London ETO celebrates Hong Kong’s cinematic brilliance at London East Asia Film Festival 2024 (with photos)
The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, London (London ETO), the Film Development Fund, and the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region supported the London East Asia Film Festival (LEAFF) from October 23 to November 3 (London time), which showcased six selected Hong Kong films and hosted three live question and answer sessions with creative talent from Hong Kong. A reception was held following the closing gala screening, bringing together creative talent from Hong Kong and over 50 guests from the local cultural and business sectors.
The Director-General of the London ETO, Mr Gilford Law, addressed the audience at the closing gala ceremony. "The London ETO is proud to partner with LEAFF for the ninth time to shine a spotlight on Hong Kong cinema. Known as the 'Hollywood of the East', Hong Kong boasts a vibrant community of creative and ambitious talent which shares the vision of establishing Hong Kong as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchanges, as supported by the National 14th Five-Year Plan," he said.
Four creative talents from Hong Kong graced the festivities, with actor Simon Yam and actress Sandra Ng receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award and Honorary Award respectively. Director Vincent Chow joined Mr Yam for a Q&A session on November 3, while Ms Ng participated in her own Q&A session on November 2. Director and screenwriter Felix Chong also talked about directing and screenwriting in East Asia during a Q&A session on October 24. Further highlighting Hong Kong's cinematic achievements, "Love Lies" was awarded the Best Film in Competition.
The 11-day festival featured the world premiere of "Little Red Sweet", along with the United Kingdom premieres of "Out of the Shadow", "High Forces" and "Love Lies", as well as "Stuntman" and "Shanghai Blues".
