present IP MAN 2 - Variance Films · 2011-01-06 · present IP MAN 2 Legend of the Grandmaster...

present

IP MAN 2

Legend of the Grandmaster

Release Date: January 28, 2011 Running Time: 108 minutes (original international cut) Format: 35mm / Dolby Digital / 2.35:1 Scope Language: Presented in the original Cantonese version with English subtitles Rating: R (for “violence”)

Official Website: www.ipman2movie-us.com To Download Stills/Video/Press Materials: www.variancefilms.com/ipman2press

Press Contact:

Rene Ridinger / mPRm 323.933.3399 x 4228 / [email protected]

Press Contact:

Emma Griffiths / Emma Griffiths PR 917.438.5074 / [email protected]

Theatrical Distribution Contact: Dylan Marchetti / Variance Films

212.537.6769 / [email protected]

CAST AND CREW

Ip Man DONNIE YEN Hung Chun-nam SAMMO HUNG Jin Shanzhao FAN SUI-WONG Cheung Wing-sing XIONG DIA-LIN (LYNN HUNG) Taylor “The Twister” Milos DARREN SHAHLAVI Cheung Wing-Sing LYNN HUNG Wong Leung HUANG XIAO-MING Fatso KENT CHENG Leung Kan PIERRE NGO Cheng Wei-kei TO YUE-HONG Ip Chun LI CHAK Wallace CHARLES MAYER Chow Ching-chuen SIMON YAM Bruce Lee JIANG DAIYAN Master Lam LAM HAK-MING Master Law LO MANG Chow Kwong-yiu CALVIN CHANG Master Cheng FUNG HAK-ON Emcee BRIAN THOMAS BURRELL Director WILSON YIP (YIP WAI-SHUNG) Action Director SAMMO HUNG Written by EDMOND WONG

Chief Wing Chun Advisor IP CHUN Original Score KENJI KAWAI Cinematography POON HANG-SANG (HKSC) Edited by CHEUNG KA-FAI Production Designer KENNETH MAK Costume Designer LEE PIK-KWAN Executive Producers ZHENG QIANGHUI ZONG SHU JIE GAO JUN Produced by RAYMOND WONG LI XIN ANN AN

IP MAN 2 – SYNOPSIS (LONG FORM)

International megastar Donnie Yen reprises his iconic role as the real-‐life kung fu grandmaster Ip Man in this martial arts spectacular. After escaping the Japanese occupation of his hometown, Ip Man and his family have arrived in Hong Kong, which is living under the iron fist of British colonial rule. Ip wants to support his family by opening up a martial arts academy to teach his unique Wing Chun style. But a corrupt cabal of Hong Kong martial arts masters, led by Hung Chun-‐nam (the legendary Sammo Hung), refuses to allow Ip to teach until he proves himself-‐ and prove himself he does, in an intense series of fights against the masters, showcasing a dazzling variety of martial arts styles and culminating in a highly anticipated brawl between Ip and Hung atop a rickety table. Even after gaining the respect of the masters, Ip's troubles are far from over. Hong Kong under British rule is a world of corruption, and when a Western-‐style boxer named Taylor "Twister" Milos comes to town to entertain the British upper class, and insults both Chinese martial arts and the native citizens in a horrifically violent way, Ip must step up to fight for the honor of both his kung fu and the Chinese people. Forced by honor to enter a brutal "King of the Ring" boxing match against Twister, it's East versus West in an amazing, knock-‐down drag-‐out fight to the finish, the likes of which have never been seen on screen before. Presented in the original, undubbed and uncut, international version that's been breaking box-‐office records across Asia, Ip Man 2: Legend of the Grandmaster is a throwback to the golden age of Hong Kong martial arts cinema that will delight kung fu fans and newcomers alike when it hits theaters across the US and Canada on January 28, 2011.

IP MAN 2 – SYNOPSIS (SHORT FORM) International megastar Donnie Yen reprises his iconic role as the real-‐life kung fu grandmaster Ip Man, widely created as the man who brought Wing Chun kung fu to the world with the help of his star pupil-‐ Bruce Lee. Master Ip, a new arrival in British-‐occupied Hong Kong, wants to open a martial arts academy to teach his unique Wing Chun style. But a corrupt cabal of martial arts masters, led by Master Hung (Sammo Hung) refuses to allow him to teach in peace until he proves himself in a series of fights against the local master, which Ip does, in style. But even after earning the respect of the local masters, Ip’s troubles are far from over. Hong Kong under British rule is a new world of corruption and conflict between the Chinese locals and the British expats that run the city. When a Western-‐style boxer named “Twister” (Darren Shahlavi) comes to town to entertain the Brits, he insults Chinese martial arts in a horrifically violent way, and Ip is forced by honor to enter a brutal “King of the Ring” boxing match against Twister-‐ and it’s East versus West in an amazing, knock-‐down drag-‐out fight to the finish.

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

Producer Raymond Wong announced that there would be a sequel to 2008’s IP MAN prior to its theatrical release. This is a rarity in Hong Kong cinema, but after seeing the rough cut of the first film, Wong decided that the film was so strong that it made no sense to wait until the opening to get started on a follow-‐up. After having a good experience on the set of the first film, all of the principal cast and crew quickly agreed to reprise their positions. Director Wilson Yip and screenwriter Edmond Wong returned, and began work on the story. Donnie Yen agreed to return as the titular character, Ip Man, as did Xiong Dai-‐lin (aka Lynn Chun) as Ip’s wife. Sammo Hung, who had handled the action choreography in the first film, returned as well for choreography duties, but it was soon announced he would also be playing a main role as rival Hung Ga Kung Fu master Hung Chun-‐nam. However, as the script developed, it quickly became evident that rather than being a traditional sequel, the needs of the story (both from the standpoint of the real-‐life story of Ip Man, who migrated to Hong Kong and began a new life there after escaping the Japanese occupation of his hometown of Foshan in China, and to avoid the “sequel trap” of a repetitive narrative designed solely to reintroduce beloved characters) were turning the film into less of a sequel, and more of a stand-‐alone film. Several actors from the first film were disappointed to learn that they would not be returning for the second film. The result is the rare sequel that, while taking place following the events of the first film (which is set in Foshan, China in 1938, whereas IP MAN 2 is set in Hong Kong in 1949), does not require the viewer to have seen the first film to immediately understand what’s happening. In fact, there are only a handful of characters that reprise their roles from the first film, aside from Donnie Yen as Ip Man and Xiong Dai-‐ling as his wife. Fan Sui-‐Wong, who briefly appeared in the first film as a rival martial arts master from the North region who challenged Ip Man to a fight, reprises his role as Jin Shanzhao, who has reinvented himself as a businessman in Hong Kong. The screenwriters took great pains to make sure his introduction into the story of IP MAN 2 would not confuse viewers who had not seen the first one. This worked, according to screenwriter Edmund Wong, because Shanzhao had “reinvented himself anyway”, so one needed not know his troubled past to appreciate his role in the story. In addition, acclaimed actor Simon Yam makes a brief special appearance as his character from IP MAN, Chow Ching-‐chuen. Having been shot in the head by a Japanese soldier in the first film, he survives, but has become mentally ill, and roams the Hong Kong streets as a beggar in IP MAN 2. The filmmakers initially were hesitant to include him, but both Yam and his character were so loved by Chinese audiences, they could not resist giving him a minor role. The filmmakers have expressed that while IP MAN was about survival, IP MAN 2 is about living. While the intention was to elevate the action scenes for the second film, an equal emphasis was placed on character and storyline. Director Wilson Yip believes that because of this, IP MAN 2 is a far stronger film than IP MAN. Principal photography began in Shanghai in August 2009. Almost immediately, a setback delivered a near-‐devastating blow to the production when Sammo Hung unexpectedly had to undergo major cardiac surgery, which he attributed to his weight, long hours, and the stressful

lifestyle that comes with filmmaking. Returning to work against doctors’ orders in just four days, the production schedule was shifted so that Hung’s dramatic scenes would come first, and his martial scenes would be filmed last, with hopes that he’d have time to recover to full strength. Hung did not disappoint, vigorously throwing himself into his martial scenes to the delight of the crew, as well as a gaggle of reporters who had come to watch the filming of the much-‐anticipated battle between Donnie Yen and Sammo Hung-‐ which takes place on top of a rickety table (whoever falls off loses). Hung injured himself filming the fight scene against “Twister” (played by veteran stuntman and actor Darren Shahlavi), taking a blow to the face that required four stitches, but in traditional Sammo Hung fashion he insisted on finishing the day’s filmmaking before finally allowing the staff to take him to the hospital-‐ five hours later. As the script depicted the differences between Wing Chun and several other forms of kung fu, great care was taken to ensure the different styles were depicted accurately. Ip Chun, son of Ip Man, was brought on as chief Wing Chun advisor, and the roles of the other Masters that Ip would be required to face off against were carefully cast. The role of Master Law, a Monkey Kung Fu expert, was given to Lo Mang, a veteran martial artist and star of many Shaw Brothers films, including the seminal works FIVE DEADLY VENOMS (he plays Toad) and INVINCIBLE SHAOLIN (aka UNBEATABLE DRAGON). The role of Master Cheng, the Baguazhang (circle walking) master, went to Fung Hak-‐On, who in addition to multiple “bad guy” roles in classic films such as PRODIGAL BOXER and HEROES TWO, and recent classics such as KUNG FU HUSTLE and POLICE STORY, held choreography duties on such films as John Woo’s LAST HURRAH FOR CHIVALRY. The rest of the cast took their responsibility to their roles equally seriously, as the success of the first film made them realize that much attention would be paid to their performances. Huang Xiao-‐ming, who plays Wong Leung, an impulsive but talented pupil of Ip Man, spent months being trained in Wing Chun martial arts, going so far as to convert his hotel room into a gym, with weights and the special Wing Chun training sticks (which we see Ip Man utilize several times in the film). He was ordered to stop using them after showing up on set with massive bruises all over his arms from excessive training, which did not fit his character-‐ a neophyte to Wing Chun training in the film, his bruises were “akin to those you would see on a master who had been training heavily for years”. The result is a film that harkens back to the old school Hong Kong martial arts films-‐ not surprising for a film featuring so many martial arts veterans. Eschewing “wire-‐fu” for the most part, while updating production values and placing a strong emphasis on story and entertainment value for modern audiences, IP MAN 2 was well received by Chinese audiences, breaking box office records in multiple countries (and beating IRON MAN 2 on its opening weekend).

KNOW YOUR KUNG FU! Several kung-‐fu styles are represented in IP MAN 2, most notably in the “table fight” scene, where Master Ip, in order to receive approval to teach martial arts in Hong Kong, must accept challenges from the local masters atop a rickety office table. Do you know your kung fu?

WING CHUN Practiced by Ip Man in the film (and in real life), Wing Chun is initially derided by other masters as only being “suitable for girls.” They change their tune quickly, however, after seeing the ferociousness with which Ip Man effortlessly defeats opponents. Accounts on the origin of Wing Chun differ, but the most common version names southern Shaolin nun Ng Mui as its founder. While visiting Foshan in Guangdong in the late Qing dynasty, Ng Mui came across Yim Wing-‐chun, the beautiful daughter of a tofu vender who was often harassed by local gangsters. To help her defend herself, Ng Mui then taught her select moves that were suitable for girls. Being a talented learner, Yim Wing-‐chun soon gained a grasp on the essence of the moves. She developed a series of moves for practice and named them “Wing Chun.” Developed as a method of self-‐defense for women, Wing Chun is a practical school of boxing characterized by its tall and narrow stance, relaxed softness, and directness of action in contrast with the low and wide stance and high-‐impact moves of other schools. Toward the end of the reign of Emperor Jiaquin, Master Yim married Leung Bok-‐sau and taught him all she had learned. Leung eventually taught Wing Chun to Wong Wah-‐bo and Leung Yi-‐tai on a boat in exchange for the manual of the six and a half point pole, which has since become an essential weapon used by Wing Chun practitioners. According to the historical documents of Foshan, Wong Wah-‐bo passed his Wing Chun skills to Leung Chun, a respected local doctor with a very good reputation, extensive social network, and a passion for martial arts. Despite his wide exposure in martial arts, he was hardly satisfied with his skills until he learned Wing Chun from Wong. Recognizing the superb tactics and mastery of power and stance in Wing Chun, Leung put his heart into it and mastered the Siu Nim Tau, Chum Kiu (Seeking Bridge) and Bil Jee (Darting Fingers) forms, as well as wooden dummy boxing, the six and a half point pole, and eight slashing knives. He also put Wing Chun to practical use and gave local bullies and gangsters a hard time. Wing Chun became well-‐known in Lingnan as a result, while Leung acquired fame as the King of Wing Chun. However, being a philanthropist, Leung spent most of his time on his medical practice instead of Wing Chun teaching, and only Chan and Leung Bik learned Wing Chun from him. Although the legend was known by many, it was only practiced by a few and was therefore regarded as a mystery. Living in Chan village in Foshan, Chan Wah-‐shun worked as a money changer in his youth and was known as Money Changer Wah. He frequently visited Leung’s clinic for work and eventually became Leung’s pupil and learned the essence of his art. After the death of Leung, more and more people approached Wah for guidance on Wing Chun. Wah then quit his work as a money changer and concentrated on Wing Chun teaching. He was the first Wing Chun master to establish his own wushu school.

Apart from boxing sequences and individual moves, Chi Sau (hand-‐sticking) is another important element of Wing Chun that requires extensive training to master. One-‐on-‐one coaching is required and Wah was obliged to keep only a few pupils and charge expensive rates. Therefore, most of his pupils were boys from rich families and Wing Chun acquired a reputation as boxing for rich boys. Among Wah's pupils were Ng Chung-‐sok, Ho Hon-‐lui, Lui Yu-‐chai, his own son Chan Yu-‐gum, and Ip Man -‐ his last pupil, who would eventually turn Wing Chun into one of the most popular Chinese martial arts. Ip joined Wah’s wushu school at the age of seven. Then an old man, Wah was very fond of the boy and taught him with great devotion. After the death of Wah, Ng Chung-‐sok, his first pupil, took very good care of Ip and continued to guide him in his practice. After three years of hard work, Ip had learned the essence of Wah's skills. Relocating to Hong Kong to pursue his studies, Ip, then 16 years old, met Leung Bik, the second son of Leung Chun. Ip then studied under Leung Bik for three years. It proved a great opportunity for him, and Ip saw great advancement in his skills. Upon his return to Foshan, Ip supported the cause of justice with his expertise in martial arts and once again brought great fame to the art of Wing Chun. However, with the invasion of the Japanese, Ip fled with his family and did not have a chance to teach. After the Sino-‐Japanese War, Ip revisited Hong Kong and settled down to teach Wing Chun. After painstaking scouting, he found a teaching job at a restaurant employees union on Tai Nam street in Sham Shui Po with the recommendation of his friend Li Man, and took up a career in teaching. Well-‐educated in western science and reason, Ip taught Wing Chun in a scientific manner, stressing the importance of logic, line, and angle of attack, control of force, and psychology, among other things. He also abandoned the traditional way of teaching and encouraged learners to look further than specific moves and instead try to grasp the essence, and strike as their hearts pleased. Ip taught differently according to the abilities of each pupil, ensuring each of them learned efficiently and developed their own talents. The art of Wing Chun flourished with Ip’s new way of teaching. Unlike many other teachers, Ip encouraged his pupils to engage in combat with outsiders in order to understand their own weaknesses. This helped spread the name of Wing Chun throughout the city and attracted many talented young people to Ip’s school. The late kung fu superstar, Bruce Lee, who introduced Chinese martial arts to the world, was one of them. Ip spent a lifetime teaching Wing Chun and many of his pupils enjoyed great success, gaining enormous fame for the art of Wing Chun in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia. With his invaluable contribution to the development of Wing Chun, Ip came to be regarded as one of the greatest masters by Wing Chun practitioners. From a method of self-‐defense for women, Wing Chun developed into a powerful practical combat martial art over several decades, and from its origin in Foshan, it has established fame and a keen following in different corners of the world. Highly regarded around the world, it is now the most popular form of Chinese wushu among foreigners. There is an agreed account on its origin and development: founded by Yim Wing-‐chun, the art took roots in the hands of Leung Chun and blossomed under Ip Man.

MONKEY KUNG FU Practiced in the film by Master Law (played by Lo Meng), Monkey Kung Fu is featured in many martial arts films, as it is immensely entertaining to watch practiced. There are actually a number of independently developed versions of Monkey Kung Fu, however, the Hou Quan style is the most common, and is the style that has survived today. Originated by the famed “Monkey King” Xiao Yingpeng, Hou Quan Monkey Kung Fu combines monkey-‐like movements with

extensive use of specialized weaponry, and traditional moves including flips, handsprings, spins, and a low position of attack/defense.

BAGUAZHANG Reportedly created by Taoist and Buddhist masters in the early 19th century, Baguazhang is a graceful, fluid style of martial arts, most recognizable by the trademark “circle walking” that is used during training. Practiced in the film by Master Lam, Baguazhang often involves concealed weaponry, low stances, and periodic changes of direction to keep one's opponent off-‐guard. An emphasis is placed on “flow”, which manifests itself in an ability to fight multiple opponents at once, and smooth coiling and uncoiling actions.

HUNG GA Practiced in the film by Master Hung (played by Sammo Hung), Hung Ga is a particularly brutal style of kung fu, emphasizing physical force and strong punches. One of the five major “family styles” of Southern Chinese martial arts (along with Choy Ga, Mok Ga, Lau Ga, and Li Ga), the legend states that Hung Ga was taught to Hung Hei-‐Gun by Zen master Jee Sin at the Shaolin Temple. Hung went on to teach the style under a different school name, as Shaolin arts were banned by the Manchus at the time, and pupils of Shaolin masters faced persecution and death.

ABOUT THE NORTH AMERICAN RELEASE Hong Kong’s martial arts films, while immensely popular, have not had it easy in North America as far as theatrical releases go. After falling out of favor when the grindhouses gave way to the home video and cable TV revolution in the early 80s, they re-‐emerged onto the big screen thanks to the fantastic stunt work on display in Jackie Chan films in the 1990s, such as RUMBLE IN THE BRONX, SUPER COP (formerly POLICE STORY 3), and JACKIE CHAN’S FIRST STRIKE. But after initially resisting the call to Hollywood (Stallone famously offered the Wesley Snipes role in DEMOLITION MAN to Chan), Chan quickly made the leap with the massively successful RUSH HOUR series, as well as the SHANGHAI NOON films-‐ which established him as a comedy actor, rather than a martial arts star, in North America. The films of Jet Li briefly filled the void, however, after the US release of BLACK MASK, Li also made the jump to Hollywood, taking roles in LETHAL WEAPON 4 and other English-‐language action films such as ROMEO MUST DIE, THE ONE, KISS OF THE DRAGON, and CRADLE 2 THE GRAVE. While Hong Kong films occasionally continued to see release, it was often years after their original release in Hong Kong (notably, the six-‐year gap between DRUNKEN MASTER II’s 1994 Hong Kong release and its 2000 US release, retitled THE LEGEND OF THE DRUNKEN MASTER). In addition, most of these films were heavily altered in an attempt to appeal to US audiences. Subtitles were eschewed in favor of English-‐language dubs, and the films often underwent a drastic re-‐edit, removing up to 30% of the running time, with the idea being American audiences had no interest in story and merely wanted to get to the next fight scene (the lackluster scripts of some of the imported films, admittedly, not helping matters). American music, often rap, was dubbed in an effort to appeal to the so-‐called “urban” audience who had embraced the Wu-‐Tang Clan and their martial arts mythology. Meanwhile, the sensibilities of mainstream US audiences were shifted by the success of CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, with less interest shown towards harder-‐edged kung fu films and more focus on epic, romance and intrigue-‐filled films that only featured light martial arts scenes, usually with extensive wire work. As “wire-‐fu” caught on, Yuen Wo-‐Ping and his stunt team infiltrated American action films such as THE MATRIX, CHARLIE’S ANGELS, and KILL BILL, giving the martial arts audience a high-‐budget fix with familiar American faces. As such, Hong Kong/Chinese films largely disappeared from the big screen, with only a handful of foreign action films (Thailand’s ONG BAK 1 and 2 and CHOCOLATE, Korea’s TYPHOON) seeing a US theatrical release after that. For the release of IP MAN 2: LEGEND OF THE GRANDMASTER, Well Go USA and Variance Films have partnered in an effort to reverse that trend. IP MAN 2 is being presented in its full, original Hong Kong version. Not a frame has been cut from the film, and the film has not been dubbed. North American audiences will see the film as international audiences did, and only a few months after the Hong Kong theatrical release at that. Well Go USA and Variance Films will also release Donnie Yen’s follow-‐up to IP MAN 2, LEGEND OF THE FIST, to theaters in the US and Canada on April 15, 2011, also uncut and undubbed.

CREW BIOS

DIRECTOR – Wilson Yip A film buff at an early age, Yip went to the cinema whenever he could and often wrote reviews on the back of ticket stubs. He entered the movie business in the 1980s, starting out as a "gofer" and worked his way up to Assistant Director, where he worked on over 20 films – learning and absorbing the art of filmmaking. In 2005, Yip directed the highly admired SPL: SHA PO LANG (AKA KILL ZONE), starring Simon Yam and Donnie Yen. He later re-‐teamed with Yen in 2006 for an adaptation of a Hong Kong manga, DRAGON TIGER GATE. In 2007, he directed FLASH POINT, another martial-‐arts crime/drama in the same vein as SPL, starring Donnie Yen, Louis Koo, and Collin Chou. In 2008, Yip directed his most critically acclaimed film, IP MAN. The box office hit featured fight choreography by Sammo Hung and immediately shot to number one on its opening week in Hong Kong, earning over HK$2.8 million. After seven weeks of theatrical release in Hong Kong, IP MAN grossed HK$25 million domestically, ranking as the 8th highest-‐grossing film for 2008. Following its success, the film was nominated for 12 Hong Kong Film Awards, winning Best Film and Best Action Choreography. Moving forward, Yip directed the sequel IP MAN 2, produced by Raymond Wong. The film is currently the highest-‐grossing Hong Kong film to be released in the country, beating a five-‐year record held by KUNG FU HUSTLE. PRODUCER -‐ Raymond Wong Raymond Wong is a Hong Kong actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, and presenter. He is one of the most successful producers in Hong Kong cinema, having been one of the comedians to establish Cinema City Studios in 1980. Wong formed the renowned Cinema City Co., Ltd. with Karl Maka and Dean Shek. The production company became an industry phenomenon, producing films such as A BETTER TOMORROW, ACES GO PLACES, PRISON ON FIRE, and ALL ABOUT AH-‐LONG. Actors such as Chow Yun-‐fat, Leslie Cheung, and Ti Lung -‐ along with filmmakers John Woo, Ringo Lam, and Tsui Hark were some of the people who rose to fame under the Cinema City label. In 1991, the trio broke up with both Maka and Shek ending their interests in the film industry. Wong eventually formed Mandarin Films Distribution Co. Ltd. later that year, while continuing to establish himself as a successful film producer. Mandarin went on to produce films such as THE BRIDE WITH WHITE HAIR, DRAGON TIGER GATE, FLASH POINT, IP MAN, and IP MAN 2 with Wong often serving as an executive producer for the films produced.

CAST BIOS Donnie Yen (Ip Man)

A prominent martial arts superstar in Hong Kong, Donnie Yen debuted in Hollywood with HIGHLANDER ENDGAME and starred in Guillermo del Toro’s BLADE 2, for which he was also in charge of action choreography. Yen’s enthralling performance as Sky in Zhang Yimou’s international blockbuster HERO has earned him accolades as an accomplished actor beyond his martial arts skills. His recent starring roles include SEVEN SWORDS, KILL ZONE (SPL), AN EMPRESS AND THE WARRIORS, PAINTED SKIN, IP MAN 1 & 2, and the upcoming LEGEND OF THE FIST: THE RETURN OF CHEN ZHEN (which will be released theatrically by Well Go USA and Variance Films on April 15, 2010).

Sammo Hung (Master Hung Chun-‐nam) Born in Hong Kong, Sammo Hung's acting career began as a child while training in acrobatics, martial arts, and dance at the China Drama Academy. He received acclaim for his performance with a troupe called "The Seven Little Fortunes." He made his feature film debut as an actor at the age of 12, and has worked in numerous martial arts films as an actor, director, producer, and choreographer, collaborating with highly acclaimed stars such as Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, and filmmakers such as John Woo. In 2008, Hung choreographed the movie IP MAN. His stunning choreographic work gained him Best Action Choreography at the 28th Hong Kong Film Awards and also at the 46th Golden Horse Awards. Hung’s multiple credits, now spanning four decades, are simply too numerous to fully detail, but highlights include appearances in the Hong Kong films KILL ZONE (SPL), 14 BLADES, KUNG FU CHEFS, AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS, ZU WARRIORS, MR. NICE GUY, and WHEELS ON MEALS. His directorial credits include ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA AND AMERICA, MR. NICE GUY, and LORD OF THE WU-‐TANG, and his action choreography credits include IP MAN, IP MAN 2, DETECTIVE DEE AND THE MYSTERY OF THE PHANTOM FLAME, additional work on KUNG FU HUSTLE and ENTER THE DRAGON, and, of course, his short-‐lived (but cult favorite) 1998-‐2000 US television show, MARTIAL LAW (complete with crossover appearance on WALKER, TEXAS RANGER). Simon Yam (Chow Ching-‐Chuen) A Hong Kong actor and film producer, Simon Yam starred in the Japanese-‐Hong Kong co-‐production of BLOODFIGHT. This was the first of its kind in which English was spoken throughout the entire film. He later gained critical acclaim for his role as the maniacal Judge in FULL CONTACT. In 1993, he starred as "Dhalsim" in FUTURE COPS, Wong Jing's Hong Kong parody of STREET FIGHTER. Yam starred as the king of vampires in ATV's television series MY DATE WITH A VAMPIRE 2. In 2003, Yam made his American film debut with the action packed sequel LARA CROFT TOMB RAIDER: THE CRADLE OF LIFE, as a henchman opposite Angelina Jolie. His recent starring roles include IP MAN 1 & 2, where he plays the role of a former owner of a cotton mill in

Foshan. Darren SHAHLAVI (Twister)

After moving to Hong Kong to pursue a career in action cinema, Shahlavi was discovered by famed martial arts choreographer and director Yuen Woo Ping, who signed him to play the bad guy opposite Wu Jing in TAI CHI 2. Shahlavi has done stunts in studio films such as THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK, NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM, 300, BLADE: TRINITY, WATCHMEN, and his latest – IP MAN 2.

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