HK filmmakers eye Cannes Micro-Film Festival

Christine Kuo Wan-wai (right), a Hong Kong actress and winner of the Miss Chinese International Pageant 2009, was designated on Monday as the ambassador of the Cannes Micro-Film Festival by Tong Aiming (left), president of the French-Chinese Cultural and Artistic Exchange Center. [Photo provided to China Daily]

HONG KONG - Hong Kong filmmakers will compete with their international counterparts for top honors at the Cannes Micro-Film Festival in May.

Sponsored by the French-Chinese Cultural and Artistic Exchange Center (Centre d'changes Culturels et Artistiques Franco-Chinois), the Micro-Film Festival will premiere during the Cannes Film Festival this year.

Inspired by the Belt and Road Initiative, the center introduced Cannes, and its tourism and short film culture to China, after it held the annual Cannes Chinese Arts Festival since 2014. This mutual exchange encouraged China to leverage its cultural influence in France and beyond, according to the center.

Micro-films have gained great popularity worldwide due to the internet and mobile devices. These provide an effective channel for producers to promote their work, said Tong Hong-chi, member of the Hong Kong Film Development Council and managing director of the Mei Ah Entertainment Group.

With the help of French filmmaker and actor Gerard Depardieu, the Cannes Micro-Film Festival will encourage collaboration on filmmaking and exchanges on techniques between short film institutions from different countries, the center said.

Apart from French and Chinese candidates, including those from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, the festival has attracted film makers from Canada, Russia, Spain, Germany and the United States.

Hong Kong has made a lasting impact on international film making. In recent years, some locally produced films have successfully appeared on international screens.

The city has a wealth of arts talents and young film makers who have flows of creative ideas, said Robert Cardinal, director of the Impact Media Group. It has offices in Beijing, Hong Kong and Los Angeles.

He said Hong Kong had great influence on the development of film industry in China.The SAR serves as a useful platform for the East and West. "Hong Kong is a gateway to many things", he concluded.

Shanghai Theatre Academy, the nurturing place for young Chinese practitioners in film and television, will participate in organizing the micro-film festival, noted Tong Aiming, center president.

Designed by the internationally renowned fashion designer Galo, the logo features two dragons at the top as a symbol of happiness in Chinese culture.

The dragons are watching each other. This represents the interaction between Chinese and Western cultures and fierce competition for film awards. It is complete with a standing phoenix with its wings fully open, sending a message of good fortune.

The French-Chinese Cultural and Artistic Exchange Centre was founded in 1999. Its headquartersis in Paris, France. It aims to encourage communication on culture, arts, technology and other things.