Chasing Dream

When Tiger (Jacky Heung, PUSH, FEARLESS) and Cuckoo (Keru Wang, YOUTH) meet under stressful circumstances, it is match made in heaven. Both differently involved with moneylenders, one is an over-enthusiastic rising star in the MMA world, the other a resourceful aspiring singer on the move. She will stop at nothing to get a spot on Perfect Diva, an American Idol-style singing competition, whereas he will rise and fall, determined to become a boxing champion! Brought together by fate, and determined to make the most of it, both will do it all – car washes, strip clubs, hot pot, green screens, rehearsals, bloody fights and embarrassing auditions – to chase their dreams to the end…

Master filmmaker Johnnie To is back with CHASING DREAM, an unexpected blend of mixed-martial-arts drama and musical comedy, taking the viewers back to the madcap energy of his mid-2000s collaborations with Wai Ka-Fai. Blending various genres and ever-supple in tone, To deftly navigates this rare, mainland-set film, going back to the sports-and-destiny tropes of previous works such as THROW DOWN, even including a musical sequence straight out of the OFFICE playbook (and a structure reminiscent of the ROCKY franchise!). The veteran director of countless classics such as THE MISSION, SPARROW and A HERO NEVER DIES (in this year’s selection) crafts a beautifully heartfelt, dynamic and supremely entertaining journey of chance and determination, anchored by a phenomenal cast, a tremendous chemistry between fresh Heung and Wang, and an unpredictable, propulsive narrative that will have you guessing and relishing every turn! – Ariel Esteban Cayer