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 Transport Department (TD) said today (November 13) that the Ka Fu Fong Public Car Park in Sheung Shui has commenced service. It is the first new public vehicle park (PVP) project completed under the Government's "single site, multiple use" principle.

     The nine-storey PVP provides 320 parking spaces for private cars and six for light goods vehicles, i.e. a total of 326 parking spaces. All of them are equipped with fee-paying electric vehicle charging facilities. In addition, smart equipment including the access control system, license plate recognition system and parking bay information system have been adopted in the project. The PVP is leased to an operator for its management and operation via the Government Property Agency.

     A spokesman for the TD said that the Government will continue to pursue a host of measures to increase the supply of parking spaces, including incorporation of PVPs in suitable government, institution or community facilities and public open space projects in accordance with the "single site, multiple use" principle, thereby increasing the supply of parking spaces in the district and achieving optimal land use. The Government will continue to increase the supply of parking spaces to address the public's demand.

     Apart from parking spaces, there will be a garden comprising a badminton court, a basketball court and landscaping areas on the roof of the Ka Fu Fong Public Car Park as well as at-grade landscaping areas, which form part of the ancillary facilities for the neighbouring public housing development project. They are funded by the Hong Kong Housing Authority separately and will be completed later.

        

     A food wholesaler was convicted of supplying a kind of Chinese duck liver that was falsely claimed to be "Hungarian goose liver", in contravention of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO), and was fined $45,000 at the Shatin Magistrates' Courts today (November 13). A total of 328 packs of duck liver involved in the case were also confiscated.
      
     During a territory-wide inspection conducted earlier, Hong Kong Customs purchased a food product claimed to be goose liver from a food retailer and sent the samples to the Government Laboratory for testing. The testing result revealed that the product was actually duck liver. After an investigation, Customs found the product was supplied by the subject food wholesaler.
      
     Customs officers subsequently took enforcement action and seized a total of 328 packs of related products on the market, with a total value of about $42,300.
      
     Customs reminds traders to comply with the requirements of the TDO and urges consumers to procure products at reputable shops.
      
     Under the TDO, any person who supplies goods with a false trade description in the course of trade or business, or is in possession of any goods for sale with a false trade description, commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.
      
     Members of the public may report any suspected violations of the TDO to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

  

     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.