Headlines From China: Hong Kong Film Festival Plans Hybrid Mode for 2021 Edition

Hong Kong Film Festival Plans Hybrid Mode for 2021 Edition

The 45th Hong Kong International Film Festival is going hybrid mode after delaying for one year because of the coronavirus outbreak. The festival’s organizing committee announced on Wednesday that this year’s edition will have both in-theater and online screenings, as well as audience-engagement events. The festival’s executive Albert Lee said that a hybrid film festival would allow audiences to connect through an online platform without sacrificing the irreplaceable big-screen cinematic experience. Besides film screenings, HKIFF45 will also offer online streaming of some of the seminars, post-screening talks, and other events, offering the audiences greater flexibility in choosing how they want to participate. Read more china.org

News Wrap: Women’s Issues on TV

Actress Zhao Wei’s directorial debut for the small screen, “Hear Her” (听见她说), has sparked a great deal of social media buzz as “China’s first female monologue-centered TV show.” Airing on Tencent Video, the eight-part series features some of the country’s leading actresses tackling women’s issues such as body image and single motherhood in a dramatized form. The series also offers a prime example of how premium brands can follow the celebrities that represent them into TV and video content. Read more Content Commerce Insider