Press Release - October 24, 2002

A large-scale Hong Kong Promotion entitled “Hong Kong – From Reel to Real”, which comprises a major photo exhibition on Hong Kong’s infrastructure and a variety of film-related events, was launched today (October 24) in Vancouver to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

Organized by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Canada) (HKETO), the “Hong Kong – From Reel to Real” Promotion received widespread support from the provincial and city governments as well as the mainstream Vancouver community.

Joining the HKETO Director, Mrs Rosanna Ure, at the event’s opening ceremony at UBC Robson Square, Member of the Legislative Assembly, Mr. Rob Niijar, representing the Hon. Rick Thorpe, Minister of Competition, Science and Enterprise and Mayor Philip Owen of the City of Vancouver unveiled the “Building a Dynamic Hong Kong” Photo Exhibition for its premier public display in Canada.

As an integral part of “Hong Kong – From Reel to Real”, the promotion also includes a Hong Kong kung fu film series entitled “Hong Kong Action Films – Turning Fantasy to Reality” and a “Seminar on Action Film Production” co-organised with Pacific Cinematheque. A collection of four Hong Kong contemporary films which make up the “Hong Kong Spotlight – Gems from Asia’s Hollywood” will be shown at this year’s Vancouver Asian Film Festival.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mrs Ure said that the “Hong Kong – From Reel to Real” Promotion was about plans, projects and films that had made Hong Kong Asia’s world city.

“The ‘Building of a Dynamic Hong Kong’ exhibition showcases some of the most outstanding recent infrastructure projects of Hong Kong. These projects, either completed or started after the establishment of the HKSAR, also signify the SAR government’s endeavour to build a dynamic and prosperous Hong Kong,” she said.

“With the massive infrastructural projects planned for Hong Kong in the next decade or so, we believe this will mean tremendous business opportunities for Canadian companies, especially in engineering, architectural, construction and landscaping sectors.

“We firmly believe that a dynamic Hong Kong cannot and will not be built by Hong Kong people alone. Overseas companies, including Canadian companies, have contributed to Hong Kong’s success and in return, Hong Kong has enabled them to be more successful.”

The photographs featured in the “Building a Dynamic Hong Kong” photo exhibition highlight some of the important projects completed since 1997. It also offers an overview of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government’s plan for future infrastructure developments. The exhibition will be on public display from tomorrow (October 25) to November 4.

Mrs Ure said the reunification of Hong Kong with Mainland China coincides with the Asia financial crisis and the economic restructuring of Hong Kong.

“Though there are economic challenges we have to overcome, we are sure that with confidence and commitment of its people, Hong Kong is still a place where fantasy can become reality, where ambitions are fulfilled and where miracles are often created,” she added, noting that creativity, flexibility, market sensitivity and the ‘can-do’ spirit of Hong Kong people are factors contributing to Hong Kong’s success as a financial, trading and business center.

Co-organised with Pacific Cinematheque, the Hong Kong Kung Fu Film Series “Hong Kong Action Films – Turning Fantasy to Reality” will be shown from tomorrow (October 25) to October 31. The series will present to the Vancouver community a collection of nine representative Hong Kong kung fu films from the 70s to the present day, providing a brief recap of the evolution and development of the city’s action films.


The nine action films to be screened at Pacific Cinematheque are: Who Am I? (by Jackie Chan, Michelle Ferre), Enter the Dragon (by Bruce Lee, John Saxon), The Stormriders (by Aaron Kwok, Ekin Cheng), Knockabout (by Yuen Biao, Sammo Hung), The East is Red (by Brigitte Lin, Joey Wang), The Hitman (by Jet Li, Simon Yam), Witch from Nepal (by Chow Yun-Fat, Lam Ki-Ying), Shanghai Affairs (by Donnie Yen, Athena Chu) and Once Upon A Time in China and America (by Jet Li, Rosamund Kwan). For ticket information, please visit http://www.cinematheque.bc.ca/.

The Kung Fu Film Series will be preceded by a “Seminar on Action Film Production” tomorrow evening, which provides a platform for idea exchange and experience sharing between film industry practitioners and academics in Hong Kong and Canada. It will look at the Eastern and Western perspectives of Kung Fu films and analyze how martial arts choreographed by Hong Kong film directors and producers has found its way into international film and television arena.

Guest speakers will include Professor Sharon McGowan, University of British Columbia Film, Shan Tam, an award-winning film and television producer with both Hong Kong and Canadian experience, Elly Leung, a veteran film and television actor from Hong Kong and Raymond Massey, a local film producer .

As part of this year’s Vancouver Asian Film Festival (VAFF), the HKETO will present a collection of four of Hong Kong’s latest contemporary movies in the “Hong Kong Spotlight - Gems from Asia’s Hollywood”.

These four films are Hollywood Hong Kong (directed by Fruit Chan), 2002 (directed by Wilson Yip), July Rhapsody (directed by Ann Hui) and Midnight Fly (directed by Jacob Cheung) from November 1 to 4 at Tinseltown Theatre. For ticket information, please visit http://www.vaff.org/.

“Vancouver has a vibrant film making industry and this series of film-related activities, I hope, will generate greater interest in collaboration between the professionals and academics of the two cities,” Mrs Ure added.

The “Hong Kong – From Reel to Real” is supported by Fairchild TV, Talentvision, AM 1470, FM96.1 and Ming Pao as its media sponsor. The Long Shong Group has rendered assistance in organising the kung fu film series.



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] or
Catherine Yuen, Principal Consultant (Communications) at (604)331-1300 or
[email protected] .