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A month-long "Hong Kong!" Film Series, co-presented by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office New York (HKETONY) and the prestigious Gene Siskel Film Center (GSFC) in Chicago, will run through December 5. It forms part of the cultural programs to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
The film festival was kicked off with the Chicago premiere screening of the award-winning "Life Without Principle" ﷿ Hong Kong's entry in the 85th Oscar Best Foreign Language Film Award at GSFC on November 9 (Chicago time).
Speaking at a reception to launch the film festival, Director of the HKETONY, Miss Anita Chan, pointed out that 15 years after its return to the motherland, Hong Kong remains a free and open city.
"The good news for movie lovers is that Hong Kong continues to have one of the largest and most dynamic film entertainment industries in the world. In per capita production, Hong Kong ranked first in Asia. Hong Kong movies are not only popular in Asia but some of them have also captured the interest of Hollywood filmmakers and distributors," said Miss Chan.
"The Hong Kong government has been supporting the film industry through various initiatives. For example the Film Development Fund, totalling US$39 million, provides financial support for projects conducive to the long-term development of the film industry," she added.
Miss Chan added that since the implementation of the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) in 2004, there has been an increase in Hong Kong-Mainland co-productions. In 2011, six out of the 10 box office hits in Mainland China were co-productions with Hong Kong film-makers. And one of those box office hits ﷿"Shaolin" has been included in the current Chicago "Hong Kong!" film series.
A total of nine Hong Kong movies, showcasing the impressive achievements and developments of the Hong Kong﷿s film industry over the past 15 years, and representing an array of genres and a wide spectrum of the Hong Kong movie scene, will be screened in the coming weeks at the GSFC. These movies include outstanding works by esteemed Hong Kong directors Benny Chan, Jackie Chan, Pang Ho-cheung, Tsui Hark, Johnnie To and Wong Kar-wai.
Three Hong Kong films - "Life Without Principle", "Shaolin" and "1911" ﷿ will be making their Chicago premieres. Other films are "Sparrow", "Vulgaria", "Detective Dee and The Mystery of the Phantom Flame", "Zu Warriors", "In the Mood for Love", and "Happy Together".
Ends/Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Issued at HKT 09:57
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