TAIWANESE director Sylvia Chang’s “Murmur of the Hearts” will open the 39th Hong Kong International Film Festival, while director Philip Yung’s “Port of Call” will close the event, organizers said Thursday. Both films will have their world premieres at the festival, which runs March 23 to April 6.

    “Murmur of the Hearts,” Chang’s first directing feature after a five-year hiatus, tells the struggles and challenges of a young boxer, a painter and a tour guide living in Taipei.

    The film stars Malaysian actress and Chang protege Lee Sinje, Hong Kong actress Isabella Leong and Golden Horse Award nominee Joseph Chang.

    In Hong Kong to announce the film festival’s lineup, Chang said she’s waiting anxiously for the film’s release.

    “It’s like giving birth to a baby, and then showing the baby to the world,” she said at a news conference. “Of course we hope that you won’t say the baby is ugly. Of course, it’s with anticipation that we hope people like the film, or just for people to watch it, regardless if they like it or not.”

    Chang, 61, has been acting, producing, writing and directing for four decades. Her well-known films include Ang Lee’s Oscar-nominated “Eat Drink Man Woman” and “20 30 40,” which she starred in, wrote and directed.

    “I think my films are different than the other mainstream films,” she said about her feature opening the festival. “I hope everyone can calm their hearts and watch a drama like this. A drama that’s a little different. I hope everyone will have the tenacity to see it.”

    The film also marks the return of Leong, last seen on screen seven years ago in her Hollywood debut, “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.” She took a break from acting and gave birth to three boys with Hong Kong businessman Richard Li.

    Chang said that Leong steps into a more mature role in this film.

    “This role is different from the roles she’s played before. Of course, she’s matured a lot. So I think everyone will see a very different side of her,” the director said.

    “Port of Call” is a true crime story starring Aaron Kwok that explores the effects of a crime on both the victims and the perpetrator.

    This year, the Hong Kong festival will screen 260 titles from 56 countries and regions, with 78 world, international and Asian premieres.

    The festival is once again collaborating with Chinese online video site Youku.com to produce the omnibus film “Beautiful 2015,” made up of four shorts directed by Iran’s Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Taiwan’s Tsai Ming-liang, the mainland’s Huang Jianxin and Hong Kong’s Yim Ho.

    Gala presentations will include director Tsui Hark’s “The Taking of Tiger Mountain,” which has grossed more than US$140 million in China in December; “Two Thumbs Up” by director Lau Ho-leung, starring Francis Ng, Simon Yam and Leo Ku; and “Eisenstein in Guanajuato” by director Peter Greenaway.

    The festival will also shine a light on German cinema today and the young filmmakers of Israel. A sidebar on German films will feature the international premieres of Berlinale Silver Bear winner “Victoria” by Sebastian Schipper, “As We Were Dreaming” by Andreas Dresen, and the Asian premiere of “Tough Love” by Rosa von Praunheim. The young Israel cinema sidebar will showcase the Asian premiere of “Princess” by Tali Shalom-Ezer and “The Farewell Party” by Sharon Maymon and Tal Granit.

    “It seems that in this year’s Berlin International Film Festival, there were a number of good films by young directors, and a couple of those films were recognized in the prizes of the Berlinale as well,” said Garcia. “We often deal with developing and third-world countries, so it’s good occasionally to look at some of the interesting countries in Europe. Germany is a powerful economy; there are some great filmmakers.”

    Directors Makhmalbaf (“The President”), Greenaway and Pedro Costa (“Horse Money”) will visit Hong Kong to attend the screenings of their films and hold master classes. Makhmalbaf will also lead a panel of judges for the annual Young Cinema Competition, established to encourage young filmmakers to show their films internationally.

    To mark the 110th anniversary of the birth of late Japanese filmmaker Mikio Naruse, the festival will showcase four of his masterpieces: “Repast” (1951), “Floating Clouds” (1955), “Daughters,” “Wives and a Mother” (1960) and “Scattered Clouds” (1967).(SD-Agencies)