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SCED observes film shooting by up-and-coming director (with photos)

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The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Gregory So, today (August 16) observed the shooting of the film Mr Chan (second right) and members of the film's cast speak with Mr So (second left) about their experience. On first right is Hong Kong Film Development Council member and Director of Department of Cinema and Television of Hong Kong Baptist University, Professor Cheuk Pak-tong. On the first left is Mr Liu Kai-chi.Mr So (second right) speaks with Mr Chan (third right) and the young actors on the experience gained.
Mr So has some exchanges with a youngster who plays baseball in the film.Mr So (second right) listens to the production crew's introduction of the filming equipment.

The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Gregory So, today (August 16) observed the shooting of the film "Weeds on Fire", and encouraged the director and the production team to leverage on the production experience to embark on careers in the film industry.

"Weeds on Fire", an inspirational tale of the growth of a baseball team, is one of the films being supported by Create Hong Kong's First Feature Film Initiative (FFFI) in the Higher Education Institutions Group.

Mr So learned from the director, Mr Chan Chi-fat, about how the film project has benefited from the FFFI, and was told of the challenges encountered during the filming process. Members of the film's cast who are performing as baseball players spoke with Mr So about their acting experience.

"The FFFI seeks to identify young prospective filmmakers who show a flair for innovation and demonstrate capability in film production. It helps to groom talent and promotes the long-term development of the local film industry," Mr So said.

"I am glad that the FFFI is helping to fulfil the wishes of a new generation in joining the film industry. I also hope that the films supported by the FFFI will achieve great success," he said.

The FFFI is one of the Government's measures in support of the film industry. It aims to identify and nurture talent through a competition on screenplays and production proposals. The Film Development Fund is providing funding to cover the full production costs of the winning teams' films, subject to a cap of $2 million per film for the winning teams in the Higher Education Institutions Group and $5 million for the winning team in the Professionals Group.

The other two films receiving funding support under the FFFI are "Opus 1" in the Professionals Group, and "Mad World" in the Higher Education Institutions Group.

Saturday, August 16, 2014