The Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency today (November 13) announced the winning projects of the eighth First Feature Film Initiative (FFFI). Six winning teams will receive funding from the Film Development Fund (FDF) to make their first feature films, with the total awarded amount being $39 million. Details of the winning projects are in the Annex.
The Chairman of the Hong Kong Film Development Council, Dr Wilfred Wong, said, "In this edition, a total of 71 eligible participating applications were received, comprising 13 from the Higher Education Institution Group (HEIG) and 58 from the Professional Group (PG), marking the highest number among all past editions. Six projects stood out from the keen competition and excelled as deserving winners. I am glad that the FFFI has successfully nurtured new film talent over the years and look forward to enjoying the winning projects in cinemas."
The FFFI was launched in 2013. It identifies new talent through a selection of screenplay and production proposals. The FFFI is divided into the HEIG and the PG, with a maximum of three winning projects in each group. The maximum sponsorship for each winning production team of the HEIG and the PG is $5 million and $8 million, respectively. The FDF provides funding for selected teams to make their first commercial feature films. The selected teams are required to complete the whole film production and sales process, which involves planning, shooting and distribution, and more, to acquire knowledge from creation to practical applications in making a feature film. Since the launch of the FFFI, it has sponsored 30 film projects and incubated a total of 32 new directors. Among them, a number of completed film projects have received nominations and awards at esteemed overseas and local film award ceremonies and film festivals.