THE 2024 Luohu Shenzhen-Hong Kong Culture Month was officially launched July 12. In partnership with film and television enterprises and organizations from Shenzhen and Hong Kong, Luohu District is hosting movie screenings at more than 10 theaters and 10 open-air venues through Aug. 4, offering either free or discounted tickets. In addition, the event also features an exhibition, showcasing illustrations inspired by Louis Cha’s martial art novels, a display of classic movie posters, an exchange conference for directors from Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Macao, and various other activities. Shenzhen and Hong Kong residents are encouraged to participate in these events. Authorized classic Hong Kong movies on martial arts and Chinese kung fu, as well as family comedies, will be screened, with a ticket priced at 29.9 yuan (US$4.1). Schedules will be unveiled later this month. Among the films, “Princess Fragrance,” “The Swordsman” and more are adaptations of Cha’s novels; iconic martial arts movies like “The Shaolin Temple,” and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” and classic comedies such as “Three Charming Smiles” and “All’s Well, End’s Well Too” have also been selected. Residents can enjoy free screenings of films such as “Project Gutenberg” and “G Storm” on July 20, July 27, and Aug. 3 at open-air spaces in 10 subdistricts in Luohu. Now through Aug. 4, visitors can explore Tung Pui-sun’s exhibition on the third floor of Shenzhen Book City’s Luohu store, featuring illustrations inspired by Cha’s novels. Additionally, classic Hong Kong movie posters are on display at the Hoyts Cinema in Shenzhen Teemall in Luohu. A conference from July 22 to Aug. 2 will bring together film directors from Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Macao for idea exchanges. “Ninth Happiness” director Clifton Ko, “The Shaolin Temple” assistant director Sze Yeung-ping, and film critics will conduct a sharing session. At the culture month launch ceremony July 12, Luohu District also rolled out 10 measures to support the high-quality development of the film and television industry. These measures include rewarding or providing financial support to the newly established micro-drama review center in the district, enterprises operating virtual production studios, and companies meeting the cultural and creative industry service platform standards. The measures also encourage innovation by supporting projects utilizing new technologies such as AIGC, ultra high-definition, virtual production, cloud computing, and blockchain. Young director and producer Yang Dan praised the measures for creating a conducive environment for creativity, reducing operational costs, and offering opportunities for professionals to showcase Luohu stories. Director Hu Xu, founder of Shenzhen Tian Tian Cheng Zhang Film and Television Co. Ltd., expressed optimism about the policies, along with the favorable business environment and services in Luohu, and easy interaction between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, saying they offer new opportunities and mark a new phase for development in the industry. (Li Mingzhen) | 