HKETO, Brussels promotes Hong Kong cinema and culture at Asian Summer Film Festival in Vic, Spain (with photos)

     The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels (HKETO, Brussels) and Create Hong Kong jointly supported the 19th Asian Summer Film Festival (the Festival) in Vic, Spain, from July 19 to 24. The Festival is one of the celebration events of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

     The Festival screened a total of seven Hong Kong productions or co-productions, of which four films are from 2021: Longman Leung's "Anita", Wei Junzi's documentary "Kungfu Stuntmen", Emily Chan's "Madalena" and Chui Chi-yiu's "Remember What I Forgot".  

     As a prelude to the Spanish premiere of the biographical film "Anita", the Festival screened three films starring Anita Mui, namely Stanley Kwan's "Rouge", shown at the Festival's press conference on July 8; and Sammo Hung's "Moon Warriors" and Corey Yuen's "Saviour of the Soul", screened on July 9.

     HKETO, Brussels hosted an afternoon reception on July 19 (Vic time) to promote the Hong Kong productions to media representatives and film industry professionals. The reception included a tribute to Mui, with a compilation of visual material from her career and a presentation of the film "Anita".  

     The Festival's opening night held later that evening focused on Hong Kong culture. Besides Mui's films and her classic songs, the audience also enjoyed a special lion dance featuring a lion from Vic's traditional folklore, and Hong Kong lions.   

     In her welcoming remarks to the audience, the Deputy Representative of HKETO, Brussels, Miss Grace Li , said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government was committed to supporting the Hong Kong film industry and its talents. She highlighted that the opening of the M+ museum and the Hong Kong Palace Museum would further enhance Hong Kong’s development as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchanges. She encouraged audience members to visit Hong Kong and experience the city's vibrant culture first hand. 

     "You will see the latest developments for yourselves as our city heads into a new era of stability, prosperity and opportunity," Ms Li said.