Hong Kong films at Slovak Queer Film Festival (with photos)
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The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin (HKETO Berlin) is presenting five Hong Kong productions in the dedicated Queer Hong Kong section at the 17th Slovak Queer Film Festival, taking place from November 22 to 28 (Bratislava time) in Bratislava, Slovakia.
HKETO Berlin is partnering with the Festival for the first time. The Acting Director of HKETO Berlin, Miss Bonnie Ka, delivered welcome remarks at the opening ceremony of the Queer Hong Kong section. HKETO Berlin also hosted a reception before the opening screening.
The opening film of the section, “Happy Together” , is an award-wining classic of Hong Kong cinema, directed by Wong Kar-wai. This emotionally told film is an iconic drama, which depicts the turbulent romance of two gay lovers. Starring Leslie Cheung and Tony Leung, “Happy Together” won several awards at the Cannes Film Festival, the Hong Kong Film Awards as well as the Golden Horse Awards.
Hong Kong is establishing itself as an international cultural exchange hub. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is mapping out a blueprint for arts and culture and creative industries development, nurturing a diverse talent pool and upgrading the city’s cultural infrastructure to further enhance the relevant ecosystem. “I sincerely invite all film and creative professionals to come to Hong Kong and join us in creating even better quality productions to bring a positive impact to the world”, Miss Ka said.
About HKETO Berlin
The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin is the official representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in commercial relations and other economic and trade matters in the Slovak Republic as well as Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia and Switzerland.
Sep 18, 2023 | International
Hong Kong films and creative talents make waves in Copenhagen (with photos)
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Create Hong Kong sponsored and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, London (London ETO) supported the “Making Waves – Navigators of Hong Kong Cinema” in Copenhagen, Denmark from September 15 to 17 (Copenhagen time), showcasing a selection of six Hong Kong films with live Questions and Answers with these films’ creative talents from Hong Kong. The programme was presented by the Hong Kong International Film Festival.
London ETO hosted a reception before the screening of “Mad Fate” to kick-start the film festival, with the presence of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Kingdom of Denmark, Mr Feng Tie; Hong Kong directors Ka Sing-fung and Jack Ng; actors Gordon Lam and Bowie Lam; actress Angela Yuen; and over 80 guests from the local cultural and business sector.
The Director-General of the London ETO, Mr Gilford Law, addressed the audience at the opening ceremony. Mr Law said, “London ETO is proud to support the most compelling line-up ever for a Hong Kong film festival in Denmark. The opening film ‘Mad Fate’ illustrates Hong Kong’s unique and dynamic character as a melting pot of Eastern and Western cultures, where traditional customs and modern lifestyles co-exist harmoniously.”
He remarked that the variety of films in terms of genres and themes in the festival showcased the abundance of Hong Kong’s creative talents. “Their passion is exactly the key for Hong Kong to shine as ‘Hollywood of the East’ and to become a centre for international cultural exchange as underpinned by the 14th National Five-Year Plan,” Mr Law added.
The film festival presented six Hong Kong films to the audience in Copenhagen, namely “Mad Fate”, “Vital Sign”, “Cyber Heist”, “In Broad Daylight”, “Lost Love” and “A Guilty Conscience”. Questions and Answers sessions were held throughout the three-day film festival where Hong Kong creative talents engaged with the local audience.
Jul 22, 2023 | International
Hong Kong films featured at Fantasia International Film Festival (with photos)
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The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Toronto) (Toronto ETO) is supporting the screening of six Hong Kong films at the 2023 Fantasia International Film Festival, being held from July 20 to August 9 in Montreal, Canada. In particular, the movie “White Storm 3: Heaven or Hell” directed by Herman Yau had its Canadian premiere on the film festival’s opening night on July 20 (Montreal time).
Speaking before the screening of “White Storm 3: Heaven or Hell”, the Director of Toronto ETO, Ms Emily Mo, briefed the audience that Hong Kong has over a century of history in movie making. “Hong Kong is a city full of creativity,” Ms Mo said. “It is a leading film-making centre in Asia.”
Ms Mo remarked that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has been very supportive of the development of Hong Kong film industry. “We finance the production of small-to-medium budget films, provide funding support for the industry to attend film festivals overseas, and subsidise training programmes to help nurture young directors and scriptwriting talent for the industry,” she said.
Ms Mo added that new initiatives have been introduced to promote Hong Kong-Asian film collaboration and content development for streaming platforms. Various government-funded films have made their way to international film festivals.
Noting that people in Hong Kong and Canada share a love for movies, Ms Mo explained that Hong Kong films are ambassadors connecting Hong Kong with the world. Toronto ETO will continue to support Hong Kong films to participate in various international film festivals held in Canada, including Fantasia.
The other Hong Kong films at the Festival included “Mad Fate”, “The Sparring Partner”, “God of Cookery”, “My Heart Is That Eternal Rose” and “A Chinese Ghost Story”.
Jul 16, 2023 | International
Hong Kong films take centre stage at British Film Institute in London (with photos)
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The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, London (London ETO) partnered with Focus Hong Kong to showcase a selection of Hong Kong films at the British Film Institute Southbank, London on July 12 – 15 (London time).
Hong Kong film “Where the Wind Blows”, directed by Philip Yung and starring Tony Leung and Aaron Kwok, was screened as the opening film on July 12, also marking the UK premiere of this captivating masterpiece. Addressing the audience at the opening screening, the Director-General of London ETO, Mr Gilford Law, said that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is committed to supporting Hong Kong’s creative industries and developing Hong Kong into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange as well as attracting creative talents to the city, including professionals and practitioners involved in film making.
“We are delighted to work with the British Film Institute this year to bring four Hong Kong films to London. I am also pleased to point out that Tony Leung, a leading actor of ‘Where the Wind Blows’, would soon be awarded the Golden Lions for Lifetime Achievement in the 80th Venice International Film Festival, being the first Chinese actor to receive the honorary award. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of creative talents, together with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government’s firm support to the film industry, Hong Kong has one of the largest and most dynamic film and entertainment industries in the world,” he said.
The Focus Hong Kong film festival presented four Hong Kong films, namely “Where the Wind Blows”, “A Guilty Conscience”, “Let it Ghost” and “Nomad (4K Restoration, Director’s Cut)”.
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