A still from action comedy Two Thumbs Up directed by Hong Kong filmmaker Lau Ho-leung. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
HONG KONG – The government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will implement two new measures under the Film Development Fund to support the city’s film industry, according to the city’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau.
The HK-Asian Film Collaboration Funding Scheme supports co-operation between local and Asian production teams for the co-production of films, while the Content Development Scheme for Streaming Platforms aims to foster the development of new content on streaming platforms by cross‑sectoral production teams, the bureau said in a press release on Friday.
READ MORE: HK films find new role in bigger market
Under the National 14th Five-Year Plan, Hong Kong is tasked with the role as an East-meets-West center for international cultural exchange, and one of the government’s major duties is to promote Hong Kong’s pop culture to a world audience, said Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung.
The two new measures we first unveiled today will enhance the influence of Hong Kong films in Asian markets and explore new distribution channels.
Kevin Yeung, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, HKSAR
“We strive to expand the industry’s development capacity with three foci on film, TV and streaming platforms, support collaboration between local and Asian production teams for co-production of films as well as development of new content on streaming platforms by cross-sectoral production teams.”
The initiatives that aim to inject new power into Hong Kong cinema, the government said.
The HK-Asian Film Collaboration Funding Scheme will subsidize film projects co-produced by filmmakers from Hong Kong and Asian countries to make films that are rich in Hong Kong and Asian culture and take Hong Kong films to a global audience, it explained.
For the producer, director and screenwriter posts, there must be at least one Hong Kong and one Asian country film practitioner, the bureau stressed.
Each eligible film project will receive a grant up to HK$9 million, it added.
Meanwhile, the Content Development Scheme for Streaming Platforms will be conducted through a competition to recruit teams to develop the content of miniseries to be broadcast on streaming platforms, with a view to nurturing cross-sectoral production teams and expanding new distribution markets for Hong Kong’s film industry.
Shortlisted teams must provide a detailed proposal and full script of the first six to 12 episodes. They will be awarded HK$600,000 to HK$1.2 million for script development.
ALSO READ: Story of HK films' integration into national development
Moreover, each winning team will be awarded HK$4.5 million from the Film Development Fund to complete the production of the first episode or first two episodes of the series.
“The two new measures we first unveiled today will enhance the influence of Hong Kong films in Asian markets and explore new distribution channels. They will bring the Hong Kong film industry to new heights,” said Yeung.