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The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Film Development Council:
The increasing exchanges between film industries of Guangdong and Hong Kong, benefiting from Hong Kong's quota-free access to the Mainland, create more opportunities for Hong Kong film productions.
The Chairman of the Hong Kong Film Development Council (FDC), Mr Jack So, said this at a Guangdong-Hong Kong Film Industries Co-operative Symposium.
In his speech delivered at the symposium on December 12, Mr So said, "Guangdong province ranks top in terms of city cinema box office. It accounts for about 15% of the total box office across the Mainland. With Guangdong being confirmed by the Central Government as the first city for cultural exchange with Hong Kong and Macau in August this year, the film industries between Hong Kong and the Mainland are encouraged to make more exchanges and to enhance further co-operations.
"Thanks to the 'Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement' (CEPA), Hong Kong films are no longer subject to quota restrictions of the Mainland. This is a golden opportunity for the Hong Kong film industry in exploring the mainland market," Mr So said.
The symposium was jointly held by the FDC and the film industry of the Guangdong Province. Under the arrangement of the FDC, a 100-strong delegation formed by members of the Hong Kong film industry visited Guangdong to introduce to the film market of Guangdong the latest promotional project of "Hong Kong Film: New Action", with an aim to open up more business opportunities for the local film industry. The visit was well received by members of Hong Kong film industry, with senior executives of film companies, distributors, producers, around 30 directors and some veteran industry practitioners participating in this initiative, to explore the Guangdong film market and establishing market network to attract more investments outside Hong Kong in local films.
Mr So pointed out that expanding the Mainland market was one of the main focuses of the "Hong Kong Film: New Action" project. There were two major reasons for targeting Guangdong as the pioneering province for promoting Hong Kong films. Apart from the fact that provincial film distributors were allowed by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television to recommend and import Hong Kong movies to their respective markets, Hong Kong movies as well as films co-produced by Hong Kong and the Mainland were allowed to be released in their Cantonese version in Guangdong province. With this arrangement, the unique style and features of Hong Kong films could be fully sustained. The FDC saw this as a timely opportunity to promote the 33 Hong Kong film directors of the new generation under the "Hong Kong Film: New Action" project to the Guangdong film industry, thereby arousing its interest in Hong Kong movies and creating more chances for the local film industry.
The symposium was highly valued and supported by the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee and the provincial government. At the symposium, Assistant Inspector of the Publicity Department of the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee, Mr Yao Junyi, expressed support to the enhanced co-operation between the film industries of Guangdong and Hong Kong.
The "Hong Kong Film: New Action" project was rolled out this month (December) with the objective of expanding the Mainland, Taiwan and Southeast Asian markets for Hong Kong movies. It also aimed to promote local film directors of the new generation to these markets, nurture film talents and facilitate the long-term development of the Hong Kong film industry.
Ends/Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Issued at HKT 11:44
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