HONG KONG, July 21 (Xinhua) -- China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government Tuesday congratulated renowned Hong Kong film director Ann Hui for receiving the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement award at the 77th Venice International Film Festival.
Hui is the first Chinese female film director to be bestowed the honor.
"Ann Hui is a pioneer of Hong Kong and Asian cinemas of our time. The award is in recognition of her exceptional contribution to the film industry. We take pride in her achievement in successfully showcasing to international audiences the top-notch, exquisite and sensational Hong Kong film productions through her unique film language and visual style," the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau of the HKSAR government said on Tuesday.
The Venice International Film Festival is one of the largest international festivals. Its 77th edition will be held in Venice, Italy in September this year. Previous lifetime achievement awardees include Hong Kong director John Woo.
Yau said that the local film industry has been facing acute challenges in the past year. To re-energize Hong Kong films, the HKSAR government has earmarked around 260 million HK dollars (about 33.5 million U.S. dollars) under the Film Development Fund to implement five major measures to increase the number of local film productions, nurture young directors and scriptwriting talents and enhance professional training to add value to the industry, with a view to providing multi-pronged support for the trade to go through this difficult period. Enditem
