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 has continued 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 2015-16, three major thematic exhibitions were organised: The Labyrinth of Film Scripting, Saving Film: Road to Film Conservation, and Behind the Glamourous Scene – 80th Anniversary of Cathay. The Film Archive attracted over 173 600 visitors during the year.
To date, the Film Archive has acquired 13 466 film titles and 1 198 422 film-related materials, mainly through donations. Major acquisitions in 2015-16 included 16mm, 17.5mm and 35mm pre-mix and pre-print materials such as picture negatives, sound tracks, subtitles and footage from 245 titles donated by a local film laboratory. Other donations included pre-print materials, film prints, trailers and teasers from 16 titles dating from 2001 to 2012 by Applause Pictures Limited and We Pictures Limited, and film prints and trailers from 16 titles dating from 2002 to 2010 by Edko Films Limited. Film scripts and censor documents relating to 147 Hong Kong films from the 1950s were also duplicated from the New York State Archives.
In 2015-16, the first volume of Movie Talk series was published, titled The Dream of a Lost Traveller: The Films & Photography of Peter Yung. The year also saw the release of the DVD of a digitally restored 1960's classic, Colourful Youth, the second in the Restored Treasures series.
Film and Media Arts Programmes
The Film Programmes Office works to promote the culture and appreciation of film and the media arts in Hong Kong. In 2015-16, the office organised screening programmes, talks, seminars and workshops that gave local audiences many opportunities to appreciate and participate in film and media arts activities.
Highlights of the year included the International Children's Film Carnival 2015, the Chinese Film Panorama 2015, the 44th French Cinepanorama, Critics' Choice 2015 – On the Road, and Repertory Cinema 2015 –Moral Anxiety‧Polish Cinema.
To foster community interest in film, an event titled Old Movies, Old Hong Kong – Care for Our Community 2015 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 Early Cinematic Treasures Rediscovered, The Art of Film Scripting, Hsia Moon – Princess of an Era, Memories and Reflections of the Resistance against Japanese Aggression, Iconic Heroines in Cantonese Opera Films, Angels Over the Rainbow – Cathay 80th Anniversary Celebration, and Great Leap with the Monkeys.
In support of major local film events, the LCSD provided venue support to the annual Hong Kong Film Awards Presentation Ceremony, funding support to the Hong Kong Arts Centre for organising the annual ifva (Incubator for Film and Visual Media in Asia) event, and funding support 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.
