Begging and borrowing to the box office

“The rules of the game have changed – Hong Kong is no longer the Hollywood of Asia,” says Night Corridor director Julian Lee, mirroring the sentiment that many have in the local film community: that the golden age of Hong Kong cinema has come and passed.

With investor enthusiasm drying up since the handover and the recession only adding to the problems, it’s proving to be a tremendous task to finance even mainstream productions, let alone their independent counterparts.

But Lee, who also teaches creative media at the City University of Hong Kong, explains that it shouldn’t be all about revenues. “Independent film is not about distribution or business. It’s not an industry – it’s about self-expression, individuality and experimentation. It’s not about making money.”

If he comes off a tad idealistic, it is not without reason – just look at his film. “I thought Night Corridor was going to die – we had lots of gore and dealt with homosexuality. It was extremely difficult to get funding, but I went out there and sold it to as many different people as I could.”

It’s that idea of persistence, of believing in your voice despite the odds, that has many a local filmmaker inspired. Writer/producer Jason Sanky suffered through a similar process when it came to funding his own pet project, 97. Leaving no stone unturned, Sanky’s philosophy was one of slow building: the money isn’t needed all at once, he says, and you do what you can for now, plugging in the holes along the way. He explains that these tried and tested guerrilla tactics have been the foundation of raising funds for local independent films.

But the funding isn’t always about begging and borrowing, and while Lee might preach about beliefs over the box office, his film is the perfect example of an alternate way to tempt investors. Simply put, it starred local film sensation Daniel Wu, who signed onto the project at a reduced salary, thereby allowing the director to better sell the project. Lee feels that it not only benefited the film and promoted the indie scene, but in turn, added to Wu’s reputation, giving the actor the opportunity to break away from the mainstream in an experimental role.

Lindsay Robertson, filmmaker and curator of Clockenflap’s film tent, believes that even without that power, there is a great creative potential within Hong Kong. However, she feels that “the one thing holding people back is lack of funding. Having a development funding structure that’s accessible would make such a difference here.”

Not that the government isn’t trying – the Hong Kong Arts Development Council provides grants, but many aren’t enough to cover the full production costs and filmmakers are often left scrambling for extra financing. And with nowhere else to turn, many are forced to look into the most obvious place, and one that’s very close to home: the Mainland.

China’s film industry, with its large-scale productions and steadily increasing number of filmgoers, has created a wealth of outside investors who are eager to buy into our potential, says Brian Chung, Chief Executive of the Motion Picture Industry Association. He explains that the co-productions do provide the extra resources needed, but at the same time bring in their own share of troubles. Chief among them is the problem of censorship, a battle many feel hinders creativity and restricts our said potential.

Lee, however, is quick to insist that independent filmmakers shouldn’t care about censorship, that even if they do try to hide their film from the public, there’s always the next one. “For most of them, it is a debut, a stepping stone onto bigger projects,” he says.

He’s right, of course, as many a mainstream filmmaker often cut their teeth and built their reputation through the trials and tribulations of independent films. And what with new filmmaking talent constantly perpetuating our independent scene – with some showcased here at Clockenflap Films – that sense of development will hopefully continue well into the future.

“The growth of talent we have been seeing in Hong Kong over the past few years has been incredible,” says Robertson. Chung also remains optimistic: “When the economy improves, so will the scene. I really do see a better tomorrow.”

- Hugo Stanford, Alex Lendrum

Tags: Film, Independent, Independent Film, indie, Night Corridor
Posted in Features