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First ever Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation hosted in Saudi Arabia, bridging two cultures and cinematic worlds (with photos)
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     The Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation made its historic debut in Riyadh, capital of Saudi Arabia, from June 12 to 14, introducing contemporary Hong Kong cinema to local audiences for the first time.
 
     Presented by the Asian Film Awards Academy, with support from the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Dubai (HKETO Dubai), the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency, and the Film Development Fund, the inaugural Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation – Saudi Arabia took place at a leading cinema chain in the Saudi capital. The programme featured four new films from Hong Kong filmmakers, showcasing a diverse range of genres – from action thrillers and suspenseful dramas to deeply compelling human stories.
 
     Nearly 200 guests attended the opening reception to interact with Directors Njo Kui-ying ("Road to Vendetta") and Chou Man-yu ("Behind the Shadows") who traveled to Riyadh to join the landmark occasion. Other distinguished guests included the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mr Chang Hua; senior representatives from local government and regulatory bodies, including the Saudi Film Commission and the General Authority for Media Regulation; as well as members of the local business and cultural communities. The festival debut of opening film "Road to Vendetta", also its Middle East premiere, was screened to a full house with enthusiastic response.
 
     To enable better audience understanding about Hong Kong cinema, post-screening sharing sessions were held with Directors Njo and Chou, who discussed the inspirations and creative processes behind their works. Additional films featured in the festival included "Ciao UFO" and "Blades of the Guardians: Wind Rises in the Desert".
 
     Speaking at the opening reception, Director-General of HKETO Dubai, Mr Simon Chan, highlighted Saudi Arabia's remarkable cinematic renaissance and thriving creative industries driven by Vision 2030. He further noted that as the current official representation of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in the Middle East region, HKETO Dubai has been actively working to promote diverse exchanges and liaison between Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia across multiple sectors, including business, cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
 
     "The Government is committed to promoting the development of arts, culture and creative industries, with over $9 billion in total injected into the CreateSmart Initiative and the Film Development Fund. The Government also actively supports the development of our local film industry through funding schemes and industry activities for deepening cultural exchange and expanding markets. We are hopeful that hosting the inaugural Hong Kong film festival in Saudi Arabia will allow more local audiences to experience Hong Kong cinema, and strengthen cultural connections between Hong Kong and Middle East audiences and filmmakers in the industry," Mr Chan said.
 
     HKETO Dubai will continue to support Hong Kong's cultural and creative industries by fostering cross-regional exchanges and creating new opportunities through collaboration with stakeholders in the Middle East region.
 
Ends/Wednesday, June 17, 2026
Issued at HKT 4:55
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The Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation made its historic debut in Riyadh, capital of Saudi Arabia, from June 12 to 14, introducing contemporary Hong Kong cinema to local audiences for the first time. Photo shows the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mr Chang Hua (centre); the Director-General of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Dubai (HKETO Dubai), Mr Simon Chan (second left); with Hong Kong directors Njo Kui-ying (first left) and Chou Man-yu (first right); and the representative of the cinema (second right), at the opening reception organised by the HKETO Dubai.
The Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation made its historic debut in Riyadh, capital of Saudi Arabia, from June 12 to 14, introducing contemporary Hong Kong cinema to local audiences for the first time. Photo shows the Director-General of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Dubai (HKETO Dubai), Mr Simon Chan, speaking at the opening reception organised by the HKETO Dubai.
The Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation made its historic debut in Riyadh, capital of Saudi Arabia, from June 12 to 14, introducing contemporary Hong Kong cinema to local audiences for the first time. Photo shows local film enthusiasts exchanging views during the opening reception.
The Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation made its historic debut in Riyadh, capital of Saudi Arabia, from June 12 to 14, introducing contemporary Hong Kong cinema to local audiences for the first time. Photo shows local film enthusiasts interacting with members of film industry from Hong Kong during the opening reception.
The Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation made its historic debut in Riyadh, capital of Saudi Arabia, from June 12 to 14, introducing contemporary Hong Kong cinema to local audiences for the first time. Photo shows Hong Kong director Njo Kui-ying (left) exchanging views with the audiences at the sharing session after the screening of the opening film "Road to Vendetta".
The Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation made its historic debut in Riyadh, capital of Saudi Arabia, from June 12 to 14, introducing contemporary Hong Kong cinema to local audiences for the first time. Photo shows Hong Kong director Chou Man-yu (centre) exchanging views with the audience at the sharing session after the screening of the film “Behind the Shadows”.
The Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation made its historic debut in Riyadh, capital of Saudi Arabia, from June 12 to 14, introducing contemporary Hong Kong cinema to local audiences for the first time. Photo shows a local audience actively asking questions at the sharing session after the screening of the film “Road to Vendetta”.