â€‹The Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency today (November 13) announced the winning projects of the eighth First Feature Film Initiative (FFFI). Six winning teams will receive funding from the Film Development Fund (FDF) to make their first feature films, with the total awarded amount being $39 million. Details of the winning projects are in the Annex.
      
     The Chairman of the Hong Kong Film Development Council, Dr Wilfred Wong, said, "In this edition, a total of 71 eligible participating applications were received, comprising 13 from the Higher Education Institution Group (HEIG) and 58 from the Professional Group (PG), marking the highest number among all past editions. Six projects stood out from the keen competition and excelled as deserving winners. I am glad that the FFFI has successfully nurtured new film talent over the years and look forward to enjoying the winning projects in cinemas."
      
     The FFFI was launched in 2013. It identifies new talent through a selection of screenplay and production proposals. The FFFI is divided into the HEIG and the PG, with a maximum of three winning projects in each group. The maximum sponsorship for each winning production team of the HEIG and the PG is $5 million and $8 million, respectively. The FDF provides funding for selected teams to make their first commercial feature films. The selected teams are required to complete the whole film production and sales process, which involves planning, shooting and distribution, and more, to acquire knowledge from creation to practical applications in making a feature film. Since the launch of the FFFI, it has sponsored 30 film projects and incubated a total of 32 new directors. Among them, a number of completed film projects have received nominations and awards at esteemed overseas and local film award ceremonies and film festivals.

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (November 13) announced the test results of the seasonal food surveillance project on hairy crabs. All samples passed the tests.
      
     The tests included veterinary drug residues, metallic contaminants, synthetic hormones, colouring matters and pesticide residues, as well as dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).
      
     A spokesman for the CFS said, "From January 2024 to the end of October 2024, the CFS collected 101 hairy crab samples at the import and retail levels for chemical tests, and the test results were all satisfactory. The CFS will continue to conduct surveillance on hairy crabs to ensure food safety."
      
     Traders should have obtained relevant permits or written permission granted by the FEHD for selling hairy crabs, and the hairy crabs being sold must be accompanied with health certificates issued by the relevant authorities of the exporting economies. They should source hairy crabs from reliable suppliers and comply with the relevant regulatory requirements. Moreover, hairy crabs for sale must be kept in a refrigerator.
      
     The CFS advises members of the public to observe the following Five Keys to Food Safety in purchasing, storing, preparing and cooking hairy crabs to prevent food-borne illnesses and enjoy the seasonal food safely.
 
Choose wisely
• Buy hairy crabs from reliable and hygienic shops with the Shell Fish (Hairy Crab) Permit or relevant written permission granted by the FEHD;
• During purchase, check whether the hairy crabs for sale are kept in a refrigerator, and buy live crabs with intact, shiny shells and without a foul smell; and
• For online purchase, buy from reliable online shops with licences or restricted food permits, and pay attention to the nature and potential risk associated with food items purchased online.
 
Keep clean
• Brush and wash the crab shells and claws before cooking; and
• Wash hands with running water and soap, and rub for at least 20 seconds before consumption.
 
Separate raw and cooked foods
• Put the raw crabs in a container with a cover and store them separately from other foods in the refrigerator to avoid cross-contamination.
 
Cook thoroughly
• Avoid eating raw crabs. Cook thoroughly and remove internal organs completely before consumption. Condiments such as salt, vinegar, wine and wasabi cannot kill bacteria or parasites that may be present in the crabs.
 
Safe temperature
• Cooked crabs should be consumed as soon as possible.
 

Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:

Please broadcast the following message as soon as possible and repeat it at suitable intervals:

     As the Strong Wind Signal No. 3 has been issued, the Marine Department reminds vessel owners, masters and persons-in-charge of vessels that they should take precautionary measures immediately and properly secure their vessels at safe locations.
  
     In case of an accident, a report should be made immediately to the Vessel Traffic Centre at 2233 7801.

Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:



Please broadcast the following special announcement immediately, and repeat it at frequent intervals:



     "The Social Welfare Department announces that while Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 3 has been issued, all child care centres, centres providing after school care programmes, elderly services centres and day rehabilitation units including sheltered workshops, integrated vocational rehabilitation services centres, integrated vocational training centres and day activity centres will remain open during their normal operating hours. If necessary, members of the public can contact the centres to make arrangements for the safe return home of their children and family members."

     The Water Supplies Department (WSD) announced that an owner of a subdivided flat on Ki Lung Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon, was convicted today (November 13) of overcharging her subdivided unit (SDU) tenants for water, in contravention of regulation 47 of the Waterworks Regulations. The owner pleaded guilty to 16 counts of offences at the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts.

     This is the 22nd similar conviction since the first conviction in June 2022, with associated fines ranging from $1,000 to $16,000. This is also the sixth conviction after the enactment of the Waterworks (Amendment) Ordinance 2024 (the amended WWO) on April 19, 2024.

     A spokesman for the WSD said that the amended WWO has strengthened the power of the Water Authority in evidence collection and information disclosure during the investigation of suspected cases of overcharging for water. The Water Authority can request the landlords, their agents, etc, to provide the tenancy agreement, receipt or payment record for charges for water. Failure to comply with such a request can be an offence, and the offender is liable on conviction to a maximum fine of $10,000 and a further fine of up to $1,000 for each day the offence continues. It is anticipated that there will be more prosecution cases. The maximum penalty for overcharging SDU tenants for water has been raised to $25,000 to deter this illegal act. Moreover, providing false or misleading information to the Water Authority is also an offence with a maximum penalty of a $25,000 fine and six months' imprisonment.

     The WSD spokesman strongly appealed to landlords to apply for the installation of separate water meters for their SDUs, which can greatly reduce the risk of contravening the amended WWO. The water fee deposit and the charge for providing a meter for each separate water meter installed under the Scheme for Installation of Separate Water Meters for Subdivided Units will be waived. Individual water bills will be provided for each water meter account. The first 12 cubic metres of water are free at four-month intervals. SDU tenants can contact the WSD to request separate water meters. Upon receiving such requests, the WSD will contact the landlords for the installation of separate meters. If the landlords refuse, the WSD may require them to provide information on the recovery of water charges from their tenants in suspected overcharging cases. Details of the scheme can be obtained from the WSD website (www.wsd.gov.hk/en/customer-services/application-for-water-supply/pilot-scheme-for-installation-of-separate-water-me/index.html).

     The WSD encourages the public to report any illegal act of overcharging SDU tenants for water for follow-up and investigation by the department. The public can call the WSD Hotline 3468 4963 or WhatsApp 5665 5517 to apply for the installation of separate water meters for SDUs. The WhatsApp hotline also handles matters relating to water overcharging in SDUs. Alternatively, the public can call the WSD Customer Enquiry Hotline 2824 5000 to report water overcharge cases. After calling the hotline and choosing a language, they can press "7" for reporting to staff directly.