Hong Kong cultural chief touts creative sector funds and film support
Hong Kong's cultural chief told lawmakers that two funds for creative industries have created over 40,000 jobs and supported 98,000 training opportunities. The film development fund backed recent hits including 'The Last Dance' and 'The Fallen'. The government plans to review film industry measures
Hong Kong's Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism told lawmakers on 9 November that the Creative Industries Development Office had used two special funds to boost eight creative sectors. In a speech to the Legislative Council Panel on Information Technology and Broadcasting, the official said the Creative Smart Fund and the Film Development Fund had driven growth since the former was established in 2009.
The Creative Smart Fund, which covers advertising, architecture, design, digital entertainment, music, printing and publishing, and television, has so far helped the industry create more than 40,000 jobs, provide over 98,000 training opportunities, and facilitate more than 35,000 commercial transactions, the secretary said. Over the past two years, the office subsidised more than 100 projects, expanding the scale and impact of Fashion Hong Kong and the Business of Design Week, while also promoting intellectual property creation, strengthening cooperation with mainland China, and completing a restructuring of the Hong Kong Design Centre.
Fashion Hong Kong, now in its third edition, has built a brand and attracted global fashion industry representatives to the city, the official said. The September edition was held jointly with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council's CENTRESTAGE fashion trade fair for the first time, increasing the event's scale and business-matching elements. The Business of Design Week, which will partner with Switzerland this year, is scheduled for mid-November and will expand its community design activities under the 'Design@HKG' programme. New elements will be introduced from 2027, including broader cooperation with mainland and overseas fashion exhibitions to promote Hong Kong fashion design brands.
The Hong Kong Design Centre, established in 2001, completed its restructuring in mid-2024 and has been upgraded to a key executive agency of the creative office. Besides continuing flagship projects and operating the Sham Shui Po Design and Fashion Base, it will focus on helping small and medium-sized design enterprises improve product and brand services, strengthen cooperation with startups and mainland companies based in Hong Kong, and expand overseas markets.
On the film industry, the secretary noted that the Film Development Fund has supported productions including recent hits 'My Father Wants to Travel', 'Mama Years', 'Good Men, Good Women', and 'The Fourth Act', as well as earlier films such as 'The Love I Talked About', 'The Other World', and 'The Birth of a Department'. The fund also helped Hong Kong films appear at overseas festivals, including 'Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In' at Cannes, 'The Last Dance' seeking a nomination for best international feature at the Oscars, 'The Fourth Act' opening the Shanghai International Film Festival, and 'The Day I Was Killed' having its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival. The government is now conducting a comprehensive review of the fund's measures and resource allocation.
