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Hong Kong International Film Festival

On This DayWhen Hong Kong hosted its first International Film Festival in 1977 – SCMP archive

The first Hong Kong International Film Festival was held in 1977. This year marked its 50th iteration

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(From right) Arnaldo de Oliveira Sales, Chairman of the Urban Council; Mrs Sales; and Sir Run Run Shaw of the Shaw Brothers sharing a joke at the opening of the first Hong Kong International Film Festival on June 27, 1977. Photo: C.Y Yu
SCMP

This article was first published on June 28, 1977.

Film festival off to impressive start

by SCMP reporter

Hongkong’s First International Film Festival got off to an impressive start last night (June 27, 1977).

It was not quite the glittering social occasion as the Cannes Film Festival and there certainly was not the profusion of topless models and eager starlets that the Mediterranean occasion produces.

But the cocktail party that opened the festival in City Hall yesterday did bring together people who intend to make Hongkong a world-famous film city.

Sir Run Run Shaw said he was honoured with the selection of Shaw Brothers’ “The Last Tempest” for screening at the festival.

A clipping from SCMP’s June 26, 1977 issue showing the film festival had sold out. Photo: SCMP
A clipping from SCMP’s June 26, 1977 issue showing the film festival had sold out. Photo: SCMP

But the film’s director, Mr Li Han-hsiang, felt that perhaps more Chinese films should have been selected.

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