HK romance debuts at New York Asian Film Festival

The 24th New York Asian Film Festival returns to the Lincoln Center from July 11 to 24, where Hong Kong romance movie Last Song for You debuted in North America.

The NYAFF showcases curated Asian movies not distributed in the United States. The 2025 theme is "cinema as disruption," featuring bold, genre-defying movies that "challenge, provoke and reimagine."

"This year's lineup dares to confront, question and dream — exactly what cinema should do," says Samuel Jamier, NYAFF executive director. "We're witnessing a generational shift. Beyond the curation of films, we're redrawing a cultural map that urgently needs expansion. Many festivals treat Asian cinema like it ends at the Korean border — we're here to blow up that thinking. We mean business. Or chaos. Probably both."

Last Song for You is a romance movie directed by Jill Leung and released in December in Hong Kong. The movie was nominated in several categories at the 43rd Hong Kong Film Awards, including best new director, best cinematography, best original film song and best original film score. Also, actor Ian Chen and main actress Natalie Hsu were nominated for best new performer and best actress. The movie was featured at the International Film Festival Rotterdam earlier this year.

The movie is about So Sing Wah, a washed-up pop star who receives a visit from a girl claiming to be the daughter of his high school sweetheart. She asks So to spread her mother's ashes with her in Japan. He reluctantly agrees, not knowing the journey will be through space and time.

This is Leung's first time directing, as he came from a screenwriting background.

"I'm very happy for this opportunity. I have been in the business for more than two decades, and really, I've always wanted to be a director … By having that experience as a screenwriter, I feel like I've really learned the craft of telling stories," he said.

Last Song For You is funded by Film Development Fund, a Hong Kong government organization.

The main stars of the movie, Hsu and Ekin Cheng, made their way to New York City for the premiere.

Hsu received the Screen International Rising Star Award at an event in New York on Saturday. She said it's been rare in recent years for the Hong Kong movie industry to produce romance movies, and she really enjoyed being part of the crew to produce Last Song for You.

"It's really lovely to just be able to film something super nostalgic and more coming of age, and really warm. I think after anyone watches it, they will be reminded of their teenage years, and the people that they met back then … I think it's something that no matter who you are, where you grew up or what you've gone through, it's something you can relate to and you find a piece of yourself inside it," said Hsu.

Jamier said NYAFF goes on a yearlong journey to find movies they believe are valuable and worthy to show in the US.

"I loved it (Last Song For You) instantly," Jamier told China Daily. "It was great to see one of the iconic faces, one of the iconic stars of the 1990s reinvent himself … It's interesting to see him in the same frame, in the same story with a young rising star who represents something else. I saw hope in that."

"As a story it stood out. It's a very nice love story … It feels personal. I think emotionally it resonates. It resonates with me. I'm kind of middle-aged now, and so there's a lot of things there on a personal level," he said.

When talking about the challenges in Hong Kong's movie industry, Hsu said it's a good thing to experience ups and downs because it will challenge directors and actors to consider what audiences truly what.

Leung said: "People might have said the Hong Kong film industry is dying or dead, but no, I feel that there's still a worthy audience. There's still popular culture in Hong Kong that will thrive. So, it's a matter of how we can actually reach out to attract people to come and watch the film … I want to do my best for what I do."