Hong Kong comes to Auckland in August

23 July 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hong Kong comes to Auckland in August

The sights, sounds and tastes of modern Hong Kong are coming to Auckland in August with the second Hong Kong Festival.

The Festival will begin with a Hong Kong Photo Exhibition which starts on 2 August, then the infamous Hong Kong Film Festival on 12 August both at the Rialto Newmarket, and the Celebrate Hong Kong Banquet Dinner at The Langham Auckland on 19 August.

The Film Festival includes eight new movies from Hong Kong, including one that will premiere in Auckland on the same day as in Hong Kong. Festival Director Raymond Suen said distributors in Hong Kong are keen to be involved with the Hong Kong Festival in Auckland as they are aware of the recent interaction between Hong Kong and Oscar award winning creative director Richard Taylor of Weta Workshops through Hong Kong’s Cyberport.

“Our premiere movie, City Under Siege, is a sci-fi blockbuster that is being said as the most ambitious title from the acclaimed Hong Kong Director, Benny Chan.

“With the boom of the Hong Kong creative industry in recent time, this film will showcase the latest efforts from this sector with world class special effects and filming methodologies, making this movie a must watch title in the 2010 Hong Kong Film Festival.”

Alongside the Film Festival, a selection of Hong Kong photography, presenting images from the everyday Hong Kong lifestyle to the renowned Hong Kong skyline, will be on display at the Rialto Shopping Centre.

Exhibition Curator, Bevan Chuang said the display at the Rialto Shopping Centre will allow the fashionable residents of Newmarket to have a better understanding of the Hong Kong community reside in Auckland, and be able to admire the beauty of a city that blends traditional and contemporary together

“For three weeks from 2 August, the Auckland community will be able to see for themselves why Hong Kong is known as the Pearl of the Orient.

“Through the pictures they will be able to get an insight of the city through the people, food, landscape and culture capture on camera.”

The Festival will conclude with a banquet dinner celebrating the relationship of New Zealand and Hong Kong culture and businesses.  Felix Lee, the President of the Hong Kong New Zealand Business Association, said that the banquet will be a warming mid-winter celebration

“Through this dinner we will bring together the Hong Kong community in Auckland with the local community who are generally fascinated by the cultural background of Hong Kong.

“The New Zealand business community can also take this opportunity to express their interest in doing business in Hong Kong and dealing with business in Hong Kong.”

Featuring some of Auckland’s hip young Chinese performers and traditional martial arts demonstration, the banquet is deemed to bring you to Hong Kong for the night.

The festival is hosted by the Hong Kong New Zealand Business Association with sponsorship from the HK Trade Development Council, HK Economic and Trade Office, Auckland City Council, The Langham Auckland, Cathay Pacific, HSBC, Xia and Yealands Estate.

For movie reviews, screening times and ticket booking please visit www.hkfilmfestival.co.nz

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