[2019.03.19] LEON LAI ENCOURAGES YOUNG PEOPLE TO SEEK BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN THE GREATER BAY AREA

courtesy of mingpao.com

courtesy of singtao.com

The Hong Kong Entertainment Expo has already stepped into its 15th year. This time the Entertainment Expo would continue to open with the Hong Kong International Film and Television Market (Filmart). Filmart has also stepped into its 23rd year. Over 880 exhibitors from 35 countries and regions yesterday unveiled their exhibits, for the next four days the Hong Kong Convention Center will be where music, film and television big shots gather to promote their latest film and television products to buyers from around the world. This year would have even more regions that set up exhibits or exhibition halls for the first time, which fully reflected the Filmart's important position in the Greater Bay Area and solidify Hong Kong's position as the city of creativity.

The Hong Kong Entertainment Expo will take place from March 18th to April 14th, including the Hong Kong International Film and Television Market, the Hong Kong International Film Festival, the Hong Kong Film Awards, Hong Kong Asian Film Financing Forum, Hong Kong Asian Pop Music Fair and other events. This year's Entertainment Expo is even more meaningful to Hong Kong. Because as clearly stated in the just announced Greater Bay Area Development Plan Outline, it would support Hong Kong through film and television market and other events with international influence. Yesterday the Hong Kong secretary of finance Chan Mo Po, Trade Development Council executive director Margaret Fong Shun Man, the State Administration for Radio, Film and Television television series deputy secretary Liu Meiyu, the TDC film, television and entertainment advisory committee chair Peter Lam Kin Ngok and the Hong Kong Entertainment Expo ambassador Leon Lai Ming host the Hong Kong Entertainment Expo launch ceremony.

The Leon shot promotional short film was shown, creatively all the lines were said backward. Chan Mo Po said that this time the Hong Kong Entertainment Expo's slogan was it could be recited backward, thus all the lines were backward in the promotional film. He was surprised to find how fluent Leon was with it. The promotional film already has 350,000 hits.

Chan Mo Po represented the Special Administrative Region government in welcoming friends old and new, stressing that Hong Kong would gather creative talent through film and television market and other internationally influential events and solidify Hong Kong's position of city of creativity. This would fully reflect the film and television market's very unique and sizable position in the Greater Bay Area.

In order to further assist the industry to expand its business connections, the film and television market will have over 60 cultural exchanges, new film announcements, special topic forums and other events, as well as over 300 screenings. Around 100 screenings would be world or Asian premieres. The Greater Bay Area film and television industry development would be one of the focus of this year's Filmart, as many Greater Bay Area representatives would examine the future of the Greater Bay area entertainment industry development opportunities at several forums.

Lam Kin Ngok pointed out that after the announcement of the Greater Bay Area Development Plan Outline, he felt that more development space would appear, attracting more from the industry to Hong Kong and strengthening Hong Kong film, television and entertainment position. He even urged young people to support it and inject new force into the Hong Kong film industry.

Leon changed from his golden quote ways to tongue twisters. Speaking of how creative his promotional film was, how would technology and creativity help each other? Leon said, "Actually many peopl would use new technology, including the internet to make their own creations. I believe creative technology will require a lot of time. For friends who find a suitable team, they love to create. This creation can not only develop step by step online but also be seen by even more. It can even be developed into a new entertainment format that we never would have guessed."

What business opportunity would the Greater Bay Area concept bring entertainment development? Leon said that for young people it absolutely would be a good starting point. The time has come for everyone to interact and create even more opportunities for young people to create their careers. Leon continued, "First for a creator or a job seeker, when they would look for work in Hong Kong they would look the same district and for jobs that speak Cantonese. Actually most of the Greater Bay Area understand Cantonese, of course Putonghua would be great too. If you can communicate and the job is close to home, you can let your inspiration run wild and have exchanges in a new place. I believe for young people it absolutely would be a good starting point. Hong Kong is a small place, and has been developing for a very long time. It is time for interactive exchanges, creating even more opportunities for young people to start their careers. They would include online, behind the scene and friends who like film and music, if they do well, business opportunities would naturally come find you."