Hong Kong films feature prominently at Chicago festival

Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, New York (HKETONY) Monica Chen (right) and Deputy Director of the HKETONY Kelly So (left) welcome film director John Woo to the U.S. premiere of “Red Cliff” in Chicago on October 9.

Four Hong Kong films, including the epic drama “Red Cliff,” were presented at the 45th Chicago International Film Festival, the oldest such event in North America and the second largest in scale in the United States.           

This year’s festival, which ended October 22, featured 145 films, shorts and documentaries from 45 countries. Hong Kong, with four movies, had one of the highest number of entries at the festival. The United States had 14 films featured.            

Renowned Hong Kong film director John Woo attended the U.S. premiere of “Red Cliff” at the festival on October 9.

Welcoming the director at a reception held in the director’s honor, Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, New York (HKETONY) Director Monica Chen said Mr. Woo’s achievements “epitomize the creativity and entrepreneurships of Hong Kong and its film talents. It is because of talents like Director Woo that Hong Kong’s film industry continues to thrive.

Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, New York Monica Chen gives welcoming remarks at a reception in Chicago. Ms. Chen noted that Hong Kong is nurturing the next generation of filmmakers.

“This year, we celebrate 100 years of Hong Kong cinema. We are proud to be one of the major film production centers and film exporters in the world. The film industry is an important economic driver for Hong Kong. We have around 32,000 creative industry-related establishments, engaging more than 170,000 practitioners and creating an added value to Hong Kong’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of more than US$7.69 billion annually, or around 4% of the GDP.

“Hong Kong movies, ranging from crime thrillers to martial arts epics to art-house films, have made great strides over the last 100 years – with many of our actors, directors, producers and cinematographers winning accolades and garnering worldwide recognition,” said Ms. Chen.

She also noted that Hong Kong is nurturing the next generation of filmmakers. To this end, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government set up a dedicated agency – Create Hong Kong – to promote Hong Kong as Asia’s creative hub, to facilitate start-up and to nurture a pool of creative human capital. As part of its responsibility, Create Hong Kong provides support to the film industry, including facilitating film productions in Hong Kong, promoting Hong Kong films locally and overseas and providing financial support for industry projects, including film productions. It is also tasked with facilitating the development of the digital entertainment industry.

Welcoming more than 300 people to the sold-out “Red Cliff” screening, Ms. Chen, said, “The hard work and talent of Director Woo, together with that of the many Hong Kong actors, directors, producers and cinematographers, have propelled Hong Kong films to international recognition and acclaim. “

In the past 10 years, Hong Kong film talents have won more than 300 international awards. “With an invaluable pool of film talents, rich experience in film production and a unique shooting style that fascinates worldwide audiences, we are confident that Hong Kong films will continue to set new standards in the next 100 years,” she said.

Ms. Chen pointed out that Hong Kong has leveraged its close integration with the Chinese Mainland, collaborating in the rapid growth of Mainland-Hong Kong co-productions, with tremendous box office success.

“These successful collaborative partnerships point to the pivotal role of Hong Kong to facilitate film companies to the Chinese market,” she added.

HKETONY was a cultural support partner of the two-week Chicago International Film Festival. Aside from “Red Cliff,” the other three Hong Kong films featured were “Claustrophobia,” “Plastic City” and “Astro Boy.”

Hong Kong films were also well represented at the 5th Atlanta Asian Film Festival, held from October 9 to 17.  Of the nine territories in Asia featured in the festival, Hong Kong alone had two films – “The Drummer” by Kenneth Bi and “The Pye-Dog” by Derek Kwok – more than any other territory.

Speaking at the “Taste of Asia” banquet that opened the Atlanta festival, Deputy Director (General) of HKETONY Louisa Yan also spoke of the Hong Kong government’s efforts to nurture the next generation of filmmakers.

“New talents keep emerging in the vibrant Hong Kong film scene,” Ms. Yan said. “The two films presented in the festival – ‘The Drummer’ by Kenneth Bi and ‘The Pye-Dog’ by Derek Kwok – represent the new generation of filmmakers that push the artistic achievement of Hong Kong cinema even further.”