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The Hong Kong Film Panorama, which 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), opened in Florence for the first time yesterday (March 25).
Speaking at the press conference on March 23 (Central European Time), Deputy Representative for Hong Kong Economic and Trade Affairs to the European Union, Ms Wong Yuet-wah, said that cinema is very close to the heart of Hong Kong people and forms an important part of our city's history and culture. With just seven million inhabitants, Hong Kong is among the world's largest film exporters and producers per capita, with 70 films made in 2009.
With the rise of independent filmmakers, films with more intricate plots and more complex characterisation now thrive alongside traditional action movies. Keenly aware of the highly competitive nature of the film industry, the Hong Kong SAR Government has implemented a series of measures to help the industry and to nurture new talents by financing small to medium-budget films. The results were encouraging.
"Our Film Development Fund has supported 14 films since it was in place in October 2007. Only last month one of them, Alex Law's "Echoes of the Rainbow" won the Crystal Bear for Best Film at the Berlinale 2010," Ms Wong said.
"The most important event of the year for our film industry is taking place at this very moment in Hong Kong," Ms Wong noted, referring to the Hong Kong Entertainment Expo with its nine spectacular events covering a global mix of film, TV, music and digital entertainment.
"It includes Filmart, one of the world's top three film market events in terms of exhibitor numbers. A strong contingent of business visitors from Italy is taking part, with over 35 Italian film producers, festival organisers and distributors signed up to attend."
Ms Wong added that on March 23, Italian designer Donatella Versace had presented the Best Costume Designer Award at the Asian Film Awards.
"However you do not need to go to Hong Kong to sample Hong Kong films. We have brought them to Florence."
For this screening of the Hong Kong Film Panorama in Florence from March 25 to 28 inclusive, 11 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", 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 III)", "Shanghai Blues" and "Zu: Magic Warriors of the Mountains".
Florence is the seventh stop on the 2009-2010 Hong Kong Film Panorama's European tour, after Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Lisbon, Athens and Madrid. Malta is to follow.
"We hope this event may become a regular one in Florence, just as it is already firmly on the annual film calendar of a number of other major European cities," Ms Wong concluded.
Ends/Friday, March 26, 2010
Issued at HKT 22:42
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