HKETO, Brussels promotes Hong Kong film industry and business opportunities in southern Italy
With support from the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Brussels (HKETO, Brussels) and the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency, Hong Kong movies are in the spotlight at the Salento International Film Festival (SIFF) taking place in Tricase in the Salento peninsula of southern Italy from September 10 to 15 (Tricase time).
SIFF is a major international film festival in southern Italy.For years, it has featured many Hong Kong and Asian productions.In this current edition, the Hong Kong films screened by SlFF included the works of emerging filmmakers, "Dust to Dust" by Jonathan Li (2023) and "In Broad Daylight" by Lawrence Kan (2024), as well as retrospectives from well-established director, "As Tears Go By" by Wong Kar-wai (1988).
Speaking before the screening of the investigativedrama "In Broad Daylight" during the Hong Kong Film Night on the evening of September 12, Deputy Representative of HKETO, Brussels Miss Fiona Li highlighted that Hong Kong is a creative hub with a long history in cinematography."We also see an increasing number of emerging actors and young filmmakers whose productions cover a diversity of genres", she said.
To further elevate Hong Kong cinema to the global stage and display the talents of Hong Kong filmmakers globally, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has invested significant budgets in fostering the film and creative industries.Miss Li added, "One of the recent measures is the launch of Hong Kong-Europe-Asian Film Collaboration Funding Scheme under the Film Development Fund.It provides funding support to eligible film projects co-produced by filmmakers from European and Asian countries to make films featuring Hong Kong, European and Asian cultures."
Seizing the opportunity to gain more exposure in southern Italy, HKETO, Brussels held a business event in the margin of the SIFF on September 12, jointly with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and Invest Hong Kong, to reach out to local entrepreneurs. Miss Li spoke during the event to promote Hong Kong's strong fundamentals and unique advantages to act as the gateway for Italian companies to enter the Mainland and Asian markets.
HKETO, Brussels promotes Hong Kong film industry and business opportunities in southern Italy Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
HKETO, Brussels promotes Hong Kong film industry and business opportunities in southern Italy Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Hong Kong Customs detects two dangerous drugs cases and seizes suspected ketamine worth about $9.2 million
Hong Kong Customs on January 19 and yesterday (January 20) detected two drug trafficking cases at Hong Kong International Airport and seized about 20 kilograms of suspected ketamine. The total estimated market value of the drugs was about $9.2 million.
The first case involved a 29-year-old male passenger arriving in Hong Kong from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on January 19. During Customs clearance, Customs officers found a total of about 6kg of suspected ketamine inside his check-in suitcase. The man was subsequently arrested.
The second case involved two male passengers, aged 41 and 31, who arrived in Hong Kong from Zurich, Switzerland, yesterday. During Customs clearance, Customs officers found a total of about 14kg of suspected ketamine inside their check-in suitcases. They were subsequently arrested.
The arrested male in the first case has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug and will appear at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (January 22). An investigation of the second case is ongoing.
Customs will continue to step up enforcement against drug trafficking activities through intelligence analysis. The department also reminds members of the public to stay alert and not participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary return. They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong. They are also reminded not to carry unknown items for other people.
Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.
Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.
Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).