Synopsis

Timid 11 grader and math genius Kenji is asked by his secret crush Natsuki to accompany her to her family’s Nagano home for a summer job. Kenji discovers his summer job is to pretend to be Natsuki’s fiance, for the celebration of Natsuki’s spunky grandmother’s 90th birthday. There, he receives a strange math problem on his cell phone and he can’t resist the challenge of solving it. As it turns out, his solution creates chaos within the virtual world of OZ, translating into anarchy in real-life.

Based on the critically acclaimed best-selling novel by Alice Sebold, and directed by Oscar® winner Peter Jackson from a screenplay by Jackson & Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens, “The Lovely Bones” centers on a young girl who has been murdered and watches over her family – and her killer – from heaven. She must weigh her desire for vengeance against her desire for her family to heal. Oscar® nominee Mark Wahlberg and Oscar® winners Rachel Weisz and Susan Sarandon star along with Stanley Tucci, Michael Imperioli and Oscar® nominee Saoirse Ronan.

On the fringes of Dublin two kids, Kylie and Dylan, live in a suburban housing estate devoid of life, colour and the prospect of escape. Kylie lives with five other siblings and her overworked mother. Next door, Dylan lives in the shadow of an alcoholic father and the memory of an elder brother who ran away from home two years earlier. After a violent altercation with his father, Dylan runs away from home and Kylie decides to run away with him. Together they make their way to the magical night time lights of inner city Dublin, to search for Dylan’s brother in the hope of finding the possibility of a new life. Lance Daly’s vision of Dublin, as seen through the innocent eyes of our protagonists, is a kaleidoscope of magic, wonder and mystery. But as the night wears on, and Dublin takes on a darker character, the two kids have to rely on the kindness of strangers, the advice of Bob Dylan and their trust in each other to survive the night.

A crazed Chechen nationalist, BASAYEV, seizes control of Chernobyl, site of the infamous nuclear meltdown, and threatens to unleash a radioactive cloud unless his nationalist blackmail demands are met.

LUC DEVEREAUX (Jean-Claude Van Damme) joins a U.S. team of revived UniSoldiers secretly held in deep storage. Their mission: retake Chernobyl and disable explosives that will unleash the radioactive clouds. Luc is surprised when he finds one of the reactivated UniSoldiers is a clone of his old Sergeant, ANDREW SCOTT (Dolph Lundgren). But the cloned Andrew has no recollection of Luc.

As the team furiously battles its way into the Chernobyl plant, they are caught off guard. Using a mind-control chip, Baseyev turns Andrew against his own comrades. Now surrounded, wounded, and out-numbered, Luc must battle Andrew, and save the world.

A brilliant man orchestrates a series of high-profile murders that grip the city of Philadelphia - all from inside his jail cell. The prosecutor assigned to his case realizes he is the only one who can end the reign of terror. The plot focuses on a man who, ten years after his wife and daughter are brutally murdered, returns to extract justice from the assistant district attorney who prosecuted the case against their killers. His vengeance threatens not only the man who allowed mercy to supersede justice, but also the system and the city that made it so.

Bliss Cavendar (Ellen Page) has grown unhappy with the apparent small-town Texas life of Friday night football and beauty pageant competition, the football championed by her father Earl (Daniel Stern) and the pageants by her mother Brooke (Marcia Gay Harden). She commiserates with her best friend Pash (Alia Shawkat) at their waitressing jobs. Pash has a plan to get out: she is applying to Ivy League schools. Bliss just wants to get out and needs a plan and a calling. She finds it during a shopping trip to Austin, Texas where she picks up a flyer for a Roller Derby event, schemes to attend, gets invited to try out and becomes Babe Ruthless, her alter-ego roller derby character. She makes the team, lies about her age, works hard to succeed, experiences her first love with the young lead singer of an Indie rock band, gets disappointed in love, bonds with her new family of roller derby girls, fights with her mother to escape the beauty pageant and live her new dream as roller derby star. She manages to reconcile all of this, impress and win over her parents and friends, and charts an ambiguous goal to move to Austin, continue with Roller Derby, and live her new life.

True Legend is the extraordinary journey of a man - a martial arts hero - whose greatest dream is to create a unique school of martial arts for the world to follow. All his life, Su Can has been pursuing the summit in martial arts. There are two things he holds dearest to his heart – the dream of creating a unique kind of martial arts that will pass on to generations; and his beloved wife. Su has a happy family and his wife is the joy of his life. But owing to a turn of fate and Su’s own stubbornness, he loses his wife and his family is destroyed. After losing his wife, Su cannot live with himself and collapses totally. He is drunk all the time and becomes a crazy beggar in everyone’s eyes. Everyday, his young son ties him with a piece of rope and leads him through the streets, greeted by people’s curious and disdainful gazes. But all this time during his spiritual exile, his dream for the highest peak in martial arts is still alive. In his madness, Su continues his practice, to perfect his skills and fists. Then, the Heilongjiang Province where Su resides is under foreigners’ rule. One day a crisis happens that threatens the life of his young son – the only person Su still cares about and his last bit of human hope. At the critical moment, the flame of life is re-ignited in Su. He lets out the utmost strength that has lay dormant in him during all his devastated time, and it becomes the strongest school of fists that the martial arts world has ever known. Thus is the story of Su Can and the famous “Drunken Fist”, which is based on the story of a real-life hero. True Legend is poised to amaze the world’s kung fu fans once again as the highest manifestation of Chinese martial arts in movies.

DEAR JOHN tells the story of John Tryee (Channing Tatum), a young soldier home on leave, and Savannah Curtis (Amanda Seyfried), the idealistic college student he falls in love with during her spring vacation. Over the next seven tumultuous years, the couple is separated by John’s increasingly dangerous deployments. While meeting only sporadically, they stay in touch by sending a continuous stream of love letter overseas – correspondence that eventually triggers fateful consequences.

Every seven years in an unsuspecting town, ‘the Tournament' takes place- a secret hitman competition between 30 of the world's deadliest assassins; with the last man standing receiving a $10m cash prize. The Tournament is set up by a syndicate of high stake billionaire gamblers, watching the mayhem unfold via CCTV cameras, betting on its outcome.

The killers are implanted with tracking devices and are given palm pilot monitors so that they can locate their opponents. But one killer has cut the tracker out and local drunken priest MACAVOY has inadvertently swallowed it. Beautiful hitwoman LAI LAI is still haunted by her last hit- an innocent pregnant woman. She seeks redemption by trying to protect the priest until the bug works it way through his system. They manage to kill or evade most of the assassins, but reigning champion JOSHUA tracks them down. The innocent woman was his wife MARY, and he demands to know why she was killed instead of him. Joshua learns from Lai Lai that Mary was always the target, ordered by syndicate organiser POWERS to ensure he took part in the tournament. Joshua goes to wreak bloody revenge on the ringmaster!

The film follows the intertwining storylines of a group of Los Angelenos as they find their way through romance over the course of one Valentine’s Day.

AVATAR, a live action film with a new generation of special effects, takes us to a spectacular new world beyond our imagination, where a reluctant hero embarks on a journey of redemption and discovery, ultimately leading a heroic battle to save a civilization.  The film was first conceived by Cameron 14 years ago, when the means to realize his vision did not yet exist. Now, after four years of actual production work, AVATAR delivers a fully immersive cinematic experience of a new kind, where the revolutionary technology invented to make the film, disappears into the emotion of the characters and the sweep of the story.

In the not-too-distant future, some 30 years after the final war, a solitary man walks across the wasteland that was once America. A warrior not by choice but necessity, Eli (Denzel Washington) seeks only peace but, if challenged, will cut his attackers down before they realize their fatal mistake. It’s not his life he guards so fiercely but his hope for the future; a hope he has carried and protected for 30 years and is determined to realize. Driven by this commitment and guided by his belief in something greater than himself, Eli does what he must to survive—and continue.

What do you do when the Devil whispers your name?

Brand new Horror Feast from the producer of No. 1 Box Office hits “Jangan Pandang Belakang / Don't Look Back” and “Congkak”, comes “Santau” (tentatively titled "Whispers of the Devil"). It features Malaysia’s popular cast Mariani & Putri Mardiana (winner of “Road to Hollywood” in her movie debut)

Life is perfect for Halim –a high-flying career, love from his quietly supportive wife, Nina & a comfortable home with their daughter, Ecah. But evil lurks in the shadows & strange things start to happen when the house next door is vacated. Eerie apparitions start to haunt Ecah; bizarre behavior torment Nina. These incidents reach a tipping point when a hair-raising phone call threatens to rip Halim’s once peaceful life apart.

From mysterious appearances to drastic changes in personalities, will Halim be able to save his family from the whispers of the devil?

A Foot Soldier (Jackie Chan) and a General (Wang Lee Hom) from rival states become the sole survivors of war. The Soldier captures the wounded General, hoping to use his enemy as a ticket to freedom by handling him over to the warlord. Along the long and winding journey, the two men at loggerheads meet with the most amazing encounters… starving without water and food, seductive scheming songstress, a stalking ferocious bear...

A crew of officers at an armored transport security firm risk their lives when they embark on the ultimate heist….against their own company. Armed with a seemingly fool-proof plan, the men plan on making off with a fortune with harm to none. But when an unexpected witness interferes, the plan quickly unravels and all bets are off.

JUMP, a hip hop dance romantic comedy, features an awkward and naive farm girl who dreams of stardom in the big city. A cleaner in a local dance school by day, Phoenix secretly pursues her dream by night, perfecting her own unique hip hop martial arts dance style. Her transformation quickly becomes a media sensation but it impacts her life in unexpected ways.

The Blind Side” depicts the remarkable true story of Michael Oher, a homeless African-American youngster from a broken home, taken in by the Touhys, a well-to-do white family who help him fulfill his potential. At the same time, Oher’s presence in the Touhys’ lives leads them to some insightful self-discoveries of their own. Living in his new environment, the teen faces a completely different set of challenges to overcome. As a football player and student, Oher works hard and, with the help of his coaches and adopted family, becomes an All-American offensive left tackle.

In the present day, immortal thousand-year-old Doctor Parnassus leads a travelling theatre troupe that offers audience members a chance to go beyond reality through a magical mirror in his possession. Parnassus had been able to guide the imagination of others through a deal with the Devil, who now comes to collect on the arrangement, targeting the doctor's daughter, Valentina. The troupe, which is joined by a mysterious outsider named Tony embark through parallel worlds to rescue the girl.

In Columbia Pictures' The Karate Kid, 12-year-old Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) could've been the most popular kid in Detroit, but his mother's (Taraji P. Henson) latest career move has landed him in China. Dre immediately falls for his classmate Mei Ying – and the feeling is mutual – but cultural differences make such a friendship impossible. Even worse, Dre's feelings make an enemy of the class bully, and kung fu prodigy, Cheng. With no friends in a strange land, Dre has nowhere to turn but maintenance man Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), who is secretly a master of kung fu. As Han teaches Dre that kung fu is not about punches and parries, but maturity and calm, Dre realizes that facing down the bullies will be the fight of his life.

This heartwarming true story is an American adaptation of a Japanese tale about a loyal dog named Hachiko. This very special friend would accompany his master to the train station every day and return each afternoon to greet him after work. Sadly his master departs one day, passes away and never returns to the station. Hachiko faithfully returns to the same spot at the station the very next day, and every day for the next nine years to wait for his beloved master. During his daily visits, Hachiko touches the lives of many who work near and commute through the town square. He teaches the local people love, compassion and above all unyielding loyalty. Today, a bronze statue of Hachiko sits in his waiting spot outside the Shibuya station in Japan as a permanent reminder of his devotion and love.

Edge of Darkness is an emotionally charged thriller set at the intersection of politics and big business. Thomas Craven (Mel Gibson) is a veteran homicide detective for the Boston Police Department and a single father. When his only child, twenty-four year-old Emma (Bojana Novakovic), is murdered on the steps of his home, everyone assumes that he was the target. But he soon suspects otherwise, and embarks on a mission to find out about his daughter's secret life and her killing. His investigation leads him into a dangerous, looking glass world of corporate cover-ups, government collusion and murder – and to shadowy government operative Darius Jedburgh (Ray Winstone), who has been sent in to clean up the evidence. Craven's solitary search for answers about his daughter's death transforms into an odyssey of emotional discovery and redemption.

The classic Hong Kong comedy series "All's Well, End's Well" has launched a sequel this year with "All's Well, End's Well Too 2010".

This story of mistaken identity continues to explore the intertwined and hilarious relationships between the characters.

“A Nightmare on Elm Street” is based on characters created by Wes Craven in his 1984 sleeper horror hit. That film went on to become one of the horror genre’s longest-running, most successful and innovative film series, spawning seven sequels. Now, 25 years later, comes a contemporary incarnation of the Freddy Krueger origin story. Samuel Bayer is directing “A Nightmare on Elm Street” from a screenplay by Wesley Strick (“Cape Fear,” “Wolf”) and Eric Heisserer. The film is produced by Platinum Dunes’ Michael Bay, Andrew Form and Brad Fuller, whose company has enjoyed success with a number of re-imagined horror franchises, including “Friday the 13th,” “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” and “The Amityville Horror.” The executive producers are Bob Shaye, Michael Lynne, and Mike Drake (“The Number 23,” “The Whole Nine Yards”). The co-producer is John Rickard. Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with New Line Cinema, “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” to be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

"NINE" is a vibrant and provocative musical that follows the life of world famous film director Guido Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis) as he reaches a creative and personal crisis of epic proportion, while balancing the numerous women in his life including his wife (Marion Cotillard), his mistress (Penelope Cruz), his film star muse (Nicole Kidman), his confidant and costume designer (Judi Dench), an American fashion journalist (Kate Hudson), the whore from his youth (Fergie) and his mother (Sophia Loren). The film is directed by Rob Marshall (CHICAGO). The original 1982 Broadway production of "NINE," with music and lyrics by Maury Yeston, won five Tony Awards including Best Musical.

Trained in clandestine combat from childhood, the Jinyiwei were masters of the 14 Blades. Above the law and with a license to kill, they devoted their lives and lethal prowess to the service of the Emperor alone.

When the Imperial Court is taken over by evil eunuch JIA, the best of the Jinhyiwei, QINGLONG is assigned to steal a list identifying those still loyal to the Emperor. Unbeknownst to Qinglong, the Jinyiwei have fallen under the control of Jia, and during the mission he’s betrayed and barely escapes with his life.

 Now as the most wanted man in the land Qinglong must seek out and rally the loyalists to rise against Jia and restore the Emperor to power.

In his way are the deadliest assassins in the land, his former brethren, the Jinyiwei.

Viewed as a jinx and mistreated by her hardcore gambler father, Hock Lee Poh (Richard Low) and spendthrift sister, Donna (Patricia Mok), Fu Xin (Fann Wong) is actually a surreptitious ‘Lucky Star’ who always manages to avert precarious situations; turning unfavourable conditions into favourable ones, having the Midas touch in everything she does. When Poh and Donna find themselves in trouble after heavy losses at the gambling tables, Fu Xin arrives to their rescue with help from her new-found friend, a casino magnate.

Tickets at S$10.00 available from 21 May
At The Picturehouse Box Office, Level 5, The Cathay or online at www.picturehouse.com.sg and at The Arts House Box Office or online at www.theartshouse.com.sg/tickets.

Admission if free for Fringe programmes -
Thriller series & Bruno Bozzetto animation films

SFS members are entitled to discounted tickets on production of a valid SFS membership card in person at The Picturehouse and The Arts House box-office (limited to one discounted ticket per member per session).

For further information:
www.iicsingapore.esteri.it
www.sfs.org.sg
www.thepicturehouse.com.sg
www.theartshouse.com.sg

- Sessions will start punctually at the indicated times.
- All films are subject to approval and classification by the Media Development Authority, Singapore.
- Films rated 21 are restricted to persons aged 21 and above. Films rated M18 are restricted to persons aged 18 and above. Films rated NC16 are restricted to persons aged 16 and above.
- Proof of age is required at the point of purchase and at the point of admission.
- The organisers reserve the right to refuse admission if such proof cannot be produced.

Dwayne Johnson is "The Tooth Fairy," also known as Derek Thompson, a hard-charging minor league hockey player whose nickname comes from his habit of separating opposing players from their bicuspids. When Derek discourages a youngster's hopes, he's sentenced to one week's hard labor as a real tooth fairy, complete with the requisite wings, magic wand and frilly tutu. At first, Derek "can't handle the tooth" - bumbling and stumbling as he tries to furtively wing his way through strangers' homes, doing what tooth fairies do. But as Derek slowly adapts to his new position, he begins to rediscover his own forgotten dreams.

“EVERYBODY’S FINE”, a remake of Giuseppe Tornatore’s “Stanno Tutti Bene”, follows a widower (De Niro) who embarks on an impromptu road trip to reconnect with each of his grown children only to discover that their lives are far from picture perfect. Written and directed by Kirk Jones (“Waking Ned Devine”), Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale and Sam Rockwell also star. The film is produced by Gianni Nunnari, Ted Field, Vittorio Cecchi Gori and Glynis Murray.

In the supernatural action thriller Legion, an out-of-the-way diner becomes the unlikely battleground for the survival of the human race. When God loses faith in Mankind, he sends his legion of angels to bring on the Apocalypse. Humanity's only hope lies in a group of strangers trapped in a desert diner and the Archangel Michael (Paul Bettany). Legion also stars Dennis Quaid, Lucas Black, Tyrese Gibson, Kate Walsh, Adrianne Palicki, Charles S. Dutton and Willa Holland and is directed by Scott Stewart.

Past and present survival of the common man in the big city – ups and downs, laughters and tears….

In 1970s Hong Kong, rapacious landlords try to evict 72 tenants but sworn brothers Ha Kung (Eric Tsang) and Shek Kin (Jacky Cheung) help the group of 72 defeat the landlord (Lam Ka Tung) and landlady (Charmaine Sheh) and coincidentally rescue Pinky (Anita Yuen) from a planned forced marriage. When both sworn brothers fall for Pinky and propose to her, she flips a coin “heads or tails” and Ha wins her hand in marriage.

The sworn brothers become sworn enemies and Shek’s hatred fuels intense rivalry against Ha in business dealings ranging from the manufacture of plastic flowers to the selling of stinky bean curd. Even after 40 years they continue to clash and in 2010 they are in keen competition selling electronics appliances in Sai Yeung Choi Street, Mongkok, the busiest street in the city and still home to the 72 tenants.

In fiercely competitive Sai Yeung Choi Street high rents force businessmen to use every means to survive, with electronics shops employing pseudo models in sales promotion campaigns and comic shops offering foot-massage services by Lolita, etc. These ploys are minor compared with the tactics of the landlord (mainland actor) who threatens to close down the shops unless his demands for triple rental are met. Amidst this strife and struggle the street is hit by acid-attacks and in high spirits the 72 tenants unite and pledge to safeguard their home.

Against a background of fear and turmoil, with the old love triangle between Ha and Pinky and Shek still festering, the next generation of the Ha and Shek families embarks on their own heroic love affairs: MJ-style dancer Ha Junior (Bosco Wong) is fascinated by Shek’s daughter (Stephy Tang) who is a Japanese AV culture fan; Ha’s daughter (Linda Chung), a kung fu maiden, is pursued by Shek’s love-struck son (Wong Cho Lam), the smart shortie. Affairs of the heart yet to be resolved.

Inspired by the T. Rex song of the same name, 20th CENTURY BOYS is a national phenomenon in Japan. The award-winning, 24-volume sci-fi fantasy manga series, created by Naoki Urasawa, has now been adapted into one of Japan's grandest cinematic undertakings.

The final installment of the of this monster live-action trilogy caps a story spanning 50 years, starting in 1973, as a young Kenji Endo and his friends make up stories about fights with super villains, putting them in their own make-belief 'Book of Prophecies'.

The year is 2017 and three years has passed since ‘Friend,’ the masked super villain, has governed the world with his Friendship Democratic Party. A destructive virus has hit Tokyo and the government builds a gigantic wall to quarantine the city. ‘Friend’ makes the revelation that on August 12th at 12:00 the human race will be destroyed by aliens. The only people who will survive are those who are true believers of ‘Friend’...

The resistance continues their battle against the Friendship government. Ocho (Etsushi Toyokawa) discovers Kanna (Airi Taira) has separated from Yoshitsune (Teruyuki Kagawa) & his resistance group. Kanna plans to start a more radical resistance group that will arm themselves heavily. Meanwhile, Kenji (Toshiaki Karasawa) enters the divided city of Tokyo... The saga will finally come to an explosive end in 20th CENTURY BOYS III!

In the city that never sleeps, love is always on the mind. Those passions come to life in NEW YORK, I LOVE YOU – a collaboration of storytelling from some of today’s most imaginative filmmakers and featuring an all-star cast. Together they create a kaleidoscope of the spontaneous, surprising, electrifying human connections that pump the city’s heartbeat. Sexy, funny, haunting and revealing encounters unfold beneath the Manhattan skyline. From Tribeca to Central Park to Brooklyn the story weaves a tale of love as diverse as the very fabric of New York itself.

Florist Genevieve Gernier (Vardalos) believes that the best way to achieve romantic fulfillment is to never go on more than five dates with the same man. She is forced to reassess her philosophy when she meets Greg Gatlin (Corbett), a restauranteur who moves into her neighborhood.