Film Archive and Film and Media Arts 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. It also regularly organises retrospective screenings, thematic exhibitions, symposiums and seminars on films.

In 2014-15, three major thematic exhibitions were organised: Transcending Space and Time – Early Cinematic Experience of Hong Kong, Remembrance of the Avant-garde: Archival Camera Collection Exhibition, and The Foundation of Run Run Shaw’s Cinema Empire. The Film Archive attracted around 176 800 visitors during the year.

To date, the Film Archive has acquired 12 953 film titles and 1 166 132 film-related materials, mainly through donations. Major acquisitions in 2014-15 included 35mm pre-mix and pre-print materials such as picture negatives, sound tracks, subtitles and footage from 13 titles donated by Edko Films Limited. Pre-print materials, film prints, trailers, teasers and footage from five titles dating from 1988 to 1993 were donated by Hui’s Film Production Company Limited. Pre-print materials from 18 titles dating from 1984 to 1996 were donated by Tomson Films Company Limited. Film prints from 26 titles dating from 1974 to 2013 were donated by Shaw Moviecity Hong Kong Limited.

In 2014-15, ongoing efforts were made to preserve a batch of precious Hong Kong films of the 1930s and 1940s acquired from San Francisco (US) in late 2012. The Early Cinematic Treasures Rediscovered series, launched in March 2015, featured eight titles from this collection. The highlight of the programme was an outdoor screening in the Piazza of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre of two of the titles, including the digitally restored 1941 film Follow Your Dream. During the year, the latest volume in the Hong Kong Filmography series was released, covering over 800 films produced from 1975 to 1979.

Film and Media Arts Programmes

The Film Programmes Office works to promote the culture and appreciation of film and media arts in Hong Kong. In 2014-15, the office organised a variety of screening programmes, talks, seminars and workshops that gave local audiences many opportunities to appreciate and participate in film and media arts.

Highlights of the year included the International Children’s Film Carnival 2014, the Chinese Film Panorama 2014, the 43rd French Cinepanorama, Critics’ Choice 2014 –The Painting of Film, and Repertory Cinema 2014 – New Japanese Cinema in 1980s.

To foster community interest in film, an event titled Old Movies, Old Hong Kong – Care for Our Community 2014 was organised that enabled students to meet and share ideas with the elderly following a series of screenings at schools and elderly centres.

Titles of other thematic programmes curated by the Hong Kong Film Archive included the Ways of the Underworld - Hong Kong Gangster Film as a Genre, The Writer / Director in Focus, Run Run Shaw’s Factory of Dreams, Movie Talk, People Below the Lion Rock, and From Real to Abstract – Cine Attempts on Stage Operas.

In support of major local film events, LCSD provided venue support to the annual Hong Kong Film Awards Presentation Ceremony, and funding support to the Hong Kong Arts Centre for organising the annual ifva (Incubator for Film and Visual Media in Asia), and to the Microwave Company Limited for the Microwave International New Media Arts Festival. These events encourage creative, independent productions of short films, videos, animation and media arts, and bring cutting-edge technology from around the world in the form of media arts to Hong Kong.