by FilmInk Staff
To fundraise for the Film Society Of Chinese Australian’s (FSOCA) independent art film project, FSOCA is holding a four-week classic film screening series at CINEMA NOVA starting from 29 June 2025 to 20 July 2025, featuring four films by internationally acclaimed Director Clara Law: Floating Life, Farewell China, Autumn Moon and Drifting Petals.
Each screening will be followed by a talk hosted by the FSOCA artistic directors Clara Law and Eddie Fong, to lay out the origin of the birth of FSOCA, the premise and belief behind DIY filmmaking, the importance of setting our mission as the pursuit of Chinese culture and its relationship to arthouse films. All proceeds support FSOCA and their future film projects.
1. Floating Life Jun 29:
Australia’s first-ever Oscar submission for Best Foreign Language Film.
First foreign language film produced in Australia with local money.
First collaboration with Oscar-winning DoP Dion Beebe, nominated for 3 AFI (now AACTA) Awards.
2. Farewell China July 6:
Australian Premiere since its 1990 Hong Kong release.
Starring Maggie Cheung (In The Mood For Love) and Tony Leung Ka-fai (Election)
Multi-award winner at the Golden Horse Awards (Best Actor, Editing, Sound).
3. Autumn Moon July 13:
Winner of the prestigious Golden Leopard (Best Film) at the Locarno International Film Festival
A Hong Kong-Japanese co-production, one of Law’s last films made before migrating to Australia
4. Drifting Petals July 20:
Awarded Best Director at the 2021 Golden Horse Awards, selected for the 2021 Sydney Film Festival
Completely independently funded production, shoot across Australia, Hong Kong, and Macau.
The full program and advance ticket sales can be accessed HERE.
What: FSOCA Film & Talk with Clara Law & Eddie Fong
● Where: Cinema Nova, 380 Lygon St, Carlton VIC 3053
● When: June 29 – July 20, 2025
● Purpose: All proceeds support independent art film projects.
● Full Program & Tickets: https://fsoca.org.au/film-talk-2025/
About Clara Law & Eddie Fong
Clara Law studied film at the National Film School, England after graduating from the Hong Kong University in English Literature. Returning to Hong Kong she crafted a number of internationally acclaimed features including Autumn Moon (winner Golden Leopard Locarno, Best Picture European Art Theatres Association, Youth Special Jury Award Switzerland, 1992), Temptation of a Monk (competition Venice 1993, Grand Prix Creteil 1994). She moved to Australia in 1995 and continued to win many international awards including Floating Life (Silver Leopard Locarno, Best Film and Best Director Gijon, Grand Prix Creteil, Grand Prix Asturias, 1996), The Goddess of 1967 (Best Actress Award Venice for Rose Byrne, Best Director Chicago, Best Director Teplice Artfilm, FIPRESCI Critics’ Award Best Film Tromso, 2000), Letters to Ali (credited as 100 greatest films of Australian cinema by the critics), Like A Dream (opening film Hong Kong Film Festival 2010), Red Earth, (commissioned by HKFF, competition Venice 2010). Drifting Petals, a bold feature exploring the possibility of alternate cinema shot in Australia, Hong Kong and Macau, won the Best Director Award in the Golden Horse International Film Festival 2021. Through the years her films have had innumerable nominations in the Golden Horse FF, HK Film Awards, AACTA Awards and been selected in many international film festivals including New York, Venice, Toronto, Sundance, Locarno, Rotterdam, Pusan, Jerusalem and London.
Born in Hong Kong, Eddie Fong won the Best Film Award in 1978 Hong Kong Independent Short Film Festival with THE PAINTER in 1978, before graduating from Hong Kong Baptist University in 1979. He worked for Rediffusion Television (RTV) and Hong Kong Television Broadcasts Ltd. (TVB) as a scriptwriter and wrote scripts for several feature films before becoming the deputy creative director of Century films. He made his directorial debut with An Amorous Woman of The Tang Dynasty (1984). His subsequent films, Cherry Blossoms (1985), Kawashima Yoshiko (1990) and The Private Eye Blues (1994) were either multiple award winners or shown in film festivals worldwide. He started collaborating with Clara Law in 1987, working either as writer or writer/producer on all her films. After moving to Australia in the 1990s, he began to focus more on independent filmmaking. emphasising film as a medium for artistic and cultural expression. Currently he is working on their second DIY film RIPPLES IN THE MIST.
About FSOCA ( Film Society of Chinese Australian Inc.)
In 2024, the FSOCA members participated in Clara Law and Eddie Fong’s DIY film RIPPLES IN THE MIST. They came from different backgrounds: some in the film industry, some were university students, and some were complete beginners. Their background differed, but they shared the same passion.
FSOCA started off with nothing and no support (no government funding, no filmmaking experience, and no filming equipment). Under the guidance of their artistic directors Clara Law and Eddie Fong, they are setting off like a blank sheet, with only their hearts, their bare hands, and an indescribable passion and determination. As members of FSOCA, they are committed to telling their stories through independent filmmaking; they will give voice to their communities, preserve and explore the wisdom and beauty of Chinese Culture and its legacy, and promote multiculturalism.
