Ningbo Film and Television Industry Shines in Hong Kong
Ferry-shaped Ningbo booth at Hong Kong International Film and TV Market.
Hong Kong film and television luminaries visiting Ningbo booth.
Staff of a Ningbo film and television enterprise introducing latest policies.
On March 11th, the 28th Hong Kong International Film and TV Market (FILMART) raised its curtain at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center. A delegation of 18 film and cultural businesses from Ningbo made its presence felt at the invitation of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. FILMART is acclaimed as one of the top entertainment marketplaces across Asia.
Resembling a colossal ferry, the Ningbo booth at the Zhejiang exhibition area stood out with its distinctive design and vibrant hues, drawing popularity among international filmmakers and industry professionals. Inside, over a hundred Ningbo-produced TV dramas, films, animations, web series, and online movies went on display, showcasing the city’s film and TV production prowess.
The presence of Ningbo’s film and television businesses at FILMART this year marks the eighth consecutive attendance since 2017, boasting a lineup of 18 delegate entities including Xiangshan Global Studios, Ningbo Film & TV Art Co., Ltd., and Ningbo Film Group. The delegation not only encompassed content production firms engaging in films, TV dramas, animations, and short features but extended to companies specializing in film technology, animation festivals, overseas distribution, and co-production, as well as other film facilitator companies.
“In recent years, Ningbo has witnessed a flourishing film and TV industry in multiple respects. A full industrial chain development pattern has been built across key domains including creation, production, publication, dissemination, and resource transactions.” According to a spokesperson for the delegation, Ningbo currently boasts more than 6,000 related enterprises and four industry parks, including the widely recognized ones - Xiangshan Global Studios and Bodi Film and Television Culture Creative Park.
Since 2023, Ningbo has made waves on the screen, such as the blockbuster Johnny Keep Walking!, popular TV drama Blossoms Shanghai, and the trending short series Landlord On Top that sparked wide discussion on China’s social media platforms. These signs indicate that Ningbo has emerged as a formidable player in the global “reel world”.
Preceding the inaugural ceremony, Ng See-yuen (Wu Siyuan), the permanent honorary president of the Hong Kong Film Directors’ Guild, engaged in insightful deliberations with delegates at the Ningbo booth. As an internationally famous director and producer, Ng is credited with spotting and grooming Jackie Chan, Andy Lau and other heavy hitters.
展会开幕前,香港电影导演会永远荣誉会长吴思远专程来到宁波影视馆与宁波影视企业代表进行深入交流。
Although not native to Ningbo, Ng has a deep connection with the city. He is very familiar with its humanities and history and has at his fingertips the valuable contributions of Ningbo natives to the hundred-year journey of Chinese filmmaking.
He has led directors and producers from the Hong Kong film and TV realm to Ningbo for communication many times, pushing forward the cultural exchange and cooperation in this field. This has made him a key figure among a mass of contributors to the development of Ningbo.
Ng believes, “Ningbo’s development of the film and TV industry has unparalleled advantages regarding its cultural talents, atmosphere and resources. Its prospects for future development are broad.” Here, there are not only Ningbo people from Hong Kong and Shaw Brothers Studio but also the infrastructure necessary for producing media, such as Xiangshan Global Studios and Bodi Modern Film and Television Shooting Base. Especially noteworthy are the practical and reliable qualities of Ningbo's film and TV personnel, which are rare in this entertainment landscape. In the future, he will leverage to the fullest the platform of "Ningbo-Hong Kong film and television cooperation" to pool the advantages of the two places, rekindle the century-old bond, and jointly explore new cooperation paths.
During the four-day exposition, the Ningbo delegation participated in exhibitions and engaged in a series of project negotiations. Their agenda included visits to Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) to establish a long-term cooperation mechanism between film and TV institutions in Ningbo and Hong Kong. Additionally, discussions were held with the artistic director, Director Zhong Shujia, about investment and filming opportunities. Furthermore, the delegation made a stop at Asia Television Limited (ATV), where they reached an agreement to jointly promote televisual culture between the two regions. Lastly, they met with the renowned filmmaker (also a native of Ningbo), Stephen Chow, to explore future collaborative endeavors in film and TV development in Ningbo.