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Four Hong Kong movies are being presented in the Osaka Asian Film Festival in Japan from March 8 to 17, giving Japanese movie lovers a chance to feel the vitality of Hong Kong cinema.
With the support of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Tokyo) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the Hong Kong Tourism Board, the festival is running a special programme entitled "Special Focus on Hong Kong" this year.
The four selected movies are "Drug War", "Love in the Buff", "Vulgaria" and "First Time". "Drug War", directed by Johnnie To, was also chosen as the opening movie for the festival.
As a highlight of the event, a Hong Kong Night was held this evening (March 14), during which "Love in the Buff", a love story directed by new-generation director Pang Ho-cheung, was shown to some 200 movie fans.
Speaking before the movie screening, the Principal Hong Kong Economic and Trade Representative (Tokyo), Ms Sally Wong, said Hong Kong's film industry and the creativity and innovation of its film talents have continued to flourish, as Hong Kong remains a free and dynamic city with a free flow of information and freedom of expression after its return to China in 1997.
"The Government is keen to promote the creative industries, the arts and cultural development. We have tried to create a conducive environment for filmmaking and promote Hong Kong films in overseas markets," she added.
She said she hopes that the Japanese audience, after watching the Hong Kong movies, will be interested to know more about Hong Kong and visit Hong Kong to feel for themselves the pulse of this vibrant and cosmopolitan city.
Ms Wong will join the welcoming party organised by the festival tomorrow (March 15), taking the opportunity to introduce the vibrancy of Hong Kong's film industry to the guests from local and overseas film sectors. She will also emphasise that Hong Kong remains a safe, hospitable and welcoming place for filmmakers, business people and visitors from Japan and other countries.
Ends/Thursday, March 14, 2013
Issued at HKT 20:05
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