Lo is an experienced anime producer and began independent anime creation in 1977. His works won the first prize at the Hong Kong Independent Short Film Festival for four consecutive times and he was promoted as panel member. In the next year, he joined the Radio Television Hong Kong to work as cartoon producer until 1993. Over recent years, he spent efforts on promotion of the anime industry in Hong Kong and planning of anime exhibitions. Recently, he worked as the curator of the 50 Years of Hong Kong and Taiwanese Animation. He currently worked as Secretary General of the Hong Kong Animation and Culture Association.
A film maker often gets very excited when his or her film is done and hopes to meet the audience as soon as possible. Commercial films always have to wait for the feedback until they are on show. Non-commercial ones need to arrange the screening by themselves or to take part in different competitions or film festivals so as to face the audience to get self-satisfaction as well as public feedback.
In Hong Kong, there are only a few platforms to provide competitions and public release for independent video works. IFVA, organised by the Hong Kong Arts Center, is believed to be the most representative one. Formerly known as the Hong Kong Independent Short Film and Video Awards, IFVA was set up in 1995 and aims to provide screening opportunities and awards for independent dramas, animations and documentaries. Over years of development, it is now one of the main film festivals in Asia, and has played an influential role in advocating independent film making. From this year, the IFVA animation section begins to accept works from Macao. This is definitely a great opportunity that you can’t miss.
If you look a bit further, in fact, there are various film festivals in the world with different themes in recent years. There are even corresponding film festivals for works of students. You can easily find your target in the internet as long as you have a piece of works. But, first of all, it is crucial for you to have confidence in your own works. Confidence does not necessarily come from awards but from a good attitude to communicate with other overseas counterparts. And I believe this is the most meaningful thing for us to take part in overseas film festivals.
I would like to introduce a very significant and challenging competition that is the DigiCon6 ASIA Awards sponsored by TBS, Japan. And it is the 19th edition for the DigiCon6 this year. Founded in 1951, TBS is a private TV station. It is quite rare for such a private TV station to dedicate itself, with the help of its own network, to encourage young and talented film makers through a series of activities such as competitions, forums, screenings, so that their works can represent Asia to compete in the world.
Beginning in 2000, the DigiCon6 only holds in Japan, targeting local students and young film makers with only short films in drama, documentary and animation. Therefore, animated films account for 80% of the exhibited works. In 2006, TBS developed the DigiCon6 into an Asian event, involving more than ten participating regions, including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea, etc. In November each year, many film makers from Asia will gather in Tokyo to compete with each other.
What is so special about the DigiCon6 is that the competition has two stages. First of all, local works of the participating regions will be selected and given gold, silver, copper and new generation awards by the local jury (including a TBS representative) in the mid of each year. Films with the highest scores will be on behalf of the region to compete with the other award-winning ones from different regions for the grand award in Japan in November. In other words, films of high standard will have two chances of winning!
In 2008, HK animation director Chan Yu-Fung won the DigiCon6 grand award with his animated film, Hidden Elders. The award was a great hit to Hong Kong animation industry. Since then, Hong Kong Digital Entertainment Association began to act as the local organiser to be fully responsible for the competition with more than 30 to 40 selected pieces of works each year, which have also achieved quite good results in Japan. These include animated films, Hong Kong Station, Behind the School Bag, Disposition and drama film Hong Kong will be destroyed after 33 years. These works not only provide a chance for the foreign audience to know about Hong Kong films, but also give Hong Kong film makers a very comprehensive opportunity to meet with overseas counterparts.
I am honoured to be one of the international judges this year for the DigiCon6. I will bring with me several selected Hong Kong’s works to Japan, and select the winner for the grand award along with other judges from different regions. Will films from HK be shortlisted? On the other hand, I also hope that film units in Macao (such as the Cultural Affairs Bureau), will cooperate with TBS in the near future to participate in the festival. At that time, film talents of Macao will have one more representative public platform, which I strongly believe will greatly push their creation forward.
