About The Director - Edmond Pang
Renowned for his genre-bending and high concept works, Pang
Ho-cheung is one of the most promising Hong Kong directors
of his generation. He started his showbiz career as a TV
writer and his first novel (Fulltime Killer) was adapted to
screen by director Johnnie To and starred pop idols Andy Lau
and Takashi Sorimachi.
In 1999, he financed his directorial debut with the short
film Summer Exercise, which won an award at IFVA and became
the first Hong Kong title to be nominated for Best Short
Film at the Golden Horse Awards.
In 2001, he shot his first feature film You Shoot, I Shoot,
a black comedy about a down-on-his-luck hit man, who was hit
hard by the Asian financial crisis in 1997 and must make
ends meet by resorting to extreme measures. It was heralded
as a phenomenal cult film and won Best Screenplay at the 7th
Golden Bauhinia Awards.
In 2003, he was named Best New Director for Men Suddenly in
Black at the Hong Kong Film Awards. The film has also earned
the Best Supporting Actor Award for Tony Leung Ka-fai.
In 2004, praised by Variety as the amalgamation of Claude
Lelouch and Wong Kar Wai, he became the youngest director
with a feature tribute in the history of the Tokyo
International Film Festival with his 3rd feature film Beyond
Our Ken.
In 2005, his subsequent feature AV was officially selected
in the Tokyo International Film Festival.
Isabella is his latest feature that marks his debut as
producer.Filmography : Summer Exercise (1999), You Shoot
I Shoot (2001), Men Suddenly in Black (2003), Beyond Our Ken
(2004), AV (2005)
Director's Statement
The beauty of filmmaking is its ability to present subtle
changes of the world, studying each incident from different
angles and leading the way into a maze, a dead end or what
is sometimes nothing but a game.
Life is full of regrets. In retrospect, we all wish that we
had been more resolute, more determined and more mature. But
given a chance to undo the damage, we might sacrifice even
more.
The consequence of one mistake can sometimes, ironically,
amend that of another.
Everything about Macau is meticulous. What’s even more
beckoning is that among the decadent back alleys, there
exists a certain purity and innocence, exuding a flavor that
is totally different from Hong Kong.
The name Isabella is a promise to God. It is also, at least
for the time being, the shape and form of films I wish to
present. Personally, Isabella is not just a film, but also a
ballad of the good old days.
Cast
CHAPMAN TO as SHING
Discovered by a TV producer in 1994, Chapman started his
acting career with Asia Television. After a most memorable
performance in the drama series My Date with a Vampire in
1999, he branched out onto the big screen. In 2002, he was
nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 22nd Hong Kong
Film Awards for his scene-stealing performance in Infernal
Affairs and again in 2003 as he reprised his role of Keung
in the sequel Infernal Affairs II.
Chapman first collaborated with Pang Ho-cheung in 2003 on
Men Suddenly in Black and earned nominations for Best
Supporting Actor at the 40th Golden Horse Awards and the 9th
Golden Bauhinia Awards.
Isabella was the first project from Not Brothers, which
Chapman formed with Pang Ho-cheung in 2005. It was provided
him with his first leading role and his debut as a film
producer.
ISABELLA LEONG as YAN
Isabella began her career as a model in 2003 and went on to
become a pop singer and actress. She released her first
album 【Isabella】in 2004 and won multiple new comer awards at
various Music Awards in Hong Kong.
She made her film debut in the Pang Brothers’ The Eye –
Infinity and starred in Law Chi Leung’s Bug Me Not for which
she earned a Best New Performer nomination at the 42nd
Golden Horse Awards.
J.J. JIA as HUA
Born in Jinan in Shandong province, Jia took part in
producer Gary Tang’s Shanghai Legend in 2004 and has been
actively involved in making commercials and TV productions.
For two consecutive years, she was the Image Girl for “Salon
Ide”.
DEREK TSANG AS Yan's Suitor
Derek had taken up various positions when he joined Peter
Chan’s Applause Pictures, including assistant director and
production assistant. In 2003, with the funding from the
Hong Kong Arts Development Council, he made his first
independent film Room with his partner Wan Chi Man.
In addition to his work behind the screen, Derek followed
the footsteps of his famous actor-father Eric Tsang and
received rave reviews for his role in AV in 2005. In
Isabella, he co-wrote the screenplay and played Yan’s high
school classmate who had a crush on her.
MEME TIAN as KATE
A graduate of the Central Academy of Drama in Beijing, Meme
Tian gave her first indelible performance in Fruit Chan’s
horror film Dumpling Three: Extreme. She won rave reviews
starring opposite Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Richie Jen in
Jingle Ma’s action thriller Seoul Raiders. |
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