Film producer believes Hong Kong film industry is ‘going downhill’
By Bryan Ke
Film producer Debbie Lam believes that the Hong Kong film industry is on a downward trend, as the industry sees a significant drop in the number of films produced in recent years.
Key points:
- Debbie Lam Suk-yin, vice-chair of the Hong Kong Movie Production Executives Association, shared her views during an interview with South China Morning Post.
- “I’m not sure if this will hurt some people, but the Hong Kong movie industry is going downhill,” Lam told SCMP.
- Lam noted that while Hong Kong cinema typically produced about 200 films a year during its prime in the mid-’70s, it only released 40 movies last year.
The details:
- While Hong Kong cinema has experienced a decline for decades, it has still produced several hit films in recent years. Among these are its three highest-grossing movies of all time: “Warriors of Future” (2022), “Table For Six” (2022) and “A Guilty Conscience” (2023), which earned $10.5 million, $10 million and $11 million, respectively. Notably, “A Guilty Conscience” reached this impressive figure within just three weeks of its release.
- Lam believes that Bridging the Dragon, an organization aimed at fostering connections between the European and Chinese film industries, could be beneficial for Hong Kong cinema. She said, “It’s a good opportunity to link producers from different countries. Even if they don’t work together they can still learn from each other and build connections.”
- She also highlighted that the Hong Kong-Europe-Asian Film Collaboration Funding Scheme could enhance the global exposure of Hong Kong cinema. Under the scheme, eight feature-film projects will receive a grant of 9 million Hong Kong dollars ($1.1 million) each.
- Hong Kong cinema became a pop culture phenomenon in the 1970s, largely fueled by Bruce Lee’s skyrocketing popularity. This momentum carried through to the 1980s and 1990s, bolstered by the contributions of renowned actors and directors such as Chow Yun Fat, Stephen Chow, Tony Leung, Jackie Chan and Wong Kar-wai.
About Debbie Lam:
- Lam has contributed to over 30 films, spanning both Hong Kong and international productions. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with esteemed filmmakers both locally and abroad, including Wong Kar-wai, John Woo Yu-sen, Jackie Chan and Michael Bay.
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