ENG-2006 — Page 428

360 Communications, the Media and Information Technology

coverage by 2008. The implementation of DTT is progressing well and the Government aims to switch off analogue terrestrial television broadcasting by 2012, subject to further market and technical studies.

Film Industry

Hong Kong is one of the world's major film production centres. Fifty-one films were produced and released locally in 2006. The films were mainly of the action, romance and comedy kind. Their combined box-office receipts amounted to $282 million. By the end of 2006, Hong Kong had 48 cinemas, with 177 screens, compared with 56 cinemas, with 206 screens, in 2005. Hong Kong's film industry has been well-recognised regionally and internationally over the years. In 2006, a total of 24 awards at six major international film festivals and competitions were won by Hong Kong films or Hong Kong film talents.

Government Support

The Government is committed to providing a favourable environment for the healthy long-term development of the film industry in Hong Kong. The industry-led Film Development Committee (FDC) was set up in November 2005 and is required to advise the Government on all matters relating to the development of the film industry in Hong Kong, and to promote Hong Kong films on the Mainland and overseas. The FDC is chaired by a non-official and its members include representatives of different sectors of the film industry.

In order to provide better support for the industry to scale new heights, the Chief Executive announced in his policy address in October 2006 that the Government would rationalise the institutional framework of government and public organisations in respect of film industry development and support. The Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology (SCIT) will be given the task of coordinating the relevant policy, planning and activities, including manpower training, Mainland and overseas promotion, and filming support. The Government would also set up a non- statutory Hong Kong Film Development Council, comprising mainly members of the film industry, to support the SCIT, which will replace the existing FDC. Preparatory work for these institutional changes is under way.

Film Services Office

The Government set up a Film Services Office under the Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority in April 1998 to provide support for the film industry by facilitating film production in Hong Kong and promoting Hong Kong films locally and abroad.

To facilitate location filming in Hong Kong, the office has obtained agreements from over 3 330 organisations, including government departments, on the use of their premises for location filming, and has published reference materials on locations for the industry. The office also provides a centralised service for assisting the film industry in matters of a more complicated nature such as location work that requires lane closures or special permits. In 2006, it dealt successfully with 675 such requests. The office acted as the coordinator in the vetting process for film industry parking