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Hong Kong film director Ms Ann Hui was the guest of honour at the opening of Casa Asia Film Week (CAFW) in Barcelona, where she was presented with the Casa Asia Film Week Honorary Award on Thursday, June 9 (Spanish time).
The first edition of this new festival, supported by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Brussels (HKETO, Brussels), is showcasing Hong Kong cinema by screening nine Hong Kong films from June 9 to 12. Five are recent productions, namely Ms Heiward Mak's "Ex" (2010), Mr Dante Lam's "The Stool Pigeon" (2010), Mr Su Chao-bin's "Reign of Assassins" (2010), Ms Ann Hui's "All about Love" (2010), and Mr Johnnie To and Mr Wai Ka-fai's "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (2010).
The highlight of the festival is a retrospective of the works of Ms Ann Hui. Five of her films are being screened, namely "Boat People" (1982), "Ah Kam – The Stunt" (1996), "July Rhapsody" (2002), "The Postmodern Life of My Aunt" (2006) and "All about Love" (2010).
The festival also included a pre-programme from June 6 to 8 called "Portal Asia", featuring debates, meetings, conferences and DVD screenings of documentaries in cultural centres all around the city of Barcelona.
Speaking before the opening film, Mr Su Chao Bin's "Reign of Assassins" and the gala cocktail hosted by HKETO, Brussels, Special Representative for Hong Kong Economic and Trade Affairs to the European Union, Miss Mary Chow, warmly congratulated Casa Asia on the launch of the new festival, which she said was off to a good start with the excellent selection made for the first edition.
"I am particularly delighted to see so many Hong Kong films to be featured, including a well-deserved tribute to one of our most critically-acclaimed directors, Ms Ann Hui, who is here with us today."
Miss Chow said that in the past decade, Hong Kong films and talent won over 300 international awards, including those presented at various international film festivals.
"Thanks to the free flow of information, and the free speech and expression that are guaranteed under our constitutional document, the Basic Law of Hong Kong, the creativity and innovation of our film talents can flourish without boundary, laying the solid ground for the success of our film industry."
She added that in recent years, Hong Kong's Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement with Mainland China had led to a rapid growth of co-productions, which have achieved major box-office success in the Mainland. Hong Kong also has a reputation for quickly embracing new technologies and has begun to capitalise on growing interest in 3D movies. The first 3D Chinese martial arts movie was in production and its release eagerly awaited.
CAFW's organiser, Casa Asia, is a cultural organisation founded in 2001 by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation through its Spanish Agency for International Cooperation for Development, and by the Government of Catalonia and the Barcelona and Madrid City Councils. Its purpose is to contribute to a better knowledge of Asia in Spain and promote mutual relations.
For several years now, the HKETO, Brussels has been collaborating with Casa Asia to bring its Hong Kong Film Panorama, an annual festival of some of Hong Kong's latest films and all-time classics which tours a number of European cities, to Barcelona and Madrid audiences.
Ends/Friday, June 10, 2011
Issued at HKT 08:23
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