Hong Kong culture minister rejects call to impose funding restrictions on films that tell ‘negative’ stories
- Lawmaker Joephy Chan questions whether government-run Film Development Fund should be managed differently to back movies that tell ‘good’ Hong Kong stories
- But minister Kevin Yeung says people have different perspectives when it came to content and some films may start out with negative themes but end on different note
Hong Kong’s culture minister has dismissed suggestions from a lawmaker to impose tough restrictions on funding for local filmmakers, stressing more room should be given to producers even though some movies carried negative messages about the city.
Lawmaker Joephy Chan Wing-yan took aim at the government-run Film Development Fund at a Legislative Council Finance Committee meeting on Thursday, questioning the absence of criteria or a system that awarded “bonus points” to movies with positive elements.
“If [filmmakers] want to make movies that criticise Hong Kong, it’s fine if they use their own money, but please don’t let them use public funds.”
Her comments came after she filed written queries to authorities to express concerns on whether the government had scrutinised the potential content of the films before approving funding applications.
Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung said the establishment of the fund to promote the industry’s development itself was already telling good stories about the city and the country, adding people had different perspectives when it came to content.
“For example, in a movie, the earlier part might portray the negative aspect of thieves committing murders, but the latter part could reflect the positive aspect of our government when police successfully apprehend criminals,” Yeung said.
“We should allow these to happen. It’s important to provide the film industry with room [to develop].”
Yeung stressed filmmakers receiving funding must follow regulations, including national security laws.
“They cannot make a movie that poses a threat to national security. That is absolutely something that will not happen,” the minister said.
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The Film Development Council funded 48 films from 2019 to last year, spending HK$286.19 million (US$36.54 million), excluding projects withdrawn after approval was granted.
A Guilty Conscience, which received HK$8.87 million, 40 per cent of the production cost, made history at the Hong Kong box office as the first local film to reach HK$100 million. It was also named best film at the 42nd Hong Kong Film Awards held last Sunday.
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Legislator Adrian Pedro Ho King-hong of the New People’s Party called on the government to consider asking producers of films that did well at the box office to contribute back to the fund to help develop the industry.
Yeung reiterated the goal of the fund was to assist the industry in producing films and facilitating easier access to investors.
“Some films are profitable, while others incur losses,” he said. “That being said, we don’t have a target in mind for each film in terms of the desired financial return.”
