Film Archive and Film and Media Art Programmes

Hong Kong Film Archive

Equipped with facilities that include a cinema, an exhibition hall, a resource centre and four temperature-controlled collection stores, the Hong Kong Film Archive continues to acquire, preserve, catalogue and document Hong Kong films and related materials. Regular thematic retrospectives, exhibitions, symposiums and film seminars are also organised here.

In 2012-13, we organised three major thematic exhibitions, each with film programmes associated with them. They were Benevolence & Loftiness: The Cinematic Legend of Wong Fei-hung; A Touch of Magic: Veteran Set Designers Chan Ki-yui & Chan King-sam; and Zen and Sensibility: Legend in King Hu’s Drawing. The Film Archive attracted almost 195 000 visitors during the year.

The Film Archive holds 12 635 films and 1 093 428 related items, mainly acquired through donations and deposits. Major acquisitions include 1 250 film-related materials items donated by Hong Kong Film Services including posters, stills, cassette tapes and scripts, 35 pre-print film materials titles dating from 1992 to 2002 donated by Orange Sky Golden Harvest Entertainment Company Limited, 42 film materials titles dating from 1976 to 2010 donated by Seasonal Film Corporation, and around 59 film print titles dating from 1933 to 1973 acquired from Mr. Jack Lee Fong of San Francisco, in the USA.

Major conservation projects in the year involved the restoration of Nobody’s Child (1960) which began with the loan of a 16mm composite print from the Taipei Film Archive. Two publications were issued during the year, Hong Kong Memories in Cinema and Golden Harvest: Leading Change in Changing Times, while the DVD Restored Treasures: Fei Mu’s Confucius was also produced.

Film and Media Art Programmes

The Film Programmes Office works to promote a film appreciation culture in Hong Kong. In 2012-13, the office organised a variety of popular film and media art programmes and seminars that gave local audiences many opportunities to appreciate international cinema.

Highlights of the year included the International Children’s Film Carnival 2012, Chinese Film Panorama 2012, the 41st French Cinepanorama, Critics’ Choice 2012, and Repertory Cinema 2012, featuring world classics by Fritz Lang and F.W. Murnau.

Other thematic programmes included Once Upon A Hero: The Wong Fei-hung Saga, The Strange Case of Hong Kong Amoy Cinema, Father and Son: Two Visionaries of Cinematic Dreams – A Tribute to Set Designers Chan Ki-yui and Chan King-sum, Haunted Screen: Hong Kong Ghost Films, Zen and Sense in King Hu’s Films, and a Yam Kim-fai Centenary Celebration. Regular programmes included 100 Must-see Hong Kong Movies, Restored Treasures, and Morning Matinee.

In support of major local film events, the LCSD sponsors the venue for the annual Hong Kong Film Awards Presentation Ceremony. It also provides funding support to the Hong Kong Arts Centre to organise the annual Incubator for Film and Visual Media in Asia (formerly the Hong Kong Independent Short Film and Video Awards), and to the Microwave Company Limited to organise the Microwave International New Media Arts Festival. These events encourage creative, independent productions of short films and videos and, more generally, promote the media arts.