Imagine Sundance Without Sundance

Dear friends and colleagues,

I’m asking you to hear me out and let as many people know as possible about this urgent matter.

Imagine a Sundance Film Festival without the Sundance institute. Imagine General Cinemas or AMC has usurped the festival and its name because the festival has become so successful. This is what’s going on in Hong Kong right now, a city where I was born, raised and am still very much a part of.

Ying E Chi, the non-profit independent film distribution organization in Hong Kong, has been organizing the Hong Kong Asian Film Festival with Broadway Cinemas, a local major exhibitor for the past four years. In this fifth year, because of disputes in programming decisions and mostly greed, Broadway has overtaken the festival behind Ying E Chi’s back.

The roots of the Hong Kong Asian Film Festival began in 1997 as Ying E Chi organized screenings of local independent films that were largely ignored by the Hong Kong International Film Festival. Started by my peers, a collective of local independent filmmakers, Ying E Chi receives government funding to promote and distribute independent films in Hong Kong. Government funding was also channeled through Ying E Chi to finance the festival every past year.

As Ying E Chi’s humble screenings grew into a festival early 2000s and eventually took on the name of “Hong Kong Asian Film Festival” (HKAFF) in 2004 to include independent films from all over Asia and overseas Asian films, the festival grew each year. The festival has always been the brainchild of Ying E Chi who organized it with Broadway mainly because Broadway provided a venue and hosted the festival.

As HKAFF grew in sponsors, films and popularity, Broadway began using the festival as a vehicle to promote its parent company’s and its own products. The most blatant example was when last year’s festival opened with Ang Lee’s Lust, Caution, produced by Broadway’s own parent company Edko.

While Lust, Caution is a fine film, it is hardly independent. As I attended last year’s festival with my documentary 0505HK, I was already sensing that the festival was losing its spirit as independent films were pushed aside in favor of major Asian fares that were distributed by Broadway and Edko. I was also hearing Ying E Chi’s members talk about the need to refocus the festival next year.

As Ying E Chi was negotiating with Broadway about the festival this year, Broadway went behind Ying E Chi’s back to register a company Hong Kong Asian Film Festival Society and overtook the festival which is due to open in two weeks. Broadway also took major sponsors that Ying E Chi originally secured for the festival.

As an independent filmmaker of Hong Kong descent, I am indebted to Ying E Chi who has helped me get every one of my films seen in Hong Kong since the organization’s inception in 1997. It pains me to see such an important organization and my indie film colleagues being trampled by corporate greed.

As independent filmmakers, we survive with very few resources. Even if we have a lot less money and fewer relationships than a major corporation, we have our voice and integrity which shall not be compromised or stifled.

I humbly ask you to help Ying E Chi spread the word on this matter and not support the current manifestation of Hong Kong Asian Film Festival until satisfying amends are made.

This act of corporate greed must not go unnoticed or uncorrected.

Please contact Vincent Chui, the founding member of Ying E Chi, for further details and action:

Vincent Chui        
Founding Member    
vincentindie@gmail.com
+852 9094 0784 (cel)
http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=610413015&ref=ts

Thank you for listening.


Yours truly,


Quentin Lee



More Details:

Ying E Chi’’s website:
http://www.yec.com

This year’s Hong Kong Asian Film Festival:
http://bc.cinema.com.hk/adhoc/hkaff2008/index.html

Last year’s Hong Kong Asian Film Festival:
http://bc.cinema.com.hk/adhoc/hkaff_2007/