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The Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology, Mr Joseph W P Wong, today (March 21) visited the Hong Kong International Film & TV Market (FILMART) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) to understand the latest development in film, television (TV), animation and digital entertainment services.
FILMART is the major highlight of the Entertainment Expo Hong Kong 2007. It is regarded as the most important trade fair for media and entertainment products in Asia. More than 450 exhibitors from 30 countries and regions took part in FILMART, which is held for four days starting from yesterday (March 20). Pavilions with different themes were set up at the exhibition venue. A series of seminars and forums, with such discussion topics as film financing, talent management, and digital entertainment world, will also be organised during the event period.
Other events of this year・s Entertainment Expo include:
* the inaugural Asian Film Awards (March 20)
* Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (March 20 - 22)
* 31st Hong Kong International Film Festival (March 20 - April 11)
* Digital Entertainment Leadership Forum (March 21)
* Hong Kong Music Fair (March 21 - 23)
* IFPI Hong Kong Top Sales Music Awards (March 22)
* Hong Kong Independent Short Film and Video Awards (ifva) and the 12th ifva Festival (March 16 - 25)
* 26th Hong Kong Film Awards (April 15)
Mr Wong visited a number of local and overseas exhibition pavilions during his tour to FILMART. He was deeply impressed by the wide adoption of advanced digital technology and animation visual effects by some film and TV products.
Mr Wong also paid a visit to the Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF). The Forum provided a platform for Asian filmmakers to seek international investors and partnership for film productions. About 600 professionals comprising financiers, film producers, bankers, distributors, buyers and film funding bodies from all over the world participated in the event. The Forum has earlier announced that 25 film projects were nominated. These projects were produced by many outstanding film professionals in Asia, including such popular names as Jia Zhangke, Zhang Yuan, Clara Law, Mabel Cheung, Pang Ho-cheung, Francis Ng, Kore-eda Hirokazu, Kurosawa Kiyoshi, E J-Yong and Kim Jee-woon.
Chinese film "Getting Home", directed by Mainland director Zhang Yang and was awarded the "Panorama" Prize of the Independent Juries of the 2007 Berlin Film Festival, was successfully produced after it had received the funding support from the HAF platform last year.
Mr Wong stressed that this year・s Entertainment Expo, bringing together a variety of events and attracting the participation of professionals with different backgrounds and from different places, was indeed an important event in town. He believed that apart from promoting the further development of the film industry, the Expo would strengthen Hong Kong・s position as the creative capital, and would also enable Hong Kong to become the world・s entertainment capital.
Mr Wong said that the Government would continue to support the media and entertainment industry, which was a key component of Hong Kong・s creative industries.
：First, we invest in state-of-the-art infrastructure. Our Cyberport provides first class facilities to support IT development and digital entertainment.
：Second, we help our industries to expand their markets. Under Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement, Hong Kong-origin films and Mainland-Hong Kong co-produced films and TV dramas enjoy quota free access on the Mainland.
：Third, we spare no efforts to maintain a conducive business environment. We take pride in upholding a robust intellectual property protection system, on par with the best in the world.
：Fourth, we facilitate the development of new technologies. Through their mobile phones and broadband connections Hong Kong people have the highest level of choice and enjoy the greatest variety of content in the whole Asia-Pacific region. We offer a fertile market for converging communication and entertainment. We also offer a good testing ground for anyone interested to enter the Mainland market,； he said.
Mr Wong pointed out that the Government・s latest initiative was to set up a new $300 million Film Development Fund, which would, among other things, invest in the production of medium and small budget films. He believed that the initiative would help resolve the financing problem faced by some of our talented but less well known film directors and producers or those who wanted to try less conventional plots.
Later in the day, Mr Wong officiated at the launching ceremony of ：Big Mission 100；, a film production project organized by a local film company, at the HKCEC. Addressing the ceremony, Mr Wong said that he believed that the project would certainly increase the quantity of the local film production, create more employment opportunities for the film sector, and nurture more successors for the industry to produce more creative films.
He said the project complemented the Government・s policies to promote the film industry. In fact, the project represented the positive response of the film industry to the Government・s on-going policy to support the development of the film industry. He believed that with the determination and joint effort of the Government and the industry, a more prosperous future for the Hong Kong film industry would be created.
Ends/Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Issued at HKT 19:58
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