Opinion | 3D needy: Hong Kong film festival forgets to stock 3D glasses

Organiser’s lack of vision for 3D showings
Scores of film buffs who attended a Hong Kong International Film Festival screening of The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet in 3D had to make a mad dash around Central last Saturday afternoon when they realised that the Hong Kong City Hall theatre, despite installing a stereoscopic projector this year for the purpose of showing 3D films, does not provide 3D glasses. Those without glasses had to go to either Pacific Place AMC in Admiralty or Palace IFC in Central to buy the cheap plastic eyewear, which led to many of them missing the start of the film. Word of mouth meant there was a more prepared crowd a couple of nights later for another 3D screening at City Hall, but some still were left wanting. In the HKIFF’s defence, its website does state “Please bring along your own 3D glasses”, although that should have been emphasised, not relegated to a footnote. Ultimately, the responsibility should fall on City Hall — you can’t hold 3D screenings and not provide the one thing that allows people to see the imagery.

Fuji Rock beefs up its roster
In the battle between the two Japanese summer festivals, it’s looking like Fuji Rock is getting the upper hand. It has just announced the addition of EDM star Deadmau5, UK rockers The Vaccines, American singer-songwriter Benjamin Booker and nearly a dozen other acts to its line-up, which includes Foo Fighters, Muse and Johnny Marr. Summer Sonic, meanwhile, hasn’t added anyone to its Pharrell Williams-led roster for weeks. The longer interval between the festivals (Fuji Rock runs from July 24 to 26, while Summer Sonic is from August 15 to 16) means most working Hongkongers won’t be able to make it to both festivals (unlike in previous years).