About
missions and visions
Introduce high quality independent cinema from Asia especially Hong Kong to the UK
We celebrate artistically meritorious East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) cinema, especially independent films, with a particular focus on Hong Kong. These original, iconic and exemplary works that are otherwise rarely accessed are showcased at our annual nationalwide film festival and through our seasonal programmes, both of which serve as a platform to amplify voices unheard within the UK community, and in some cases also in their home countries where they are endangered by state authorities’ suppression.
Preserve and promote Hong Kong’s unique culture to the UK
A blend of both Eastern and Western influences, cinema has always been central to Hong Kong’s vibrant cultural scene. Hong Kong's intricate past, marked by colonization, political and social upheavals, and the transition from British to Chinese rule, have profoundly influenced the city's identity and cultural manifestations. At HKFF, whilst acknowledging the significance of illuminating Hong Kong culture, we aim to celebrate and share our cultural heritage with the global audience.
With our platform, we delve into the crossroads of Hong Kong's culture, history, and politics. We showcase pieces that narrate the stories and encounters of individuals who have navigated these pivotal periods. These creations illuminate the quest for democracy, the battle for social justice, and the unwavering strength of the Hong Kong community amidst adversity.
Feature films that are voices of the times, especially works from emerging directors
We showcase films that embody the essence of our times, that resonate with present and future generations alike, that inspire self-reflection and nurture future storytellers. Specifically, we actively curate films by filmmakers on the start of their professional journeys, creating a platform for these emerging filmmakers to share their unique perspectives and experiences, as well as foster a community that supports and encourages their artistic development.
Build a robust Hong Kong diasporic community and strengthen bondings among Hong Kong and ESEA migrant communities as well as those between migrants and locals in the UK
The introduction of the British National (Overseas) visa pathway for Hongkongers in 2019 saw increased visibility and prominence of Hong Kong immigrants within the UK community. Understanding the vulnerabilities and anxieties of this new community, we will create community-focused art experiences and platforms for stories to be shared and heard. By promoting HK and ESEA cultures to established UK communities, we hope to facilitate mutual understandings and connections between people of different cultural backgrounds. Through screenings and other extended programmes, we aim to invoke new diasporic sensibilities in Hong Kong and ESEA cinema by recalling cultural memories and inspiring audiences of their diasporic imagination and new identity formation.
HKFFUK 2023: Home Away From Home
Discoveries have been endless this past year, as Hong Kong Film Festival (UK) continues to explore a newfound fluidity alongside the Hong Kong community in the UK. Adrift are the stories of Hong Kong, a wavering sense of identity alongside an uncertain history. Memories fluid, imaginations of a drifting home.
Our film festival’s second edition is titled “Home Away From Home” (香港與香港的距離). Distance and disparity unveils a world of possibility; between Hong Kongers in the UK and those in Hong Kong, between the Hong Kong we once lived in, but can now only watch from afar. Between the Hong Kong in our dreams, and the Hong Kong laid bare to us now; between your Hong Kong and history’s Hong Kong, between a colonial Hong Kong and post-colonial Hong Kong. A pre-1997 versus a post-2019 Hong Kong, a Hong Kong under the world’s watchful eyes, and that under our own scrutinising gaze…
It is through this year’s programme that we aim to discover, define, and reimagine the two Hong Kongs.
27 feature films, documentaries and shorts, together with 11 online shorts; revolving around separation and migration, the 2019 anti-extradition protests, humanity amongst humans. With titles exploring Asia’s gaze, stories will also touch upon love, family, youth, memory, fantasy, and ultimately the meaning of film as art itself.
The festival is separated into 5 sections: First, “Redefining Hong Kong: Portraits Over Time” is a collection of character studies centred on Hong Kong, but not necessarily made in Hong Kong, proposing open interpretations to Hong Kong’s past, present, and future. Second, “UK Visages & Chronicles of the Diaspora” traces the paths of those who relocated from Hong Kong early on, poised side by side in a juxtaposition of their experiences across different continents and eras. “If, Humanity: Reflections in Asian Political Turmoil” is a curation of invaluable footage recorded by directors in Asia fighting for innate human rights. “A Mirror Image: HK X Taiwan Documentaries”, is a combination of the most defining films in the histories of Hong Kong and Taiwan. And finally, “The Classics”, showing the most exemplary of local and diasporic films from Hong Kong.
Joining us this year will be filmmakers from Hong Kong, the UK, Taiwan, Myanmar, Singapore… Beyond screenings, there will be candid conversations, discussions, interactive dance performances, workshops for the newly settled, and more - it is with cultural debates that a fluid identity can take form and take flight.
Snippets of the Hong Kong story weave itself into people’s lives and continue to write itself - nestled in daily life, embraced in curiosity and resistance. With disparity as the focus in a home away from home, coupled with the infinite retellings of stories from Hong Kong, every single person, with their own unique understanding, writes their own story of Hong Kong.
——Curators, Ching WONG & Ka Leung NG
About Hong Kong Film Festival UK CIC
The Hong Kong Film Festival UK CIC (HKFF UK) aims to shine an international spotlight on a new wave of cinema from Hong Kong and the Hong Kong diaspora in the UK, who blossomed especially in an era of drastic transformation. Through this new wave of Hong Kong cinema, the Festival strives to promote cultural interactions and spark exchanges between Hong Kong communities and the world. Building on our ever-changing social context and rich cultural heritage, it is time to reflect on the city’s enchanting, complex and challenging duality from a fresh perspective.
The festival is supported by the BFI, awarding funds from the National Lottery.
