| |
 |
HK film-makers eye Cannes
|
HONG KONG'S film industry, revitalised by the success of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and last year's "In the Mood for Love", is set to descend on Cannes hoping to cash in on growing demand for Asian films.
"The movie industry has reached the end of a dark tunnel and is now seeing light," Raymond Wong, chairman of the Movie Producers & Distributors Association of Hong Kong, told a news conference to announce details of the industry's biggest ever sales pitch at the Cannes film festival, which opens on May 9 and runs just over a week.
Hong Kong is sending a 220-strong delegation to the festival, including Tim Yip, Oscar winner for best art direction for "Crouching Tiger", heart-throb Andy Lau and martial arts actor and comedian Sammo Hung.
Seventeen local movies will be screened at the festival this year and a special Hong Kong pavilion will be erected where local producers hope to rub shoulders with potential backers from around the world. The HK$8 million (US$1 million) mission is being jointly organised by the government and the Trade Development Council (TDC).
The TDC said the highlight of the seven day promotion would be a gala Hong Kong Night which would include live performances of traditional Chinese music and fashion as well as a show of film clips featuring highly-acclaimed local pictures.
Hong Kong's once-thriving film industry began sliding downhill around the time of Hong Kong's handover in mid-1997. Rampant copyright piracy and gangsters muscling into productions led to a rapid decline in quality and an exodus of talent.
It was not until last year when "In the Mood for Love" grabbed best actor and best cinematography awards at Cannes that the industry began to show signs of recovery.
(SD-Agencies)
|
|
|
|
