HKETO San Francisco presents “Spotlight on Hong Kong” at Hawai’i International Film Festival (with photos)
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As part of a series of activities in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in San Francisco (HKETO San Francisco) has sponsored the Hawai’i International Film Festival (HIFF), with the 42nd edition of the annual film festival taking place from November 3 to 27 (Honolulu time). “Spotlight on Hong Kong”, a curated cinema showcase of the city’s movies, is being featured as part of HIFF’s special presentation.
Each year in “Spotlight on Hong Kong”, a Hong Kong filmmaker is honoured for their work and contributions to the movie industry. This year, HIFF is paying tribute to Josie Ho, an award-winning actress, producer, rock star and culture icon, with the “Josie Ho in Focus Film Series”. “Dream Home”, “Onpaku” and “Finding Bliss: Fire and Ice – The Director’s Cut” are the three selected works that are being screened at HIFF.
Meanwhile, “Making Waves – Navigators of Hong Kong Cinema”, the touring film programme marking the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR, is also being featured in the HIFF programme this year under “Spotlight on Hong Kong”.
Presented by Create Hong Kong in collaboration with the 42nd HIFF and supported by HKETO San Francisco, this edition of the “Making Waves” programme features six brand-new Hong Kong productions and one timeless restored classic. An online photo exhibition showcasing the works of four unit photographers from Hong Kong is also being held in conjunction.
The “Making Waves” programme began with a screening of “Warriors of Future”, which has just been crowned the all-time Chinese-language box-office champion in the history of Hong Kong cinema. The programme also features two directorial debuts – Coba Cheng’s “Chilli Laugh Story” and Ying Chi-wen’s “Life Must Go On”, two light-hearted comedies – Sunny Chan’s “Table for Six” and Kearen Pang’s “Mama’s Affair”, as well as the healing documentary “Finding Bliss: Fire and Ice – The Director’s Cut” produced by Josie Ho, and a newly restored version of “The Heroic Trio” by Johnnie To.
Speaking at the Spotlight on Hong Kong Reception on November 5 in Honolulu, the Director of HKETO San Francisco, Ms Jacko Tsang, thanked the HIFF team for once again curating “Spotlight on Hong Kong” as part of its unique presentations. She said, “New talents are crucial for the future development of Hong Kong’s movie industry, and that is why the HKSAR Government has been making substantial investments in nurturing young filmmakers. Funding schemes such as the First Feature Film Initiative and the Scriptwriting Incubation Programme under the Film Development Fund are two successful examples. I am confident that we will continue to bring more Hong Kong films to the US audience in the years to come.”
Coba Cheng, the director of “Chilli Laugh Story”, visited Honolulu to meet the audience at the screening and spoke on his experience in making his debut film, which was welcomed by a full house of film lovers.