HKETO San Francisco celebrates Hong Kong cinema in Hawai'i, New Mexico and California

Through October and November, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in San Francisco (HKETO San Francisco) celebrated Hong Kong cinema via successful collaborations with the Hawai'i International Film Festival (HIFF) in Hawai'i, the Santa Fe International Film Festival (SFiFF) in New Mexico and two film festivals in the Los Angeles area in California: the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF) and the Asian World Film Festival (AWFF), fostering cultural exchanges between Hong Kong and these locations in the United States.

In Honolulu, Hawai'i, HKETO San Francisco and its long-time collaborator HIFF once again curated the Spotlight on Hong Kong programme, which featured six Hong Kong productions that included new releases and a restored classic: "Love Lies", "The Last Dance", "Stuntman", "All Shall Be Well", "Fly Me to The Moon" and "Shanghai Blues". The festival was held from October 3 to 13.

At the Awards Gala of the HIFF, iconic Hong Kong actress and filmmaker Sandra Ng was honoured with the HIFF Spotlight On Hong Kong Filmmaker in Profile. She attended the festival with renowned filmmaker Peter Chan and received the award from celebrity comedian Ronny Chieng. Alongside Ng, Hong Kong actresses Patra Au and Michelle Wai, as well as directors Sasha Chuk, Anselm Chan, Albert Leung and Hebert Leung also participated in the festival. They attended live post-screening Q&A sessions at the primary screening of their respective films. The audience greatly appreciated their presence with enthusiastic interactions.

In Santa Fe, New Mexico, HKETO San Francisco collaborated with SFiFF for the second consecutive year. "Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In" and "All Shall Be Well", two talk-of-the-town feature films from Hong Kong, were showcased at the festival held from October 16 to 20. A filmmakers' brunch was hosted and the latest measures implemented by the Hong Kong Government to inject new power into Hong Kong cinema was shared to the attending filmmakers.

In Monterey Park, California, the third annual "LAAPFF Presents: Hong Kong Generations of Cinema" took place on October 26 and 27 featuring six Hong Kong titles from different decades around the theme of Cantopop: "Rouge", "Days of Being Wild", "Happy Together", "July Rhapsody", "Anita" and "The Lyricist Wannabe". Each film highlights the connection between music and storytelling in Hong Kong's film history. The programme this year had expanded from a one-day showcase to a two-day celebration of Hong Kong cinema following the success of the first two years.

In Culver City, California, the AWFF held its inaugural “Focus on Hong Kong” program. The festival running from November 13 to 21 invited renowned director Peter Chan to attend in person. Chan is considered one of the most accomplished filmmakers from Hong Kong and has directed numerous award-winning films, including the critically acclaimed "Comrades: Almost a Love Story." Following a special screening of the film, he participated in a live Q&A session with the audience.

The program also showcased another masterpiece—Wong Kar-wai's "In the Mood for Love." Additionally, it featured two recent works by established director Soi Cheang: the box office hit "Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In" and the psychological thriller "Mad Fate," highlighting the diversity and vibrancy of Hong Kong cinema.

The above Hong Kong film programmes were made possible with the support from the Film Development Fund, the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency, and the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government.