# Hong Kong International Film Festival

The Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) is one of Asia's oldest international film festivals. Founded in 1976, the festival features different movies and filmmakers from different countries, and takes place in Hong Kong.
HKIFF screens around 230 films from more than 60 countries in different major cultural venues across the territory every year. New films are featured as gala premieres, with the directors and cast presenting on the red carpet and meet-and-greet sessions in theatres.

## History

Previously operated by Urban Council and Leisure and Cultural Services Department, from 1977 to 2001, and Hong Kong Arts Development Council, from 2002 to 2004, HKIFF was officially incorporated as an independent, charitable organisation – Hong Kong International Film Festival Society Limited after completing its 28th edition. The Hong Kong SAR Government has continued to subsidise the festival through venue provision and partial funding.
Since 2012, HKIFF produced and premiered anthologies of short films made by well-known award winning filmmakers from Asia, such as Ann Hui, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Jia Zhangke, Brillante Mendoza, Hideo Nakata, Tsai Ming-liang, and Apichatpong Weerasethakul. Since 2017, HKIFF started to collaborate with Heyi Pictures to produce two feature films a year by young Chinese filmmakers that will hold their world premieres at HKIFF.

## Past events

| Event name | Date | Opening film(s) | Closing film(s) | Filmmaker(s) in Focus | Master Class(es) | Ambassador |
| HKIFF1 | 27 June - 10 July 1977 | Italy: Year One (dir. Roberto Rossellini) | A Touch of Zen (dir. King Hu) | - | - | - |
| HKIFF2 | 26 June - 9 July 1978 | Raise Ravens (Cría Cuervos, dir. Carlos Saura) The Seagull (Il Gabbiano, dir. Marco Bellocchio) | - | - | - | - |
| HKIFF3 | 25 June - 8 July 1979 | Raining in the Mountain (dir. King Hu) | - | - | - | - |
| HKIFF4 | 3 - 18 April 1980 | American Gigolo (dir. Paul Schrader) | - | - | - | - |
| HKIFF5 | 9 - 24 April 1981 | Child of the Sun (dir. Kiriro Urayama) The Uprising (dir. Peter Lilienthal) | - | - | - | - |
| HKIFF6 | 1-16 April 1982 | Circle of Deceit (dir. Volkor Schlondorff) Street Music (dir. Jenny Bowen) Muddy River (dir. Kohei Oguri) | - | - | - | - |
| HKIFF7 | 24 March - 8 April 1983 | Passion (dir. Jean-Luc Godard) Moonlighting (dir. Jerzy Skolimowski) Son of the North East (dir. Vichit Kounavudhi) | - | - | - | - |
| HKIFF8 | 12-27 April 1984 | The King of Comedy (dir. Martin Scorsese) Carmen (dir. Carlos Saura) Merry Christmas Mr.Lawrence (dir. Nagisa Oshima) | First Name: Carmen (dir. Jean-Luc Godard) | - | - | - |
| HKIFF9 | 29 March - 13 April 1985 | Full Moon in Paris (dir. Eric Rohmer) Paris Texas (dir. Wim Wenders) Mac Arthurs Children (dir. Masahiro Shinoda) | Love on the Ground (dir. Jacques Rivette) | - | - | - |
| HKIFF10 | 27 March - 11 April 1986 | Ping Pong (dir. Leong Po-chih) Ran (dir. Akira Kurosawa) Insignificance (dir. Nicolas Roeg) | The Insomniac on the Bridge (dir. Raúl Ruiz) | - | - | - |
| HKIFF11 | 10-25 April 1987 | The Green Ray (dir. Eric Rohmer) To Sleep So As To Dream (dir. Kaizo Hayashi) The Sacrifice (dir. Andrei Tarkovsky) | Document: Fanny and Alexander (dir. Ingmar Bergman) The Stand-in (dir. Huang Jianxin) | - | - | - |
| HKIFF12 | 31 March - 15 April 1988 | Les Affaires Publiques (dir. Robert Bresson) Yeelen (dir. Souleymane Cissé) Goodbye, Children (dir. Louis Malle) | Wings of Desire (dir. Wim Wenders) Red Sorghum (dir. Zhang Yimou) | - | - | - |
| HKIFF13 | 23 March - 7 April 1989 | Ashik Kerib (dir. Dodo Abashidze and Sergei Parajanov) Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (dir. Pedro Almodovar) Pellethe Conqueror (dir. Bille August) | Betrayed (dir. Costa-Gavras) | - | - | - |
| HKIFF14 | 6 - 21 April 1990 | A Terra-Cotta Warrior (dir. Ching Siu-tung) | Song of the Exile (dir. Ann Hui) | Krzysztof Kieślowski Theo Angelopoulos Fumio Kamei Vasily Shukshin | - | - |
| HKIFF15 | 28 March - 12 April 1991 | Li Lianying: The Imperial Eunuch (dir. Tian Zhuangzhuang) | My American Grandson (dir. Ann Hui) | Aki Kaurismäki Idrissa Ouédraogo | - | - |
| HKIFF16 | 10 - 25 April 1992 | Ripples Across Stagnant Water (dir. Ling Zifeng) High Heels (dir. Pedro Almodovar) | King of Chess (dirs. Yim Ho, Tsui Hark) | - | - | - |
| HKIFF17 | 8 - 23 April 1993 | For Fun (dir. Ning Ying) Opening Night (dir. John Cassavetes) | The Wedding Banquet (dir. Ang Lee) | Abbas Kiarostami | - | - |
| HKIFF18 | 25 March - 9 April 1994 | Three Colours: Blue (dir. Krzysztof Kieślowski) | Three Colours: White (dir. Krzysztof Kieślowski) | Víctor Erice | - | - |
| HKIFF19 | 7 - 22 April 1995 | In the Heat of the Sun (dir. Jiang Wen) Summer Snow (dir. Ann Hui) | One and a Half (dir. Lawrence Ah Mon) Burnt by the Sun (dir. Nikita Mikhalkov) | Ken Loach | - | - |
| HKIFF20 | 25 March - 9 April 1996 | Hu Du Men (dir. Shu Kei) From Dusk Till Dawn (dir. Robert Rodriguez) | The King of Masks (dir. Wu Tianming) Mahjong (dir. Edward Yang) | - | - | - |
| HKIFF21 | 25 March - 9 April 1997 | Kitchen (dir. Yim Ho) The River (dir. Tsai Ming-liang) | The Valiant Ones (dir. King Hu) | Arturo Ripstein | - | - |
| HKIFF22 | 3 - 18 April 1998 | Beast Cop (dir. Gordon Chan) Dragon Inn (dir. King Hu) | Sweet Degeneration (dir. Lin Cheng-sheng) | Errol Morris Tony Gatlif | - | - |
| HKIFF23 | 31 March - 15 April 1999 | Ordinary Heroes (dir. Ann Hui) Where a Good Man Goes (dir. Johnnie To) | Mr Zhao (dir. Lü Yue) Crazy English (dir. Zhang Yuan) | Johnnie To Kiyoshi Kurosawa Walter Salles | - | - |
| HKIFF24 | 12 - 27 April 2000 | Spacked Out (dir. Lawrence Ah Mon) The Million Dollar Hotel (dir. Wim Wenders) | A Chance to Die Durian Durian (dir. Fruit Chan) | Otar Iosseliani | - | - |
| HKIFF25 | 6 - 21 April 2001 | Penoy Pavilion (dir. Yonfan) Mortal Transfer (dir. Jean-Jacques Beineix) | Yi Yi (dir. Edward Yang) | Tony Leung Chiu-wai Jean-Jacques Beineix Darius Khondji | - | - |
| HKIFF26 | 27 March - 7 April 2002 | Hollywood Hong Kong (dir. Fruit Chan) Heaven (dir. Tom Tykwer) | What Time is it There? (dir. Tsai Ming-liang) | Ann Hui | - | - |
| HKIFF27 | 8 - 23 April 2003 | The Twilight Samurai (dir. Yoji Yamada) PTU (dir. Johnnie To) | Cala, My Dog! (dir. Lu Xuechang) Adaptation (dir. Spike Jonze) | Jeffrey Lau Dardenne brothers Marco Bellocchio | - | SHINE |
| HKIFF28 | 6 - 21 April 2004 | Baober in Love (dir. Li Shaohong) Jade Goddess of Mercy (dir. Ann Hui) | Goodbye, Dragon Inn (dir. Tsai Ming-liang) Not on the Lips (dir. Alain Resnais) | William Chang Kim Ki-duk | - | - |
| HKIFF29 | 22 March - 6 April 2005 | Peacock (dir. Gu Changwei) The Hidden Blade (dir. Yōji Yamada) | The World (dir. Jia Zhangke) Words in Blue (dir. Alain Corneau) | Andy Lau | - | Andy Lau |
| HKIFF30 | 4 - 19 April 2006 | Election 2 (dir. Johnnie To) Isabella(dir. Pang Ho-cheung) | Snow Cake (dir. Marc Evans) Candy (dir. Neil Armfield) | - | - | Andy Lau |
| HKIFF31 | 10 March - 11 April 2007 | Eye in the Sky (dir. Yau Nai-Hoi) I am a Cyborg, but that's OK (dir. Park Chan-wook) | - | Herman Yau | - | - |
| HKIFF32 | 17 March - 6 April 2008 | Kabei - Our Mother (dir. Yoji Yamada) Soul of a Demon (dir. Chang Tso-chi) | Shine a Light (dir. Martin Scorsese) Coffee or Tea (dirs. Shu Kei, Kwan Man-hin) | Eric Tsang | - | Sammi Cheng |
| HKIFF33 | 22 March - 13 April 2009 | Night and Fog (dir. Ann Hui) Shinjuku Incident (dir. Derek Yee) | 24 City (dir. Jia Zhangke) | - | - | Karen Mok |
| HKIFF34 | 18 March - 6 April 2010 | Crossing Hennessy (dir. Ivy Ho) Like a Dream (dir. Clara Law) | Amphetamine (dir. Scud) Ex (dir. Heiward Mak) | - | - | - |
| HKIFF35 | 20 March - 5 April 2011 | Don't Go Breaking My Heart (dirs. Johnnie To, Wai Ka-fai) Quattro Hong Kong 2 (dirs. Apichatpong Weerasethakul; Brillante Mendoza; Stanley Kwan; Ho Yuhang) | - | Wai Ka-fai | Jia Zhangke | Miriam Yeung |
| HKIFF36 | 21 March - 5 April 2012 | Love in the Buff (dir. Pang Ho-cheung) | White Deer Plain (dir. Wang Quan'an) | Peter Chan | Keanu Reeves | Miriam Yeung |
| HKIFF37 | 17 March - 2 April 2013 | Ip Man - The Final Fight (dir. Herman Yau) | Closed Curtain (dirs. Jafar Panahi, Kambuzia Partovi) | Andrew Lau | Wong Kar-wai | Miriam Yeung |
| HKIFF38 | 24 March - 7 April 2014 | Aberdeen (dir. Pang Ho-cheung) The Midnight After (dir. Fruit Chan) | That Demon Within (dir. Dante Lam) | - | - | Louis Koo |
| HKIFF39 | 23 March - 6 April 2015 | Murmur of the Hearts (dir. Sylvia Chang) | Port of Call (dir. Philip Yung) | Sylvia Chang | Peter Greenaway Mohsen Makhmalbaf Pedro Costa | Louis Koo |
| HKIFF40 | 21 March - 4 April 2016 | Chongqing Hot Pot (dir. Yang Qing) Trivisa (dirs. Frank Hui, Jevons Au, Vicky Wong) | Creepy (dir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa) | - | Béla Tarr | Louis Koo |
| HKIFF41 | 11 - 25 April 2017 | Love Off the Cuff (dir. Pang Ho-cheung) | mon mon mon MONSTERS (dir. Giddens Ko) | - | Olivier Assayas Agnieszka Holland Ildikó Enyedi | Louis Koo |
| HKIFF42 | 19 March - 5 April 2018 | Omotenashi (dir. Jay Chern) Xiao Mei (dir. Maren Hwang) | What a Wonderful Family! 3: My Wife, My Life (dir. Yamada Yoji) | Brigitte Lin | Werner Herzog Tsai Ming-liang Kazuo Hara | Louis Koo |
| HKIFF43 | 18 March - 1 April 2019 | Bodies at Rest (dir. Renny Harlin) | By the Grace of God (dir. François Ozon) | Sammo Hung | Lee Chang-dong Asghar Farhadi Jiang Wen | Aaron Kwok |
| HKIFF44 | Cancelled | Keep Rolling (dir. Man Lim-chung) Little Big Women (dir. Joseph Hsu) | The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese (dir. Isao Yukisada) | Michael Hui | - | Aaron Kwok |
| HKIFF45 | 1 April - 12 April 2021 | Septet: The Story of Hong Kong (dir. Ann Hui, Sammo Hung, Ringo Lam, Patrick Tam, Johnnie To, Tsui Hark, and Yuen Woo-ping) Where the Wind Blows (dir. Philip Yung), later cancelled | Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy (dir. Ryusuke Hamaguchi) | Stanley Kwan | Frederick Wiseman Kazuo Hara | Aaron Kwok |
| HKIFF46 | 15 August - 31 August 2022 | Where the Wind Blows (dir. Philip Yung) Warriors of Future (dir. Ng Yuen-fai) | Tori and Lokita (dirs. Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne) | Sandra Ng | Dardenne brothers Chung Mong-hong | Aaron Kwok |
| HKIFF47 | 30 March - 10 April 2023 | Mad Fate (dir. Soi Cheang) Elegies (dir. Ann Hui) | Vital Sign (dir. Cheuk Wan-chi) | Soi Cheang | Tsai Ming-liang | Aaron Kwok |
| HKIFF48 | 28 March - 8 April 2024 | All Shall Be Well (dir. Ray Yeung) | All the Long Nights (dir. Miyake Sho) | Fruit Chan | Víctor Erice Martin McDonagh | Karena Lam |
| HKIFF49 | 10 April - 21 April 2025 | The Brightest Sun (dir. Tetsuya Nakashima) Pavane for an Infant (dir. Chong Keat Aun) | Dreams (Sex Love) (dir. Dag Johan Haugerud) | Louis Koo | Albert Serra Wang Bing | Angela Yuen |

## Competition

HKIFF Firebird Awards include three categories: Young Cinema Competition, Documentary Competition and Short Film Competition. The results are decided by three jury teams consisting of film industry professionals such as film critics, directors and film festival delegates. Besides Firebird Awards, HKIFF also established FIPRESCI Prize in HKIFF23 to recognize enterprising filmmakers and promotes young talent in Asian cinema. Starting from HKIFF41, Audience Choice Award is held during the film festival when the audience members who purchased tickets and festival passes could vote for their favorite films. From HKIFF43, the Young Cinema Competition was divided into "Chinese Language" and "World" sections.
| Event name | Young Cinema Competition | Documentary Competition | Short Film Competition | FIPRESCI Prize | Audience Choice Award |
| HKIFF36 | Firebird Award: Song of Silence Jury Prize: The End of Puberty | Firebird Award: Jai Bhim Comrade Jury Prize: Back to the Square | Firebird Award: Muybridge's Strings Jury Prize: Everyone Says I Love You Special Mention: ORA | The Mirror Never Lies | - |
| HKIFF37 | Firebird Award: In Bloom Jury Prize: All Apologies Special Mention: Longing for the Rain | Firebird Award: Roots Jury Prize: Oh, the San Xia Special Mention: Redemption Impossible | Firebird Award: Night Shift Jury Prize: Room 606 | In Bloom | - |
| HKIFF38 | Firebird Award: Macondo Jury Prize: The Tale of Iya Special Mention: Forma | Firebird Award: My Name Is Salt Jury Prize: The Last Moose of Aoluguya Special Mention: Meat and Milk | Firebird Award: Butter Lamp Jury Prize: Cold Snap Special Mention: Symphony no.42 | 10 Minutes | - |
| HKIFF39 | Firebird Award: Sworn Virgin Jury Prize: K Special Mention: The Coffin in the Mountain | Firebird Award: I am the People Jury Prize: A Young Patriot | Firebird Award: Listen Jury Prize: A Blue Room | K | - |
| HKIFF40 | Firebird Award: Life After Life Jury Prize: Tomcat | Firebird Award: Behemoth Jury Prize: Under The Sun | Firebird Award: Batrachian's Ballad Jury Prize: Prelude to the General | The Island Funeral | - |
| HKIFF41 | Firebird Award: My Happy Family Jury Prize: Newton | Firebird Award: House in the Fields Jury Prize: Inmates | Firebird Award: Jukai Jury Prize: Ten Mornings Ten Evenings And One Horizon Special Mention: Everything | Happy Bus Day | Mad World |
| HKIFF42 | Firebird Award: Girls Always Happy Jury Prize: Daughter of Mine | Firebird Award: Of Love & Law Jury Prize: The Distant Barking of Dogs Special Mention: Mama | Firebird Award: Wicked Girl Jury Prize: The Burden | Girls Always Happy | An Elephant Sitting Still |
| HKIFF43 | Firebird Award (Chinese Language): A First Farewell Firebird Award (World): You Have the Night | Firebird Award: Midnight Family Jury Prize: Advocate | Firebird Award: All These Creatures Jury Prize: The Call | The Golden-Laden Sheep and the Sacred Mountain | - |
| HKIFF44 | Firebird Award (Chinese Language): The Cloud in Her Room Firebird Award (World): This Is Not a Burial, It's a Resurrection | Firebird Award: The Painter and the Thief Jury Prize: Once You Know | Firebird Award: Genius Loci Jury Prize: Heading South | This Is Not a Burial, It's a Resurrection | - |
| HKIFF45 | Firebird Award (Chinese Language): The Day is Over Firebird Award (World): The Wasteland | Firebird Award: Mr Bachmann and His Class Jury Prize: Sabaya | Firebird Award: Motorcyclist's Happiness Won't Fit Into His Suit Jury Prize: Vadim on a Walk Special Mention: Blessed Winter | The Story of Southern Islet | - |
| HKIFF46 | Firebird Award (Chinese Language): A New Old Play Firebird Award (World): Mediterranean Fever | Firebird Award: All That Breathes Jury Prize: Children of the Mist | Firebird Award: Bestia Jury Prize: The Bones Special Mention: Sideral | A New Old Play | - |
| HKIFF47 | Firebird Award (Chinese Language): Stonewalling Firebird Award (World): Tótem | Firebird Award: Apolonia, Apolonia Jury Prize: The Hamlet Syndrome | Firebird Award: Bear Jury Prize: Smoke Gets in Your Eyes | Stonewalling | - |
| HKIFF48 | Firebird Award (Chinese Language): Snow in Midsummer Firebird Award (World): Sons | Firebird Award: Favoriten Jury Prize: Obedience | Firebird Award: The Meatseller Jury Prize: Shrooms | A Journey in Spring | |

## Controversy

The Longest Summer
At the 48th Hong Kong International Film Festival, The Longest Summer, a film by director Fruit Chan, which touches on the topic of the handover of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China in July 1997, was originally scheduled to be screened on 2 February 2024. However, the screening was abruptly cancelled after the organizer said they were unable to locate suitable copies for screening.