ENG-2002 — Page 469

RECREATION, SPORT AND THE ARTS

'Evening Melodies Concert' for office workers and the 'Asian Ethnic Cultural Programmes' received an enthusiastic response from local people as well as Asian nationals living in Hong Kong.

Audience Building Projects

To make arts more accessible to the public and heighten the quality of life, the LCSD has devised various audience-building projects to cater for the needs of different communities.

During the year, the department sought creative proposals in this regard from the arts circle through the Community Cultural Ambassador Scheme and the 'Artist-in- residence' Scheme. Activities under the two schemes were arranged in 10 of the department's performing arts venues or conducted by 'Community Cultural Ambassadors' at sites where different groups of people gathered, such as parks, piazzas, elderly centres, youth centres and community halls.

To encourage the public, especially the young generation, to appreciate and participate in Cantonese opera activities, the department continued to organise the 'District Cantonese Opera Parade'. During the year, 16 amateur district Cantonese opera troupes were selected to perform in four civic centres. Moreover, 80 schools were selected to join the 'School Arts Animateur Scheme' for their students to practise specific art forms through lecture demonstrations and workshops.

The department also launched the Cultural Services Volunteers Scheme, which enabled enthusiastic members of the public to help enhance various cultural and arts services of performing arts venues, museums and libraries. Under the School Culture Day Scheme, participating schools may select suitable activities and arrange for their students to take part in cultural activities during school hours at the department's performing arts venues, museums and libraries.

Hong Kong International Film Festival

Presented by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, the 26th Hong Kong International Film Festival offered a wide range of programmes. The highlights of the 12-day festival included a retrospective on local film-maker Ann Hui; a tribute to Czech animator Jan Svankmajer; Planet Osaka, on the latest developments in independent film-making in Japan; In the Shadow of War, a nine-film feature on war- related subjects; and the introduction of Midnight Heat, a selection of films with cult potential. The Hong Kong Film Archive, which organised the retrospective section, contributed Back to Dreamland: Cathay Showcase. The winner of the FIPRESCI (International Film Critics Federation) Award was the local animation feature My Life as McDull.

Altogether, there were more than 300 screenings of films from 40 countries as well as special topics that included Director in Focus, Age of Independents, The Zone and Hong Kong Panorama (2001-02). Seminars, forums, outdoor screenings and an exhibition were also organised.

Hong Kong Independent Short Film and Video Awards

Jointly presented by the LCSD and the Hong Kong Arts Centre, the annual competition aims to encourage creative non-commercial independent productions of short film and video and to promote public interest in film and video as artistic communicative and expressive media. In order to attract more public attention, a

393