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The Hong Kong Film Festival (HKFF) 2011 was launched in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia today (March 16) with a gala premiere attended by more than 250 guests invited from the Malaysian government, business and media sectors.
Organised by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) in Singapore of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, with the support of 988 Radio Station Malaysia and the Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC), the third HKFF in Kuala Lumpur will open tomorrow (March 17) and continue through the weekend until March 20 at GSC cinemas, featuring a total of 11 Hong Kong movie titles.
Speaking at the HKFF opening ceremony, the Director of HKETO in Singapore, Ms Subrina Chow, said the first two festivals in 2009 and 2010 had each attracted about 2,000 Malaysian movie-lovers. This enthusiastic response encouraged her office and partners to continue the effort to introduce quality Hong Kong movies that are less often seen in Malaysian cinemas.
She said: "The film industry is the flagship of Hong Kong's creative industry. More and more of our actors, directors and producers are gaining international recognition. In the past decade alone, Hong Kong movies and film talent won over 300 international awards, including those at the Cannes, Berlin and Venice Film Festivals.
"Movies co-produced by Hong Kong and the Mainland of China are also enjoying huge success in the Mainland market. Last year, seven out of the top 10 domestic box office films in the Mainland were Hong Kong-Mainland co-productions."
As a way to express appreciation for Malaysians' long-lasting support for Hong Kong movies, this year's HKFF brings back to the big screen six Hong Kong blockbusters from the 1980s to 2000s.
These best-loved Hong Kong movies were chosen by the audience of Radio 988 in an open voting campaign last December. They include all-time favourites and award-winners in the Kung-fu, crime thriller and comedy genres, including "Infernal Affairs" which was adapted into the Oscar-winning Hollywood movie "The Departed".
The HKFF 2011 is also showing five new Hong Kong productions that have not been screened in Malaysian cinemas before. Three of these five are winners and/or nominees of prominent Hong Kong and international film awards.
The opening film of this year's Festival, "Lover's Discourse", by two new generation directors Mr Derek Tsang and Mr Jimmy Wan, has just won the Grand Prix (Best Picture Award) at Osaka Asian Film Festival 2011 and has been nominated for the Pusan International Film Festival "New Currents Award", Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards and the Hong Kong Film Awards.
Ms Chow added that "Lover's Discourse" was partly financed by the Hong Kong Film Development Fund set up to support the long-term development of Hong Kong's film industry. Since 2007, the Fund has provided financial support to 14 small to medium-budget film projects, involving eight first-time directors of commercial productions.
Malaysian Deputy Minister for Information, Communication and Culture, Senator Datuk Maglin Dennis D'Cruz and Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia, Mr Chai Xi, attended the HKFF opening ceremony as guests of honour.
The opening ceremony was followed by the gala premiere screening of "Lover's Discourse". The directors Mr Derek Tsang and Mr Jimmy Wan, together with actress Ms Kay Tse, were there to meet the audience. They also conducted a public forum earlier in the day to share their experiences in film making with some 150 Malaysian students and audience.
The HKFF 2011 comprises two parts: (i) six favourite Hong Kong movies from 1980s to 2000s chosen by Malaysian audience: "A Better Tomorrow", "Police Story", "Fight Back To School", "Once Upon A Time In China", "Infernal Affairs" and "Ip Man"; and (ii) five new movies produced in 2010: "Lover's Discourse", "Gallants", "Break Up Club", "All About Love" and "Quattro Hong Kong".
Ends/Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Issued at HKT 20:20
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