What’s the future of filmmaking in Hong Kong? This year’s Fresh Wave film festival winners on telling personal stories and trying ‘too hard’
The fate of the film festival that was founded by Johnnie To and nurtured generations of budding directors now hangs in the balance after the arts council slashed funding
Founded and led by veteran Hong Kong filmmaker Johnnie To Kei-fung, the Fresh Wave International Short Film Festival, now in its 18th year, has always aimed to nurture local talent. This year, however, has been a little tougher without its usual sources of funding.
And for a local festival that punches above its weight, that stings. Among the winners of the best new director at the Hong Kong Film Awards between 2017 to 2024, six had previously taken part in Fresh Wave: Nick Cheuk Yik-him (Time Still Turns the Pages; 2023), Ho Cheuk-tin (The Sparring Partner; 2022), Chan Kin-long (Hand Rolled Cigarette; 2020), Norris Wong Yee-lam (My Prince Edward; 2019), Oliver Chan Siu-kuen (Still Human; 2018) and Wong Chun (Mad World; 2016).
Aiming to promote and encourage local short-film production by providing funding and a platform, Fresh Wave has taken its winners to overseas film festivals. And while funding from the Hong Kong Arts Development Council was axed after its last edition, Fresh Wave is still trying to fulfil its mission by seeking non-governmental resources, including those from the Joseph Lau Luen Hung Charitable Trust, and post-production sponsor One Cool Group, founded by Hong Kong actor and film producer Louis Koo Tin-lok.
The dip in funding, however, is notable. This year’s Fresh Wave operated on a smaller scale, with eight entries, down from 15 last year. Nevertheless, the chosen applicants were guided by industry professionals on screenwriting, lighting and sound design before production started. This year’s three award recipients may vary in storytelling and visual styles, but they are united in exploring young people’s lives and identities.
Best screenplay winner Lam Wai-in’s Adrift depicts a university student of Hong Kong-Filipino descent confused about being “not Chinese, not Filipino and not white”. Best director winner Tsang Yeung’s Black Sheep follows a teenage girl’s awakening to her sexual orientation, and does so without resorting to stereotype. Best cinematography winner Li Ho’s The Land of Bliss examines how the deceased revisit the living world and complete their unfinished business.
A graduate of the London School of Economics, Lam is currently editing commercials. “I have always shot with my camera since I was in secondary school, but back then I did not have a strong sense of storytelling. I just took the camera and shot,” she says. “I studied accounting in university but I also took some courses in film. I was not that interested in films at that time. I wanted to major in psychology but my family thought it would be better for me to go into business-related disciplines. I minored in sociology and took some cultural studies courses, enabling me to view and analyse films from a different perspective.”
