bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

knowledgeQuestion

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Ng Kang-chung

More government cash will be pumped into Hong Kong’s film industry to help it break into international markets and promote the city’s culture overseas, the finance chief has said.
Paul Chan Mo-po wrote in his weekly blog on Sunday that films were an important part of the city’s cultural life, and the industry could be used to highlight Hong Kong’s unique characteristics to a global audience.
Chan singled out the box office hit Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In, which won a 10-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival last month.
“[This] shows that the cultural messages contained in the film can arouse recognition and resonance across time, space, and regions,” the financial secretary wrote.
He added the government had helped to support the industry through the Film Development Fund.
Chan said the fund had contributed to the funding of 100 films over the last two decades and helped more than 100 emerging directors and producers to realise their screen dreams.
He added films made with government help had won more than 160 Hong Kong and international awards over the years.

“New funding schemes launched in the past two years included helping local filmmakers and producers to explore the mainland Chinese market, and step up exchanges with industry players in Europe and Asia,” Chan said.
“The government has also proactively led delegations to participate in world-renowned film festivals like Cannes, Berlin and Venice.
“In the future, we will also actively take part in international film festivals held in Toronto, Busan and Tokyo, hoping to help local films enter more overseas markets and also let more international audiences watch Hong Kong productions.”
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said in last October’s policy address that the city would inject HK$1.4 billion into the fund for films.
Chan added on Sunday that the government had also invested considerable resources in sport, from five-a-side football pitches to the Kai Tak Sports Park, the city’s biggest sports construction project, which is expected to open next year.
He said the development should bring business opportunities to the retail, catering and tourism-related sectors, as well as attract major international sports and cultural events to Hong Kong.
Chan also posted a video of him playing football at the weekend with a group of fathers and sons to mark Father’s Day on Sunday.
He said the rain had offered a good opportunity for them to play in cooler conditions.
Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In is set in the 1980s inside the now-demolished Kowloon Walled City. Based on the Chinese comic City of Darkness, the martial art crime action film is the second-highest grossing domestic film in the city, following A Guilty Conscience last year.
Chan also noted that the two productions were the first local films in the history of the Hong Kong cinema to have a box office of more than HK$100 million.
“The movie box office reflects the public’s recognition of Hong Kong films,” Chan said.


Japanese officials in talks with Hong Kong over city’s seafood import ban, envoy says

Hong Kong’s liquor tax cut boosts interest in high-end products at wine and spirits fair

Hong Kong’s Ocean Park to celebrate panda cubs’ 100th day with red eggs, ginger pork knuckles

How Hong Kong can become Asia’s world city for students

Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong’s film industry to get extra government cash to promote sector and city overseas

The hit movie Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In and its rapturous reception at the Cannes Film Festival could point the way to overseas success for Hong Kong films. Photo: Handout.

The Kai Tak Sports Park in Kowloon takes shape. Photo: Eugene Lee

Hong Kong’s film industry is turning to AI to save time and money. Where do the humans come in?

Illustration: Davies Christian Surya

Votion Studios CEO Roger Proeis says AI can help cut location costs for filmmakers. Photo: May Tse

Film editor Wong Hoi, who has won multiple awards for his work, says he believes AI can improve film production in many ways. Photo: May Tse

James Leung, director of production house Mutual Workshop, says AI and virtual production helped him create a music video with a variety of scenes. Photo: Handout

A still from the music video for music video for singer Jeffrey Ngai’s “My Own World Map”. Photo: Votion Studios

Dr Chen Jie says the BuVatar project is used for virtual character creation. Photo: HKBU Knowledge Transfer Office

Can Alibaba’s HK$5 billion plan put Hong Kong films back on the global stage? Industry players say it’s possible

The entertainment and media arm of Alibaba will set aside at least HK$5 billion for the culture and film sectors  over the next five years. Photo: Reuters 

Hong Kong Motion Picture Industry Association chairman Crucindo Hung (front) says the investment plan may lead to local films outshining their South Korean counterparts. Photo: Edward Wong

Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers spokesman Tenky Tin has raised concerns over whether the city is well-equipped to attract foreign buyers. Photo: Nora Tam

News

Hong Kong

Finance chief Paul Chan says money will be used to help city industry break into international markets and promote its culture to the world


Finance chief Paul Chan says extra government funding will help Hong Kong film industry break into international markets and promote city’s culture to the world.
