Hong Kong International Film Festival

Hong Kong International Film Festival
LocationHong Kong
Founded1976; 48 years ago (1976)
Most recent2024
Hosted byHKIFF Society
Festival date28 March to 8 April 2024
LanguageMulti-language (adapted movies from different countries)
WebsiteHKIFF
Current: 48th Hong Kong International Film Festival
49th
Hong Kong International Film Festival
Traditional Chinese香港國際電影節
Simplified Chinese香港国际电影节
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinXiānggǎng Guójì Diànyǐngjié
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationHēung góng gwok jái dihn yíng jit
JyutpingHoeng1 gong2 gwok3 zai3 din6 jing2 zit3

The Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) is one of Asia's oldest international film festivals. Founded in 1976, the festival features different movies and filmmakers from different countries, and takes place in Hong Kong.[1]

HKIFF screens around 230 films from more than 60 countries in different major cultural venues across the territory every year.[2] New films are featured as gala premieres, with the directors and cast presenting on the red carpet and meet-and-greet sessions in theatres.[3]

The 42nd Hong Kong International Film Festival Grand Opening

History

[edit]

Previously operated by Urban Council and Leisure and Cultural Services Department, from 1977 to 2001, and Hong Kong Arts Development Council, from 2002 to 2004, HKIFF was officially incorporated as an independent, charitable organisation – Hong Kong International Film Festival Society Limited after completing its 28th edition.[4][5] The Hong Kong SAR Government has continued to subsidise the festival through venue provision and partial funding.[6]

Hong Kong International Film Festival Society Limited

Since 2012, HKIFF produced and premiered anthologies of short films made by well-known award winning filmmakers from Asia, such as Ann Hui, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Jia Zhangke, Brillante Mendoza, Hideo Nakata, Tsai Ming-liang, and Apichatpong Weerasethakul.[citation needed] Since 2017, HKIFF started to collaborate with Heyi Pictures to produce two feature films a year by young Chinese filmmakers that will hold their world premieres at HKIFF.[7]

Filmmaker in Focus: Brigitte Lin Ching-Hsia
The 42nd Hong Kong International Film Festival Ambassador: Louis Koo Tin-lok

Past events

[edit]
Young Cinema Competition jury (from left to right: Anthony WONG, Colin GEDDES, and Agnieszka HOLLAND), director Amit V Masurkar, and LI Cheuk-to, Artistic Director of the Hong Kong International Film Festival.
The 42nd Hong Kong International Film Festival Award Ceremony
HKIFF 41 Opening Film Love Off the Cuff
Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Event name Date Opening film(s) Closing film(s) Filmmaker(s) in Focus Master Class(es) Ambassador
HKIFF1 27 June - 10 July 1977 Italy: Year One (dir. Roberto Rossellini) A Touch of Zen (dir. King Hu) - - -
HKIFF2 26 June - 9 July 1978 Raise Ravens (Cría Cuervos, dir. Carlos Saura)

The Seagull (Il Gabbiano, dir. Marco Bellocchio)

- - - -
HKIFF3 25 June - 8 July 1979 Raining in the Mountain (dir. King Hu) - - - -
HKIFF4 3 - 18 April 1980 American Gigolo (dir. Paul Schrader) - - - -
HKIFF5 9 - 24 April 1981 Child of the Sun (dir. Kiriro Urayama)

The Uprising (dir. Peter Lilienthal)

- - - -
HKIFF6 1-16 April 1982 Circle of Deceit (dir. Volkor Schlondorff)

Street Music (dir. Jenny Bowen)

Muddy River (dir. Kohei Oguri)

- - - -
HKIFF7 24 March - 8 April 1983 Passion (dir. Jean-Luc Godard)

Moonlighting (dir. Jerzy Skolimowski)

Son of the North East (dir. Vichit Kounavudhi)

- - - -
HKIFF8 12-27 April 1984 The King of Comedy (dir. Martin Scorsese)

Carmen (dir. Carlos Saura)

Merry Christmas Mr.Lawrence (dir. Nagisa Oshima)

First Name: Carmen (dir. Jean-Luc Godard) - - -
HKIFF9 29 March - 13 April 1985 Full Moon in Paris (dir. Eric Rohmer)

Paris Texas (dir. Wim Wenders)

Mac Arthurs Children (dir. Masahiro Shinoda)

Love on the Ground (dir. Jacques Rivette) - - -
HKIFF10 27 March - 11 April 1986 Ping Pong (dir. Leong Po-chih)

Ran (dir. Akira Kurosawa)

Insignificance (dir. Nicolas Roeg)

The Insomniac on the Bridge (dir. Raúl Ruiz) - - -
HKIFF11 10-25 April 1987 The Green Ray (dir. Eric Rohmer)

To Sleep So As To Dream (dir. Kaizo Hayashi)

The Sacrifice (dir. Andrei Tarkovsky)

Document: Fanny and Alexander (dir. Ingmar Bergman)

The Stand-in (dir. Huang Jianxin)

- - -
HKIFF12 31 March - 15 April 1988 Les Affaires Publiques (dir. Robert Bresson)

Yeelen (dir. Souleymane Cissé)

Goodbye, Children (dir. Louis Malle)

Wings of Desire (dir. Wim Wenders)

Red Sorghum (dir. Zhang Yimou)

- - -
HKIFF13 23 March - 7 April 1989 Ashik Kerib (dir. Dodo Abashidze and Sergei Parajanov)

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (dir. Pedro Almodovar)

Pellethe Conqueror (dir. Bille August)

Betrayed (dir. Costa-Gavras) - - -
HKIFF14 6 - 21 April 1990 A Terra-Cotta Warrior (dir. Ching Siu-tung) Song of the Exile (dir. Ann Hui) Krzysztof Kieślowski

Theo Angelopoulos

Fumio Kamei

Vasily Shukshin

- -
HKIFF15 28 March - 12 April 1991 Li Lianying: The Imperial Eunuch (dir. Tian Zhuangzhuang) My American Grandson (dir. Ann Hui) Aki Kaurismäki

Idrissa Ouédraogo

- -
HKIFF16 10 - 25 April 1992 Ripples Across Stagnant Water (dir. Ling Zifeng)

High Heels (dir. Pedro Almodovar)

King of Chess (dirs. Yim Ho, Tsui Hark) - - -
HKIFF17 8 - 23 April 1993 For Fun (dir. Ning Ying)

Opening Night (dir. John Cassavetes)

The Wedding Banquet (dir. Ang Lee) Abbas Kiarostami - -
HKIFF18 25 March - 9 April 1994 Three Colours: Blue (dir. Krzysztof Kieślowski) Three Colours: White (dir. Krzysztof Kieślowski) Víctor Erice - -
HKIFF19 7 - 22 April 1995 In the Heat of the Sun (dir. Jiang Wen)

Summer Snow (dir. Ann Hui)

One and a Half (dir. Lawrence Ah Mon)

Burnt by the Sun (dir. Nikita Mikhalkov)

Ken Loach - -
HKIFF20 25 March - 9 April 1996 Hu Du Men (dir. Shu Kei)

From Dusk Till Dawn (dir. Robert Rodriguez)

The King of Masks (dir. Wu Tianming)

Mahjong (dir. Edward Yang)

- - -
HKIFF21 25 March - 9 April 1997 Kitchen (dir. Yim Ho)

The River (dir. Tsai Ming-liang)

The Valiant Ones (dir. King Hu) Arturo Ripstein - -
HKIFF22 3 - 18 April 1998 Beast Cop (dir. Gordon Chan)

Dragon Inn (dir. King Hu)

Sweet Degeneration (dir. Lin Cheng-sheng) Errol Morris

Tony Gatlif

- -
HKIFF23 31 March - 15 April 1999 Ordinary Heroes (dir. Ann Hui)

Where a Good Man Goes (dir. Johnnie To)

Mr Zhao (dir. Lü Yue)

Crazy English (dir. Zhang Yuan)

Johnnie To

Kiyoshi Kurosawa

Walter Salles

- -
HKIFF24 12 - 27 April 2000 Spacked Out (dir. Lawrence Ah Mon)

The Million Dollar Hotel (dir. Wim Wenders)

A Chance to Die

Durian Durian (dir. Fruit Chan)

Otar Iosseliani - -
HKIFF25 6 - 21 April 2001 Penoy Pavilion (dir. Yonfan)

Mortal Transfer (dir. Jean-Jacques Beineix)

Yi Yi (dir. Edward Yang) Tony Leung Chiu-wai

Jean-Jacques Beineix

Darius Khondji

- -
HKIFF26 27 March - 7 April 2002 Hollywood Hong Kong (dir. Fruit Chan)

Heaven (dir. Tom Tykwer)

What Time is it There? (dir. Tsai Ming-liang) Ann Hui - -
HKIFF27 8 - 23 April 2003 The Twilight Samurai (dir. Yoji Yamada)

PTU (dir. Johnnie To)

Cala, My Dog! (dir. Lu Xuechang)

Adaptation (dir. Spike Jonze)

Jeffrey Lau

Dardenne brothers

Marco Bellocchio

- SHINE
HKIFF28 6 - 21 April 2004 Baober in Love (dir. Li Shaohong)

Jade Goddess of Mercy (dir. Ann Hui)

Goodbye, Dragon Inn (dir. Tsai Ming-liang)

Not on the Lips (dir. Alain Resnais)

William Chang

Kim Ki-duk

- -
HKIFF29 22 March - 6 April 2005 Peacock (dir. Gu Changwei)

The Hidden Blade (dir. Yōji Yamada)

The World (dir. Jia Zhangke)

Words in Blue (dir. Alain Corneau)

Andy Lau - Andy Lau
HKIFF30 4 - 19 April 2006 Election 2 (dir. Johnnie To)

Isabella(dir. Pang Ho-cheung)

Snow Cake (dir. Marc Evans)

Candy (dir. Neil Armfield)

- - Andy Lau
HKIFF31 10 March - 11 April 2007 Eye in the Sky (dir. Yau Nai-Hoi)

I am a Cyborg, but that's OK (dir. Park Chan-wook)

- Herman Yau - -
HKIFF32 17 March - 6 April 2008 Kabei - Our Mother (dir. Yoji Yamada)

Soul of a Demon (dir. Chang Tso-chi)

Shine a Light (dir. Martin Scorsese)

Coffee or Tea (dirs. Shu Kei, Kwan Man-hin)

Eric Tsang - Sammi Cheng
HKIFF33 22 March - 13 April 2009 Night and Fog (dir. Ann Hui)

Shinjuku Incident (dir. Derek Yee)

24 City (dir. Jia Zhangke) - - Karen Mok
HKIFF34 18 March - 6 April 2010 Crossing Hennessy (dir. Ivy Ho)

Like a Dream (dir. Clara Law)

Amphetamine (dir. Scud)

Ex (dir. Heiward Mak)

- - -
HKIFF35 20 March - 5 April 2011 Don't Go Breaking My Heart (dirs. Johnnie To, Wai Ka-fai)

Quattro Hong Kong 2 (dirs. Apichatpong Weerasethakul; Brillante Mendoza; Stanley Kwan; Ho Yuhang)

- Wai Ka-fai Jia Zhangke Miriam Yeung
HKIFF36 21 March - 5 April 2012 Love in the Buff (dir. Pang Ho-cheung) White Deer Plain (dir. Wang Quan'an) Peter Chan Keanu Reeves Miriam Yeung
HKIFF37 17 March - 2 April 2013 Ip Man - The Final Fight (dir. Herman Yau) Closed Curtain (dirs. Jafar Panahi, Kambuzia Partovi) Andrew Lau Wong Kar-wai Miriam Yeung
HKIFF38 24 March - 7 April 2014 Aberdeen (dir. Pang Ho-cheung)

The Midnight After (dir. Fruit Chan)

That Demon Within (dir. Dante Lam) - - Louis Koo
HKIFF39 23 March - 6 April 2015 Murmur of the Hearts (dir. Sylvia Chang) Port of Call (dir. Philip Yung) Sylvia Chang Peter Greenaway

Mohsen Makhmalbaf

Pedro Costa

Louis Koo
HKIFF40 21 March - 4 April 2016 Chongqing Hot Pot (dir. Yang Qing)

Trivisa (dirs. Frank Hui, Jevons Au, Vicky Wong)

Creepy (dir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa) - Béla Tarr Louis Koo
HKIFF41 11 - 25 April 2017 Love Off the Cuff (dir. Pang Ho-cheung) mon mon mon MONSTERS (dir. Giddens Ko) - Olivier Assayas

Agnieszka Holland

Ildikó Enyedi

Louis Koo
HKIFF42 19 March - 5 April 2018 Omotenashi (dir. Jay Chern)

Xiao Mei (dir. Maren Hwang)

What a Wonderful Family! 3: My Wife, My Life (dir. Yamada Yoji) Brigitte Lin Werner Herzog

Tsai Ming-liang

Kazuo Hara

Louis Koo
HKIFF43 18 March - 1 April 2019 Bodies at Rest (dir. Renny Harlin) By the Grace of God (dir. François Ozon) Sammo Hung Lee Chang-dong

Asghar Farhadi

Jiang Wen

Aaron Kwok
HKIFF44 Cancelled [note 1] Keep Rolling (dir. Man Lim-chung)

Little Big Women (dir. Joseph Hsu)

The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese (dir. Isao Yukisada) Michael Hui - Aaron Kwok
HKIFF45 1 April - 12 April 2021 Septet: The Story of Hong Kong (dir. Ann Hui, Sammo Hung, Ringo Lam, Patrick Tam, Johnnie To, Tsui Hark, and Yuen Woo-ping)

Where the Wind Blows (dir. Philip Yung), later cancelled

Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy (dir. Ryusuke Hamaguchi) Stanley Kwan Frederick Wiseman

Kazuo Hara [note 2]

Aaron Kwok
HKIFF46 15 August - 31 August 2022 [note 3] Where the Wind Blows (dir. Philip Yung)

Warriors of Future (dir. Ng Yuen-fai)

Tori and Lokita (dirs. Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne) Sandra Ng Dardenne brothers

Chung Mong-hong [note 2]

Aaron Kwok
HKIFF47 30 March - 10 April 2023 Mad Fate (dir. Soi Cheang)

Elegies (dir. Ann Hui)

Vital Sign (dir. Cheuk Wan-chi) Soi Cheang Tsai Ming-liang Aaron Kwok
HKIFF48 28 March - 8 April 2024 All Shall Be Well (dir. Ray Yeung) All the Long Nights (dir. Miyake Sho) Fruit Chan Víctor Erice

Martin McDonagh

Bill Plympton

Karena Lam

Competition

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HKIFF Firebird Awards include three categories: Young Cinema Competition, Documentary Competition and Short Film Competition. The results are decided by three jury teams consisting of film industry professionals such as film critics, directors and film festival delegates. Besides Firebird Awards, HKIFF also established FIPRESCI Prize in HKIFF23 to recognize enterprising filmmakers and promotes young talent in Asian cinema.[8] Starting from HKIFF41, Audience Choice Award is held during the film festival when the audience members who purchased tickets and festival passes could vote for their favorite films.[9] From HKIFF43, the Young Cinema Competition was divided into "Chinese Language" and "World" sections.[10]

Event name Young Cinema Competition Documentary Competition Short Film Competition FIPRESCI Prize Audience Choice Award
HKIFF36 Firebird Award: Song of Silence

Jury Prize: The End of Puberty

Firebird Award: Jai Bhim Comrade

Jury Prize: Back to the Square

Firebird Award: Muybridge's Strings

Jury Prize: Everyone Says I Love You

Special Mention: ORA

The Mirror Never Lies -
HKIFF37 Firebird Award: In Bloom

Jury Prize: All Apologies

Special Mention: Longing for the Rain

Firebird Award: Roots

Jury Prize: Oh, the San Xia

Special Mention: Redemption Impossible

Firebird Award: Night Shift

Jury Prize: Room 606

In Bloom -
HKIFF38 Firebird Award: Macondo

Jury Prize: The Tale of Iya

Special Mention: Forma

Firebird Award: My Name Is Salt

Jury Prize: The Last Moose of Aoluguya

Special Mention: Meat and Milk

Firebird Award: Butter Lamp

Jury Prize: Cold Snap

Special Mention: Symphony no.42

10 Minutes -
HKIFF39 Firebird Award: Sworn Virgin

Jury Prize: K

Special Mention: The Coffin in the Mountain

Firebird Award: I am the People

Jury Prize: A Young Patriot

Firebird Award: Listen

Jury Prize: A Blue Room

K -
HKIFF40 Firebird Award: Life After Life

Jury Prize: Tomcat

Firebird Award: Behemoth

Jury Prize: Under The Sun

Firebird Award: Batrachian's Ballad

Jury Prize: Prelude to the General

The Island Funeral -
HKIFF41 Firebird Award: My Happy Family

Jury Prize: Newton

Firebird Award: House in the Fields

Jury Prize: Inmates

Firebird Award: Jukai

Jury Prize: Ten Mornings Ten Evenings And One Horizon

Special Mention: Everything

Happy Bus Day Mad World
HKIFF42 Firebird Award: Girls Always Happy

Jury Prize: Daughter of Mine

Firebird Award: Of Love & Law

Jury Prize: The Distant Barking of Dogs

Special Mention: Mama

Firebird Award: Wicked Girl

Jury Prize: The Burden

Girls Always Happy An Elephant Sitting Still
HKIFF43 Firebird Award (Chinese Language): A First Farewell

Firebird Award (World): You Have the Night

Firebird Award: Midnight Family

Jury Prize: Advocate

Firebird Award: All These Creatures

Jury Prize: The Call

The Golden-Laden Sheep and the Sacred Mountain -
HKIFF44 Firebird Award (Chinese Language): The Cloud in Her Room

Firebird Award (World): This Is Not a Burial, It's a Resurrection

Firebird Award: The Painter and the Thief

Jury Prize: Once You Know

Firebird Award: Genius Loci

Jury Prize: Heading South

This Is Not a Burial, It's a Resurrection -
HKIFF45 Firebird Award (Chinese Language): The Day is Over

Firebird Award (World): The Wasteland

Firebird Award: Mr Bachmann and His Class

Jury Prize: Sabaya

Firebird Award: Motorcyclist's Happiness Won't Fit Into His Suit

Jury Prize: Vadim on a Walk

Special Mention: Blessed Winter

The Story of Southern Islet -
HKIFF46 Firebird Award (Chinese Language): A New Old Play

Firebird Award (World): Mediterranean Fever

Firebird Award: All That Breathes

Jury Prize: Children of the Mist

Firebird Award: Bestia

Jury Prize: The Bones

Special Mention: Sideral

A New Old Play -
HKIFF47 Firebird Award (Chinese Language): Stonewalling

Firebird Award (World): Tótem

Firebird Award: Apolonia, Apolonia

Jury Prize: The Hamlet Syndrome

Firebird Award: Bear

Jury Prize: Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

Stonewalling -
HKIFF48 Firebird Award (Chinese Language): Snow in Midsummer

Firebird Award (World): Sons

Firebird Award: Favoriten

Jury Prize: Obedience

Firebird Award: The Meatseller

Jury Prize: Shrooms

A Journey in Spring

Controversy

[edit]

The Longest Summer

At the 48th Hong Kong International Film Festival, The Longest Summer, a film by director Fruit Chan, which touches on the topic of the handover of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China in July 1997, was originally scheduled to be screened on 2 February 2024. However, the screening was abruptly cancelled after the organizer said they were unable to locate suitable copies for screening. [11]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Hong Kong themes give hometown heroes an on-screen presence at HKIFF". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
  2. ^ "Mainland offers Hong Kong's film industry a brighter future". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
  3. ^ "Hong Kong Film Festival 2018 preview". Screen. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
  4. ^ Adler, Carlye (2003-12-03). "Gov't to let go of Hong Kong fest". Variety. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
  5. ^ "New subvention arrangement for Hong Kong International Film Festival Society announced". www.info.gov.hk. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
  6. ^ "Update on the Work of Create Hong Kong" (PDF). Legislative Council, Hong Kong SAR Government. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  7. ^ "Billboard Radio China - The 42nd Hong Kong International Film Festival Kicks Off". www.billboardradiochina.com. Archived from the original on 2018-06-19. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
  8. ^ "HKIFF closes with gifts and Greenaway". SCREENZ. 2015-04-06. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
  9. ^ "HKIFF41 honors filmmakers with awards of five competition sections and the Audience Choice Award". www.filmfestivals.com. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
  10. ^ "HKIFF43 Winners of Firebird Awards Announced at Gala". HKIFF. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  11. ^ "國際電影節突取消放映《去年煙花特別多》 陳果感可惜:咩都可以發生 (21:01) - 20240309 - 港聞". 明報新聞網 - 即時新聞 instant news (in Traditional Chinese). Retrieved 2024-10-28.

Notes

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  1. ^ HKIFF44 was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. When the cinemas finally reopened, HKIFF Society decided to bring the cancelled programme to local residents through a five week-long CineFest (September 30 - November 5).
  2. ^ a b Due to Covid-19-related travel restrictions, all the master classes were held online.
  3. ^ Following the government's announcement extending its social distancing measures to curb the escalating Covid-19 pandemic, HKIFF46 scheduled initially between 31 March and 11 April was postponed.
[edit]