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.

The first episode will be repeated on the same day at 10pm on HBO.

Starring Danny McBride, Golden Globe winner John Goodman, Edi Patterson and Adam Devine, “The Righteous Gemstones” tells the story of a world-famous televangelist family with a long tradition of deviance, greed and charitable work.

Well into the second generation of the grand televangelist tradition, the renowned Gemstone family is living proof that worship pays dividends in all sizes, including their megachurch. McBride plays Jesse Gemstone, the eldest of three grown Gemstone offspring, who looks to lead in his father’s footsteps, but finds his past sins jeopardising the family ministry.

Playing Jesse’s siblings are Devine as pseudo-hipster Kelvin, the youngest of the trio and a thorn in Jesse’s side, and Patterson as Judy, who is secretly living with her fiancé and dreams of escaping the Gemstone compound.

Goodman is Eli, the family’s patriarch, who finds himself at a crisis point as he mourns the loss of his wife, Aimee-Leigh (Jennifer Nettles), and questions the Gemstones’ mission.

The series was created by McBride, who is also executive producer and director, alongside Jody Hill and David Gordon Green.

“The Righteous Gemstones” marks the third HBO series for the Rough House Pictures team of McBride, Hill and Green, following “Eastbound & Down” and “Vice Principals.” McBride wrote and directed the pilot, with Green and Hill splitting directing duties on the other eight episodes.