The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Film Development Council:
The local premiere of a new film financed by the Film Production Financing Scheme (Relaxation Plan) under the Film Development Fund (FDF), "Chilli Laugh Story", will be held this afternoon (July 10).
Produced by and starring Sandra Ng, "Chilli Laugh Story" is the first feature film directed by Coba Cheng and has a screenplay co-written by Matt Chow and Cheng. The film also stars Ronald Cheng, Gigi Leung and Edan Lui. It is a light comedy about how the Cheng family resolve their family conflicts and produce their homemade chilli sauce during the COVID-19 epidemic.
The Chairman of the Hong Kong Film Development Council, Dr Wilfred Wong, said, "Although the release date of the film was postponed owing to the epidemic, it is believed that the film, given its inspirational theme and the participation of many popular comedians, will be able to attract audiences and bring them lots of enjoyment."
He added, "The Government will continue to support initiatives for boosting the development of the local film industry through the FDF in order to help the industry to thrive."
The Government has since 2005 injected a total of $1.54 billion into the FDF to support a number of film production projects and other film-related projects. Since 2007, the FDF has financed 57 film projects, involving total funding of about $216.57 million. The production budget for "Chilli Laugh Story" was around $11.34 million, with government finance amounting to about $4.53 million.