Press Release - July 22, 2003


A series of some of the classic works directed by world-renowned director John Woo will be shown at Pacific Cinematheque from this Friday (July 25) to July 29 at the Hong Kong Film Festival (HKFF) held in Vancouver.

Jointly presented by Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Canada) (HKETO) and Pacific Cinematheque, the HKFF will showcase a series of eight of the classic films directed by John Woo.

The HKFF entitled �Gems from Asia�s Hollywood � A Retrospect of John Woo� aims to illustrate the developments of Hong Kong�s film industry, to enable Canadian viewers to appreciate the unique qualities of Hong Kong films and to recognize the achievements of Hong Kong�s film industry professionals.

The HKFF is also held to mark the sixth anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The film festival was also staged in Toronto and Calgary in late June to mid-July respectively.

The films to be showcased at Pacific Cinematheque (1131 Howe Street, Vancouver) represent some of the earlier works by John Woo, including comedy and action films. By bringing the earlier works of John Woo to Canada, HKETO hopes to give the Canadian audience a better understanding and appreciation of the development of this talented director and, through him, catch a glimpse of the evolution of Hong Kong from a low-budget local film production base to a major film exporter and a city whose talents enjoy worldwide recognition in the international film arena.

The eight films featuring at the HKFF are: �Hard Boiled�, �A Better Tomorrow�, �A Better Tomorrow II�, �Bullet in the Head�, �To Hell with the Devil�, �Shaolin Men�, �Laughing Times� and �The Killer�.

Tickets of the eight films are available at Pacific Cinematheque box office. Tickets for adults are priced at $7.50 (single bill) and $8.50 (double bill) while students / seniors are at $6.00 (single bill) and $7.00 (double bill). Proceeds of the event will be donated to Pacific Cinematheque for its film reference library.

To enable Canadians to have first-hand experience of Hong Kong, Asia�s world city, names of all ticket holders attending the Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver events will be automatically included in a lucky draw. The grand prize winner will receive two economy class return flight tickets, either from Toronto or Vancouver to Hong Kong and 5-night hotel accommodation in Hong Kong, courtesy of Cathay Pacific Airways, Hong Kong Tourism Board and Kowloon Shangri-La Hotel.

The Hong Kong Film Festival �Gems from Asia�s Hollywood � A Retrospect of John Woo� is supported by Ming Pao and Fairchild Media Group as its media sponsors.


For more information, please contact: Elison Chu, Senior Information Officer of Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office at: (416) 924-5544 or email: [email protected]. or contact Catherine Yuen, Principal Consultant (Vancouver) at 604-331-1300 or email [email protected]