Toronto selected as one of only two cities in North America to present Creative Visions: Hong Kong Cinema 1997-2017, with special guest Heiward Mak in attendance.
The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival (Reel Asian), in partnership with Create Hong Kong and the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society with support from the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Toronto (HKETO), presented Creative Visions: Hong Kong Cinema 1997-2017, a weekend of free Hong Kong films in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).
Toronto has the special distinction to be one of the only 11 cities in the world selected to host this event. Creative Visions: Hong Kong Cinema 1997-2017 ran from June 23 to June 25 at TIFF Bell Lightbox.
This event featured eight specially curated Hong Kong films from the past 20 years, and welcomed director Heiward Mak who took part in an artist talk and introduced her critically-acclaimed directorial debut High Noon.
“In the past 20 years Hong Kong has produced an outstanding number of high caliber films and its stars have become internationally renowned,” said Louanne Chan, Executive Director of Reel Asian.
“We are honoured and proud to have been selected as one of the only two cities in North America to present this event. This speaks to Toronto’s vibrant culture and its reputation as a film city.”
Miss Kathy Chan, Director of HKETO also noted, “over the years, Hong Kong’s film industry has won over 400 international awards. Many Hong Kong actors, directors and cinematographers have made their names known at a global level. The HKSAR government will continue to devote efforts to nurture young film talents.”
The films, many of which screened in archival 35mm print, presented the wide range of films produced by Hong Kong and included works by both internationally renowned Hong Kong directors like Johnnie To and Wong Kar-wai, and filmmakers like Pang Ho-cheung and Heiward Mak who emerged in the last two decades.
In addition to the screenings, Creative Visions: Hong Kong Cinema 1997-2017 included a talk with Bart Testa, Senior Lecturer & Undergraduate Coordinator for Cinema Studies Institute at University of Toronto, and film critic Alice Shih on 20 Years of Hong Kong Cinema, as well as an artist talk with director Heiward Mak.
“This was a weekend worth spend soaking into the Asian culture, learning complex social science, and watching fantastic line-up movies by filmmakers from Hong Kong,” said Tushar Unadkat, CEO & Creative Director of MUKTA Advertising, the official Media Partner of Reel Asian 2017.
In addition to Hong Kong and Toronto, the nine other cities selected to take part in the celebration are Udine, Vancouver, Berlin, Seoul, Moscow, Prague, Paris, London, and Manchester.
Films at Toronto Programme
• Love off the Cuff
• Infernal Affairs
• Kung Fu Hustle
• Election
• Love in a Puff
• Made In Hong Kong
• The Grandmaster
• High Noon (with Special Guest Heiward MAK, Writer and Director)
Creative Visions: Hong Kong Cinema 1997-2017 is an accredited event celebrating the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).
Create Hong Kong is a dedicated office set up under the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in June 2009 to lead, champion and drive the development of the creative economy in Hong Kong.
The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival (Reel Asian), presented by National Bank, is a unique showcase of contemporary Asian cinema and work from the Asian diaspora. As Canada’s largest Asian film festival, Reel Asian® provides a public forum for Asian media artists and their work, and fuels the growing appreciation for Asian cinema in Canada. The 21st annual film festival runs in November 9-18, 2017 in Toronto. Reel Asian will be highlighting special projects featuring prominent artists, musicians, up-and-coming filmmakers and includes Reel Ideas events for creative minds to connect. Works presented at Reel Asian include films and videos by East, South and Southeast Asian artists in Canada, the U.S., Asia, and all over the world.
The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Toronto (HKETO) is the official representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in Canada. To better serve Western Canada, a liaison office was opened in Vancouver in 1999. The HKETO’s mission is to promote and facilitate economic, trade and cultural exchanges between Hong Kong and Canada. http://www.hketotoronto.gov.hk/index.php
The Hong Kong International Film Festival Society is a charitable, non-profit, and nongovernmental organization dedicated to the discovery and promotion of creativity in the art and culture of film.
Leave a reply