*******************************************************
The Hong Kong Film Panorama opened in Madrid today (February 26, Madrid time). The Panorama presents a selection of Hong Kong・s latest films and tours Europe every year at the initiative of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Brussels (HKETO, Brussels).
This is the third time that the Hong Kong Film Panorama is held in Madrid, in collaboration with its Spanish co-organiser, cultural organisation Casa Asia. This year the Hong Kong Film Panorama will be shown at the Spanish Film Archive.
Speaking at the opening of the Hong Kong Film Panorama in Madrid, Ms Hinny Lam, Deputy Representative of the HKETO, Brussels, said that Hong Kong films have received both public acclaim and increasing international recognition in recent years. Hollywood is interested in Hong Kong talents and has on various occasions acquired the right to remake Hong Kong movies, like Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs, which Hollywood remade as The Departed, and See Ghosts, remade as The Eye.
Ms Lam said that the Hong Kong SAR Government, conscious of the highly competitive nature of the film industry, had implemented a series of measures to help its continual development in Hong Kong. It was investing in state-of-the art infrastructure, facilitating technological development, maintaining a robust intellectual property protection regime, and helping the industry to expand its markets and finance small to medium-budget films to nurture new talents.
：In the Berlinale 2010 which ended earlier this week, a Hong Kong film, Shui Yuet Sun Tau, won the Crystal Bear for Best Film,；she added. ：The film was directed by Alex Law and supported by our Film Development Fund. We will continue our efforts in supporting the film industry.；
For this screening of the Hong Kong Film Panorama in Madrid from February 23 to March 14 inclusive, 12 films selected for the 2009-2010 European tour with the help of the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society will be shown. They are Johnnie To・s Sparrow, Heiward Mak・s coming of age drama High Noon, Herman Yan・s non-fiction film True Women for Sale, Derek Kwok・s police drama The Moss, Law Wing-cheung・s thriller Tactical Unit - Comrades in Arms, Lawrence Lau・s youth drama City without Baseball, and Angie Chan・s This Darling Life, an original look at how people relate to their pets. In addition to these recent films, there will be a tribute to iconic director Tsui Hark with his films Once Upon a Time in China (parts I, II and II), Shanghai Blues and Zu: Magic Warriors of the Mountains.
Madrid is the fifth stop on the 2009-2010 Hong Kong Film Panorama・s European tour, after Antwerp, Brussels, Lisbon and Athens. Barcelona, Florence and Malta are to follow.
Ends/Saturday, February 27, 2010
Issued at HKT 05:00
NNNN
