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Five block-buster Hong Kong movies will be featured in this year's Sydney Film Festival, providing Australian viewers with a fascinating glimpse of the extraordinary depth of Hong Kong's creative talent.
This is the third time the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Sydney (HKETO) has sponsored a Hong Kong segment in the Sydney Film Festival. At the reception in honour of the "Hong Kong Express" this evening (June 16, Sydney time), Director of the HKETO Mrs Jenny Wallis said that the Festival had provided a marvellous showcase for Hong Kong's film industry to demonstrate its vibrancy and innovative flair.
While the film industry might not be as prolific as it was in the past, Mrs Wallis said that Hong Kong still produced some 55 films last year. "More importantly, many of Hong Kong's actors, directors, cinematographers and producers have become household names, not just in Asia, but around the world. They are winning acclaim for their unique style, incisive direction and sometimes off-beat story lines," she said.
The Government was also playing its part, behind the scenes, to encourage the industry.
"We are promoting 'Hong Kong on location' as a film centre with the facilities, expertise and support for every movie occasion. We have established a Film Services Office, which streamlines procedures for location shooting, provides location scouting services, and makes land available for film production facilities." Mrs Wallis said.
"A Film Development Committee was appointed in November last year to advise the Government on all matters relating to the development of the film industry, and to promote Hong Kong films in Mainland China and overseas markets."
"Furthermore, there is a Film Development Fund to provide financial support to projects conducive to the healthy and long term development of the industry; as well as a Film Guarantee Fund to assist Hong Kong film production companies obtain loans from local lending institutions for film production."
The reception was followed by the screening of "Perhaps Love", a bitter-sweet musical, featuring an all-star pan-Asian cast, which has won six awards, including Best Actress at the recent Hong Kong Film Awards. The director of the film, Peter Chan Ho-sun, travelled from Hong Kong to join the Australian premiere of his film and shared an enthusiastic question and answer session with the audience at the end of the screening.
The five films featured in the festival this year are "Perhaps Love" directed by Peter Chan Ho-sun and starring Zhou Xun, Kaneshiro Takeshi, Jacky Cheung and Ji Jin Hee; "A Side, B Side, Seaside" directed by Chan Wing-chiu and starring Kong Ling and Larry Chan; "The Myth" directed by Stanley Tong Kwai-lai and starring Jackie Chan, Kim Hee Seon, Tony Leung Ka-fai and Mallika Sherawat; "McDull, The Alumni" directed by Samson Chiu and starring Ronald Cheng Chung-kei, Kelly Chan Wai-lam, Anthony Wong Chau-sang, Gigi Leung Wing-kay, Eric Tsang Chi-wai and Sandra Ng Kwan-yu; and "Fearless" directed by Ronny Yu Yan-tai and starring Jet Li Lianjie, Shidou Nakamura and Betty Sun.
Ends/Friday, June 16, 2006
Issued at HKT 19:35
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