director at the 2025 Hong Kong Film Awards; John Woo’s action classic “The Killer”; crime thriller “Sons of the Neon Night”; and drama “The Remnant.”

The short film compilation features two works by Ivan Cheung, a participant in the AFAA International Film Camp: “The Apple of My Eye” and “Tomatoes Are Poisonous.”

Lee, Mandrew Kwan Man Hin, Quist Tsang and Cheung will participate in Q&A sessions following their screenings. The filmmakers will also speak at the JAFF Community Forum alongside production designer Man Lim Chung.

“Led by the legendary Ann Hui, we are honored to have the support from a group of Hong Kong directors and film professionals to JAFF20,” said Josie Lin, AFAA executive director. “Their presence reflects the craft, discipline and leadership that define the art of directing.”

The program receives financial support from Hong Kong’s Creative Cultural Industries Development Agency and the Film Development Fund, with additional backing from the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Jakarta.

The festival’s market component, the JAFF Market, runs through Dec. 1.