The Changing Hong Kong Movie Scene: What is New, How and Why? – Quotesfrom the panel

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Variety and Steve Chan Chi-Fat  (Director, Weeds on Fire)

“To complete a movie as a new Director [in Hong Kong], it’s all about your network and support system.”

“I worked for Hong Kong’s TVB at one stage. They used the same system for almost 30 years and it never changed.”

“Hong Kong now has a new channel called Real TV and the system they use is quite different. They respect writers and they respect creativity.”

Felix Tsang

Sales and Acquisitions Manager, Golden Scene Company Limited

“The new generation of Hong Kong filmmakers came about because of the film boom in the Chinese market in the mid-2000s: all the established filmmakers went to make movies there. In that decade, there weren’t many amazing films coming out of Hong Kong. Suddenly, a wave of younger filmmakers in 2014/2015 began to emerge and we were seeing so many great films all from first time Directors.”

“A good film comes down to good creative writing [...] A script is so important. It’s so refreshing to see different stories being told and to see a crime thriller without much action. It’s uplifting seeing these new ideas and the confidence of new filmmakers who are coming up with these scripts.”

“Filmmakers are generally quite left wing (I assume) so the end product of our film 10 years was quite politically sensitive.”

Vicky Wong

Director, Trivisa

“One main reason for the talent boom in Hong Kong is due to the Fresh Wave Short Film Competition, showcasing the works of talented young filmmakers. Last year there were 28 new directors who got their films made. Half of them were involved in Fresh Wave at some stage during their careers.”

“My mentor Johnnie To, who I worked with on Trivisa, told me it’s my film and my vision and tried not to interfere too much with the project. He’s encouraged me to find my own way and follow my own vision. The most important thing to him is discovering and nurturing talent.”

“If you don’t have a big budget, you have to think and be creative.”

“Seven years ago, I won the Fresh Wave film competition. Johnnie To called me and offered me the Director role for Trivisa, and we started to think about how it could work. We created the whole story.”