21/29 April 2017 – Udine – Teatro Nuovo e Visionario
MADE IN HONG KONG
The 19th Far East Film Festival, Udine, Italy (April 21-29) will highlight 20 years of Hong Kong cinema in a specially curated programme “Creative Visions: Hong Kong Cinema 1997-2017” presented by Create Hong Kong in partnership with the Centro Espressioni Cinematografiche which organizes the annual Far East Film Festival. The programme will kick off a series of similarly themed film programmes that Create Hong Kong is screening in 10 cities around the world to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
“The Far East Film Festival began in 1998 with a programme of Hong Kong films,” explained the festival president Ms. Sabrina Baracetti. “The films were enthusiastically received by our audiences, not only from Italy but also from around Europe.” A highlight of the programme will be the international premiere of the 4K restored version of the first feature film by Fruit Chan. “Made in Hong Kong was one of the first films we presented from Hong Kong so we are very pleased to have been instrumental in the restoration of this seminal work. Fruit Chan has since gone on to make his name as one of Hong Kong’s leading filmmakers and producers. Fruit is a great friend of our festival and we are delighted to honour him in this way.” Fruit Chan will attend the screening of Made in Hong Kong in Udine.
Other films in the programme include works by Hong Kong filmmakers such as Johnnie To and Pang Ho-cheung, who have become regular visitors and supporters of the festival. The programme of 10 films also includes work by Ann Hui, Wong Kar-wai, and Soi Cheang among others.
“We are pleased to partner with the Centro Espressioni Cinematografiche and its Far East Film Festival which is now one of the premier showcases for popular Asian films in Europe” said Mr. Wellington Fung, Assistant Head of Create Hong Kong and Secretary-General of the Hong Kong Film Development Council, “Hong Kong filmmakers have shown themselves to be versatile and able to adapt to different trends, technologies and markets. They now make successful films in both China and Hong Kong for a range of markets. We are happy to celebrate 20 years of creativity and commercial instinct of our industry.”
Apart from the screenings, the programme will also include panel discussions with Hong Kong talents.
“Creative Visions: Hong Kong Cinema 1997-2017” is presented by Create Hong Kong, in partnership with the Centro Espressioni Cinematografiche Udine, with support from Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Brussels. For this series, the Hong Kong International Film Festival is the project manager.
Creative Visions: Hong Kong Cinema 1997-2017 is an accredited event celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).
List of films
Made in Hong Kong (Fruit Chan, 1997)
A Simple Life (Ann Hui, 2011)
Love in a Puff (Pang Ho-cheung, 2010)
Infernal Affairs (Andrew Lau/Alan Mak, 2002)
Kung Fu Hustle (Stephen Chow, 2004)
The Grandmaster (Wong Kar-wai, 2013)
The Mission (Johnnie To, 1999)
After This Our Exile (Patrick Tam, 2006)
Ip Man (Wilson Yip, 2008)
Accident (Soi Cheang, 2009)
Create Hong Kong is a dedicated office established in June 2009 by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government to lead, champion and drive the development of the creative economy in Hong Kong. It provides one-stop services and staunch support to the industries, including administration and management of funding schemes related to creative industries, providing facilitation services for location filming in Hong Kong for both local and overseas films, and is responsible for the regulatory control of special effects materials for film shooting and theatrical performances.
The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels (HKETO, Brussels) is the official representation of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government to the European Union and 15 European countries, including Italy. The HKETO, Brussels promotes the bilateral relations between Italy and Hong Kong.
Far East Film Festival is the world’s largest showcase of Asian popular cinema. More than 70 feature films in 9 days of tight screening programme, a chance to meet the artists, daily themed panel discussions and important retrospectives. Born in 1999 after the enthusiastic success achieved in 1998 by the Hong Kong Film focus, Far East Film is about to reach its 19th edition in Udine (Italy), still representing a unique opportunity to experience current trends in Eastern Asian film-making. Every year, during its nine days of screenings, Far East Film offers the chance to watch the most successful recent Asian releases as well as staging important retrospectives. In the pleasant, informal and relaxing Festival mood, the newest feature films from the Far East (China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore and Thailand) are presented along with tributes and focuses on specific directors.