Sideshow and Janus Films announced today that they will release CAUGHT BY THE TIDES, the new master work written (along with Wan Jiahuan) and directed by Jia Zhang-ke in the US on May 9, 2025. The film was made over the span of over 20 years. It premiered in Competition at the Cannes Film Festival and also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival and New York Film Festival. It has received some of the best reviews of Jia’s career. This epic film has a deeply moving love story at its center featuring the supremely talented Zhao Tao and Li Zhubin over 23 years of time against the backdrop of explosive growth in China. Made up of old footage shot by Jia over the past century as well as newly filmed sections, the film traverses personal and national history including all of his films to date.
CAUGHT BY THE TIDES is produced by Casper Liang Jiayan, Shozo Ichiyama and Zhang Dong. The film is an X Stream Pictures, Momo Pictures, Huanxi Media Group Limited (Beijing) and Wishart Media (Quanzhou) production in association with mk2 Films, Ad Vitam and Bitters End.
CAUGHT BY THE TIDES is an enduring but fragile love story shared by Qiaoqiao and Bin, set in China, from the early 2000s to the present day. Caught up in each other, Qiaoqiao and Bin enjoyed all that the city had to offer, singing and dancing. Until one day, Bin finds himself wanting to try his luck in a bigger place than Datong. He left without any notice. Some time later, Qiaoqiao decides to go on a journey to look for him. Traversing all of his past films, Jia Zhang-Ke delivers an epic look at the romantic destiny of his perennial heroine, Qiaoqiao. Spanning 21 years of a country going through profound transformation, the film gives a new perspective to look into the contemporary China as well as the individual experiences under the turbulent emotional and social changes.
On Sunday, Sideshow and Janus Films won their second Academy Award for FLOW which was the first independent film to ever win Best Animated Feature. The film is currently screening in theaters and the #1 film on MAX. It is also the companies’ highest grossing film. ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT also just concluded a 16 week run in New York City and has grossed over 1 million dollars at the North American box office. Upcoming releases include Alain Guiraudie’s MISERICORDIA, David Cronenberg’s THE SHROUDS starring Vincent Cassel, Diane Kruger, Guy Pearce and Sandrine Holt, Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s CLOUD and Ira Sach’s PETER HUJAR’S DAY starring Ben Whishaw and Rebecca Hall.
