Press Release - September 17, 2004

Following the success of the Hong Kong Film Festival on the John Woo series last year, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Canada) (HKETO) will embark on another major initiative to promote Hong Kong film in Calgary later this month.

The coming promotion will be a joint venture with the Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF) in the form of a �Spotlight on Hong Kong� as an integral part of Calgary�s annual spectacle of international films.

Scheduled from September 24 to October 2, the CIFF �Spotlight on Hong Kong� will feature a series of eight of the best films recently directly by renowned Hong Kong directors. These eight new films have never been screened in theatres in North America.

The eight films are: �The Floating Landscape� by Carol Lai; �Magic Kitchen� by Lee Chi-ngai; �Golden Chicken 2� by Samson Chiu; �Lost in Time� by Derek Yee; �Heroic Duo� by Benny Chan; �Elixir of Love� by Riley Yip and �20,30,40� by Sylvia Chang and �Running on Karma� by Johnnie To.

Announcing this today (Friday), the HKETO Director, Mr Bassanio So, said the �Spotlight on Hong Kong� was part of the effort of his office this year to promote Hong Kong films, the advantages of co-production with Hong Kong as a fast track to the China market.

�The film series of eight will be presented at the CIFF later this month before making their appearances in Toronto in early October. We hope that by co-operating with CIFF, these quality films by talented Hong Kong directors could be introduced not only to Calgarians but also to international delegates participating in the 10-day festival.� Mr So said.

He also announced that as an integral part of the CIFF, the HKETO would also be co-organising a seminar on Hong Kong � Canada co-production at 3:00 pm on October 2 for local film practitioners. The seminar will examine how Canadian film makers and movie companies can make use of Hong Kong to explore the vast Asian market, especially that in China.

The �Spotlight on Hong Kong� will be concluded with a Hong Kong Gala in the evening of October 2 with the screening of the award-winning film �Running on Karma� at Uptown I, 612 � 8th Ave SW, Calgary at 7.00 pm, followed by a Gala reception at Chicago Chophouse at 604 � 8th Ave SW, Calgary.

The CIFF �Spotlight on Hong Kong� is fully supported by the Fairchild Media Group as its producer. The event�s media sponsors are CHKF, FM94.7, Sing Tao Daily and Trend Weekly.

Tickets of the �Spotlight on Hong Kong� are available at the CIFF Box Office at Downtown Bay, 6th floor at 200 8th Ave SW. Phone orders to (403) 269-3456 are also welcomed.

Regular screening tickets are at $10 each while concessionary tickets for CIFF members, seniors and students are at $8 each. Tickets for Hong Kong Gala are available at $20 each while tickets for the evening for CIFF members are $15 each.

Enquiries about the event program can be directed to the CIFF Box Office at (403) 269-3456; CIFF Festival Office at (403) 283-1490 (www.calgaryfilm.com): Fairchild Radio FM 94.7 at (403) 717-1940 and the HKETO in Toronto at (416) 924-5544.

The CIFF �Spotlight on Hong Kong� is organized with the courtesy of Long Shong Group, Applause Pictures Ltd, Universe Entertainment Ltd & Sil-Metropole Organisation Ltd, Filmko Film Distribution (HK) Ltd, and Columbia Pictures Films Productions & Columbia Tristar Film Distribution International.


For more information, please contact: John Tam, Chief Information Officer of Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Canada) at : (416) 924-5544 or
e-mail:[email protected] or Elison Chu, Senior Information Officer, at :[email protected].