Ladies, Gentlemen, and dear friends of the media,

Welcome to the opening ceremony of the 26th Hong Kong International Film Festival.

This year, the Festival is for the first time presented solely by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council. This auspicious occasion marks the combination of a legacy of success for the past 25 years and our aspirations for future developments. The 12 days Film Festival features more than 200 outstanding films, documentaries, and film-shorts from around the world.

Aiming to meet the demands of film lovers, with 'The Boundless View' as a slogan, we have initiated sessions including 'Midnight Heat' and 'The Great Outdoors Film Shows' to serve a wider audience. Another new venture is to join hands with the Hong Kong Motion Picture Industry Association to organize the 'Hong Kong - Asia Screenings', which provides a forum for film-makers, producers and distributors worldwide to gather in Hong Kong at this very moment for mutual exchanges and screenings.

Last but not least, we hope very much that the International Film Festival can become an important cultural platform in Asia, for exchange and cooperation between the Hong Kong film sector and those of our neighbors in the region. Only when we join forces together on equal footing and with mutual respect, that we can turn this art form into something we can be really proud of and call it uniquely our own.

On behalf of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the generous support extended to us by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the Home Affairs Bureau, and from all collaborating colleagues in the film industry.