'Rogue One' co-star Donnie Yen has joined Jeremy Renner as an ambassador for the festival, which this year will feature a competition section made up of titles by first- and second-time filmmakers.

The regional premiere of Paul King’s Paddington 2 will open the second edition of the International Film Festival & Awards Macao (IFFAM), while French filmmaker Laurent Cantet will lead the event's main competition jury.


Running Dec. 8-14 in the former Portuguese colony, the Macau festival's main competition section will feature a lineup made up exclusively of films by first and second-time directors. The contenders include TIFF titles Borg McEnroe from Januz Metz and Michael Pearce's Beast, Wrath Of Silence by Xin Yukun, and Samuel Maoz's Foxtrot.


Hong Kong action hero and Rogue One co-star Donnie Yen, and Korean star D.O. have joined Jeremy Renner and Miriam Yeung as talent ambassadors for the Macau festival, where they all will walk the red carpet and participate in festival events.


“From our outstanding crowd pleasing opening night film Paddington 2 to the exciting competition lineup of first and second features, our thrilling galas and special presentations and our best of festival panorama, I believe we are showcasing the very best films of the year to the people here," said Mike Goodridge, artistic director of the IFFAM. "I can’t wait for the film-makers to come and present their films in Macao."


Also vying for contention in the competition section will be Xavier Legrand’s Custody, Hunting Season by Natalia Garagiola, My Pure Land by Sarmad Masud, The Cakemaker by Ofir Raul Grazier, The Hungry by Bornila Chatterjee and Three Peaks by Jan Zabeil.


Cantet's jury will be composed of filmmaker Jessica Hausner, Asia-based novelist Lawrence Osborne, actress and director Joan Chen, and director Royston Tan.


The Asian premiere of Saul Dibb's Journey's End will get an out-of-competition gala screening alongside Bong Joon-ho's Netflix film Okja, showing on the big screen for the first time in southern China. Thai filmmaker Pen-ek Ratanaruang's Samui Song which also gets a gala showing with the director and cast in attendance in Macau.


Bernardo Bertolucci's landmark China film The Last Emperor get a special presentation in honor of its 30th anniversary, as will Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water in tribute to its Venice Film Festival's Golden Lion win.


Additional strands a "best of fest" panorama — comprising ten award-winning films including, such as Call Me By Your Name, The Florida Project, Angels Wear White and Sweet Country — and the Flying Daggers section, which highlights excellence in genre filmmaking, with titles such as A Prayer Before Dawn by Jean-Stephane Sauvaire, and Brian Taylor’s Mom and Dad.


The IFFAM is organized by Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, director of Macao Government Tourism Office, and Lorna Tee, head of festival management.