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For the first time, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin (HKETO Berlin) is sponsoring the Vienna International Film Festival (Viennale). The Viennale is running from October 22 to November 5 and is Austria's most important international film event, as well as one of the oldest and best-known festivals in the German-speaking world.
Every October, the Viennale takes place in beautiful cinemas in Vienna's historic centre, providing the festival with an international orientation and a distinctive urban flair. A high percentage of the more than 96 000 visitors to the festival from Austria and abroad is made up of a young audience.
The Viennale has included two Hong Kong productions in this year's programme. Among them is "The Golden Era", the winner of the Best Film, Best Director and Best Cinematography awards at this year's Hong Kong Film Awards. Ann Hui's epic drama will be screened on November 3 at 9pm in the Metro cinema. Also screening is "The Assassin", which will be shown on November 1 and 3.
The Director of HKETO Berlin, Ms Betty Ho, was invited by the festival's Director, Mr Hans Hurch, to speak at the Industry Cocktail event, held on Austria's National Day (October 26) in the Hotel InterContinental Vienna in front of 140 representatives of the local and international film industries.
Referring to "The Golden Era" as an excellent example for co-productions of Hong Kong with the Mainland of China, Ms Ho outlined the advantages of the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) to the industry players. "Overseas film companies incorporated in Hong Kong can reap the same CEPA benefits as local filmmakers in entering the Chinese market. I encourage Austrian creative talents and professionals to use Hong Kong as the gateway to tap the growing business opportunities in China," she said.
The Viennale is the third of three top European festivals which have started a partnership with HKETO Berlin this year. Earlier, the Munich International Film Festival celebrated the German premiere of "The Golden Era" in June, and the Zurich Film Festival in Switzerland featured four Hong Kong productions in its newly established section "Hong Kong Window" in late September and early October. Furthermore, HKETO Berlin will continue its co-operation with the Five Flavours Film Festival in Warsaw, Poland. This year's edition will start on November 12 and will feature a John Woo retrospective.
About HKETO Berlin
HKETO Berlin is the official Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government representative in commercial relations and other economic and trade matters in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Poland as well as the Czech Republic, Hungary, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia.
Ends/Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Issued at HKT 20:16
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