A dispute over ownership of the Hong Kong Asian Film Festival, which
starts today, has caused a schism between the two groups that organize
it and sparked a break-away event.
Arthouse
exhibitor Broadway Cinematheque stands accused of turning the fest into
a private enterprise by nonprofit independent filmmakers group Ying E Chi, which has co-presented the last four editions with Broadway.
Ying
E Chi reps allege that they have been pushed aside and accuse Broadway
of using government money to subsidize what has become a commercial
entity.
"We have invested over HK$1 million ($129,000) of our
public funding and manpower to develop the HKAFF into the second
largest film festival in Hong Kong," said Vincent Chui,
a founding member of Ying E Chi. "It is unacceptable for Broadway to
make it the private property of its parent company, Edko."
The
allegations stem from competing claims of ownership of the fest's name.
Earlier this year, the Hong Kong Asian Film Festival was registered as
a private limited company by Broadway. Ying E Chi had previously
attempted to register it and had been rejected.
Broadway declined
to comment on Ying E Chi's charges. But company sources confirm that
Broadway is now running the fest on its own and said it was Ying E Chi
that walked away.
"In the beginning we said that we will both organize
it the same as last year, but they said they would like to do their own
festival by themselves," the source said.
Ying E Chi has already
made plans for its own event in November, and, in an obvious dig at the
incumbent, has called it the Hong Kong Asian Independent Film Festival.
It
has launched an Internet campaign alleging that the Hong Kong Asian
Film Festival has been usurped. But protests have so far have had little
effect on ticket sales. Popular films like Taiwanese helmer Chung Mong-Hong's "Parking" sold out a week ahead of its screenings. Event closes Oct. 26.
The
territory's largest film fest is the Hong Kong Intl. Film Festival,
which is organized by a separate society and runs for two weeks in
March-April.
© Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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