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Delegates of the Hong Kong film industry who are attending the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) today (September 8, Toronto time) received a warm welcome from the Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) in Toronto.
Hong Kong director Nelson Lik-wai Yu, actor Anthony Wong, and co-producers and distributor of the Hong Kong-Brazil co-production, Plastic City, were joined by local film professionals at a welcome lunch hosted by the HKETO Director, Ms Maureen Siu.
Thanking them for representing Hong Kong at the world-renowned TIFF, Ms Siu said: "Not only does Hong Kong film play a significant role in promoting Hong Kong overseas, it also generates a direct and powerful effect on enhancing the international branding of Hong Kong among non-Chinese audiences in many ways."
With great diversity of themes and filming styles, Hong Kong films present the creativity of Hong Kong people. A number of popular Hong Kong film titles have been sold to overseas industry players for remakes in English, such as the 2007 Oscar-winning movie The Departed, directed by Martin Scorsese, which is a remake of the Hong Kong original production, Infernal Affairs.
"In addition, Hong Kong film directors and producers have always been applauded for working within tight budgets yet being able to produce high-quality films," said Ms Siu.
Since 1997, Hong Kong movies and film talents have been awarded over 300 international prizes, with director Wong Kar-wai being the first Chinese director to win the Best Director Award at Cannes in 1997 for his film Happy Together.
Ms Siu also told the guests that Hong Kong enjoys a strategic position to promote collaboration with other places in film production. Citing Plastic City as an example, she said the film "showcases how such collaborations could be - a film shot by a Hong Kong director, with actors and crews from five different nations."
Ends/Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Issued at HKT 10:03
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