Operation Greenlight today unveils seven projects by emerging Hong Kong filmmakers, all target to realising their artistic visions.
The initiative, organised by the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society for Create Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Film Development Council, features a bespoke open pitching session to connect young filmmakers with industry professionals and potential investors. Now in its 6th edition, Operation Greenlight will take place online on 27 August as part of this year's Hong Kong – Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) programme in conjunction with FILMART Online, the virtual edition of the 24th Hong Kong International Film & TV Market.
According to Mr Gary MAK, Secretary-General of the Film Development Council (FDC), the global COVID-19 pandemic had presented the organisers of this year's Operation Greenlight, initially scheduled for March, with an unexpected challenge.
“However, we remain fully committed to showcasing local filmmakers' story-telling which helps to illuminate us from a uniquely Hong Kong perspective,” Mr MAK said. “It is more important than ever for us to continue to support creativity and nurture their careers during this difficult time.”
The seven shortlisted projects all took part in the most recent edition of the First Feature Film Initiative (FFFI) organised by Create Hong Kong and FDC. Leading up to Operation Greenlight, the young filmmakers have received advice from industry veterans on how to fine-tune and improve their presentations.
The online pitching session will target film industry professionals taking part in virtual HAF and FILMART events this year, including sales agents, distributors, producers, financiers, and film festival programmers. Participants may also arrange private meetings with the filmmakers through the Operation Greenlight team.
This year's shortlisted Operation Greenlight projects:
The Sunny Side of the Street: Hong Kong-based Malaysian writer-director LAU Kok-rui's first feature project looks at the tragic lives of fathers and sons crisscrossed under dire conditions. A Hong Kong taxi driver takes a young refugee under his wing after he accidentally runs over the boy's father, killing him. The driver's son, a police officer, helps his father by tampering with witness reports. However, the officer further complicates matters by implicating the young refugee in another death he causes accidentally. Peter YAM Yin-cheung is producing the HK$7.8 million (approx. US$1 million) project.
Parental Guide: Co-directors Charis CHU Yeuk-hei and Ben LIU Ho-chi spin a modern allegory about newlyweds preparing to take a government-mandated exam to obtain a “parenting licence”. Couples who fail the test are fined and prohibited from sending their children to prestigious schools. CHU and LIU ask: “Would this hypothetical… exam motivate people to become better parents?” The HK$8 million (approx. US$1.025 million) project is produced by celebrated director Alex LAW, whose Echoes of the Rainbow (2010) won a Crystal Bear for Best Film in the Generation Kplus at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival.
Knockout: A drama about struggles and sacrifices from director Kurt CHIANG Chung-yu which looks at the lives of two Hong Kong boxers. One, a middle-aged man, flees to Taiwan after an accident in the ring. The other – who was caught because he had taken the law into his own hands – emerges from 20 years of imprisonment to find a society steeped in violence and injustice. CHIANG says their lives “remind us of what Hong Kong has been through and make us reflect: Is destruction necessary for creation? Is violence necessary for peace?” Titus HO and LEE Cheuk-pan produce the HK$10 million (approx. US$1.3 million) project.
Disconnected: The debut directorial feature from Isabella LAM, which, in her words, “tells the story of a single parent repairing the connection with his daughter and restoring peace in the family”. Hong Kong filmmaker CHEANG Pou-soi, director of the blockbuster Monkey King trilogy (2014, 2016 and 2018), who has shifted his attention to working with aspiring directors in recent years, serves as producer of this HK$6 million (approx. US$770,000) project.
Do You Remember Me?: Legendary Hong Kong singer-actor Leslie Cheung, who died in 2003, serves as the inspiration for director Tony WONG Man-kit's drama of three love stories intertwined by a tragic traffic accident. The iconic star, who remains hugely popular 17 years after his death, embodies Hong Kong's Golden Era, WONG says. “Even though he has left this world, his works and legacy will live on forever.” Kingman CHO, whose credits include Port of Call (2015), the closing film of the 39th Hong Kong International Film festival, is the producer of the HK$13.8 million (approx. US$1.8 million) project.
No One World: “Who is the real me?” wonders Yellow WONG Chi-yeung in his debut feature. He explores the answer to that question in a comedy about three slackers who pool their funds to buy lottery tickets. They hit the jackpot but lose the winning ticket, leading to a circle of suspicion. “We tend to reveal different layers of ourselves as we interact with different people to give and get respect,” WONG says. When that happens, lying will serve as a mean to survive as “it is difficult for us to feel whole again.” Renowned director/cinematographer O Sing-pui will produce the HK$6 million (approx. US$770,000) project.
Live on Without Me: The directorial debut of WAN Kar-wuen tells how a single Hong Kong mother keeps her secret romance with an indie musician from Taiwan away from the watchful eye of her young daughter. WAN describes her HK$6 million (approx. US$770,000) project as a story about love and life. “It is also my own story to a certain extent,” she adds. “Many of us have loved and been loved deeply and thoroughly. Time passes, but hearts never forget.” Multiple award-winning Taiwanese actress-director-screenwriter Sylvia CHANG produces.
Operation Greenlight – Hong Kong Young Filmmakers Pitch Session
Date: 27 August 2020 (Thursday)
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon (Hong Kong Time)
Venue: www.hktdc.com/hkfilmart
Admissions Information:
Accredited FILMART and HAF guests are welcome to attend this virtual event. However, we regret that there will be no admission for visitors aged under 18.
For more information about Operation Greenlight, please visit:
https://www.haf.org.hk/operationgreenlight.php
Guest Accreditation for HAF
Online guest registration through www.haf.org.hk/guest.php is now open. Once accredited, guests will be able to schedule online meetings with HAF and WIP filmmakers.
For more information about HAF and WIP, please visit the official website at www.haf.org.hk and the HAF Facebook page at www.facebook.com/hafhkiffs.
