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The Star
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Cannes-winning film to compete at Danang Asian Film Festival 2025
HANOI: Black Dog, the winning film of the Un Certain Regard section at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, will compete in the Asian Film section at the third Danang Asian Film Festival (DANAFF III). In addition to Black Dog, 13 other films will compete in the same section, notably including Mua Tren Canh Buom (Don't Cry, Butterfly), directed by emerging Vietnamese filmmaker Duong Dieu Linh. DANAFF, which comes this year to the coastal city from June 29 to July 5, is co-organised by the Danang Department of Culture and Sports and the Vietnam Film Development Association (VFDA). With the theme 'Asian Bridges', DANAFF will be attended by Asian and international filmmakers, famous Vietnamese filmmakers and artists, alongside screenings from young filmmakers and is expected to attract numerous cinematic fans to the coastal city. The Venice jury praised the 'Don't Cry', Butterfly's uniqueness and creativity, which 'mixes comedy, social drama and fantasy while depicting the complexities of a mother-daughter relationship'. Photo courtesy of An Nam Productions Black Dog tells a story about Lang, newly released from prison, who heads back to his hometown in Northwest China. While working on a team clearing stray dogs before the 2008 Olympics, he forms a touching bond with one black stray. The film director, Guan Hu, is a Chinese filmmaker associated with the Sixth Generation movement, known for their gritty realism movies, who best known for Mr Six, The Eight Hundred and Cow. The film won the 2024 Venice Film Festival Critics′ Week Grand Prize and the Most Innovative Film Award at Settimana Internazionale della Critica. The Chair of the Vietnam Cinema Promotion Association and Executive Director of the DANAFF III, Ngo Phuong Lan, said that DANAFF III will mark a significant step up in terms of scale, duration and programming compared to its previous two editions. "Expanding from five official days in the past editions to seven this year, the festival will showcase over 100 selected films, up from 46 in DANAFF I and 63 in DANAFF II," she said. "The number of screenings has also doubled to approximately 200, compared to 100 last year." One of the highlights of DANAFF III is the introduction of the Panorama of Asian Cinema, which showcases outstanding Asian films that have earned acclaim at international film festivals, along with world premieres debuting at DANAFF. This year also marks the launch of the Asian Film Critics Award within the Panorama programme. A selected programme highlights Vietnam war-themed films in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of National Reunification, as well as a country-in-focus programme highlighting Korean cinema. These will be followed by two major seminars, including 'The Legacy of Vietnamese War Cinema Post-Reunification', which offers in-depth evaluations of the genre's achievements and cultural impact. The seminar 'Korean Cinema: Lessons from Global Success and Industrial Development' which will explore both creative content and policy frameworks, with participation from film scholars, industry professionals and educators from Korea and Vietnam. Lan said: "Korean and Vietnamese cinema shared thematic and stylistic similarities during the 1960s–70s, Korean cinema surged forward from the 1990s, leaving a lasting mark on the international scene. We aim to draw practical lessons and inspiration for regional cinema industries." The festival will also see the launch of DANAFF Talents, a series of training, networking, and film development activities for young and emerging filmmakers, including the 'Nurturing Talent' Acting Workshop, the Project Incubator and Master Classes led by industry experts. For the first time, the Project Incubator is introduced as a core component of DANAFF Talents, featuring two main categories, Art-house Film Projects and Genre Film Projects, with a total of 14 standout projects selected for development. As with previous editions, DANAFF III also continues key features that have become its hallmarks, such as the Film Achievement Award, honouring an outstanding Asian filmmaker who has made significant contributions to the development of cinema. In addition to in-competition films and selected programmes' films, the festival will feature screenings of Vietnamese Contemporary Cinema, featuring 18 recently produced Vietnamese films. The festival will have free screenings in theatres and outdoor public spaces. Additionally, Danang audiences can engage in conversations and exchanges with artists and film crews. Nguyen Thi Anh Thi, Vice Chair of the Danang People's Committee, Head of the Organising Committee of DANAFF said: "I hope that in the future, DANAFF will grow to become a prominent film festival in the region like the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea." — Vietnam News/ANN
What's On
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- What's On
Guns N' Roses in Abu Dhabi: Discography, distortion, dis-chord?
The biggest rock band on the planet storms the capital this month… It's often believed that two years marks a full circle. Two-year plans, two-year transformations, two-year sentences. Whether that has anything to do with touring or not is anyone's guess – but right on cue, Axl Rose & Co. are back, bringing their bulletproof rock songbook to Abu Dhabi exactly two years since their last foot-stomping blowout in the desert. Yes, sweet child – it's happening again. On Tuesday, May 27, the Etihad Arena will trade air-conditioned civility for full-throttle chaos, as Guns N' Roses returns to unleash a no-holds-barred, riff-soaked set of their greatest hits. While Abu Dhabi's entertainment calendar has already served up its fair share of megawatt names this year, this just might be the capital's final massive gig before the city hits pause for the summer. But fret not, because GNR will be amping things up. Images: supplied, Getty What's All the Noise About? Formed in 1985 in the wild heart of Los Angeles, Guns N' Roses exploded onto the scene with a raw, turbo-charged fusion of hard rock, punk sneer and glam-metal swagger. Their debut album, Appetite for Destruction , landed in 1987 like a Molotov cocktail – spawning timeless anthems like Welcome to the Jungle , Sweet Child O' Mine , and Paradise City . It became the best-selling debut album of all time in the US. At their core, Guns N' Roses have always embodied beautiful, brutal contradiction. The volatile genius of Axl Rose, the effortless cool of Slash, the tight, driving rhythm section – all wrapped in a storm of excess, ego and electricity. They didn't just play rock. They lived it – loudly, recklessly, and unapologetically. Through meteoric rises, infamous feuds, years-long silences, and a landmark 2016 reunion tour that broke global records, Guns N' Roses have carved their place in the rock pantheon. Not quite grunge, not just glam — they're the gritty, guitar-shredding outlaws that simply refuse to fade. Still the Real Thing So why does a Guns N' Roses concert remain bucket-list-worthy in 2025? Because when it comes to live music, they deliver the full package – lock, headstock and barrel . Axl may not sprint like he used to, but the voice still cuts through the noise. Slash still rips like a man possessed. And the atmosphere? It's pure electricity. No gimmicks, no backing tracks – just a wall of sound and a crowd ready to scream along to every word. It's an experience that transcends generations. Whether you've been air-guitaring to November Rain since the '90s or just discovered Don't Cry on a vintage playlist, there's something unmistakably epic about watching these songs come to life on stage. Expect two hours of face-melting solos, cathartic singalongs, and raw, unfiltered rock – the kind that rattles your chest and reminds you why this genre will never die. Know before you go Whether you're brushing up or starting fresh, here are five must-know tracks to get you primed for May 27: Welcome to the Jungle ( Appetite for Destruction , 1987) Feral, iconic, instantly recognisable. The song that announces: 'You're not in Kansas anymore.' Sweet Child O' Mine ( Appetite for Destruction , 1987) The singalong. The solo. The moment the entire arena becomes one voice. Paradise City ( Appetite for Destruction , 1987) It starts like a sunset drive, ends like a fistfight in a dive bar. Rock perfection. Knockin' on Heaven's Door (Bob Dylan cover, 1990) Covered by many, owned by GNR. The kind of slow-burn anthem that hits different live. Don't Cry ( Use Your Illusion I , 1991) Every rock band has one heartbreaker that fans hold close – this is theirs. Guns N' Roses, Etihad Arena, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, Tue May 27, 8pm, from Dhs380.
Daily Mail
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
K-pop star horrifies fans with bizarre new look amid plastic surgery rumors
Veteran K-pop star Park Bom has horrified her longtime fans after sharing a series of bizarre selfies to social media. In the images, the 41-year-old's features look completely distorted and misshapen. Her eyes appeared to droop down in an unnatural shape, while her lips - which were smeared with lipstick - giving her an overexaggerated smile. It's difficult to tell if the 2NE1 singer has surgically altered her appearance or if she's just using filters and photo editing apps, but fans in the comment section seemed concerned. 'Queen Boomie, please stop editing your face with those filters, you're so pretty, they're unnecessary,' wrote one. 'What the hell has she done to her face?' asked another. The troubled star's evolving appearance has been a hot topic in South Korea for more than a decade now. But despite constant speculation that she may have tweaked her looks over the years, Bom has denied having plastic surgery multiple times. She's chalked some of the changes in her appearance down to weight gain, which is caused by lymphadenitis - a condition which can cause her face to swell. The Don't Cry hitmaker also said that it's hard for her to maintain a diet because she suffers from ADD (attention deficit disorder). In 2020, her record label denied speculation that she'd had surgery after she looked noticeably different during a public appearance. 'Some people say she got plastic surgery, but that's not the case,' they said. The label also said that she was suffering from stress which had caused weight gain. '[She] has had a hard time for a while due to stress,' they explained. 'So, we assured her to just be comfortable until her next album comes out. This has led to a slight weight gain which affected her facial feature as well.' Bom later became the spokesperson for the Korean weight loss clinic Juvis, and shed 11kg on the program. The songstress first shot to fame in 2009 as part of the K-pop girl group 2NE1. The quartet became one of the most successful acts in South Korean history and Bom went on to have a number of chart-topping solo singles. South Korea is known for having some of the strictest beauty standards in the world, and is revered for its cutting-edge plastic surgery procedures and skincare. Some of the most common physical features considered beautiful in the country include a V-line jaw, pale skin, double eyelids, a thin high nose, and a small face. According to statistics, nearly 25 per cent of women aged 19 to 29 in South Korea have undergone plastic surgery. The unrealistic beauty standards in the country have since sparked backlash, particularly from feminist groups. In 2022, a popular cosmetic surgery reality series was shut down following growing criticism from the public. The show, titled Let Me In, saw people come in and plead their case to receive a plastic surgery makeover so that they could improve their lives.
