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An opening ceremony for "Chinese Film Panorama 2015" was held tonight (October 19) at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, followed by a screening of the opening film, "Hundred Regiments Campaign" (2015), a war film directed by Ning Haiqiang and Zhang Yuzhong.
Jointly presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) and the South China Film Industry Workers Union, "Chinese Film Panorama 2015" will be held from October 19 to November 20 at the Grand Theatre of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, the Cinema of the Hong Kong Film Archive, and the Lecture Halls of the Hong Kong Space Museum and the Hong Kong Science Museum.
The officiating guests at the opening ceremony included the President of the China Film Foundation, Mr Zhang Pimin; the Deputy Director of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Basic Law Committee of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Ms Elsie Leung; the Deputy Director-General of the Publicity, Culture and Sports Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, Mr Zhu Ting; the Under Secretary for Home Affairs, Ms Florence Hui; the Vice-Director of August First Film Studio, Mr Liu Jian-wai; the Chairman of the Hong Kong Film Development Council, Mr Ma Fung-kwok; the Chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers, Mr Ng See-yuen; the Chairman of the Sil-Metropole Organisation Ltd, Mr Chen Yiqi; the Chairman of the Southern Film Co Ltd, Ms Ren Yue, and the Chairman of the South China Film Industry Workers Union, Mr Cheung Hong-tat. Also attending will be the director of "Hundred Regiments Campaign", Zhang Yuzhong; the male lead of "Hundred Regiments Campaign" and "Song of the Phoenix", Mr Tao Zeru; and the scriptwriter and director of "Forgetting to Know You", Quan Ling, and as well as other film personalities.
Since Hong Kong's return to China, the Chinese Film Panorama programme has showcased the thriving development of Chinese cinema. The 10 selections this year include exemplary films by veteran directors and stunning works by emerging filmmakers, offering audiences a glimpse of China's blossoming film industry.
The opening film, "Hundred Regiments Campaign" depicts the largest and the longest battle in northern China during the war of resistance against Japan. One hundred thousand soldiers from the Eighth Route Army, the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei military and local militias took part in the battle, which was thus named the Hundred Regiments Campaign. Featuring battles between Chinese soldiers and civilians against the Japanese army, the epic war film reconstructs scenes of the whole campaign in a comprehensive way, detailing the military logistics on both sides and vividly depicting the breathtaking moments of this key battle.
Other selected films include "Wang Mao" (2015), which is set against a backdrop of war and humorously portrays a "nobody" searching for a better life; Hong Kong director Derek Yee's "I Am Somebody" (2015), a refreshing and realistic narration of the vicissitudes of youths pursuing their dreams in the studio city of Hengdian; "One Day" (2014), an award-winning film comprising nine heart-warming stories about underprivileged children pursuing their dreams; the swansong of director Wu Tianming, "Song of the Phoenix" (2012), which opens our hearts to the essence of the inheritance of traditional Chinese music and culture through the story of a suona guru; "12 Citizens" (2014), which looks into the social situation and morale of modern China through the theme of law. "River Road" (2015) and "Brotherhood of Blades" (2014) were made by new directors Li Ruijun and Lu Yang respectively. The former portrays the journey of two young brothers across the grasslands in search of their nomadic homeland, and depicts the dispersal of Yugu nomads in Gansu Province caused by industrialisation and environmental changes; the latter is an alternative swordsman film depicting a reign of terror in the Ming Dynasty imperial court. While the Mainland has many budding young filmmakers, many emerging writers are also making directorial attempts. Directed and scripted by female author Quan Ling, "Forgetting to Know You" (2014) explores marriage and relationships between the two genders. Finally "The Continent" (2014), the directorial debut of popular writer Han Han and based on his own literary work, is a quasi-road trip movie that ponders on youth and the future.
"River Road" is in the Gansu dialect and Putonghua, while the other films are in Putonghua. All films have Chinese and English subtitles.
Tickets are priced at $55 are now available at URBTIX. Half-price tickets are available for senior citizens aged 60 and above, people with disabilities and their minders, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients. Credit card bookings can be made at 2111 5999 or on the Internet at www.urbtix.hk. For enquiries, please call 2734 2900. Detailed programme information and ticketing details can be found at URBTIX outlets and all performance venues of the LCSD, or by browsing the website: www.lcsd.gov.hk/fp/en_US/web/fpo/programmes/2015cfp/index.html.
Ends/Monday, October 19, 2015
Issued at HKT 20:30
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