{"id":1958965,"date":"2023-06-28T08:04:02","date_gmt":"2023-06-28T12:04:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hong-kong-film-makers-say-censorship-law-spooks-investors-actors\/"},"modified":"2023-06-28T08:05:19","modified_gmt":"2023-06-28T12:05:19","slug":"hong-kong-film-makers-say-censorship-law-spooks-investors-actors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hong-kong-film-makers-say-censorship-law-spooks-investors-actors\/","title":{"rendered":"Censorship law spooks Hong Kong film-makers, investors, actors."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhong-kong-film-makers-say-censorship-law-spooks-investors-actors%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1958965&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>By Jessie Pang<\/p>\n<p>HONG KONG (Reuters) \u2013     Two years after screening an internationally acclaimed documentary on the democracy movement in Hong Kong, director Kiwi Chow has been forced to complete a new movie with fresh financing after political concerns scared off some investors.<\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1663871513696-art-1\" style=\"min-width: 320px; min-height: 50px;  text-align: center;\">  \t<script>  \t\tgoogletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1663871513696-art-1'); });  \t<\/script>  <\/div>\n<div class=\"ad-slot__ad-label\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p>The fears spiked after Hong Kong adopted a new censorship law in October 2021 to bar films that \u201cmight endanger national security\u201d, but directors say they now face difficulties lining up funding and even actors, while others have shifted overseas.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cActors under the Hong Kong film companies are very afraid, and this fear shadows everything,\u201d said Chow, who felt the situation had made performers, and investors, apprehensive about crossing ill-defined \u201cred lines\u201d concerning national security.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is what makes it scary, it doesn\u2019t need to suppress you directly, but it has already made all these people scared,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>Chow, feted at the Cannes film festival in 2021 for his  documentary, \u201cRevolution of Our Times\u201d, said it was clear when the new law came in that film makers would have to steer clear of political topics.<\/p>\n<p>But he did not realise then that people would be so risk-averse, even if he had not been found guilty of anything.<\/p>\n<p>The censorship measure, which follows a national security law China imposed on the Asian financial hub in 2020, means directors now need to steer clear of some topics to avoid putting investors and actors at risk, some film-makers said.<\/p>\n<p>At least 21 movies and short films have had scenes cut or their release blocked by Hong Kong\u2019s Office for Film, Newspaper and Article Association (OFNAA) since October 2021, a Reuters tally showed.<\/p>\n<p>In an email statement, the office said it had processed about 5,000 applications for film classification since January 2021, denying approval for public exhibition to six of them.<\/p>\n<p>But it declined to comment on individual films. <\/p>\n<p>Since 2005, the former British colony has injected HK$1.54 billion into the Film Development Fund. But in February, its culture secretary, Kevin Yeung, warned that funds would not be allocated to film projects that might infringe the 2020 law.<\/p>\n<p>It is not immediately clear how much censorship measure has affected such funding.<\/p>\n<p>Replying to a Reuters query, Hong Kong\u2019s Film Development Council, which is mainly responsible for government funding of the industry, said in an email it would have to look into the matter before responding. <\/p>\n<p>Yet film-makers see little room for manoeuvre.<\/p>\n<p>Chow scrambled to complete his new film after investors pulled 80% of its HK$8 million ($1 million) funding and the main actor withdrew.<\/p>\n<p>Although his film, \u201cSay I Do To Me\u201d, a love story about a young woman who embarks on a journey of self-discovery, is far from political, Chow said investors told him they could not take the risk as they still had to do business with China.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor them, \u2018Revolution of Our Times\u2019 is a very sensitive movie,\u201d Chow added. \u201cThey think they have business with China, so even if there is little risk, they all find it unacceptable, not to mention that in their eyes, this is a very high risk.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In response to a Reuters query, a police spokesman declined to clarify whether watching or downloading the film was illegal, however.<\/p>\n<p>FRESH FUNDING<\/p>\n<p>About 40 to 50 supporters injected fresh funding to help him complete it, he added.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2018Revolution of Our Times\u2019 made me lose a lot of things, but it has also attracted some other new funding.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Some actors who wanted to participate in the new film were either pressed not to do so by their management companies, or told by producers that scenes featuring them would be cut from other movies, Chow said.<\/p>\n<p>Some told Chow they had signed contracts barring them from making speeches that violate the national security law or co-operating with people considered a political risk.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese contracts use economic pressure to restrain them, so that they cannot speak up,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>The makers of three short films screened at the Fresh Wave International Film Festival in June \u201chad chosen to replace the deleted parts with black images and muted sound\u201d after they were censored, organisers said.<\/p>\n<p>Rex Ren and David Chan, co-founders of independent production group Phone Made Good Film, said they had no plan to seek government funds and would keep to small budgets instead. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s because we need to create, so we persist in Hong Kong,\u201d Ren said.<\/p>\n<p>The day before their Loose Narratives short film festival began in April, censors denied approval for their short film \u201cWake in Silence\u201d, citing \u201cpossible seditious intentions\u201d.      <\/p>\n<p>The scene in question showed a flag of the now disbanded pro-democracy party Demosisto with the slogan, \u201c100% Freedom\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>The tale of a girl who misses her boyfriend after he left the city was the third film censored in the festival.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI already feel that the need to be safe has increased a lot, and there are some topics that have become taboo,\u201d said Ho Cheuk-Tin, adjudged Best New Director at this year\u2019s Hong Kong Film Awards for his film, \u201cThe Sparring Partner\u201d .<\/p>\n<p>Ho, who has been busy promoting his second movie, \u201cOver My Dead Body\u201d, a comedy about the frenzied real estate market, has chosen to stay on, however.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI consider myself more commercial, but I still hope to have lots of Hong Kong elements in my movies,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Others, in contrast, have moved abroad to take Hong Kong films to the diaspora communities and global audiences in Britain, Canada and the United States. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are scared of the disappearance of the culture and arts of Hong Kong,\u201d said Ching Wong, who founded Hong Kong Film Festival UK along with director Ng Ka Leung in 2021. It held more than 60 screenings across seven British cities in March.<\/p>\n<p>Still, for those at home, the scenario remains bleak.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt this moment, the chance of me finding funds in the Hong Kong market and the Hong Kong government seems to be close to zero,\u201d film-maker Chow said.<\/p>\n<p>($1=7.82 Hong Kong dollars)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p> (Reporting by Jessie Pang; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oann.com\/uncategorized\/hong-kong-film-makers-say\/attachment\/the-projection-screen-is-seen-inside-a-cinema-hall-before\/\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oann.com\/uncategorized\/hong-kong-film-makers-say\/attachment\/director-kiwi-chow-poses-for-photos-after-an-interview-in\/\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oann.com\/uncategorized\/hong-kong-film-makers-say\/attachment\/director-kiwi-chow-poses-for-photos-after-an-interview-in-2\/\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oann.com\/uncategorized\/hong-kong-film-makers-say\/attachment\/director-ho-cheuk-tin-and-actor-yeung-wai-lun-pose-with\/\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oann.com\/uncategorized\/hong-kong-film-makers-say\/attachment\/director-ho-cheuk-tin-and-actor-yeung-wai-lun-react-after\/\"><\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>The Federal Reserve presents its semi-annual Monetary Policy Report.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>Sweden and Turkey prepare for a meeting to discuss Turkey\u2019s\u00a0objections to Sweden\u2019s\u00a0membership\u00a0in NATO.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>Republican strategist Roger Stone joined One America\u2019s Stella Escobedo to talk Donald Trump, media censorship of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. , Durham report and much more.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>The U.S. Supreme Court issued a major ruling in Moore v. Harper. It\u2019s a case from North Carolina dealing with congressional election maps. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>By Huw Jones LONDON (Reuters) \u2013 The European Union on Wednesday proposed injecting more competition into the payments sector, giving legal backing\u2026 <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>SYDNEY (Reuters) \u2013 Australia should phase out advertising for online gambling in three years, a parliamentary committee of inquiry recommended on Wednesday\u2026 <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>(Reuters) \u2013 German business software maker SAP sees huge growth potential in generative AI technology, Chief Executive Officer Christian Klein told the\u2026 <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>(Reuters) -Alphabet-owned Google on Tuesday said it is cutting jobs at mapping app Waze as it merges the app\u2019s advertising system with\u2026 <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Director Kiwi Chow, who previously screened a renowned documentary on Hong Kong&#8217;s democracy movement, has faced obstacles in securing funding for his new film due to political concerns. As a result, he had to find alternative financing options. These concerns escalated following the implementation of a new censorship law in Hong Kong.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":1958966,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[542],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1958965","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-oann"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1958965","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/66"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1958965"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1958965\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1958966"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1958965"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1958965"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1958965"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}