HK's film industry can still be a leading player
Beneath all the glitz and glamour of events like last night's awards show, Hong Kong's film industry is struggling to reclaim the mantle of Asia's Hollywood.
Around 50 studio productions will be shot this year, down from the 300 or so the industry made during the boom of the 1980s, and not much better than Sars-hit 2003. Box office receipts have been on a downward trend for years, thanks to video piracy and competition from other entertainment options.
Storylines have become staid. The legions who used to be employed making movies have drifted into other work or overseas. The star-making machinery, meanwhile, is in need of a tune-up: the actors who get top billing now are often the same ones who headed the marquees a decade ago.
Amid this litany of woes, there are signs of hope. However, there is unlikely to be any one saving grace that will spark an industry turnaround. If anything, a film industry revival might depend on a number of factors coming together.
This year's Entertainment Expo, which groups eight major industry events together for the first time, is an encouraging start. The film awards come just after the ending of the annual trade show for film buyers and others.
Running parallel to these is the international film festival, aimed at the viewing public as well as industry insiders. Other exhibitions and forums have put the spotlight on film financing, music and digital entertainment.
In creative industries, critical mass does count and an annual conglomeration of the industry's best and brightest just might lead to something good.
Then there is the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (Cepa) between Hong Kong and the mainland. This trade deal has loosened many of the rules on access to the mainland film market. Co-productions no longer need to film completely on the mainland. More Hong Kong workers can be hired for these projects, while the quota on mainland actors in the movies has been lowered. Importantly, Hong Kong movies are no longer accounted under the annual limit of 20 foreign films allowed into the mainland.
This easing of restrictions should help, but there are signs it will need to be taken even further for the Hong Kong industry to benefit dramatically. Distribution, for instance, is a big bottleneck. The mainland's conservative approach to content is another stumbling block.
Only five distribution companies handle releases, while Hong Kong-only productions have to go through the state-backed China Film Group. Blockbusters backed by big names, such as last year's Kung Fu Hustle, might not have a hard time being shown, but makers of smaller, arty films might be out of luck.
The lack of competition also means that Hong Kong producers might not be getting the best price possible for their films, leaving less money to reinvest in new pictures and the industry at home.
In terms of subject matter, Hong Kong film at its most provocative has always tested the boundaries. Social taboos, violent crime, underworld characters, ghosts and the supernatural sometimes figure prominently. On the mainland, these are often the very topics that keep scripts from getting approval or films from being distributed.
A film-rating system for the mainland, brought up for discussion periodically, could help Hong Kong filmmakers - and everyone else aiming at the market. As one Hong Kong producer put it recently, it is nearly impossible to make a movie suitable for everyone from three to 80 years of age.
As Cepa gets refined, distribution arrangements and content restrictions are two areas where even more liberalisation can be sought. Hong Kong's film industry is far from being out of the woods. But the developments of the past year or so - including the Entertainment Expo and the Cepa arrangements - do give it something to build on.
