Four movies, four conversations in four weeks – that concluded the tenth edition of Hong Kong Cinema, which went online this year, for the very first time. 

As Rod Armstrong, SFFILM Associate Director of Programming pointed out though COVID-19 created numerous hurdles for us all, it was exciting that this year’s Hong Kong Cinema reached a wider audience as the film series was not limited to one geographic region.

By moving the series online, this special edition was able to include filmmakers, cast members as well as a special guest from Hong Kong at the live-streamed conversation every week. Thanks to the participation of (in the order of their appearance) Crisel Consunji, lead actress of STILL HUMAN; Ray Yeung and Patra Au, director and actress of TWILIGHT’S KISS (aka SUK SUK), Nick Leung and Alex Lam, director and actor of LION ROCK, as well as Wong Chun, director of MAD WORLD, the conversations were engaging and covered a wide range of topics.  Lai Chi-wai, whose story inspired the movie LION ROCK was a great addition to the conversation.  Lai offered a very interesting perspective in the discussion.

Presented by SFFILM in association with the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, San Francisco, this annual film series provides an important showcase for the films, filmmakers and actors of Hong Kong. This year’s program, which ran from July 12 to August 5, offered unique opportunities to virtually engage with Hong Kong talent in front of and behind the camera.