***********************************************************
The week-long Hong Kong Film Festival in Hurstville is launched today (January 18, Sydney time) as part of the Chinese New Year celebration programme of the Hurstville City Council in Sydney.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Ms Lorna Wong, Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Sydney (HKETO), said ¡°the film festival marked a new milestone as it was the office¡¯s inaugural collaboration with a local council to promote one of Hong Kong¡¯s most vibrant and distinctive industries.¡±
Popular Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs was screened this evening to mark the commencement of the film festival. In addition to Infernal Affairs, three masterpieces by Jackie Chan would be screened. They are New Police Story, Rob-B-Hood and The Myth.
¡°With their entertaining mix of high spirits and typical Jackie Chan style fast action, these movies will perfectly complement the Lunar New Year celebrations,¡± she said.
Ms Wong said HKETO had, in the past years, been participating in international film festivals held in major cities of Australia in a bid to promote Hong Kong through publicizing Hong Kong films. She said film was an important means to raise the profile of the city in the international arena and was an effective cultural ambassador.
Ms Wong said the collaboration with the Hurstville City Council marked the first step towards promoting Hong Kong films to the wider audience at the community level and she looked forward to joining hands with more city councils in this respect.
Ends/Sunday, January 18, 2009
Issued at HKT 16:28
NNNN
