Shaolin Soccer (2001)

“That's a great idea - kung fu soccer! Why didn't I think of that?”

Written, directed and starring Stephen Chow, Shaolin Soccer (2001) is a genre-bending action comedy that blends traditional martial arts into the wild world of soccer.

The film follows Sing (Stephen Chow), a devoted Shaolin disciple who has been tasked with finding a way to bring the art of kung fu to the masses, who teams up with a downtrodden former football star, Fung (Ng Man-tat). Together with Sing’s Shaolin brothers, they enter a highstakes soccer tournament, where the underdogs must prove their skills against the aptly named ‘Team Evil’.

Balancing Chow’s characteristic slapstick humour, with genuine heart and a classic underdog set up, the film has dazzled audiences for decades - a childhood classic for many throughout Asia and the diaspora. With gravity-defying kicks, superhuman Shaolin abiliites and some questionable CGI and a willingness to believe, Shaolin Soccer is a love letter to martial arts and a celebration of sheer perseverance.

“I feel bad for anyone else who tries to make a movie about soccer. They’ll always be second place to this”. - CinemaJoe, Letterboxd Review

Film: Shaolin Soccer (2001)

Director: Stephen Chow

Run time: 112min

Rating: PG

Language: Cantonese with English Subtitles

Cost: Free

This event is proudly presented as part of Neon Playground 2.0 - Sydney’s largest Asian-Australian cultural arts festival.

Note: This is a community event with limited tickets available. If you are unsure that you can 100% attend, please consider booking for next time so somebody else can come along. Also, please let us know if you've purchased a ticket and will unable to be attend so we can arrange for the ticket to be made available to the public. Thanks!

Subtitle Cinema Club

Celebrate the best of Asian cinema with Subtitle Cinema Club - a pop up cinema as part of Neon Playground 2.0.

Brought to you by Soul of Chinatown and the Asian Cinema Collective, come down to the former Marigold Restaurant for a program of Chinatown Classics, from comedy and kung fu, to the everlasting Chungking Express.

About Soul of Chinatown

Soul of Chinatown is a non-profit community group based in Sydney’s Chinatown, whose mission is to uplift and advocate for the area. It does so by putting a spotlight on Chinatown, working to preserve the culture, history and tradition of Sydney’s Chinatown and its community, but also looking to the present and the future.

Founded by Hayden Wong Wing Kee, Kevin Cheng and Peter Wong Wing Kee in 2021, Soul of Chinatown aims to inspire and foster positive change in Chinatown through advocacy, community, events and storytelling.

About Asian Cinema Collective

The Asian Cinema Collective (ACC) was born out of a need for community and an opportunity to share our love for Asian cinema with fellow filmgoers in Melbourne. Open to all, the ACC is a place for both the diaspora and fans of films made in Asia, or films featuring predominantly Asian experiences and stories.

With an aim to showcase the best of Asian cinema, their program spans cultural classics, essential viewings and emerging new talents from the region each month. As they build and grow their audience and capabilities, they hope to be able to expand this program further (and more frequently).