ifva+
Documentaries

Now in its 17th year, ifva has arranged for a series of ifva+ programmes from December until next February. On the first Friday of each month, we will put the spotlight on documentaries, and have invited a series of local documentary filmmakers to impart the secrets of their trades and trace the development of Hong Kong documentary films over the past decade or more in terms of changes in style and subject matter.

Curator: Bryan CHANG (Film critic, Hong Kong independent film director)

Venue: agnès b. CINEMA, Hong Kong Arts Centre

Conducted in Cantonese. Free Admission.

Remarks: Programmes are subject to change without prior notice. Programme content does not reflect the view of the organizer.

“ifva+_dec: I Want to Make a Documentary, But Don’t Know Where to Start”

What is more difficult, making fiction films or documentaries?“I don’t know. I haven’t had a chance to compare.” Making fiction films ought to be more difficult. Yet why is it that every year, there are more fiction film entries at the ifva than documentaries? “Is there a necessary cause and effect relationship between ease and number of works?” Is making documentaries just a matter of point and shoot? “That’s the stuff you see on YouTube.”Aren’t the films you see on YouTube documentaries? They may or may not be. But I’m not satisfied with just making a film and putting it on YouTube.” Yeah, that’s right. This seminar will give the answers to everything you always wanted to ask about making documentaries. We have invited a few neophyte filmmakers who will tell you about their experiences with starting out as documentarians.

Date and time: 2 / 12 / 2011  7:30pm

Speaker: 

SHAM Ka-ki (Gold Award Winner of the 14th ifva Youth Category)

Sakura YANG & DONG Ran (Documentary Film Workers, director of Wives of Gay)

Nicole CHAN (Marketing Associate at CNEX Foundation Limited)

Screening: 

Life Must Go On, directed by SHAM Ka-ki

(2008 / 19’30” /Conducted in Cantonese with Chinese and English subtitles)

“ifva+_jan: Local Concerns—Hong Kong Documentaries Before and After the 1997 Handover”

Many documentaries got started because of certain socio-political events, and are themselves ways of clarifying one’s own views. Before the 1997 Handover, many reporters gathered in Hong Kong to witness the historic birth of the “one country, two systems.” At the same time, many perceptive locals also stared to explore their identities and the society around them with documentaries, and their views were not limited to fear of Communism. Nowadays we often speak of local identity, but without that first awakening of local consciousness, we would not be where we are today. Let us look back on our past and trace the growth and development of local documentaries.

Date and time: 6 / 1 / 2012  7:30pm

Guests: 

LEE Wai-yee (v-artivist Director)

Vincent CHUI (Independent Filmmaker, Ying E Chi Artistic Director)

“ifva+_feb: Local Concerns in Hong Kong Documentaries at the Moment”

This month we will explore the endless possibilities for Hong Kong documentaries. The Hong Kong International Airport, Tsing Ma Bridge, West Kowloon, High-speed Rail, and those already demolished such as Kowloon Walled City, Lee Tung Street, Choi Yuen Village and Queen’s Pier etc. The constant renewal of the city’s software can no longer be taken for granted. The new generation discovers a newfound vision for Hong Kong, and nurtures feelings for heritage preservation, environmental awareness, and begins to rethink the logics behind capitalism as it takes to the street with cameras. At this moment Hong Kong needs to “occupy”, while events are still unfolding around us. We eagerly anticipate the new age of documentaries in Hong Kong.

Date and time: 3 / 2 / 2012  7:30pm

Guests: 

Tammy CHEUNG (Grand Prize and Gold Award Winner of the 8th ifvaOpen Category)

LAM Sum (Freelance Filmmaker)

LO Chun-yip (Silver Award Winner of the 16th ifva Open Category)

Screening: 

Rice Distribution, directed by Tammy CHEUNG

(2002 / 34’ /Conducted in Cantonese with English subtitles)