Hong Kong International Film Festival
| Hong Kong International Film Festival | |
|---|---|
| Location | Hong Kong, China |
| Language | International |
| http://www.hkiff.org.hk | |
The Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF, Chinese: 香港國際電影節) is a platform for filmmakers, film professionals and filmgoers from all over the world to launch and experience new film work. There are seminars, conferences, exhibitions, and parties celebrating the festival community. The festival is committed to discovering talent, and it is also a major platform to launch films to the Greater China region and Asian market.
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[edit] History
Previously operated by Urban Council and Leisure and Cultural Services Department from 1977 to 2001, and Hong Kong Arts Development Council from 2002 to 2004, HKIFF is officially corporatized as an independent, charitable organization – Hong Kong International Film Festival Society Limited, after completing its 28th edition. The Hong Kong Government has continued to subsidize the festival through venue provision and funding for up to 7 million Hong Kong dollars.
[edit] The Festival
Screening over 300 titles from 50 countries in 11 theatres across Hong Kong, the 33rd HKIFF reached an audience of 580,000 people, including 4,500 business executives who attended the Hong Kong Film and Television Market (FILMART). The 34th HKIFF was held from March 21 to April 6, 2010, the last film to be shown being the Hong Kong-made film Amphetamine.
New films are featured as gala premieres, with the directors and cast presenting on the red carpet, and inside the cinema, to greet the audience. The Festival draws over 300 global members of the press and is 33 years old.
As for the awards, there are five categories, decided by juries consisting of film industry professionals such as film critics, directors and film festival delegates.
- Asian Digital Competition
- Humanitarian Awards for Documentaries
- FIPRESCI Awards
- SIGNIS Awards
- The Fresh Wave Short Film Competition
[edit] About the organizer
The Hong Kong International Film Festival Society (HKIFFS) is a charitable, non-profit, non-government organization dedicated to the discovery and promotion of creativity in the art and culture of film. Through its year-round programs, the mission of the Society is to strengthen global appreciation of Chinese film culture and to promote good films from around the world, enriching the cultural life of Hong Kong.
Committed to the development of a vibrant film culture in Hong Kong and Asia, the Society organizes three annual flagship events in March and April: the Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF), the Hong Kong - Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF), and the Asian Film Awards (AFA).
The HKIFFS is devoted to giving thousands of film lovers around the region direct access to the world's most inspired filmmakers year round.
[edit] Screening Venues
- Hong Kong Cultural Centre
- Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
- Hong Kong City Hall
- Hong Kong Film Archive
- Hong Kong Science Museum
- Hong Kong Space Museum
- Hong Kong Arts Centre
- UA Times Square
- UA Cityplaza
- UA Langham Place
- The Grand Cinema
[edit] 2009 Festival
Statistics
Number of screenings: 518
Number of films: 338
Number of countries/Regions represented: 50
Number of world premieres: 19
Number of international premieres: 17
Number of Asian premieres: 33
Number of Meet-the-Audience sessions: 122
Festival audience reach: 580,000+
Number of local & overseas press: 300+
[edit] The 33rd HKIFF Red Carpet Premieres
| Type | Film | Director | Country of origin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening Film | The Shinjuku Incident World Premiere | Derek Yee | Hong Kong |
| Opening Film | Night and Fog World Premiere | Ann Hui | Hong Kong |
| Gala Premiere | The Yellow Handkerchief | Yoji Yamada | Japan |
| French Night Gala Premiere | French:Il y a longtemps que je t'aime | Philippe Claudel | France |
| Gala Premiere | The Sniper | Dante Lam | Hong Kong |
| Gala Premiere | Monsters vs. Aliens | Conrad Vernon, Rob Letterman | United States |
| Gala Premiere | W. | Oliver Stone | United States |
| Gala Premiere | Ashes of Time Redux | Wong Kar-wai | Hong Kong |
| Awards Gala Presentation | Yang Yang | Cheng Yu-Chieh | Taiwan[1] |
[edit] Programme Section of the 33rd HKIFF
1. Galas
- • Opening Films
- • Awards Gala
- • Gala Premieres
- • Closing Films
- • Gala Presentation
2. Competitions
- • Asian Digital Competition
- • Humanitarian Awards for Documentaries
- • The 4th Fresh Wave Short Film Competition
3. Masters & Auteurs
- • Master Class
- • Auteurs
4. Pan-Chinese Cinema
- • Hong Kong Panorama 2008-2009
- • Chinese Renaissance
- • Young Taiwanese Cinema
5. World Cinema
- • Global Vision
6. Documentaries
- • Reality Bites
- • Filmmakers and Filmmaking
7. Platforms
- • I See It My Way
- • Indie Power
- • Midnight Heat
- • The Avant Garde
- • Archival Treasures
- • Animation Unlimited
8. Focus
- • A Tribute to Romantic Visions: 25th Anniversary of Film Workshop
- • Italian Landscape 2008
- • Finnish New Talents
9. Tributes
- • The Pathos of Things: Ichikawa Jun
- • The Sense of Sight: Hans Richter
- • Defining Modernity – Michelangelo Antonioni
- • Ingmar Bergman Forever Part III
- • The Realist Dao of Yu Hyun-mok
- • In the Name of Love: The Films of Evan Yang
10. Associate Programmes
- • Between Public and Private: A Space for Independent Chinese Cinema
- • The Devil’s Playground: Joint Universities Programme
- • The 14th IFVA Awards Showcase
[edit] Filmmakers and other distinguished guests
The HKIFF is embraced by local and international directors and distinguished guests every year. Here's who attended in 2009:
Guests from the Greater China:
Derek Yee, Jackie Chan, Daniel Wu, Fan Bingbing, Xu Jinglei, Ann Hui, Simon Yam, Zhang Jingchu, Wong Kar Wai, Tony Leung, Carina Lau, Charlie Yeung, Andrew Lau Wai-keung, Tsui Hark, Nansun Shi, Kenny Bee, Sylvia Cheung, Brigitte Lin, John Woo, Dante Lam, Huang Xiaoming, Richie Jen, Karen Mok, Jan Lamb, Kelly Chen, Jia Zhangke, Sandrine Pinna, Cheng Yu-chieh, Eric Tsang, Donnie Yen, Angelica Lee, Johnnie To, Sean Lau, Benny Chan.
Foreign Guests:
W. Director Oliver Stone, The Yellow Handkerchief Producer Arthur Cohn, Actor William Hurt, Monsters Vs. Aliens Voice-over Actor Kiefer Sutherland, DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg, I’ve Loved You So Long Director Philippe Claudel, Four Nights with Anna Director Jerzy Skolimowski, Bergman Island Director Marie Nyrerod.
[edit] HKIFF Events
The HKIFF is also a lifestyle event where festivalgoers can attend panel discussions, forums, seminars, exhibitions, live music performances, parties celebrating the festival and more.
- 25th Anniversary of Film Workshop - Exhibition at agnès b.’s Librairie Galerie
- Ingmar Bergman: The Man Who Asked Hard Questions - Exhibition, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
- The 33rd HKIFF Film Posters - Exhibition, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
- In the Name of Love: Exhibition on Evan Yang - Hong Kong Film Archive
Networking Events held at the W Hong Kong:
- Grand Opening Party
- "A Tribute to Romantic Visions: 25th Anniversary of Film Workshop" Party
- The Hollywood Reporter Next Gen Asian Launch
The HKIFF Society Welcome Luncheon was held at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong.
[edit] Publications
The acclaimed bilingual publications have always been a notable hallmark of the HKIFF. This year, four publications were published during the 33rd HKIFF: The 33rd HKIFF Main Catalogue, A Tribute to Romantic Visions: 25th Anniversary of Film Workshop, Ingmar Bergman Forever, and Defining Modernity: Michelangelo Antonioni.
[edit] Seminars and Forums
- Evan Yang: the Man and His Work
- The Films of Evan Yang
- A Tribute to Romantic Visions: 25th Anniversary of Film Workshop
- For the Love of Movies: The Story of American Film Criticism
- The Controversial Centenary of Hong Kong Cinema
- Between Public and Private: A Space for Independent Chinese Cinema #1
- Between Public and Private: A Space for Independent Chinese Cinema #2
- The Realist Dao of Yu Hyun-mok
- Defining Modernity: Michelangelo Antonioni
- Free Screening and Talk on Ingmar Bergman
- Panel Discussion: History and Film
- Courses on Michelangelo Antonioni and Ingmar Bergman
[edit] Media coverage
In 2009, over 300 media members from 25 countries attended the 33rd HKIFF events. There was extensive media coverage from key outlets namely film, entertainment, trade media as well as fashion and lifestyle media from the Greater China region, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, Japan, South Korea, India, UK, USA, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, Norway, Netherlands, Russia and Egypt.
During the period, two pre-festival press conferences, 17 press junkets and more than 200 press interviews were arranged for local and overseas media.
[edit] Dodging Chinese censorship
In 2002, a legitimate film in the HKIFF program was retracted because a banned film was shown alongside it. Filmmakers worried that being in the league of banned films might offend the authorities. But it was the country title of “China” printed in the program notes that the Chinese Government had contested, not the film itself.
In the mainland, a film that has not received documentation is unauthorized, and therefore does not officially exist. Labeling such a film as “from China” offends the Chinese Government.
When the HKIFF ran these films, the Chinese government would retract them. They would blame it on the improper procedures taken by HKIFF but say nothing of the film content. The HKIFF has found a way to go around this.
Unauthorized films can still be part of the HKIFF program, thanks to creative classification. Since the 2003 incident, the HKIFF no longer classified Chinese language films by their countries of origin. They began to label mainland Chinese films "Putonghua", Taiwanese films "Mandarin" and Singaporean films "Mandarin". They have had no trouble since.
