Incentives push to attract overseas filmmakers

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The government has promised to study a proposal by lawmakers to subsidize overseas movie production crews to film in Hong Kong to attract more tourists.
At the Legislative Council meeting yesterday, lawmaker for the sports, performing arts, culture and publication sector Kenneth Fok Kai-kong called on the government to learn from other places to enact policies that will attract international film production teams.
"Movies and tourism go hand in hand. For example, most people will naturally think of New Zealand when mentioning The Lord of the Rings," Fok said.
He also said the 2008 movie The Dark Knight was partly filmed in Hong Kong.
In a two-minute scene, Batman leaped from the roof of the iconic International Finance Center in Central and glided around the building, which Fok said "had shown the beautiful views of Hong Kong to the world."
Fok said filmmakers can be attracted to the SAR with funding and other favorable policies. "This will not only promote Hong Kong's attractions but also create job opportunities for local film workers."
Under Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Raistlin Lau Chun said yesterday that the government will consider ways to attract more overseas movies to be shot in Hong Kong, including providing one-stop coordination and different favorable policies
Lau also said the government has been promoting the development of the local film industry through the Film Development Fund, which was set up in 1999. "Under the fund, over 100 emerging directors and producers have engaged in 100 financed films, which have won more than 160 local and international awards," he said.
Many government-funded films, such as the recent award-winning film A Guilty Conscience, have performed well at the box office and created over 3,500 job opportunities.
Lawmaker Vincent Cheng Wing-shun proposed to use the fund to set up a movie-themed tourist attraction in Hong Kong in the wake of local action film Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In making a splash at the Cannes Film Festival.
The film, based on the demolished Kowloon Walled City, earned over HK$100 million in box office in Hong Kong and Macau after its release on May 1. The government has been petitioned to rebuild film scenes into photo spots.
Cheng said the film's success was built on a HK$300 million budget while most films subsidized under the fund are low-budget productions and suggested the government raise funds for both kinds of film.
Lau said authorities are in discussion with film companies to "explore the possibility of displaying film-related materials such as stills, video footage and props to attract more visitors."
Meanwhile, the annual Fresh Wave International Short Film Festival, which will be held from tomorrow to July 6, will not receive funds from the Hong Kong Arts Development Council for the first time since its establishment in 2005.
The festival organizer said the cancelation of funding is "not unusual."

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