To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Create Hong Kong presented “Making Waves – Navigators of Hong Kong Cinema” in Tokyo, Japan, showcasing a selection of new Hong Kong films and classics with support from the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Tokyo (Tokyo ETO) from today (November 9) to November 13. 


 


     To mark the opening of the programme, a reception was held by Tokyo ETO tonight before the screening of the opening film, “Time”.


 


     The Acting Principal Hong Kong Economic and Trade Representative (Tokyo), Miss Winsome Au, said at the opening reception that the film programme celebrates the best of Hong Kong cinema, showcasing the vibrancy and diversity of Hong Kong’s film industry.


 


     “Echoing our role as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange under the National 14th Five-Year Plan, the Hong Kong Government has launched a new scheme called ‘HK-Asian Film Collaboration Funding Scheme’ to subsidise up to HK$9 million for each eligible project co-produced by filmmakers and producers of Hong Kong and Asian countries, with an aim to foster cultural exchanges among Asian filmmakers and bring Hong Kong and Asian films to the next level,” she added.   


 


     Assistant Head of Create Hong Kong Mr Gary Mak; Vice-chairperson of the Hong Kong Film Development Council (FDC) Mabel Cheung; FDC member, producer and screenwriter of “Time” and actor of “Limbo” Gordon Lam; film directors of “Look Up” Tim Poon and Sunny Yip; and film director Coba Cheng also joined the reception. 


 


     The film programme in Tokyo showcases eight Hong Kong movies; “Time” was the opening film. The other seven films are “Limbo”, “One Second Champion”, “Look Up”, “A Chinese Ghost Story” (restored), “Sunshine of My Life”, “Table for Six” and “Detective vs. Sleuths”. Gordon Lam, the producer and screenwriter of “Time”, participated in a sharing session with the audience after the screening. Film directors Tim Poon, Sunny Yip, Chiu Sin-hang, and actress Lin Min-chen will also participate in sharing sessions on their respective movies.

     To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, London (London ETO) supported “Making Waves – Navigators of Hong Kong Cinema”, showcasing a selection of Hong Kong films in Stockholm, Norrköping and Umeå, Sweden, from September 30 to October 9 (Stockholm time). The programme was presented by Create Hong Kong in partnership with the Asian Film Festival.

     To start the official opening of the Festival on September 30, the London ETO hosted a reception in Stockholm before the screening of “Keep Rolling”, a biographical documentary directed by Man Lim-chung which portraits the prolific career of Hong Kong director Ann Hui. After the reception, a face-to-face Q&A session between Man Lim-chung and the audience was held.

     The Director-General of the London ETO, Mr Gilford Law, addressed the audience at the official opening. Mr Law said, “Talents are the key to artistic and cultural excellence. The HKSAR Government has been putting strong emphasis on nurturing talents in the film industry. Together with the passion of the creative practitioners in Hong Kong films and support of film lovers around the world, we are confident that the industry will continue to flourish.”

     Mr Law remarked, “Hong Kong is an international hub for cultural and creative industries with promising development opportunities. With its unique status and strengths under ‘one country, two systems’, Hong Kong is a melting pot of Chinese and Western cultures with extensive international connections. We are determined to become an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange, as supported by the National 14th Five-Year Plan.”

     Mr Law also updated the audience on the lifting of compulsory quarantine requirement for inbound persons from overseas places that started on September 26. “The relaxed arrangement demonstrates Hong Kong’s readiness to connect with the world, without compromising defences against the pandemic and the health of our residents. The HKSAR Government has been implementing measures to consolidate the position of Hong Kong as an international tourism hub. With no more quarantine requirement, it is now the best time to visit Hong Kong, discover everything about our captivating city and see what adventures await in town,” he added.

     The programme presented six Hong Kong films, namely “Keep Rolling”, “The First Girl I Loved”, “Limbo”, “Sunshine of My Life”, “Table for Six” and “Tales from the Occult”, to audiences in Sweden. A Q&A session was held before the screening of “Tales from the Occult” on October 1, where film directors Fruit Chan and Andrew Fung conducted a live discussion from Hong Kong with audiences in Stockholm using hologram technology. 

     To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Tokyo) is supporting “Making Waves – Navigators of Hong Kong Cinema”, showcasing a selection of new Hong Kong films and classics, in Seoul, Korea, from September 23 to October 2. The programme is being presented by Create Hong Kong in partnership with the Korean Film Archive.

 

     At the opening ceremony co-hosted by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Tokyo), the Acting Principal Hong Kong Economic and Trade Representative (Tokyo), Miss Winsome Au, told the audience that Hong Kong is a leading filmmaking centre and is renowned as a cosmopolitan city full of creativity.

 

     “Our unique history and development has turned Hong Kong into a meeting point of different cultures and a cradle for distinctive artistic expression. Our film industry is certainly a compelling demonstration of Hong Kong’s achievements in this regard,” she said.

 

     She also expressed the hope that the Korean public would get to know the different aspects of Hong Kong, including its people, cityscape, culture and way of life through the impressive productions.

 

     The programme showcases nine Hong Kong movies by different filmmakers, including notable veterans and emerging talents. Stanley Kwan’s “Rouge”, digitally restored in 4K, was the opening film. The other eight films are “Fagara”, “Twelve Days”, “Keep Rolling”, “Pretty Heart”, “Sunshine of My Life”, “July Rhapsody” (restored), “Ah Ying” and “An Autumn’s Tale” (restored).

     To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, London (London ETO) supported the “Making Waves – Navigators of Hong Kong Cinema”, showcasing a selection of Hong Kong new films and classics in London from July 8 to 10 (London time). The programme is presented by Create Hong Kong in partnership with Focus Hong Kong.

     London ETO hosted a networking reception and screening of Longman Leung’s biographical drama “Anita” for its close interlocutors in the UK before the official opening of the programme. Addressing the audience, the Director-General of London ETO, Mr Gilford Law said that with the concerted efforts of both the Hong Kong Government and the creative talents, there is a future for Hong Kong’s film industry as “Hollywood of the East”. Support from the Hong Kong Government under a multi-pronged approach ranges from providing financial support, facilitating location filming, to nurturing talents.

     Mr Law also highlighted the importance of the effective implementation of “one country, two systems” in Hong Kong. “We know how unique our city’s status is under the “one country, two systems”, being the only place in China that practises the common law regime, making us a gateway and super connector between the China and the world.” He said.

     The programme presented seven Hong Kong films to the audience in London, namely “Anita”, “Comrades, Almost a Love Story”, “The First Girl I Loved; Tales from the Occult”, “Hand Rolled Cigarette”, “Breakout Brothers and July Rhapsody”.