Review of Hong Kong Entertainment Expo 2012, China

The 8th edition of Entertainment Expo Hong Kong, features 9 events, covering film, television, digital entertainment and music. As Asia’s leading entertainment industry gathering, comprises a series of events, including the HKTDC Hong Kong International Film and TV Market (FILMART), Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA), Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF), ifva Festival, and the Digital Entertainment Summit.

Held by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, The following are part of the Entertainment Expo HK: Hong Kong International Film & TV Market (FILMART); Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF); Hong Kong Digital Entertainment Excellence Awards (HKDEEA); Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF); Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA); IFPI Hong Kong Top Sales Music Award; Digital Entertainment Leadership Forum (DELF); Hong Kong Independent Short Films and Video Awards (ifva).

Hong Kong International Film and TV Market (FILMART)
Hong Kong International Film & TV Market (FILMART) is Asia’s leading content marketplace for films, television programmes, and digital content for entertainment. Internationally renowned producers, distributors, investors and professionals use FILMART to launch promotions, network with key industry players and negotiate deals. Entertainment Expo features nine multimedia events, Along with film, the expo covers television, digital entertainment and music.

FILMART is Asia’s premier film industry event and one of the world’s top three film markets in terms of exhibitor numbers. The Entertainment Expo umbrella includes events covering film, TV, digital entertainment and music. Multiple Hong Kong film companies join FILMART to promote their latest entertainment productions to global buyers.

FILMART is now recognised as one of the world’s foremost film and TV marketplaces, promoting cross-media and cross-sector collaborations and facilitating film financing, distribution, production and post-production. Many overseas exhibitors have set up pavilions at FILMART to promote their local entertainment productions, taking part in FILMART to tap global opportunities.

FILMART has long been an important platform for the local entertainment industry to release new productions and announce new development strategies. The Chinese mainland’s entertainment industry is developing fast and garnering more international attention. The enormous size and potential of the Chinese mainland’s film market is captured at FILMART, with mainland exhibitors comprising the largest country of origin participation at the fair. A number of mainland provinces and cities have set up regional pavilions.

Promoting digital entertainment is a major feature of FILMART. In addition to the exhibition, other attractions of FILMART include networking activities, seminars, and screenings. Promoting digital entertainment is a major feature of FILMART. Sponsored by CreateHK, the Hong Kong Animation & Digital Entertainment pavilion has gathered more than 30 local digital entertainment companies to showcase their latest services, including 2D/3D animation, digital special effects, mobile apps, smartphone games and multimedia designs.

This year’s FILMART, 19-22 March, at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), welcome some 640 exhibitors from nearly 30 countries. For the first time, include pavilions for exhibitors from Turkey and Mexico. Several other countries and region also feature pavilions: Chinese Taiwan, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Other key pavilions include: UNIFRANCE and IIe de France, Film Export UK, KOFIC and KOCCA from Korea, and UNIJAPAN, Okinawa Film Office, Hokkaido Contents Distribution and JETRO from Japan. In addition, the United States’ Independent Film and TV Alliance present a variety of American companies in the US pavilion.

FILMART’s TV World, Animation & Digital Entertainment World, and Equipment & Post-Production Services allow buyers and industry professionals to tap into all aspects of the international entertainment market. TV World’s international forum this year will look into global trends for the TV format licensing business.

This year’s Animation and Digital Entertainment World boasts more than 200 exhibitors, up nearly 40 per cent over 2011, and features “Sixty Years of Hong Kong Animation,” an exhibition showcasing nearly 100 pieces of original artwork over the decades.

A series of FILMART thematic conferences also take place. Speakers for “New Media – New Prospects for Online Distribution of Entertainment Content” include: Gong Yu, CEO of Qiyi.com, Baidu’s video channel; Zhu Hui Long, Youku.com’s Vice President of Movie Operations and Corporate Development; and representatives from BBC, Walt Disney and YouTube.

“Screenwriting for the Global Market: the Growth of Asian Themes in Modern Box-Office Hits,”,focus on screenwriting and the growth of Asian themes, feature the screenwriters behind such major movies as Kung Fu Panda, Mulan and Toy Story II was take part.

TV World’s International Conference, “Asian TV Programming: Trends and Opportunities.” The last in the conference series, a digital entertainment summit featuring mobile and social gaming, is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade & Industry and UNIJAPAN is also presenting film seminars.

In addition, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade & Industry and UNIJAPAN organise film seminars; a number of Japanese movies also be screened during FILMART.

The fifth Digital Visual Effect Summit, organised by the Association of Motion Pictures Post-production Professionals, was held during FILMART. Speakers from all over Asia share their experience in digital post-production. The event feature the latest visual effects achievements in Hong Kong. Select digital 3D stereo screenings also take place.

The ACE Co-production Lab Hong Kong is back for the second time. Organised by ACE-European Producer Network (Ateliers du Cinéma Européen), with support from Media International (European Union), the Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum and the HKTDC, it features some 20 Asian and European producers participating in a four-day, project-based workshop.

Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF)
At HAF, Asia’s most important film-financing event, 19-21 March, Asian film projects are matched with top producers, financiers and distributors for co-productions. A record 32 projects, including six documentaries from 23 countries, have been selected for this, the forum’s 10th anniversary.

Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF)
At the HKIFF, 21 March to 5 April, the Filmmaker in Focus was Peter Ho-Sun Chan. Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory, nominated for the 2012 Academy Awards in the “Documentary Feature” category, joins movies nominated this year in the Academy’s “Foreign Language Film” category: Monsieur Lazhar, Footnote and In Darkness.

Hong Kong Film Awards
The Hong Kong Film Awards Presentation Ceremony takes place, 15 April, at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Organised by the Hong Kong Film Awards Association, it recognises achievement in directing, screenwriting, acting and cinematography in Hong Kong film. Filmmakers from across the region was honoured, 19 March, at the Asian Film Awards. Eminent filmmakers and movie stars hand out prizes at the gala event.

Hong Kong Independent Short Films and Video Awards (ifva)
Independent film was featured, 13-28 March, at ifva. The event, organised by the Hong Kong Arts Centre, take place at the Hong Kong Arts Centre and other city venues. This year, ifva features documentaries, including work by Werner Herzog. Taiwanese film editor Chen Po-wen host a DocuLab Master Class on film editing.

Hong Kong Asian Pop Music Festival (HKAMF)
The HKAMF takes place at the HKCEC on 23 March. Organised by the IFPI (Hong Kong Group) Ltd and supported by the HKTDC, the event feature performances of top recording artists from across Asia and a song contest for the Super Nova Awards.

The IFPI Hong Kong Top Sales Music Award, held 16 February, honoured the outstanding performances of local and international artists and producers in Hong Kong.

HKTDC
Established in 1966, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body dedicated to creating opportunities for Hong Kong’s businesses. With more than 40 offices globally, including 13 on the Chinese mainland, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a platform for doing business with China, Asia and the world. With 50 years of experience, the HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to provide companies, particularly SMEs, with business opportunities on the mainland and in international markets, while providing information via trade publications, research reports and digital channels including the media room.