M+, Asia’s leading contemporary visual culture museum in the West Kowloon Cultural District, is sending audiences on a blast to the past with its Autumn Edition 2025, taking place from October to December, and the programme is filled to the brim with special exhibitions, showcases, and tributes to Hong Kong’s rich cinematic legacy.
Kicking things off is M+ Restored, an initiative dedicated to preserving Hong Kong cinema history through the restoration of nine feature films. First up are The Arch (1968), The System (1979), and Love Massacre (1981), a trio of films that represent the creative spirit of the Hong Kong New Wave movement that reshaped our cinematic language and style.
For audiences that would like to dive deeper into the complex processes of film preservation and digital restoration, the ‘Behind the Restoration Talks’ series brings restoration specialists, former film festival directors, cinematographers, and M+ curators together to discuss the creative efforts behind the M+ Restored films. You can also get hands-on with the ‘What is Film, Anyway?’ interactive workshop to explore analogue film formats, including professional 35-mm and amateur eight-mm films.
‘Rediscoveries—Chinese Diaspora in Hollywood’ celebrates the significant cinematic contributions of the Chinese diaspora and the considerable challenges they had to overcome within the American film industry. Films such as Daughter of Shanghai (1937) starring Anna May Wong, Flower Drum Song (1961) starring Nancy Kwan and an all-Asian cast, Bruce Lee’s iconic Enter the Dragon (1973), and many more will be screened.
Since spooky season’s coming up, M+ Cinema has also prepared two special screenings to celebrate the occasion. ‘Every Bruce Was Kung Fu Fighting’ centres on ‘Bruceploitation’ – the low-budget, imitation genre that sprung up as the immediate aftermath of Bruce Lee’s untimely passing – and the programme features two grindhouse classics and one documentary that audiences can sink their teeth into: The Dragon Lives Again (1977), The Clones of Bruce Lee (1980), and Enter the Clones of Bruce (2023). M+ Cinema is also bringing the 4K restored versions of Ju-On and Ju-On 2 (2000) to the big screen for anyone keen to revisit the horror classic in time for Halloween.
In the latest edition of “I didn’t know Chinese diaspora and Hong Kong filmmakers were involved in that,” ‘Fresh Eyes’ will showcase two animated films: Bambi (1942), which was brought to life through concept art created by the late Chinese-American artist Tyrus Wong – who served as the lead production illustrator on the film – and Shrek (2001), the animation of which was supervised by Hong Kong-born animator Raman Hui.
A seemingly endless list of programmes round out the Autumn Edition 2025, including a new ‘Art at the Stair’ moving exhibition featuring six non-narrative documentaries, and the Hong Kong debut of Escape (2025) by Masao Adachi. ‘Stair in the Dark—Big Leap Forward’ focuses on filmmakers whose bold choices have led their masterpieces to critical acclaim; Drive (2011), Good Time (2017), and Irma Vep (1996) will be screened.
‘Dream Rooms: Women Artists on Film’ – part of the Dream Rooms: Environments by Women Artists 1950s–Now special exhibition – will showcase films and documentaries centred around Judy Chicago, Lygia Clark, Marta Minujín, and Niki de Saint Phalle.
Meanwhile, ‘Avant-Garde Now: Here From Afar’ will gather multidisciplinary artists Eric Baudelaire, Lap-See Lam, Noh Suntag, and Trương Minh Quý to showcase moving image works that delve into the topics of borders, migration, and home.
See the full programme and how to purchase tickets on the M+ website.
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