Private Waves

#cannesfilmfestival 2026 Sinophone stories surface across the festival’s selections through rising talents, restored classic screenings, and international collaborations, including new works by Zou Jing @zoujingfilms and Jia Zhangke. Preview by Selena Wang @jjieyings Interview with Zou Jing coming soon. Read full article: privatewaves.com 🛸

On Bi Gan, a Retrospective Writes Curtis Weir "The recent release of Bi Gan’s third feature provides the opportunity to revisit his previous works and career so far. This retrospective is not intended to be an in-depth review of any singular work and is instead focussed on exploring common themes that have come to define Bi’s signature style. This retrospective will engage with a range of works, encompassing early shorts and Bi’s recent features, culminating with a short look at his most recent release Resurrection. This retrospective will also set out the core components that have come to define Bi’s unique contribution to Chinese arthouse cinema. It will examine how his style has evolved since Bi’s first short to gain release The Poet and Singer first graced screens in 2012 and explore key themes in his subsequent works. While high-level in nature, please be advised this retrospective may contain spoilers" Read full article: privatewaves.com 🛸 #bigan #retrospective #resurrection #chinesecinema

Come join us for a FREE monthly event to chat and know like minded people, all about films and cinema 🎦 #leicester #dmu #leicesteruniversity #uni #uk

It was a great privilege to interview Herman Yau Lai-to at #HKIFF50. His latest film, <We’re Nothing At All>, had its world premiere on April 2. I’ve admired his early cult works, such as <The Untold Story> and <Ebola Syndrome>, since my days as a film studies student. During our conversation, he shared insights into his new self-funded project, his perspectives on queer issues, and his thoughts on the Hong Kong film industry. Read the full interview here: chinafilm.com/exclusive-interview-herman-yau-hkiff50/ #hkiff #hkiff50 #邱礼涛 #goldenscene

Exclusive Interview #hkiff50 Herman Yau x Tilda Li At the 50th Hong Kong International Film Festival, director Herman Yau premiered his latest work, We’re Nothing At All, a provocative blend of queer romance and crime thriller that marks a return to locally grounded Hong Kong storytelling. Known for his prolific output ranging from edgy cult classics to large-scale co-productions with Mainland China, Yau here turns his focus back to the city’s social margins, examining class tension, institutional indifference, and the fragile visibility of queer lives. In this conversation, Yau reflects on the challenges of working outside the co-production system, his decision to engage with LGBTQ+ themes, and the real-life case that inspired the film. He also discusses casting choices, narrative structure, and his enduring interest in depicting the struggles of ordinary people in Hong Kong, offering candid insights into both his creative process and the current state of the local film industry. As this year’s HKIFF50 special correspondent for Private Waves and UK-China Film Collab, Tilda spoke to the director at the Hong Kong International Film Festival 2026. Full interview via Link in bio 🔈🔗 #hermanyau #HongKong #lgbtpride

#HKIFF50 1 April 2026 (Hong Kong) —The 50th Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF50) officially opened this evening with the Asian premiere of Anthony Chen's We Are All Strangers at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, marking the start of a 12-day celebration of world cinema. The opening ceremony was officiated by Dr Wilfred Wong, Chairman of the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society (HKIFFS), and Ms Vivian Sum, Permanent Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism. They were joined by Festival Ambassadors Angela Yuen and Tony Wu, as well as Asian Visionary Ambassadors Gingle Wang and Win Metawin. A distinguished gathering of local and international filmmakers also attended, adding to the festive atmosphere of this milestone edition. In his opening remarks, Dr Wong described the festival’s 50th anniversary as a moment of profound significance. He noted that HKIFF has grown alongside Hong Kong to become one of the city’s most iconic and enduring cultural events, maintaining its commitment to presenting outstanding international cinema while serving as a vital gateway for Chinese-language films to reach global audiences. We are an accredited media this year to cover for the film festival, as always. #hongkong #film

“Culturally, Poland and the UK share certain sensibilities. There is also a strong Polish community in the UK, which creates additional connections. I see this as just the beginning. There is significant potential for future collaboration, and I am very interested in continuing to explore it.” - said Jan Komasa (@jan_komasa ) about future of UK - Poland coproductions. The article by Rino Lu (@rinoooolu ) for Private Waves (@private.waves ) - In Conversation with Jan Komasa on “The Good Boy” available now. Check the highlights/ comment section for link to the article. The article will be available in Polish on our website soon. #TheGoodBoy #JanKomasa #PolacywUK #newsarticle

HKIFF50 soon! We are pleased to confirm that Private Waves will be the offical accredited media at HKIFF @hkiffs this year. Our special correspondent will be Tilda Li @tildali1991 Dr Tilda Sixue Li is a film journalist, researcher, and translator based in Beijing and London. She has written for several leading Chinese film and entertainment outlets, including World Screen, Movieview, Beijing Youth Daily, and T Magazine. Since 2024, she has served as a voting member of the Golden Globes Awards. In addition to her journalism, Li is a post-doctoral researcher at Peking University and holds a PhD in Journalism and Communication from Tsinghua University. Her recent translation work includes the Chinese edition of The Nolan Variations: The Movies, Mysteries, and Marvels of Christopher Nolan by Tom Shone. #hkiff #filmreview #filmjournalist

Odyssey 2026 returns! 🎀🧶 Odyssey returns for its annual celebration of cinema and imagination, between the East and West. Each year our festival explores a new theme through film, and in 2026 we invite filmmakers to engage with “Fashion”. “Fashion” is more than clothing. It is identity, movement, rebellion, culture, time, and transformation. It can reflect who we are, who we wish to become, or the worlds we imagine. For this year’s edition, Odyssey welcomes films that capture fashion, question fashion, or invent fashion. We are interested in works that explore style, aesthetics, bodies, materials, subcultures, rituals of dress, or the act of self-creation through visual expression. Your film might explore the fashion industry, personal style, historical costume, cultural identity, experimental design, or entirely new visions of what fashion could be. Whether intimate or spectacular, documentary or fiction, poetic or provocative — we invite filmmakers to interpret the theme freely. We are looking for both new and old films. Submit your film by 30 April (Early Bird) via @filmfreeway - filmfreeway/odysseyccs #filmfestival #filmsubmissions #callforsubmissions #fashion #sustainablefashion

Thank you for joining us for the first gathering. We have some exciting interviews lined up after this meeting. Hosted by Fatima @_justbibbi Watch this space. Next meeting will be the first Thurday of March. 1800-1900 at the Phoenix. @phoenixleic #filmreview #filmleicester

Private Waves (PW) was founded during the 78th Cannes Film Festival. Our mission is simple: to publish unique yet accessible film reviews, exclusive interviews, and film news, while creating space for new voices and new waves of film criticism. Based in Leicester, in the heart of England, PW is committed to supporting young film reviewers and experimenting with fresh critical styles. 🎬 PW Social Night 📍 Phoenix Cinema Café 🗓 Every first Thursday of the month Thu 5 Feb 1800-1900 Drop by, say hi, and join the conversation. Hosted by Fatima Eribo Bakesa @_justbibbi , Editor of Private Waves. #filmreview #filmleicester

Exclusive Interview With Vijay Chauhan @vijayyyc24 By Fatima Eribo Bokesa @_justbibbi Leicester-based filmmaker Vijay Chauhan is an emerging voice in British independent cinema, approaching storytelling from an unconventional background. Trained originally in theoretical physics, Chauhan made his writing and directing debut with the independent short Park Bench, that succesfully premiered at the Mohjoh Film Festival, before being announced as the director of the UK remake of the Hong Kong romantic drama My Indian Boyfriend @mygoldenmile , set in #Leicester under the working subtitle The Golden Mile. Read the full interview: privatewaves.com 🛸 #filmmaker #filmleicester #interview