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Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr John C Tsang, at the Opening Premier of the Hong Kong Film Festival in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia tonight (March 17):
Distinguished Guests, Fellow Film Enthusiasts, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great pleasure for me to join you this evening.
Cinema is part and parcel of Hong Kong's history and culture.
Over the years, action stars like Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Donnie Yen have opened a window on Hong Kong for the rest of the world.
At the same time, the great and the good, like Batman and James Bond have also paid a visit to our city. They have perched on our highest buildings, took off and glided among the sky scrappers in Central, and sipped their favourite drinks in our famous watering holes.
Likewise, from the dizzying heights of the Petronas Twin Towers here in Kuala Lumpur to the streets of Ipoh, Malaysia has provided many memorable cinematic moments as well.
So I am delighted to see growing co-operation between Hong Kong and Malaysia in film production and sharing – or perhaps I should say "enhancing" – the experience of great cinema.
Both Malaysia and Hong Kong have a great deal of talented actors and directors, editors and cinematographers. We have enthusiastic audiences and we both have great locations for shooting films.
This event builds on the success of the first Hong Kong Film Festival in Malaysia last March. Some 2 000 moviegoers enjoyed the eight films screened at the Festival last year.
This year, we have another eight magnificent films for you all to enjoy.
It is appropriate that the curtain rises with a co-production entitled – At The End Of Daybreak. Not only is the film a multi-award winner, it is also a great example of co-operation between Hong Kong and Malaysia. It is the work of a Malaysian director with a cast of talented actors from Malaysia and Hong Kong.
I am particularly pleased to see members of the talented cast and director Ho Yu-hang share their expertise and experience of filmmaking with students at this morning's workshop.
I am sure that we will see more co-productions between Malaysia and Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong Government is fully supportive of the film industry. We have the Film Services Office to provide a free one-stop shop for filmmakers filming in Hong Kong.
We also have the Film Development Fund to provide financial support to the industry.
Also, our Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement with the Mainland of China has opened the door for Hong Kong-Mainland co-productions. Out of the top 10 domestic box office films on the Mainland last year, seven were Hong Kong-Mainland co-productions.
It is only fitting that this Film Festival is also a "co-production".
I would like to thank 988 Radio Station Malaysia and Golden Screen Cinemas for their support in organising this Film Festival along with our Economic and Trade Office in Singapore.
I wish the Festival every success.
Thank you very much.
Ends/Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Issued at HKT 21:30
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