PRESS, BROADCASTING AND CINEMA
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specifically related to trade promotion. The range of publications on local products was increased, for example, with the addition of a comprehensive booklet on industry. This full colour production, 'Opportunity Hong Kong', has become literally a best-seller, already running through three printings and 35,000 copies.
The aim, a balanced view of Hong Kong, its achievements and the sizeable problems yet unsolved, is also sought by the supply of feature material and photographs to newspapers and magazines all over the world and even more importantly, by the facilities afforded to their representatives when they visit the Colony to see these things for themselves.
Both aspects of overseas publicity are typified by the films under production during the year in the department's film unit. 'A Race Against People', is a story of the resettlement programme designed to supply background for an appreciation of the Colony's social problems and the means being taken to overcome them. For a more specific purpose the unit also made a film of Hong Kong's industrial and commercial potential to be shown as part of the trade promotion programme.
Films have long been a feature of the internal publicity programme and with the arrival of a mobile cinema shows with a judicious mixture of entertainment and education are now being given to large and enthusiastic audiences at resettlement estates. Another innovation equally well patronized was the promotion at the City Hall of a series of free Sunday afternoon showings of documentaries of special interest or merit. Once again the opportunity was taken to include in a programme of entertainment some items of a mildly instructional nature.
Although in its everyday work the department is primarily concerned with publicizing the affairs of Hong Kong, everything possible is done to promote knowledge of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth, and maximum use is made of material supplied by the Central Office of Information, London, for this purpose. The department's film loan library of 16 mm colour and black- and-white films now numbers 681, mostly supplied by the Central Office of Information although more than 34 were produced in Hong Kong. During the year about 3,300 films were issued for exhibition by clubs, schools and other institutions and approximately