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The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Film Development Council:
To promote Hong Kong film directors of the new generation and explore opportunities for co-operation on film productions and investment, the Chairman of the Hong Kong Film Development Council (FDC), Mr Jack So, led a delegation of 20-odd members to visit Singapore and Malaysia last week.
"To make a breakthrough for our film industry, we would have to join hands with Mainland China, Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan and pool resources of the five places to develop the film industry of the region as a whole," Mr So said.
"The market for Chinese language films can be expanded through co-operation in areas such as financing, production and distribution, etc," he added.
The FDC rolled out the "Hong Kong Film: New Action" project last December to promote Hong Kong films and directors of the new generation. The latest visit, which included FDC members and new generation directors, followed the council's trips to Guangdong Province and Taiwan last December to promote the project.
ˇ§Singapore and Malaysia have a Chinese population of over nine million in total. The region is an important market for us. Besides promoting Hong Kong films and the new generation directors, our meetings with the local film industry seek to establish a basis of co-operation in different aspects so as to explore more market opportunities," Mr So said.
During their stay in Singapore, the delegation visited the Media Development Authority and various film industry associations. Both parties got an in-depth understanding of each other's market and mode of operation, paving the way for future co-operation.
In Kuala Lumpur, the delegation attended the opening ceremony of the film festival held by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Singapore, and also met with people in the local film industry. Eight Hong Kong films of different genres, mainly directed by the new generation directors, were screened during the festival to introduce their films to cinema-goers and re-ignite interest in Hong Kong films.
Meanwhile, the FDC will hold large-scale business forums and promotional sessions to further promote the project during the "Hong Kong International Film & TV Market" (FILMART) event in March 2009. The forums and promotional sessions will help film practitioners from the Chinese language film markets of the five places to engage in direct business negotiations with Hong Kong's directors and filmmakers.
Ends/Sunday, March 1, 2009
Issued at HKT 11:00
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