This film will be screened in-person only. Asian American International Film Festival is the nation’s first and longest running festival of its kind and the premier showcase for the best independent Asian, Asian diaspora and Pacific Islander cinema

Potluck Asian America readers can use promo code AAIFF49_NYCAAR for 20% off all ticket

Set in the United States and written by Joyce Chan, LOVE MASSACRE follows college student Ivy (Brigitte Lin) as she tries to help her friend Joy, who is depressed and delirious after a breakup. Ivy soon becomes involved with Joy’s married brother, Chu Chung. Suffering from a hereditary mental illness, Chung eventually spirals into violence as he breaks into Ivy’s dormitory and goes on a killing spree.

This unsettling, visually striking Hong Kong New Wave gem — thanks to William Chang’s debut as art director — exudes an experimental spirit, uses bold colours to express emotion on screen, and transforms Lin’s image as the golden girl of Taiwanese romantic dramas.

Content warning: blood/gore, death, self-harm/suicide, violence

Patrick Tam started his career in television at TVB. The first feature film he directed was THE SWORD (1980), an innovative wuxia film that helped usher in the era of the Hong Kong New Wave. His knack for visual flair continued to flourish in LOVE MASSACRE (1981), NOMAD (1982), and FINAL VICTORY (1987). He was awarded Best Director and Best Screenplay at the Hong Kong Film Awards for AFTER THIS OUR EXILE (2006).