Screen Time

For true cinephiles in Hong Kong, March only means one thing: films, and a lot of them. This March, the beloved Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) returns for the 35th time from Mar 20 to Apr 5 with a big selection of over 330 films from all over the world. For about two weeks, you can pack your schedule full with screenings, and hop around town to watch films you have never heard of, films you are curious about and films you have always wanted to see. But don’t think you’re the only one who’s going to be busy—industry people such as filmmakers, producers and distributors will also be experiencing hectic days as they celebrate achievements or try to make more films happen with the HKIFF Society’s two other major events: the fifth Asian Film Awards (AFA) on Mar 21, and the ninth Hong Kong-Asia Film Finance Forum (HAF) from Mar 21 to Mar 23.

The first edition of HKIFF took place in 1977, and was then organized under the Urban Council—which no longer exists—and was financed by the government, taking place in City Hall. At the time, there were already a couple of film showcases in Hong Kong, such as Goethe Institut’s German film programs and the Alliance Française’s French Cinepanorama, but no country or region in Asia had an international film festival, which made the first HKIFF—though it only screened 40 films—a groundbreaking event.

An early member of the festival and current Executive Director of the HKIFF Society, Roger Garcia, introduced the Hong Kong film retrospective programs the next year. “Back then, people thought old Cantonese films were just junk they saw on afternoon TV, which is not true,” Garcia recalls, “But once you show it to them in a theater, they take it seriously.” This move not only helped raise the recognition of the importance of Hong Kong oldies, but also helped start the Hong Kong Film Archive. In the meantime, Garcia started publishing English and bi-lingual books about Hong Kong cinema with his colleagues, writing about Kung Fu films. They were the first ones to do so, and within three years, they doubled the number of English books on Hong Kong cinema, from three to six, which helped significantly promote local cinema overseas.

An interesting phenomena, the Hong Kong New Wave, happened at the same time the HKIFF kicked off. An array of directors, including Patrick Tam, Tsui Hark, Ann Hui, Kirk Wong, Allen Fong and Yim Ho (who later became the core force of Hong Kong cinema), all started making their first feature films in late the 1970s and early 1980s. Together they formed the first real wave of young filmmakers in Asia. HKIFF was also growing at the same time, presenting a perfect opportunity to showcase their work, and the Asian film program, the first of its kind in world film festivals, was introduced in 1979.

As we moved into the 1980s, the so-called “golden age of Hong Kong cinema,” HKIFF was booming, along with the Hong Kong New Wave-inspired Chinese and Taiwanese cinemas. The festival premiered Chen Kaige’s early masterpiece, “Yellow Earth,” in 1985, heralding the emergence of the fifth generation of Chinese directors. HKIFF also accelerated the Taiwan New Wave, led by later auteurs Edward Yang and Hou Hsiao-Hsien. Keeping pace with the growing Asian cinema scene over the years, HKIFF has developed its position as a major showcase for Chinese and Asian films, and is an ideal platform for independent filmmakers. But despite the increasing number of film screenings and venues (from just two—the theater and lecture room of City Hall—at the inaugural festival, to 12 venues this year), the fundamental idea remains the same. “It’s a film festival run by cinephiles, for cinephiles,” Garcia says, “Me and my colleagues share a common culture of cinema for both enjoyment and academics, which I’d like to convey to our audience through the programs. We try to present a vision of cinema—otherwise you may just go watch all the Hollywood flicks.”

The festival has always appealed to a younger audience aged from 17 and 18 to people in their mid-30s, many of whom are students. Garcia explains that the Hong Kong audience starts watching movies during their teenage years, and drop off in their early 30s, when careers and families become their priority. However, retired people in their 50s and 60s tend to come back to the cinema, becoming an important part of the demographic. The Society is still trying to reach a wider audience. Its recent film education program, the Jockey Club Cine Academy, which features activities such as educators’ workshops, master classes and a youth volunteer program, is part of its strategy to foster film literacy and cultivate a new generation of movie-goers.