RECREATION, SPORTS AND THE ARTS
Latin American Dance; and the colourful Lezginka, the State Dance Company of Daghestan.
Theatrical and operatic offerings included drama performances by the local Actors Family, Carlsberg Wanchai Theatre, Kwun Tong Theatre, Spotlight Productions, Horizonte Drama Society and British Red Shift Theatre; mime performances by the Japanese Mugon-geki Company; Chinese opera by the Hing Fung Ming Opera Troupe and a local production of Verdi's opera Rigoletto.
Hong Kong International Film Festival
The Hong Kong International Film Festival presented by the council is one of the world's major annual, non-competitive, film festivals.
The 17th festival in 1993 presented 185 films from 30 countries. The films were divided into 13 sections: world cinema, declarations of American independents, a tribute to John Cassavetes, Asian cinema, focus on Abbas Kiarostami, Hong Kong Panorama 92–3, Truth or Dare: Documentaries East and West, a tribute to Shinsuke Ogawa, archival treasures, The Zone, animation, Hong Kong Cinema Retrospective: Mandarin Films and Popular Songs 40s-60s, and Hong Kong Independent Short Film Competition.
Apart from the screening of films, several fringe activities were held during the festival. Over 400 posters and stills of the participating films were displayed at an exhibition at the City Hall Exhibition Hall, which attracted over 13 000 visitors. Seminars focussing on the two topics 'Mandarin Films and Popular Songs: An Actress's Perspective' and 'Hong Kong Independent Short Film Competition: A Discussion on Movie and Techniques' also attracted high attendances.
Over 89 000 tickets were sold during the festival.
Hong Kong Independent Short Film Competition
The Hong Kong Independent Short Film Competition aims to promote the production of quality non-commercial short films and to encourage creative independent film production in the territory.
The prize presentation ceremony of the competition was held during the opening reception of the 17th Hong Kong International Film Festival and all the winning entries were screened during the film festival.
Chinese Music Festival
The Chinese Music Festival is a new Urban Council venture. It ran for 22 days in October and November with 10 prominent music groups from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong performing traditional, ethnic Chinese music and contemporary music works. Outstanding overseas Chinese instrumentalists were also invited to perform with prominent local musicians.
Other special features of the festival included an exhibition of Chinese musical instruments, two Chinese music days and a series of lecture-demonstrations.
Highlights of the festival included performances by the Central Philharmonic Orchestra, the Inner Mongolian Chorus, various pipa and huqin players and the council's Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra.
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