Glamourous showcase of rare cultural treasures at "Hong Kong Film Archive Stories: Treasure Hunting for 25 Years" radiate extraordinary charm of Hong Kong cinema (with photos)
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Silver screen legends across a century
The exhibition is meticulously crafted through a collaboration between visual effects master Victor Wong as the Technology and Artistic Director, renowned art director and textile costume culture expert Edith Cheung and film culture researcher Janice Chow as Exhibition Consultants, and the HKFA, with the full support of eight major film companies. At the exhibition entrance, the immersive star-studded tunnel display "Starry Portraits at 25" presents the film stills of numerous movie stars at the age of 25, enlightening visitors through a captivating journey across a century of cinematic legends.
Precious artifacts revive early cinematic scenes
Featuring a curated selection of precious artefacts and images from the HKFA's collection, the exhibition takes visitors on a journey back to the golden age of early cinema. They include a film still for the silent film "Join the Army and Live" (1926) as well as the most representative donations to the HKFA over the years, including the diary of Hong Kong film pioneer Lai Man-wai and the 1903 building plan for the Tai Ping Theatre, a large-scale cinema in Sai Wan built in the early 20th century.
Film trailers re-enacting evolution of film industry
Over 60 trailers from early films and melodrama, musical, comedy and martial arts films, as well as international versions of trailers for overseas releases of films are screened at the "Screening Room of Trailers - Highlights of Hong Kong Film Trailers" zone, including a trailer of "The Story of a Discharged Prisoner" (1967) directed by Patrick Lung, a film from which John Woo drew inspiration to direct his eponymous classic 20 years later. An additional promotional clip for "Knockabout" (1979) which has been specially produced to feature the handsome physicality and solid skills of Yuen Biao is another rare treasure to be seen. This zone also features oral history interviews where directors, film editors, dubbing artists and others explain the production processes of film trailers, deepening visitors' understanding of the craftsmanship behind the scenes.
Revisiting classics through fascinating costumes of megastars
The HKFA has long been dedicated to preserving film costumes. The exhibition will showcase a series of classic costumes and precious accessories, including debuts of some selected film costumes of legendary film stars, such as Li Lihua in "Red Rose" (1952), Betty Loh Ti in "The Three Loves" (1956), Hsia Moon in "Bride Hunter" (1961), and Zhang Ziyi in "House of Flying Daggers" (2004). This zone also features manuscripts and historical records related to film costumes, and outlines the journey that costumes in the HKFA's collection pass through, from acquisition, restoration, preservation to exhibition.
Showcasing glorious achievements of Hong Kong cinema
Since the 1950s, the Hong Kong film industry has garnered numerous awards from major film festivals and professional organisations. Forty-six of these are on display in this exhibition, inviting visitors to appreciate the achievements of filmmakers' years of dedication and hard work, from as early as the Silver Sail for Best Actor won by Kwan Shan at the Locarno International Film Festival for "The True Story of Ah Q" (1958), the Silver Bear for Best Actress won by Josephine Siao Fong-fong for "Summer Snow" (1995), and the Silver Bear for Best Director won by Yim Ho for "The Sun Has Ears" (1996) at the Berlin International Film Festival, to such newly collected items as Best Costume and Makeup Design won by Bruce Yu and Karen Yip for "Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In" (2024), and Best Film Editing won by William Chang for "Sons of the Neon Night" (2025) at the Hong Kong Film Awards.
Over 100 filmmakers appearing to share their experience
The Oral History Project, launched in 1994, has researched the history of Hong Kong cinema's development from all perspectives through extensive interviews with film veterans. The exhibition showcases precious interview clips of over 100 filmmakers. Videos titled "'A Filmmaker, A Story' Parts 1 & 2" will be shown at the exhibition, with a number of filmmakers sharing their own invaluable experiences in the industry, illustrating the creation of films from preparation, shooting to post-production. For example, Tsui Hark, the producer of "Swordsman II" (1992), shares how he went against opinions of others to cast actress Brigitte Lin as Dongfang Bubai, a male character in the original novel. The HKFA has also produced an oral history video titled "25 Key Figures and Events in Hong Kong Cinema", focusing on film companies, film personalities, genres and cultural phenomena, while introducing outstanding figures in Hong Kong's cinematic history.
The exhibition features several photo spots, including an interactive installation, "Galaxy Station", for visitors to take photos with images of movie stars from different eras when they were 25 years of age. Visitors can also take pictures at a poster wall, where classic film posters are mixed with neon light signs of film titles.
The exhibition also showcases video messages from filmmakers of different generations congratulating the HKFA for its 25th anniversary. In collaboration with the Hong Kong Public Libraries, the HKFA has curated the "The Bookstore" zone, featuring a selection of the HKFA's previous publications, allowing readers to savour the rich essence of Hong Kong cinema.
To tie in with the exhibition, free screenings of eight restored Hong Kong film classics will be held at the theatre on the first floor of the Hong Kong Heritage Museum from June to November. Audience members will be admitted to the theatre 15 minutes before the programme commences. Limited seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The film screening schedule is as follows:
| June 13 (Saturday) | 11am | The Valiant Ones (1975) (4K Digitally Restored Version) |
| June 13 (Saturday) | 3pm | Zu: Warriors from the Magic Mountain (1983) (4K Digitally Restored Version) |
| June 14 (Sunday) | 11am | Colourful Youth (1966) (Restored Version) |
| June 14 (Sunday) | 3pm | The Wild, Wild Rose (1960) (4K Digitally Restored Version) |
| July 19 (Sunday) | 3pm | The Secret (1979) (Restored Version) |
| August 8 (Saturday) | 3pm | Father and Son (1981) (4K Digitally Restored Version) |
| October 3 (Saturday) | 3pm | Feast of a Rich Family (1959) (4K Digitally Restored Version) |
| November 14 (Saturday) | 3pm | Butterfly and Red Pear Blossom (1959) (Restored Version) |
The exhibition is supported by eight major film companies as Partner Organisations, including Edko Films Limited, Far Sun Film Co Ltd, Star Alliance Movies (HK) Co Ltd, Fortune Star Media Limited, First Distributors (HK) Ltd., Cathay-Keris Films Pte Ltd, Sil-Metropole Organisation Ltd., and Media Asia Film Distribution (HK) Limited.
For details of the exhibition and screenings, please visit www.filmarchive.gov.hk/en/web/hkfa/2026/25a-hm/pe-event-2026-25a-hm.html or call 2739 2139.
The exhibition is one of the programmes of the Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival 2026. With "Beyond Fantasy" as this year's theme, the LCSD is presenting the fourth Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival. For more information, please visit www.pcf.gov.hk.
Ends/Tuesday, June 2, 2026
Issued at HKT 20:32
Issued at HKT 20:32
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