This week marks the 5th Entertainment Expo in Hong Kong. The Expo is comprised of nine separate events and covers film, television, music, and digital entertainment. One of the highlights of the event, the 3rd Asian Film Awards, was held on Monday, March 23rd at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Each year the Expo brings together the best and brightest at Filmart (Hong Kong International Film and Television Market), the Hong Kong Music Fair, the Hong Kong International Film Festival, and the Digital Entertainment Leadership Forum. In addition to the Asian Film Awards, the Expo also offers the Hong Kong Independent Short Film and Video Awards, the Top Sales Music Award for 2008, and the awards presentation for the Film Festival.
At the Asian Film Awards, the top honor went to “Tokyo Sonata” by director Kiyoshi Kurosawa. Other winners included best director Hirokazu Koreeda for”Still Walking” and best actor Masahiro Motoki for “Departures.”
Expect the best Hong Kong hotels to remain booked over the next few weeks. While the Asian Awards Ceremony was a one-night event and Filmart only lasts four days, the Film Festival runs through April 13th.
The first few days of events have been optimistic. In spite of the global economic slowdown, exhibitors and artists are looking ahead to expansion of Asian markets, especially for film, in areas such as China. There is a strong Hollywood presence at the Expo, as American film makers and distributors look not only for the next big foreign hit like “Slumdog Millionaire” but also at ways to bring US films to Asian audiences.
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