Press Release - June 3, 2003

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Canada) (HKETO) and the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto (CCC), will jointly present a Hong Kong Film Festival in late June and early July in Toronto to showcase a series of seven of the best films directed by world-renowned Hong Kong director John Woo.

With the support of the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), the �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 Hong Kong Film Festival is also held to mark the sixth anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Announcing details of the film festival at the press conference, the Director of the HKETO, Mrs. Rosanna Ure said today (June 3): �Hong Kong is one of world�s major film production centers and the regional hub for film trading and service.

�Hong Kong�s film industry has overcome many hurdles and difficulties in the past and our resilience and creativity demonstrate the uncompromising spirit of the Hong Kong people during difficult times, thus establishing our status as �Asia�s Hollywood��, she said.

Mrs. Ure continued, �This event is also the first major promotional event organized by the HKETO in Canada after the SARS outbreak in Hong Kong. Despite great hardship caused by SARS, we have successfully contained the virus, and are encouraged by the lifting of the travel advisory of the World Health Organization. It is the same Hong Kong spirit that pulls us through this most trying period.�

�By bringing the earlier works of John Woo to Canada, we hope our Canadian friends can have 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,� she added.

Mrs. Ure announced that the film festival would be held on June 27, 28 and 29 and July 4, 5 and 6 and the first six films are "Hard Boiled", "A Better Tomorrow", "A Better Tomorrow II", "To Hell with the Devil", "Shaolin Men" and "Laughing Times" while the seventh film "Bullet in the Head" is awaiting confirmation from the film owner.

The Hong Kong Film Festival will also be staged in Calgary and Vancouver in mid-July and late July respectively.

Also present at today�s press conference were the Vice President and Chair of Program Committee of the CCC, Mrs. Lena Wong; the Regional Sales Manager of Cathay Pacific Airways, Mr. Ross Cronin; the Marketing Manger of Hong Kong Tourism Board, Mr. Michael Lim; the President and Chief Executive of the Tour East Holidays (Canada) Inc., Ms. Rita Tsang and the Vice President, Marketing & Commercial Development of ROM, Mr. Joel Peters.

Tickets of the first six films will be available at the ROM Box Office and the CCC from June 4 (Wednesday ) at $8 while the ticket sale for "Bullet in the Head" will be announced separately. The proceeds of the event will be donated to CCC for its Phase II Development.

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 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: John Tam, Chief Information Officer of Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office at: (416) 924-5544 or email: [email protected] or Elison Chu, Senior Information Office, [email protected].