Hong Kong Film Gala Brings New Hong Kong Cinema to Kuala Lumpur
Keane WONG, Angela YUEN, Kathy WONG, Kevin CHU, Renci YEUNG, Elaine JIN and Joey WU joined Malaysian audiences for film screenings, post-screening Q&As, university talks and a special exhibition celebrating Hong Kong cinema.
Organised by the Asian Film Awards Academy, with the support of the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA), the Film Development Fund (FDF) and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Kuala Lumpur, and in collaboration with Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC) and distributor GSC Movies (GSCM), the Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation – Kuala Lumpur officially opened on 21 August at AURUM Theatre, The Exchange TRX, kicking off ten days of Hong Kong cinema.
The opening night brought together a line-up of Hong Kong filmmakers and actors in Kuala Lumpur, including Afterpiece director Keane WONG, actress Angela YUEN and executive producer Kathy WONG; Wakesurf Lovers actors Kevin CHU and Renci YEUNG; Unidentified Murder actress Renci YEUNG; and Bird of Paradise actress Elaine JIN and director Joey WU. The guests met with Malaysian audiences and shared their experiences both on and behind the screen.
Commissioner for Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency, Drew LAI, noted that the Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation has continued to grow over the past five years and has become one of CCIDA’s key film initiatives in Malaysia and the wider ASEAN region. He also highlighted the growing enthusiasm and longstanding support Malaysian audiences have shown for Hong Kong cinema.
Owin FUNG, director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Kuala Lumpur, said he hoped the film gala would further strengthen cultural ties and exchanges between Hong Kong and Malaysia. Beyond film screenings, the programme also creates opportunities for filmmakers, producers and creative talents from both places to connect, encouraging greater cultural and industry collaboration.
Six Hong Kong Films Showcase a New Generation of Filmmaking
This year’s programme featured six Hong Kong films spanning a wide range of genres and styles: opening film Afterpiece, Bird of Paradise, Wakesurf Lovers, Unidentified Murder, Palimpsest: The Story of a Name and Dog Day Evening. From love, family and coming of age to mystery, dark humour and documentary storytelling, the selection offered a glimpse into the diversity of contemporary Hong Kong cinema.
Returning to Malaysia for the first time in many years, Elaine JIN took the opportunity to encourage the new generation of Hong Kong filmmakers at the opening ceremony. “I’m so happy to see so many young directors here. Keep going!” she said. She also thanked Malaysian audiences for their longstanding support of Hong Kong cinema and encouraged them to share their thoughts directly with the filmmakers after watching their films.
Kevin CHU joked that he seemed to have a “special connection” with Malaysia this year, having already visited the country earlier for a shoot before returning to Kuala Lumpur for the Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation. He expressed his hope that Hong Kong films would continue to reach audiences in different parts of the world, allowing a new generation of filmmakers to carry Hong Kong cinema forward.
Renci YEUNG arrived with two very different films, Wakesurf Lovers and Unidentified Murder. Speaking about the latter, she said the film was not meant to be heavy and hoped audiences would come in without too many expectations. Instead, she simply wanted them to enjoy themselves in the cinema, “laugh for 90 minutes,” and leave with a smile.
Afterpiece Opens the Gala with a Lively Post-screening Q&A
This year’s programme opened with Keane WONG’s Afterpiece, followed by a post-screening sharing with actress Angela YUEN, director Keane WONG and executive producer Kathy WONG. Angela described Hannah as one of the more complex characters she has played, with the role taking a noticeable turn as the story unfolds. The film’s many play-within-a-film sequences added another challenge to her performance. Despite her love of theatre, she found that bringing stage performance to the screen required a very different approach. She and Stephen FUNG spent considerable time rehearsing before filming, working on everything from voice projection and movement to stage presence and rhythm.
Keane revealed that he already had Angela in mind for the role of Hannah while developing the film. While he was confident she could capture the character’s fresh and natural qualities in the first half, what excited him most was the opportunity to reveal a very different side of her later in the film — one that audiences had rarely seen before. When an audience member called out, “Angela! Your performance is really good!”, Angela immediately joked, “You can pick up your lunchbox outside later.” Her quick response drew laughter from the room and brought a light-hearted moment to the discussion.
Asked to name her favourite line from the film, Angela chose, “Who knows what’s real and what’s not?” She explained that Hannah is not someone who struggles to distinguish between reality and pretence. On the contrary, she is fully aware of what she is doing. For her, what makes the film interesting is how each character has their own understanding of what is “real” and what is “false”.
For Keane, who grew up in Ipoh, bringing Afterpiece to Malaysia held particular significance. Around 30 to 40 of his friends and family travelled from Ipoh to attend the screening and show their support.
Prisms Pulse Takes Hong Kong Cinema Beyond the Screen
Beyond the screenings and post-screening Q&As, the Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation – Kuala Lumpur extended the world of Hong Kong cinema beyond the theatre with Prisms Pulse: Hong Kong Cinema in Full Colour. Inspired by the rich visual language of Hong Kong films, the special exhibition brought together light installations, multimedia displays and interactive experiences, offering audiences a different way to experience Hong Kong cinema.
The programme also featured three university talks, with Keane WONG, Joey WU, Angela YUEN, Kevin CHU, Renci YEUNG and Elaine JIN visiting local campuses to share their experiences in directing, acting and filmmaking. The guests also took questions from students and spoke about their journeys into the industry and stories behind their work.
Over ten days, the Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation – Kuala Lumpur brought Hong Kong cinema closer to Malaysian audiences through six films, post-screening Q&As, university talks and the special exhibition, creating opportunities for audiences and filmmakers to connect both on and beyond the screen.
