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Programme
OPENING/CLOSING
VOICE OF THE DIASPORA
Advance Screening
Voice of the Diaspora
The FFHKP has selected one independent feature and one short film to explore the question of Hong Kong identity within the diaspora. The young filmmakers behind Fresh-Off Markham are Hong Kong migrants from three different generations, all of whom have lived in Markham. Cyrus LO immigrated to Canada at the age of four during the 1990s wave of migration; Trevor CHOI was born in Canada but spent his youth in Hong Kong; while Kurt YUEN arrived in Canada in 2020. Together, they embody three distinct perspectives on the crises and anxieties of Hong Kong society and its diasporic communities. Carrie SHEN, director of White White, has consistently explored the lives of the Hong Kong diaspora in her work. She has left the metropolis and is now based in the United Kingdom.
Carte-blanche
LAW Kar & Donna ONG
LAW Kar has been a renowned intellectual and film critic since the 1960s, and is undoubtedly one of the key pioneers behind the founding of several film festivals in Hong Kong, including the Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF), as well as the establishment of the Hong Kong Film Archive. This year, the FFHKP presents two short films directed by LAW Kar, alongside Donna ONG’s documentary that records his oral histories, reflecting on the evolution of British colonial governance and the development of Hong Kong’s cultural industry. The FFHKP also invites LAW Kar and Donna ONG to select three classic films from three different eras, offering a glimpse into the cinematic landscape of old Hong Kong.
Focus Sean LAU
This year’s “Actor in Focus” is Sean Ching-wan LAU — one of the most celebrated stars in Hong Kong cinema. He has won Best Actor four times at the Hong Kong Film Awards and once at the Golden Horse Awards, making him a central figure in the history of Hong Kong film. For this focus, the FFHKP presents not only Papa — the role that earned LAU his fourth Best Actor award — but also the 1999 classic The Victim, his first breakthrough in the psychological thriller genre, years before Mad Detective.
Special events
The Way We Talk: A discussion with the film crew and the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community
Q&A on November 15 with director Adam WONG, Deaf actor Marco NG, and interpreter Herman WONG. Supported by IVT and La Parole aux Sourds (serving the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community). The discussion will feature four-way interpretation: Cantonese, French, HKSL, and LSF.
Masterclass: Journey through Hong Kong cinema (1950s–80s) & Screening: CINEMA STRADA
The screening of Cinema Strada will be preceded by a Masterclass given by François BOUGON (Journalist) and Mathieu GUILLOUX (Film Critic). They will analyze the socio-political context that shaped Hong Kong film history from the 1950s to the 1980s, providing key insights into the testimony of critic LAW Kar.
