 The
2008 Toronto Reel Asia International Film Festival opened with a
premiere of Hong Kong director Kenneth Bi's much-anticipated
film, "The Drummer," named Critic's Pick at the Sundance
Festival in Utah.
The opening gala was sponsored by the HKETO in Canada, and was
attended by a capacity crowd of 800. HKETO Director Ms. Maureen
Siu, together with Mayor David Miller of the City of Toronto,
Member of Parliament Ms. Olivia Chow and other dignitaries,
officiated at the opening ceremony.
 The
choice of a Hong Kong film to open the 2008 Festival was
especially appropriate, as the year marked the 100th anniversary
of Hong Kong cinema. In her opening remarks, Ms. Siu pointed out
that Hong Kong is now the third largest film production centre
in the world. Hong Kong actors, directors, cinematographers and
producers, like John Woo, Wong Kar-wai, Chow Yun-fat and Maggie
Cheung, are household names around the world.
In addition to the screening of "The Drummer", the Festival also
presented a discussion panel on "100 Years of Hong Kong Film", a
joint project with the Asian Institute of the University of
Toronto, and an industry seminar entitled "Salon: Kenneth Bi". |
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