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Young film talents from Hong Kong received invaluable international exposure at the 37th International Film School Festival in Poitiers, France, at the weekend. The Festival attracts some 20 000 participants a year, including representatives of the media and professionals of the film industry eager to discover new talents. Film schools from all over the world submit entries for the Festival's competition.
Attending this year's Festival, which is being held from November 27 to December 5 (Brussels time), are the School of Film and Television of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) and Department of Cinema and Television of the Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU). Thirty-four schools from 23 countries take part.
With the support of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels (HKETO, Brussels), the Festival held an event China Focus from November 29 to December 1 which included a special tribute to Hong Kong cinema and the screening of Tsui Hark's "Seven Swords" and Johnnie To's "Sparrow".
Three short films produced by HKAPA students, Lam Chi-lung's "For Love, We Can", Ren Xia's "Circle Monkey" and "Leaving to Stay", were screened on November 29. They were introduced by the Director of the Television and Film Department, Mr Kenneth Ip (Shu-kei), and senior lecturer, Mr Ding Yuin-shan. After the screening, young directors Lam Chi-lung and Xia Ren had exchanges with the audience about their films.
On December 1, three films by students of the HKBU, Norris Wong Yee-lam's "From Here to There", Jiang Boyang's "When the New Year Comes" and Lu Chuan's "The Buddha and the Carpenter", will be screened after an introduction by Associate Director of the Academy of Film, Department of Cinema and Television, Mr Man Shu-sum. Directors Norris Wong Yee-lam and Jiang Boyang will discuss their films with the audience after the screening.
Speaking at a reception on November 29, the Deputy Representative of HKETO, Brussels, Miss Drew Lai, said that the Office was delighted to support the Festival which provides opportunities for young Hong Kong filmmakers to present their work in France and exchange creative ideas with their peers from other countries.
"As a government, we are keen to encourage such exchanges and to increase the opportunities for our young people to broaden their horizons," Miss Lai said.
Miss Lai noted that Hong Kong had long been a place of open borders and open minds, with a cultural mix of Chinese and Western influences.
"We safeguard and respect cultural freedom and artistic creation. Freedom of speech and freedom of expression are enshrined in our constitutional document, the Basic Law. This helps create an environment that encourages creativity and diversity," she said.
Ends/Monday, December 1, 2014
Issued at HKT 09:40
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