Cannes-demonium

Working the the Croisette from either end.

Cannes Film Festival is always a madhouse, and was even more so for me this year. Beneath the clear blue skies, I felt like I was in a pressure cooker.

I had The Blood Bond screening in the market. Modesty forbids me saying how it was received, but we are already in prep for Blood Bond 2. It was great to see all the hard work put in by Michael, Phoenix and the rest of our team getting so well received.

My partners Charlie Wong, Tony Tang and Peggy Lee took out a full page ad to celebrate our 3D animated feature, Little Gobie, which is being sold by my 'home studio' The Weinstein Company.  This is my first foray into animation; I was honoured to be invited on-board the project by Charlie and Tony. They set up a special 3D TV at the TWC penthouse offices (definitely the best view of any office I visited at Cannes!).

We took a meeting with Harvey Weinstein about various upcoming and exciting Asian projects.

We met re: Beach Spike! with my old friends at Wild Bunch. They are the most prestigious and successful sales company in Europe, and perhaps the world, and its amazing to think that they might handle our film alongside the works of Woody Allen and Steven Soderbergh. I've known Alain Delamata, one of the wildest of the bunch!, for over 20 years now, since the days when he ran the UK's first Asian action video label, Made In Hong Kong.

Its always great to be able to catch up with far-flung friends from around the world at Cannes. I reconnected with kickboxing champ turned B movie ace Don The Dragon Wilson. Don was also the trainer of John Cusack, and plays a role in his classic film Say Anything. I worked with John on the film 'Shanghai', and passed on his regards to Don.

I was also very happy to  see Korean actress Banyah Choi, star of the period classic 'Untold Scandal'. Banyah had a small role in 'Blood Bond', and will have a larger one in 'Blood Bond 2'. It was great to have a nice Christian girl to take to screenings etc. Definitely more fun than flying solo from meeting to screening. We attended the premiere of the new Korean film 'Housemaid', which stars Banyah's 'Scandal' comrade Jeon Do-yeon.

I was also delighted to see my friend Seydina Balde, French karate champion turned movie star. He also has a movie to pitch to Wild Bunch, so he, Banyah and I found ourselves in the courtyard of one of the several WB Cannes offices. (This one a lively French townhouse with rooms and windows in all directions.) Seydina will also be in Blood Bond Deux.

I also met up with 21 Jump Street and Rebel star Dustin Nguyen, whose Monk On Fire project is finally coming together. He's such a nice man and great actor, I hope it all comes together as he deserves.

Between the bouts of meetings and eating, I found time to chat poolside at the Martinez with Seydina and Don. We kind of look like a black belt Benetton ad...

And we finally managed to track down Alain Delamata's private bar. Fortunately, Banyah is a great map reader!

Another Cannes comes and gone, new friends made and new deals done. It was up, up and away back to Hong Kong...