ENG-2014 — Page 142

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Commerce and Industry

Initiatives and events in 2014 included:

⚫ the 'Fashion Forward Festival' to create exposure opportunities for local emerging fashion

designers;

• 'Entertainment Expo, co-ordinated by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council;

• the Hong Kong Design Centre's 'Business of Design Week';

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⚫ the first Hong Kong - Shenzhen Design Biennale; and

the Third Hong Kong Comic Camp, featuring comic artists from Hong Kong, Guangdong, Macao and Taiwan.

Support for Design

CreateHK funds the Design Incubation Programme to nurture design start-ups at InnoCentre. By the end of 2014, the programme had admitted over 160 start-ups since its launch in 2006.

Mainland, Taiwan and Overseas Promotions

CreateHK promotes the accomplishments of Hong Kong's creative industries to the Mainland, Taiwan and overseas countries and helps them explore new markets.

In 2014, Hong Kong film festivals were organised by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices in major overseas cities to promote Hong Kong as a film production centre. CreateHK also participated in major international exhibitions and events to promote location filming in Hong Kong. In 2014, 27 overseas film crews came to Hong Kong for location filming.

Funding was also provided to creative establishments and industry and trade organisations for participation in major international exhibitions and events, targeting potential clients in strategic markets outside Hong Kong. For example, Hong Kong's publishing and printing sectors set up a Hong Kong pavilion at international book fairs in Beijing, Bologna, Frankfurt, Guangzhou and Taipei to showcase their achievements. Hong Kong designs and designers were also displayed at Singapore Fashion Week 2014, Ambiente 2014 in Frankfurt and Milan Design Week 2014.

The Hong Kong Week 2014 in Taipei included a screening of 13 commercial feature films. produced in 2013 and three compilations of award-winning short films, as well as an exhibition on Hong Kong's animation development in the past 50 years.

Nurturing Creative Talent

CreateHK sponsors programmes that help nurture the next generation of Hong Kong's creative talent. Its First Feature Film Initiative provided funding for the three winning teams in the screenplay and production proposals competition to make their first feature films. CreateHK also sponsored 12 winners of the Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award to undertake overseas work attachments or study. The Second Animation Support Program provided resources, training and mentorship to animation start-ups, and in 2014, the first Microfilm Production Support Scheme (Music) provided support to 15 new production companies to produce original music microfilms while offering more performance and exposure opportunities to budding singers.

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