Press Release

14 Hong Kong Films featured at Film Festival in Poland

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin (HKETO Berlin) Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin continues to support the Hong Kong film industry by sponsoring once again Address: the Five Flavours Asian Film Festival in Warsaw, a yearly survey of Jaegerstrasse 33, 10117, Berlin cinemas from South and Southeast Asia. For 11 years, the Festival has Telephone: +49 (0) 30 22 66 77 242 brought professionally selected titles from the region to the Polish audiences. Fax: +49 (0) 30 22 66 77 288

E-mail: This year’s programme features a great variety of films showcasing [email protected] the talents from Hong Kong, including six films as retrospective of director Website: www.hketoberlin.gov.hk , a key new wave filmmaker and one of the most important player in the Hong Kong film industry; recent productions „Mad World“ by director Wong Chun, „Soul Mate“ by director Derek Tsang and „Mrs K“ starring actors Kara Kui and Simon Yam; as well as the restored classic „Made in Hong Kong“ by director . Furthermore, a set of the best short features from the young generation of Hong Kong filmmakers are chosen from among the winners of the Fresh Wave project, implemented in 2005 with director and the Hong Kong Arts Development Council as its patrons.

Ann Hui’s new drama “Our Time Will Come” opened the festival on November 15 in the presence of the film’s producer Roger Lee and more than 200 guests. Before the screening, HKETO Berlin co-hosted a reception together with the organisers. The Deputy Mayor of Warsaw, Mr Włodzimierz Paszyński, opened the reception, followed by a speech by Ms Betty Ho, Director of HKETO Berlin, who highlighted the growing diversification of Hong Kong’s film industry as exemplary for the cultural development of Asia’s World City.

“The HKSAR Government is dedicated to encouraging the healthy development of creative industries. In the new Chief Executive’s maiden Policy Address delivered one month ago, it was announced that we would inject 1 billion Hong Kong Dollars into the CreateSmart Initiative to boost support for design and creative industries. On film, in particular, we will promote further development of the local film industry, and nurture more professionals for film production or post-production,” Ms Ho said.

When meeting with the young Fresh Wave directors and cinematographers in Warsaw, Betty Ho and Roger Lee encouraged them to further pursue their passion and contribute to the development of Hong Kong’s creative industry. Earlier that day, Ms Ho took the opportunity to meet Mr Tomasz Thun-Janowski, Director of the Department of Culture of

the Warsaw City Council, to discuss potential future collaboration between the two regions, having regard to the growing ties between the East and the West under China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

Apart from continuing its co-operation with the Five Flavours Asian Film Festival, HKETO Berlin also arranged screenings of Hong Kong movies at various film events in Europe, among them renowned festivals in Munich (Germany), Miskolc (Hungary), Zurich (Switzerland) and Vienna (Austria). Hong Kong productions will also be put on the big silver screens in Prague (Czech Republic) in early December with the support of Create Hong Kong, a dedicated agency set up under the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau of the HKSAR.

About HKETO Berlin

HKETO Berlin is the official HKSAR Government representative in commercial relations and other economic and trade matters in Poland as well as Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, and Switzerland.

Photo caption

1. The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin (HKETO Berlin) co-hosted the opening reception of Five Flavours Asian Film Festival in Warsaw, Poland, on November 15 (Warsaw time). Photo shows from left: cinematographer Mr Hing-weng; film producer Mr Roger Lee; Director of the HKETO Berlin, Ms Betty Ho (centre); director Ms Cheung Yin-kei; and director Ms Michelle Hung Tsz-ching.

Contact

Kilian Becker Head, Public Relations Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin Tel: +49 (0) 30 22 66 77 24 2 Fax: +49 (0)30 22 66 77 28 8 E-mail: [email protected]

HKETO Berlin 16 November 2017

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