JAN | YOUNG FILM PROFESSIONALS
AFAA’s Young Film Professional Overseas Training Program began in 2016 and it started an expansion of the program to send local professionals in the fields of visual effects (VFX) and sound effects to Germany to train in distinguished European film postproduction studio, enabling them to consolidate their expertise and foster cross-regional exchanges. This year, AFAA has secured the cooperation with four eminent German film studios including Rotor Film, which boast the largest grading and mixing stage in Europe. Its productions including Palme d’Or winner The Square. Two selected candidates flied to Potsdam in Germany to start a four-month internship and training.
FEB | YOUNG FILM PROFESSIONALS
AFAA explored cooperation with widely acclaimed Trixter. Its VFX projects included Hollywood superhero installments Spider-Man, Marvels’ s The Avengers, Captain America and Ant-man. Trixter offered one internship opportunity to local young professional to start a four-month training in field of VFX. The Post Republic, one of the AFAA’s studio partner will join the program again this year. It has been involved in more than 150 productions including Land of Mine, Oscar winning The Imitation Game, Palme d’Or winning Winter Sleep. Two selected candidates have engaged a four-month training in Berlin.
MAR | ASIAN FILM AWARDS
The 12th Asian Film Awards took part at The Venetian Macao. AFA12 celebrated the excellence of Martial Arts in Asian cinema by setting up a special award, The Best Action Film. To recognize outstanding Asian filmmakers and provide a platform for new faces and up-and-coming artists, AFA established the Best New Director award presented by Hong Kong auteur Andrew LAU and Mabel CHEUNG at the ceremony. DONG Yue won the Best New Director with his debut film, The Looming Strom. Member of Girls Generation and actress, Yoona LIM was appointed as the ambassador of the AFA12. Sylvia CHANG, veteran director and actress, received Lifetime Achievement Award and the Best Actress Award.
JUN | YOUNG FILM PROFESSIONALS
AFAA collaborated with the Italian highly specialized film restoration laboratory L’Immagine Ritrovata, selected two young professionals interested in developing the field of film restoration to start a three-month internship and training at L’Immagine Ritrovata with equipping the complete restoration workflow through the use of photochemical and digital technologies.
SEP | FILM CRAFT WORKSHOPS
AFAA invited German cinematographer Hans FROMM and held its first Film Craft Workshops. Co-organized by Goethe Institut Hong Kong and supported by Hong Kong Baptist University, two film craft workshops included one for the public and one for student-exclusive. The workshop focused and discussed the unique feature of the “Berlin School” and its aesthetics with Hong Kong audiences.
SEP | MASTERCLASS
AFAA collaborated with the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to hold a Masterclass at BAFTA’s London headquarters, lectured by Hong Kong famous action director Tony CHING. The Masterclass focused on Tony CHING’s career as an action director and introduced Hong Kong action directors to British audiences.
SEP | YOUNG FILM PROFESSIONALS
AFAA collaborated with L’Immagine Ritrovata, selected four young professionals interested in developing film restoration to start a one-month internship and training at L’Immagine Ritrovata to experience complete restoration workflow through the use of photochemical and digital technologies.
OCT | JOURNEY TO THE FEST
In collaboration with Tokyo International Film Festival for the first time, AFAA organized Students Visit: Journey to the Fest. Selected twelve undergraduate film studies students participate in the 31th Tokyo International Film Festival and its opening ceremony, film screenings, seminars, film market (TIFF COM), workshops, etc., to comprehend Japan and Asian film industry.
OCT | MASTERCLASS
AFAA also co-organized a Masterclass with the Tokyo International Film Festival, inviting veteran Hong Kong director and producer Fruit CHAN to attend the world premiere of his work Three Husbands. The “Face-to-Face with Fruit CHAN” masterclass was hosted to share his experience with the audience.
OCT | ASIAN CINERAMA
For the first time, the Academy cooperated with the Barcelona Asian Film Festival to organize the Asian Cinerama. Seven films shortlisted at the 12th Asian Film Awards were screened in three local theatres during the festival. AFAA invited the new Hong Kong director CHAN Tai-Lee to fly to Barcelona to attend the European premiere of his first directed work, Tomorrow Is Another Day, and share his experience with the audience after the screening.
NOV | ASIAN CINERAMA
AFAA cooperated with the Hong Kong Asian Film Festival to organize an Asian Cinerama during the festival. Six outstanding Asian films were selected, hoping to promote remarkable Asian film works jointly. The event invited director HO Wi Ding, actor HSIEH Chang-ying and Stone of Cities of Last Things; IWAI Shunji, director of Last Letter; and HAMAGUCHI Ryusuke, director of Asako I & II to attend the pre-screening and post-screening sharing sessions.
NOV | FILM CRAFT WORKSHOPS
AFAA also co-organized the Film Craft Workshops with the Hong Kong Asian Film Festival and the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. The famous Korean-Japanese director and screenwriter LEE Sang-il was invited as a guest. Director LEE had conversations with Hong Kong director Fruit CHAN in public sessions and shared his experience in choreography with students of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in student sessions.
NOV | ASIAN CINERAMA
AFAA once again cooperated with the Warsaw Five Flavours Asian Film Festival to organize the Asian Cinerama. It screened six films shortlisted for the Asian Film Awards at the film festival. The Academy invited CHAN Tai-Lee, director of Tomorrow Is Another Day, to fly to Warsaw to attend the post-screening sharing. Hong Kong senior film curator Kiki FUNG hosts a film seminar to discuss the co-production of China-Hong Kong films with local audiences and their impact on Asian cinema.
DEC | YOUNG FILM PROFESSIONALS
Cooperated with the prestigious German post-production company The Post Republic, AFAA provided three internship opportunities in the VFX, DI/Color Grading and Sound departments. Three young local film professionals were selected to start a three-month internship in a local company.
