Acclaimed director brings out the big guns to promote young filmmakers' competition

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Published: 12:00am, 5 Aug 2010

Local director Johnnie To Kei-fung really knows how to plug his work. When Fresh Wave - a film competition To initiated five years ago on behalf of the Arts Development Council - held a press conference earlier this year, he appeared with his top leading man of the '80s, Chow Yun-fat. Yesterday, To brought along his favourite leading man of the '90s, Lau Ching-wan (pictured above right with To and actress Gao Yuanyuan).

Speaking at a packed Kubrick bookstore in Yau Ma Tei, To and other organisers introduced a new Fresh Wave programme, the International Short Film Festival. The 10-day event kicks off on September 17 and features 49 short films produced by students - 29 of them local and 20 from overseas - which will be screened at Palace IFC and the hip film-buff hangout Broadway Cinematheque.

Since its debut in 2005, Fresh Wave has championed young filmmakers. To, perhaps the most respected local filmmaker today, said it was crucial to build a foundation starting with the young.

Lau has other advice for youngsters. 'Don't think, just do,' he said. 'People always say they want to do this, but they need to think or plan. They end up never getting round to it.'

Korean filmmaker Lee Chang-dong, whose drama Poetry won the best screenplay award at the Cannes film festival this year, will be a guest speaker at the competition. The Fresh Wave 2010 opening ceremony, with previews and clips of the short films competing, is on September 17 at the main concourse of IFC. For more information, visit www.freshwave.hk.