The 8th Hong Kong Thematic Film Festival, entitled "Masters and Apprentices: Succession and Continuity in Hong Kong Cinema", was launched tonight (July 18) at Broadway Cinematheque MOMA in Beijing. The film festival is jointly presented by the Office of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in Beijing (the Beijing Office) and Broadway Cinematheque. 

     The theme of this year's film festival is the long-standing master-apprentice relationship in Hong Kong's film industry. Movies from various times produced by master directors, scriptwriters, cinematographers and musicians and their apprentices will be screened in 16 cities in the Mainland to promote Hong Kong's film culture and foster closer exchanges between the film industries in Hong Kong and the Mainland.

     The opening ceremony was officiated by the Acting Director of the Beijing Office, Miss Pamela Lam; the Executive Director of Edko Films Limited, Ms Tessa Lau; the Director of Broadway Cinematheque, Mr Clarence Tsui; noted directors Fruit Chan and Joe Ma; up-and-coming director Sunny Chan; and veteran producer Jacqueline Liu. The opening film, "Still Human", was a winner in the Higher Education Institution Group of Create Hong Kong's 3rd First Feature Film Initiative and has won various film awards. Fruit Chan, who produced the film, exchanged views on filmmaking with the audience after the screening.

     Speaking at the opening ceremony, Miss Lam said that the master-apprentice relationship in the Hong Kong film industry has nurtured many talents. It has been a characteristic of the Hong Kong film industry through which Hong Kong filmmakers' passion and valuable experience can be passed on from one generation to another. 

     She also said that the relevant central authorities had agreed to five relaxation measures in facilitating the entry of Hong Kong films and film practitioners into the Mainland market this April. That was another round of further relaxation measures offered by the Mainland authorities for the Hong Kong film industry since the implementation of the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) and its Supplements. Miss Lam called on the industry to grasp the opportunities brought about by the new measures, and to further the development of the film industries in the two places and produce more quality movies for the public. 

     A total of 12 movies will be screened by the film festival this year, namely the opening film "Still Human", "Little Cheung", "The New One-Armed Swordsman", "Just Heroes", "Chinese Odyssey 2002", "Final Victory", "As Tears Go By", "Mad World", "The Lion Roars", "Men on the Dragon", "City on Fire" and "Accident". The movies will be screened from July 18 to August 4 at Broadway Cinematheque MOMA and Broadway Cinema (apm store) in Beijing.

     After the Beijing leg, the film festival will be presented at Jinan, Tianjin, Chongqing, Wuxi, Shenyang, Hangzhou, Dalian, Chengdu, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Kunming, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Changsha and Ningbo, lasting until the end of this year.

Ends/Thursday, July 18, 2019
Issued at HKT 21:21

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