In the wake of an announcement this week that China is boycotting this year’s Golden Horse Film Festival in Taipei, several Hong Kong film companies have withdrawn their entries from the prestigious Chinese-language film awards, Hong Kong reports said yesterday.
The Chinese government in a short statement issued on Wednesday said that the China Film Administration was blocking Chinese films and personnel from participating at the festival.
Although the statement did not directly say that Hong Kong’s film industry would be affected, several Hong Kong production companies have announced that they will not participate.
Among the films withdrawn from consideration were White Storm 2 — Drug Lords (掃毒2天地對決), Line Walker 2 (使徒行者2諜影行動), Chasing the Dragon II: Wild Wild Bunch (追龍II：賊王) and the animated film No. 7 Cherry Lane (繼園臺七號), Hong Kong’s Ming Pao reported.
Lam Kin-ming (林建名), the owner of Media Asia Group — which produced White Storms 2 — has instructed that no films made by the company are to participate at the festival, the newspaper reported.
Emperor Motion Pictures, which produced award-winning films such as The Beast Stalker (証人) and Operation Red Sea (紅海行動), said it would focus on China’s Golden Rooster Awards and Hundred Flowers Awards this year, and was waiving its participation at the Golden Horse Film Festival, Ming Pao reported.
The Golden Horse Film Festival and the Golden Rooster Awards are both scheduled for Nov. 23.
Hong Kong director Johnnie To (杜琪峰), who earlier agreed to head the Golden Horse Film Festival’s jury, had not issued a statement on the issue.
On Thursday, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) expressed support for Taiwan on Facebook, saying: “This year, AIT looks forward to supporting the US films being featured in the 2019 Golden Horse Festival!”
“Appreciation for the arts and support for independent artists are among the many values shared by the United States and Taiwan,” it said.
Asked if the AIT post indicates support for Taiwan amid Beijing’s embargo, AIT spokesperson Amanda Mansour said that the message “speaks for itself.”
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