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To commemorate Sir Run Run Shaw on the first anniversary of his passing, the Hong Kong Film Archive (HKFA) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department is holding the exhibition "The Foundation of Run Run Shaw's Cinema Empire" until April 5 at the Exhibition Hall of the HKFA. The exhibition showcases the making of the legendary Shaw studio and Shaw's entrepreneurship while paying tribute to his contributions to the Chinese-language film industry. Admission is free.
More than 70 archival treasures and 400 precious photos are on display at the exhibition, including early Shaw family photos and various work photos. Singaporean collector Wong Han Min also loaned numerous valuable exhibits for display, such as photos of Shaw theatres in Singapore and Malaysia from the 1920s to the '50s, handbills and magazines, which are being exhibited in Hong Kong for the first time. Also, excerpts from classic films produced by Shaw and videos of interviews with guests familiar with Shaw are also being shown at the venue.
Shaw, also known as "Uncle Six", devoted his lifetime to filmmaking. Driven by his passion for films and diligent personality, Shaw found huge success in his filmmaking career and profoundly influenced the film industry for more than half a century.
From Unique Film Productions in Shanghai and Shaw Brothers in Singapore in the 1920s and the Nanyang Film Company in the 1930s to Shaw & Sons and Shaw Brothers (Hong Kong) starting in the 1950s, the Shaw studio produced more than 1,000 films in Mandarin, Cantonese, Amoy dialect and Malay, building a solid foundation and an extensive network in the industry. In 1957, Shaw moved from Singapore to Hong Kong to take over the business, pushing the enterprise to new heights and becoming a legend in Chinese cinema history.
With sharp insight in filmmaking and early experience in showing and distributing movies in Singapore and Malaysia, Shaw guided Shaw Brothers (Hong Kong) under his management to change the way films were made in Hong Kong, enabling Chinese-language films to gain popularity and tap into the international film market. As a successful film entrepreneur, Shaw strived for innovations in film genres and breakthroughs in productions. To ensure a good quantity and quality of his studio's productions, Shaw kept on recruiting talented scriptwriters, directors and production talent. He also set up a performance training school that nurtured numerous star actors and actresses.
For enquiries about the exhibition, please call 2739 2139 or browse the website at www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/HKFA/en_US/web/hkfa/programmesandexhibitions/highlights/highlights11.html.
Ends/Friday, January 16, 2015
Issued at HKT 18:30
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