“Following the success of HBO Asia’s Mandarin Original Series including the award-winning “The Teenage Psychic” and “The World Between Us”, we are pleased to bring yet another Mandarin production, ‘Adventure of the Ring’, to our audiences in Asia and around the world,” said Jonathan Spink, HBO Asia’s chief executive. “The heart-warming tales in HBO Asia’s first romantic comedy series will resonate with many.”

“Adventure of the Ring” tells the stories of different couples who come into contact with an engagement ring. On a morning commute, the ring is misplaced by a man on the day of his proposal, threatening to disrupt all his plans. Chris Wang plays Yi Zhi, the man who loses the ring and Allison Lin is Lisa, Yi Zhi’s intended bride. As the search for the ring continues, Yi Zhi and Lisa re-examine what love means to them as the ring travels through the hands of other couples and impacts their lives.

The series, which is helmed by Nelson Yeh and directed by Golden Bell-nominated Kitamura Tayoharu, is produced in partnership with Good Image with support from the Ministry of Culture of Taiwan, the Taipei Film Commission and the Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation.

HBO Asia started producing Original productions in 2012 and has aired 16 of them to date, including award-winning series, movies and documentaries such as the Japanese drama series “Miss Sherlock”; the network’s first original documentary, “The Talwars: Behind Closed Doors”, Chinese language drama series, “The Teenage Psychic”; two seasons of the network’s dark fantasy series “Halfworlds” and a horror mini-series, “Grace”.

Later this year, HBO Asia will premiere the second season of the award-winning series, “The Teenage Psychic”; a brand-new anthology series “Food Lore”, heartfelt stories told against the backdrop of Asian cuisine, as well as “Invisible Stories”, a drama series about the extraordinary stories hidden behind ordinary people.

After the series became available on Thursday, it has become a hot topic on social media and many have warned that the series should be watched in private with all the sex and nude scenes.

Directed by Masaharu Take (“100 Yen Love”), the series is based on Nobuhiro Motohashi’s non-fiction book Zenra Kantoku (“The Naked Director”) and chronicles Muranishi’s unusual and drama-filled life and well as his spectacular setbacks in an attempt to turn Japan’s porn industry on its head.

The series opens in the 1980s, with the life of Muranishi (Takayuki Yamada), who becomes a successful salesman of English encyclopaedias, providing us the first glimpse of his daring wit when he accidentally meets the yakuza.

His life turns upside down when the company went bankrupt and he witnesses his wife’s infidelity. He meets a young gangster (played by Shinnosuke Mitsushima) who tells him about the money to be made in a plastic-wrapped adult magazines.

Muranishi soon opens his own binibon that attract customers with fresh and daring ideas. But his rising fame becomes the attention of a corrupt police detective (Lily Franky), who works with a powerful business rival (Ryo Ishibashi) to ruin his success.

Muranishi stands up against them and sees a new business opportunity in porn videos. He tries to change the old taboo of AV movie rules and that takes him and the team into risky territory. When his idea becomes successful, he becomes the target of police and a powerful porn movie production company.

His reckless challenge attracts the beautiful art student Megumi (Misato Morita), who comes from a middle-class background, entered the prestigious Yokohama National University and dreams of studying art in Italy. But she also wants to act in AV of her own will. She debuts in the movie that Muranishi serves as director, cameraman and actor. That causes her to become famous with a new name Kaoru Kuroki.

What’s more she becomes a celebrity appearing on TV shows and expresses the empowerment of women with her signature unshaven armpits. Meanwhile Muranishi’s troubles keep coming in and he ends up in jail. His teams and also Kuroki are in desperate to get him out.

Playing the title role is maverick actor Takayuki Yamada, a veteran of Japanese films and TV shows such as “Train Man” (2005), “Crows Zero” (2007), “Ushijima the Loan Shark” (2010), and “Lessons of the Evil” (2012).

With his transformation into the Muranishi character, we hardly recognise the actor as he morphs himself to be the middle-aged serious director just like his co-star Tetsuji Tamayama. During an interview with them and also Shinnosuke Mitsushima, they look dazzling and not at all like they are in the series.

“I never bought an AV movie before, and just watching then for free. Working in this project makes me know that they are working hard in one project so I pay for it now,” says Yamada.

Yamada is a well-known actor. Even though Japanese movies and TV series are not popular among Thai audiences he is still a familiar face among Japanese movie and series fans. For years he appeared in many TV series like “Crying out love from the centre of the world”, the tense thriller drama “Byakuyakou” or the light-hearted series made from the popular comic of Adachi Misuru like “H2”.

“He is a headstrong. He forces people doing in what he wants. But he is full of charm and that attracts people to work for him,” says Yamada of his latest character. “He fearlessness led him to break into the AV movie industry.

“When I met him, he was very active despite being aged 71. His life is like a roller coaster.”

Yamada adds that he likes Muranishi and his energetic, reckless personality.

“But he is a crazy guy,” he adds.

Muranishi now blogs and sells his classic AV titles from his own website.

Mitsushima and Tateyama say that their characters are fictional so they don’t have the role model to work but they think that the it’s the opportunity to bring this topic into light.

“Japanese AV movies are unique compared with those of other countries. They have gimmicks and story ideas,” says Tateyama.

“People don’t speak out in public, so it’s a good opportunity to present the behind the scenes of this industry. These movies should earn respect like other movies,” says Mitsushima.

At that time there was a prejudice against adult videos and female actress were not accepted in the way they are now.

The series not only shows the world of the AV movie industry but also the economics and society of Japan in that era as well.

Since Netflix launches in Japan in 2015, the major original Japanese Netflix projects are animations with some TV series including the hit reality series “Terrace House” to the fantsy drama “Switched” and “My Husband Wont’ Fit”.

It is the highly anticipated follow-up to “Ilo Ilo” (2013), Chen’s first feature, which won the Camera d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, as well as four Golden Horse Awards, including for Best Film.

His second feature, which is expected to be released in Singapore later this year, will compete in the Platform programme, a section that recognises films with “audacious directors making bold choices”, according to former TIFF director Piers Handling on the festival’s website.

This is the first time a Singapore film has been selected for the section, where it will compete with nine other works. Films selected for Platform in the past include the Oscar-winning drama Moonlight (2016).

Wet Season stars Yeo Yann Yann, Christopher Lee, Yang Shi Bin and Koh Jia Ler, and tells the story of Ling, a Chinese-language teacher struggling with a failing marriage, who forms a life-changing friendship with a student.

Chen, 35, had previously told The Straits Times that 2018 was his year of fathering two babies: “The first one is a real baby – my wife and I had a baby boy at the end of August and it’s been life-changing.

“And the other baby is my new film, which we shot in the first half of this year.”

The Golden Horse, which awards excellence in Chinese-language cinema, will continue as planned, despite media reports that films and personnel from China will not participate this year, according to a statement issued Wednesday by the Ministry of Culture (MOC).

The ministry statement was made that day in response to a WeChat post made by Chinese media affiliated with the China Film Administration that the administration is suspending Chinese movies and its personnel from attending the awards in November 23. No reason was given for the suspension.

Despite any such suspension, the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival Executive Committee said the 56th Golden Horse Awards have already entered the judging stage and that related activities and events will still proceed, the statement said.

Asked by CNA how the Golden Horse Awards will be affected if one of the biggest movie-producing countries does not attend, the committee said only that it would “express regret if the suspension occurs. At present, the awards have already entered the judging stage and the various Golden Horse events will be held as usual.”

The events include an awards ceremony, a film festival, a Chinese-language film project platform, and a mentorship and development program, the committee said, adding that other questions regarding the impact of China’s refusal to take part will not be answered until Oct. 1.

Echoing these sentiments, the MOC also expressed regret and called for Chinese officials not to interfere with cultural exchanges because of political factors.

“If the authorities in China suspend the participation of Chinese films and personnel from attending the Golden Horse Awards, it will undoubtedly stifle the long-term efforts of Chinese filmmakers and restrict the freedom of Chinese film workers to participate in movie-related events,” the MOC statement said.

The speculated suspension leads on from last year’s Golden Horse Awards, which turned into a hotbed of discussion about Taiwan independence when Taiwanese documentary director Fu Yu said during an acceptance speech that she hoped Taiwan can be treated as an “independent entity.”

“It is my biggest wish as a Taiwanese,” Fu said at the time.

Following the remarks, Chinese director Zhang Yimou and award-winning actor Tu Men, also from China, used the terms “Chinese films” and “Taiwan, China” in their speeches during the ceremony.

However, a filmmaker in Beijing had a different opinion when interviewed by CNA, saying that even without Fu’s remarks last year, the suspension may still occur because he believes that the restrictions on China’s film and television have been severe over the past year.

China is believed to be making the move because it is “about to celebrate its 70th National Day, but is also facing the U.S.-China trade war and the ongoing Hong Kong protests, with Taiwan stuck in the middle of it all,” he said.

Meanwhile, a Taiwanese film and television worker who often travels between Taiwan and China told CNA that beginning last year, Chinese filmmakers have been pressured to not work with their counterparts in Taiwan, and now with the suspension, many Taiwanese filmmakers in China are thinking about returning to Taiwan.

“Even though financial capital may be smaller in Taiwan, at least there is freedom to create without restrictions,” he said.

The nomination list for the 56th Golden Horse Awards will be announced Oct. 1, while the awards ceremony will be held Nov. 23 at National Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei.

Reigning Miss Thailand World 2018, Pichapa Limsanukarn was the guest of honour on stage and crowned Narinthorn.

Aged 21, Narinthorn study on the forth-year at Thammasart University, Faculty of Arts, major in Phycology. She notes for the past one-year, she has intensively studied about Depressive Disorder and has been campaigning about it, and that is the reason why she decided to apply for the beauty pageant so as to voice about its situation.

“I’d like to voice the campaign ‘Let’s Me Hear You’, which is a non-profit project to help raising awareness and solving problem about depression. I was volunteer to help consulting the patients with my teachers and I think.

In the final round interview question, she was asked about what is best to describe Thai personality. She said is the ‘brave smile’. “No matter how bad the situation, happy or unhappy, Thai people is not only have a beautiful smile but we are brave to face any problems and smile,” she said.

The First-runner up goes to Phamolchanok Dhilokratchatasakul, and the Second-runner up is Dusita Tipgomut.

The winner of Miss Thailand World is presented with Bt1 million, a diamond crown, a car, and more. She will join the highly-anticipated Miss World final show will be broadcast globally to over 150 countries from London, England in November, where global fans can watch reigning Miss World, Vanessa Ponce de León, pass the crown to the 69th Miss World.

The event unveiled a wide array of creative possibilities for Thai digital citizens to leverage the platform, as well as the case being made that short-form videos are the future of content and TikTok’s roadmap to success in the market.

A study by MPIRE’s found that Thai people’s average daily time spent on mobile is higher than the average of Southeast Asia, at 4.2 hours versus 3.6 hours, according to the MeltWater media and social-media monitoring company. As well, almost 50 per cent of Thailand’s online population is taken up by the new generation, one-third of whom spend at least one hour daily consuming online video content.

TikTok sees itself as empowering users to express their talents to showcase to a global audience as part of a growing online community for creativity. TikTok also emphasises the need for a welcoming, positive and safe community while continuously innovating on policies, tools and resources. That combination has made TikTok a leading global platform for safeguarding its users, participants in the open house were told.

TikTok also hosted a “Let’s Get Started” workshop at the open house, offering a hands-on experience to media to allow them to create their first TikTok video. Media received hands-on TikTok 101 coaching from top creators in Thailand, including, “Tippiez”, a professional dancer who uses TikTok to drive her passion in creating dance videos that are shared with her fans around the world; “Phillip Cruz” a graphic designer who turns his creativity into unique TikTok videos and engages with his fans worldwide, “Artee” a first-year university student who spends his free time connecting with his TikTok fans through his fascinating transition videos; and “KengMumi”, and early TikTok pioneers who has built a huge fan base in just over one year.

“We are delighted to host our first-ever open house in Thailand today. We believe that TikTok offers endless opportunities which local brands and creators can leverage to tap into a dynamic audience,” said Surayot Aimlaor, head of brand marketing for Southeast Asia at TikTok. “We are looking forward to forging more local strategic partnerships that contribute to local culture, celebrate creativity and enhance diversity in Thailand.”

A true Middle Eastern production, “Dollar” is set in modern day Lebanon and stars veteran actors Adel Karam and Algerian-Lebanese Amal Bouchoucha.

Karam plays as an advertising mastermind Tarek whose tasked with coming up with a million dollar idea for the launch of a new bank. He’s got it, but will only share his idea with the chief executive. Something’s off, and the bank’s hard-hitting young chief financial officer Zeina (Bouchoucha), can sense it. But can she put the pieces of the puzzle together before things get out of hand?

“Dollar” is directed by renowned Syrian director, Samer Berkawi, the mastermind behind several regional award-winning hit shows including “Al Hayba and Half Day”. The show is produced by Cedars Art Production – Sabbah Brothers, a leading production company from the Middle East, and written by Hisham Hilal.

The new drama joins Netflix diverse and growing slate of Arabic productions, with a unique format of 15 episodes which aims to capture the attention of a newer and younger generation of audiences in the Middle East.

Talking about his second collaboration with Netflix, director Samer Berkawi said: “I’m truly excited to be working with Netflix on our new series “Dollar” and am confident that the show will appeal to Netflix’s audiences worldwide. This project is an exciting one, bringing together themes of suspense and drama that showcase Amal’s onscreen talents, as well as Adel’s versatility beyond the comedy that he is known and loved for.”

The new film has been a smash hit around the world, stacking up $616 million revenue (Bt18.99 billion) against the cartoon version’s $545 million.

In its main market, the United States, it is also fast catching up with the original, so far netting $351 million against its predecessor’s $422 million but it is certain to overtake that soon.

All of this adds extra excitement for Thai audiences because the upcoming Bangkok season of “The Lion King” musical will be live on stage this September at Muangthai Rachadalai Theatre.

One of the most successful musicals in history, “The Lion King” is on its way to Thailand for the first time for an exclusive season of performances running from September 14 to October 27.

The production has established a new level of artistry for musical theatre, from the staging, costumes and choreographym which are reminiscent of the vast African landscape, as well as its distinctive animal characters. The musical is also shaped by African music, language and arts.

Since its Broadway premiere on November 13, 1997, 25 global productions of theatrical show have been seen by 100 million people. The show has played in more than 100 cities in 20 countries on every continent except Antarctica. “The Lion King” won six 1998 Tony Awards and has also earned more than 70 major arts awards.

Ticket prices for “The Lion King” musical live in Bangkok start at Bt1,500 and are now available at all ThaiTicketMajor outlets and at www.thaiticketmajor.com.

For more information, please call (02) 262 3838. For further updates on “The Lion King” musical in Thailand, please log on to www.bectero.com or check out either www.facebook.com/bectero or www.facebook.com/TheLionKingTH.

But now, a domestic animation feature that combines computer animation and Chinese wash painting techniques, is to be made.

Wo Cong Zhongguo Lai Zhi Xiongmao Taishan (Taishan the Panda: I Come from China) is inspired by Taishan, the first giant panda to be born at the National Zoo in the United States, according to the producers.

The film will be jointly produced by Zhejiang University, The China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, and two Beijing-based film production companies.

The production will directed by Song Yuefeng, best known for the 2014 animated film Dragon Nest: Warriors’ Dawn, which earned 7.5 points out of 10 on China’s most popular film review site Douban.

Fang Shenguo, a wildlife expert and a professor at Zhejiang University, will be one of the scriptwriters.