The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Singapore (Singapore ETO) is supporting the Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation 2026, which returns to Singapore for the fifth consecutive year. The event showcases Hong Kong's vibrant culture and creativity through cinema and provides a platform for Hong Kong filmmakers and emerging talent to connect with overseas audiences and industry counterparts.
      
     The Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation 2026 is being held at Shaw Theatres Lido from today (September 11) to September 13. The three-day programme features eight Hong Kong films, showcasing the diversity, creativity and vitality of Hong Kong cinema. It is organised by the Asian Film Awards Academy and co-organised by the Singapore Film Society, with support from the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, the Film Development Fund (FDF) and the Singapore ETO.
      
     The Gala Presentation opened today with "Dog Day Evening", directed and written by Mak Tin-shu. The comedy, rich in dark humour, received funding support from the FDF. It follows the lead character who storms into the customer service department of a television office building to terminate his pay television subscription by taking hostages to force the staff to process his service termination application. The film was nominated for the Asian New Talent section of the Golden Goblet Awards at the 28th Shanghai International Film Festival. Director Mak and actress Rachel Leung attended the opening in Singapore and shared their experiences in filmmaking and acting with the local audience after the screening.
      
     The Singapore ETO sponsored a reception before the opening screening. Speaking at the reception, the Director of the Singapore ETO, Ms Elsa Hung, highlighted the role of cinema in showcasing Hong Kong's culture and creativity to international audiences.
      
     "Hong Kong has a rich cinematic heritage and our films have, over the decades, brought Hong Kong's unique stories, culture and creativity to audiences worldwide. We are delighted to support the Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation again this year and bring both established classics and exciting new works by Hong Kong filmmakers to our friends in Singapore," Ms Hung said.
      
     "The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is committed to supporting the continued development of Hong Kong's film industry, including nurturing talent, enhancing local production, expanding markets and building audiences. By bringing Hong Kong films and filmmakers overseas, we hope to provide our film talent with greater exposure and opportunities to connect with international audiences and industry counterparts, while enabling more people to discover Hong Kong and our stories through cinema. We also look forward to fostering closer exchanges and collaboration between the film communities of Hong Kong and Singapore," she added.
      
     This year's Gala Presentation features six recent Hong Kong productions: "Dog Day Evening", "Because of You Ka Kui", "Wakesurf Lovers", "The Dating Menu", "Gamer Girls" and "The Snowball on a Sunny Day". The films offer distinctive stories, characters and creative perspectives, covering themes ranging from youth and relationships to food and choices in life.
      
     The programme also celebrates the enduring legacy and international influence of Hong Kong cinema with two landmark films starring Bruce Lee: "Enter the Dragon" and "The Way of the Dragon", with the latter presented in a 4K restoration. The screenings offer Singapore audiences an opportunity to revisit the two classics on the big screen.
      
     In addition to Mak and Leung, actress Renci Yeung, who stars in "Wakesurf Lovers", and "The Dating Menu" together with Leung, is also attending this year's Gala Presentation and meeting local audiences. The three Hong Kong filmmakers took the opportunity to engage directly with audiences in Singapore, share their creative perspectives and build connections with the local film community.
      
     Alongside the film screenings, a special talk will be held on September 13, bringing together Hong Kong director Mak and Singapore filmmaker Kelvin Sng. The two directors will discuss their creative journeys, approaches to filmmaking and experiences in bringing stories from concept to the screen, and exchange perspectives on filmmaking in Hong Kong and Singapore. The talk is open to the public free of charge, with prior registration required. 
      
     The Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation – Singapore runs until September 13. For programme details, please visit www.afa-academy.com.

Ends/Friday, September 11, 2026
Issued at HKT 20:04

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