In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Singapore (Singapore ETO) held a premiere of the film "Look Up" in Singapore today (September 23). The screening was attended by a full house of more than 200 guests.

     The screening marked the Singapore opening of the "Making Waves - Navigators of Hong Kong Cinema" film programme, which is on a world tour in multiple cities this year to showcase the unique charm of Hong Kong films, after its April debut in the Italian city of Udine. Sponsored by Create Hong Kong and run in collaboration with the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society and the Singapore Film Society, the event in Singapore involves a twin showcase of selected Hong Kong films and photographic works by four unit photographers.

     Presenting four short stories directed by four emerging directors, "Look Up" contains a vivid account of an autistic youngster finding self-worth in arts, a son resolving a conflict with his father, a musician revitalising traditional Cantonese opera with pop music, and a South Asian youngster chasing his lion dance dream. Mirroring the socio-economic developments of Hong Kong in the past 25 years and celebrating the can-do spirit of Hong Kong people, the film traces among its stories the life of a social work graduate and his journey to help others shine and rediscover their values. 

     Addressing the opening event in a speech delivered by video, the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, said talent grooming is always at the heart of Hong Kong's cultural policy. The Directors' Succession Scheme, the Scriptwriting Incubation Programme, the Film Production Financing Scheme and the First Feature Film Initiative have been launched to provide mentorship to aspiring directors and scriptwriters, and partial financing to small to medium-budget film productions.

     "Echoing our role as a hub for arts and cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world under the National 14th Five-Year Plan, we also hold an array of flagship events, including the Hong Kong International Film & TV Market, Entertainment Expo and the Hong Kong International Film Festival," he added.

     With a fresh injection of $1 billion to the dedicated Film Development Fund in 2019, the film industry is supported in four strategic directions: nurturing of talent, enhancing of local production, market expansion and audience building. Over the years, more than 90 film productions have been funded. Sixty-four new directors and 21 new producers have also been groomed under various initiatives. The productions have won more than 150 local and overseas film awards.

     To enhance public understanding of the aesthetics of Hong Kong cinema, the Singapore ETO is holding a photo exhibition on the works of four talented Hong Kong unit photographers, namely Jupiter Wong, Wong Wai-lun, Quist Tsang and Sharon Salad, at Suntec City from September 20 to October 3 to showcase the evolution and artistic dimensions of nearly 200 Hong Kong films over the past 25 years through the lenses of the photographers.

     The other Hong Kong films being shown in the film programme are "Pretty Heart", "Septet: The Story of Hong Kong", "The First Girl I Loved", "Mama's Affair", "Detective vs. Sleuths", "Table for Six" and "Limbo".

Ends/Friday, September 23, 2022
Issued at HKT 21:47

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