Asian Pop-Up Cinema: Season 14 will present 28 films in downtown Chicago and the north suburbs, with select films available for online streaming. The joint virtual and in-person festival opens March 13 and runs through April 10.
The diverse lineup celebrates the best of Asian cinema from South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Taiwan. Programming highlights include work from female filmmakers and an in-person special guest appearance from SUNDAY LEAGUE director Yi Sung-il.
Season 14 opens with the Midwest Premiere of HEAVEN: TO THE LAND OF HAPPINESS (AMC Niles 12) from director Im Sang-soo (The Housemaid, The President’s Last Bang). Korean stars Choi Min-sik (Oldboy) and Park Hae-il (War of the Arrows) lead this crime comedy as two terminally ill men on one last, unexpected journey of their lives. The international premiere of sports comedy SUNDAY LEAGUE will follow, a heartwarming story of a former rising soccer star who reluctantly coaches a ragtag team of amateur players. Writer/director Yi is the first filmmaker to travel to Chicago for the festival since the global pandemic. Free Admission for all Korean films. RSVP for free tickets is required.
Making its North and South American Continental Premiere, Centerpiece film ARC (April 3 at AMC River East) from Japanese writers Kei Ishikawa and Kaori Sawai follows a woman who lives forever with a 30-year old appearance. Based on Hugo Award-winning American author of science fiction and fantasy author Ken Liu’s short story, this haunting sci-fi fantasy examines immortality and the meaning of eternal life.
Female-directed features will be spotlighted this season, with Byun Gyu-ri’s COMING TO YOU (Streaming March 14-20), an eye-opening documentary shot in a society deeply rooted with discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Hong Sung-eun’s ALONERS (March 19 at IIT) follows a woman on the edge of an existential crisis, a drama that looks at the phenomenon of young people who live alone and skirt social interaction. Director Momoko Fukuda’s adaptation of Mari Okazaki Manga’s novel WILL I BE SINGLE FOREVER? (Streaming March 21-27) centers on an unmarried writer who challenges the definition of “normal” roles of Japanese women. Non’s RIBBON (Streaming March 21-27) is set in the Covid-19 pandemic era; a story of a young artist who gradually finds new purpose in her post-lockdown life.
Director Kearan Pang’s story of reinvention MAMA’S AFFAIR (April 2 at AMC River East 21) features Hong Kong stars Keung To and Jer Lau of the wildly popular boy band “Mirror” in their onscreen debut. Ann Hui’s period drama LOVE AFTER LOVE (Streaming March 28 – April 3)follows a young girl in the colonial-era 1940s who travels from Shanghai to Hong Kong in pursuit of an education. Emily Chan’s romantic drama MADALENA (Streaming March 28 – April 3) set in Macau, centers on a divorced taxi driver and migrant worker whose lives intersect on the graveyard shift.
Select Taiwanese films will have their U.S. premieres (April 9-10 at AMC River East), including Hsiang Chienn’s intense drama INCREASING ECHO, Hsu Fu-Hsiang’s action comedy TREAT OR TRICK and GRIT,Chen Ta-Pu’s offbeat romance starring this season’s Bright Star Award recipient Kai Ko. The 30-year-old actor and singer, also known as Ko Chen Tung, won Best New Actor at the 48th Golden Horse Awards and the 12th Chinese Film Media Awards for his starring role in his film debut for the film You Are the Apple in My Eye.
Closing film is Taiwan’s North American Premiere of WAITING FOR MY CUP OF TEA (April 10 at AMC River East 21). Author Phoebe Jan Fu-hua makes her directorial debut with a film adaptation of her best-selling novel of the same name; a love story starring popular boy band artist (SpeXial) and television actor Simon Lien in his feature film debut.
“Our festival continues promoting diversity and this season’s handpicked selection includes many films made at the height of the pandemic,” festival director Sophia Wong Boccio said. “Asian Pop-Up Cinema is proud to celebrate filmmakers’ resilience & creativity in spite of the adverse conditions during different waves of COVID-19 and variants.”
ASIAN POP-UP CINEMA – SEASON 14 Full Schedule and Film Details
Asianpopupcinema.org/season-14
IN CINEMA / ON LOCATION
Sunday, March 13, 1:30 PM @ AMC Niles 12 (301 Golf Mill Ctr, Niles, IL 60714 inside the Golf Mill Shopping Center)
SUNDAY LEAGUE – 선데이리그 – International Premiere
(Yi Sung-il, South Korea, 2020) Comedy/Sport
OFFICIAL OPENING FILM
Sunday, March 13, 4:30PM @ AMC Niles 12 (301 Golf Mill Ctr, Niles)
HEAVEN: TO THE LAND OF HAPPINESS 헤븐: 행복의 나라로 – Midwest Premiere
(Im Sang-soo, South Korea, 2021) Odd-Couple Road/Crime Comedy
Saturday, March 19, 1:30PM @ Tower Auditorium at Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) (10 W 35th Street, Chicago)
ALONERS 혼자 사는 사람들 – Illinois Premiere
(Hong Sung-eun, South Korea, 2021) Drama
Friday, March 25, 6:30PM @ Alliance Française de Chicago (54 W Chicago Ave)
TOKYO SHAKING – Midwest Premiere
(Olivier Peyon, France/Japan, 2019)
Saturday, April 2, 1:30PM @ AMC River East 21 (322 E. Illinois)
BAMBOO THEATRE戲棚 – U.S. Premiere
(Cheuk Cheung, Hong Kong, 2019) Documentary
Saturday, April 2, 4:30PM @ AMC River East 21 (322 E. Illinois)
MAMA’S AFFAIR – 阿媽有咗第二個 – U.S. Premiere
(Kearen Pang, Hong Kong, 2022) Drama/Canto-pop
Sunday, April 3, 1:30PM @ AMC River East 21 (322 E. Illinois)
ARCアーク – N. & S. America Continental Premiere – CENTERPIECE
(Kei Ishikawa, Japan, 2021) Drama/Sci-Fi
Saturday, April 9, 1:30PM @ AMC River East 21 (322 E. Illinois)
INCREASING ECHO 修行 – U.S. Premiere
(Hsiang Chienn, Taiwan, 2021) Drama
Saturday, April 9, 4:30PM @ AMC River East 21 (322 E. Illinois)
TREAT OR TRICK 詭扯 – U.S. Premiere
(Hsu Fu-Hsiang, Taiwan, 2021) Action/Comedy
Sunday, April 10, 1:30 PM @ AMC River East 21 (322 E. Illinois)
GRIT 鱷魚 – U.S. Premiere
(Chen Ta-Pu, Taiwan, 2021) Drama/Romance
OFFICIAL CLOSING FILM
Sunday, April 10, 4:30 PM @ AMC River East 21 (322 E. Illinois)
WAITING FOR MY CUP OF TEA 一杯熱奶茶的等待 – N. America Premiere
(Phoebe Jan Fu-hua, Taiwan, 2021) Romance
STREAMING & PHYSICAL
March 14 – 20 Streaming available for U.S. views @ watch.eventive.org/apuc14
IN THE NAME OF THE SON 아들의 이름으로 – Midwest Premiere
(Lee Jung-gook, South Korea, 2020) Drama
ACTION HERO 액션히어로 – International Premiere
(Lee Jin-ho, South Korea, 2021) Action/Comedy
MY BIG MAMA’S CRAZY RIDE큰엄마의 미친봉고 – U.S. Premiere
(Paek Seung-hwan, South Korea, 2021) Drama/Comedy
Physical Screenings:
Tuesday, March 15, 10:30 AM @ Korean Culture Center of Chicago (KCCOC) (9930 Capital Drive, Wheeling)
MY BIG MAMA’S CRAZY RIDE큰엄마의 미친봉고 – U.S. Premiere
(Paek Seung-hwan, South Korea, 2021) Drama/Comedy
Saturday, March 19, 2:00 PM @ Korean Culture Center of Chicago (KCCOC) (9930 Capital Drive, Wheeling)
Sunday, March 20, 1:30 PM @ Tower Auditorium at Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) (10 W 35th St., Chicago)
ACTION HERO액션히어로 – International Premiere
(Lee Jin-ho, South Korea, 2021) Action/Comedy
Sunday, March 20, 4:30 PM @ Tower Auditorium at Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) (10 W 35th St., Chicago)
IN THE NAME OF THE SON 아들의 이름으로 – Midwest Premiere
(Lee Jung-gook, South Korea, 2020) Drama
April 4 – 10 Streaming available for U.S. views @ watch.eventive.org/apuc14
JANG-GAE: THE FOREIGNER 醬狗 – U.S. Premiere
(Chang Chih-wei, Taiwan, 2020) Drama
Physical screenings:
Friday, March 18, 6:00 PM @ Korean Culture Center of Chicago (KCCOC)
Saturday, March 19, 4:30 PM @ Tower Auditorium at Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT)
STREAMING ONLY
March 14 – 20 Streaming available for U.S. @ watch.eventive.org/apuc14
COMING TO YOU 너에게 가는 길 – U.S. Premiere
(Byun Gyu-Ri, South Korea, 2021) Documentary/LGBT
March 21 – 27 Streaming available for U.S. views @ watch.eventive.org/apuc14
MY BROTHER, THE ANDROID AND ME 弟とアンドロイドと僕 – International Premiere
(Junji Sakamoto, Japan, 2022) Drama
WILL I BE SINGLE FOREVER? ずっと独身でいるつもり？ – N. America Premiere
(Momoko Fukuda, Japan, 2021) Romance/Drama
SKELETON FLOWERS かそけきサンカヨウ – N. America Premiere
(Rikiya Imaizumi, Japan, 2021) Drama/Family
MY FATHER’S TRACKS 僕と彼女とラリーと – N. America Premiere
(Rempei Tsukamoto, Japan, 2021) Drama/Romance/Family
MUSICOPHILIA ミュジコフィリア – International Premiere
(Masaaki Taniguchi, Japan 2021) Drama/Music
March 21 – 27 Streaming available for Illinois State views only @ watch.eventive.org/apuc14
RIBBON – N. & S. America Premiere
(NON (Rena Nounen), Japan, 2022) Drama/Youth
April 1 – 3 Streaming available for Illinois State views Only @ watch.eventive.org/apuc14
ISLANDS – Midwest Premiere
(Martin Edralin, Canada/The Philippines, 2019) Drama
March 28 – April 3 Streaming available for U.S. views @ watch.eventive.org/apuc14
LOVE AFTER LOVE 第一炉香 – U.S. Premiere
(Ann Hui, Hong Kong, 2020) Drama/Romance
MADALENA 馬達.蓮娜 – N. America Premiere
(Chan Nga-Lei, Hong Kong/Macau, 2021) Drama/Romance
ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE 總是有愛在隔離 – Special Encore
(Vincent Kok, Hong Kong, 2021) Comedy
April 4 – 10 – Streaming available for U.S. views @ watch.eventive.org/apuc14
NO MAN IS AN ISLAND 沒有人該成為孤島 – Midwest Premiere
(Jay Chern, Taiwan, 2022) Documentary
YOU HAVE TO KILL ME 我是自願讓他殺了我 – U.S. Premiere
(Chan Chun-Hao, Taiwan, 2021) Criminal/Thriller
Tickets for Asian Pop-Up Cinema – Season 14
Free Admission for all Korean films, and community engagement screenings co-presented with KCCOC, IIT and Alliance Française. RSVP FOR FREE TICKETS IS REQUIRED.
In Cinema: $5.00 General Admission or $10.00 at the door (Cash Only)
APUC 14 Virtual: $3.00 Pay Per Rental
Buy tickets online by clicking to the film pages on www.asianpopupcinema.org/season-14
More info about individual tickets: asianpopupcinema.org/14boxoffice
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