11th Annual Festival - November 14-24, 2002 The 11th Annual St. Louis International Film Festival is proud to announce its program and schedule for the 2002 festival. There are a number of films in the program that particular interest to the St. Louis Chinese, Taiwanese and Chinese-American communities. Posted below are synopses and showtimes, plus ticket information. Flowers of Shanghai (Hai shang hua) Wednesday, Nov. 20, 6:30 p.m., Tivoli Theatre* Taiwan, 1998, 130 min. Director: Hsiao-hsien Hou Main Cast: Tony Leung, Michiko Hada, Carina Lau, Michele Monique Reis, Jack Kao Language: Shanghainese with English subtitles The elegant brothels of late-19th-century Shanghai are a hermetic world with highly ritualized codes of behavior. The film traces the destinies of the beautiful flower girls, whose lives depend on their ability to win and hold wealthy callers. With the more recent Millennium Mambo, which also plays at the fest, Flowers of Shanghai provides St. Louisans with an introduction to the work of one of the world's most lauded filmmakers. In the most recent Sight & Sound 10-greatest-films-of-all-time poll of filmmakers and critics, four of Hou's films received votes, including Flowers of Shanghai. Following the film is a discussion led by Washington University professor Jeff Smith. Millennium Mambo (Qianxi manbo) Monday, Nov. 18, 9:30 p.m., Tivoli Theatre* Wednesday, Nov. 20, 9:30 p.m., Tivoli Theatre* France/Taiwan, 2001, 119 min. Director: Hsiao-hsien Hou Main Cast: Qi Shu, Jack Kao, Chun-hao Tuan, Yi-Hsuan Chen, Jun Takeuchi, Niu Chen-er Language: Mandarin with English subtitles The lastest from modern master Hou (whose Flowers of Shanghai is also featured in the festival), Millennium Mambo tells the story of a beautiful, slumming club kid who struggles to escape the suffocating possessiveness of her boyfriend. The Village Voice writes, "This shimmering excursion through Taipei nightlife – scored to a ghostly, faraway electro throb and coated in a neon glaze by cinematographer Mark Lee – is a slow burn of profound sadness salved by some of Hou's most breath-catchingly beautiful passages to date." Millennium Mambo was awarded the Silver Hugo at the Chicago International Film Festival Chinese-American Films: Face Saturday, Nov. 23, 4:15 p.m., Tivoli Theatre* U.S., 2002, 84 min. Director: Bertha Bay-Sa Pan Producers: Alexa Fogel, Joseph Infantolino, Bertha Bay-Sa Pan Screenwriters: Oren Movermen, Bertha Bay-Sa Pan Main Cast: Ling Bai, Kieu Chinh, Kristy Wu, Anthony Kriss, Ken Leung Moving deftly between the '70s and '90s, Face tells a cross-generational story of three Chinese women who must balance their desires to blaze their own paths with their varying views of Chinese traditions. The San Francisco Examiner calls the film "understated and sharply observent" and "an intelligent and surprisingly affecting piece of work." Face was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. With writer/director Pan. Preceding the film is the short "Educated" (Georgia Lee, U.S., 2001, 11 min.), in which a Chinese-American girl is plunged into a deadly world of familial obligation and societal pressure. See You Off to the Edge of Town Friday, Nov. 22, 7 p.m., Tivoli Theatre* U.S./Hong Kong, 2002, 87 min. Director: Ching C. Ip Producers: Ching C. Ip, Pei-I Lin Screenwriter: Ching C. Ip Main Cast: Zhu Xi Juan, K.K. Wong, Yvonne Teoh, Jo Chim, Christopher Cheng Language: English, Mandarin, and Cantonese with English subtitles A Chinese family reunites in America after a long period of separation, with everyone gathering in LA. They embark on a three-day road trip to the Grand Canyon, hoping to spend some "quality" time on their journey. The Austin Chronicle says, "It sounds like a ‘road to wackiness' farce, but the relationships are front-and-center in this smart family drama. The story takes its time getting from place to place, but the journey is rewarding." Ching Ip was the winner of the Alpha Cine Filmmakers Award at the Seattle International Film Festival, where See You Off to the Edge of Town received its world premiere. With writer/director Ip. A Great Deal! St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase Comedy Saturday, Nov. 16, 11 a.m., Tivoli Theatre* Debbie Lum, 2001, 18 min. To break out of her shell, an agoraphobic girl overcomes an overbearing mother and constipated father with the help of a charming telemarketer. *Tivoli Theatre, 6350 Delmar Blvd. *Hi-Pointe Theatre, 1005 McCausland Ave. Ticket Sales: Advance tickets for all films and passes will be on sale exclusively at the Tivoli box office (4-10 p.m. weekdays; 1:30-10 p.m. Saturday-Sunday), beginning Nov. 4. After the fest begins on Friday, Nov. 15, advance tickets will be sold only at the theater where a film will be shown. Passes will be available at all theaters. Individual tickets (excepting the special events noted below) are $8 each ($7 for students with valid ID and Cinema St. Louis members). Passes good for six admissions are $45 ($40 for Cinema St. Louis members). The pass must be redeemed for individual tickets at the theater box office. A hole will be punched in the pass for each ticket redeemed. A separate box-office line will be available for passholders at the Tivoli. The Tivoli Theatre is located at 6350 Delmar Blvd. in the University City Loop area, two blocks west of Skinker.