ENG-2015 — Page 335

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The Media, Communications and Information Technology

Boston and Chicago, of the Financial Secretary and the Secretary for Justice to New York, and of the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development to Chicago.

To promote the creative industries, the New York office sponsored several signature Hong Kong film series in New York and Chicago. Many celebrities attended, including actor Aaron Kwok and directors Ringo Lam, Ruby Yang, Lau Ho-leung and Cheuk Cheung. The office also organised a large-scale arts and cultural exhibition at New York's Time Warner Centre to tie in with the Hong Kong Dance Company's debut performances at the adjacent Lincoln Centre, and promoted Hong Kong fashion designers via the project 'Fashion Guerilla' in New York. An arts fellowship scheme with the Yale-China Association allowed two outstanding Hong Kong artists to embark on a residency programme at Yale University in 2015.

For the first time, the ETO presented the New York Sevens Tournament amid rising interest in rugby sevens ahead of the Rio Olympic Games. It sponsored dragon boat festivals in New York, Atlanta, Boston and, for the first time, Chicago. The office took part in career events to raise awareness of Hong Kong immigration measures that were favourable to overseas talent.

In 2015, staff of the San Francisco ETO visited 16 cities across 10 western US states to update local government officials, entrepreneurs, professionals, academics and the media on developments and opportunities in Hong Kong. They also organised meetings and events in San Francisco for the visiting Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, and for an information and communications technology delegation led by the Hong Kong Information and Technology Joint Council.

During the year, the office sponsored 12 different film events in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Texas and Washington State. It welcomed six Hong Kong film directors and producers who attended receptions and round-table discussions organised around these festivals to promote film production as the flagship of Hong Kong's creative industries.

The Toronto ETO organised the Chief Executive's visit to the Hong Kong Trade Development Council's 'Think Asia, Think Hong Kong' symposium in Toronto. It also organised the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development's trip to Toronto and a trip by the Secretary for Security, Mr Lai Tung-kwok, to Toronto and Vancouver.

During the year, the Toronto office hosted business events in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec, including a networking function in the Parliament of Canada, to promote Hong Kong's unique position as a 'super-connector' between Mainland China and Canada.

Under the support of the office, the Chung Ying Theatre Company, Theatre du Pif and Bravo Theatre performed in Vancouver, with Chung Ying staging shows in Toronto as well. Hong Kong movies were featured at international film festivals in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and Niagara Region.

The office also held the Hong Kong-Canada Chinese Theme Song Competition, and launched a one-month Journey to Hong Kong' exhibition at the Toronto Pearson International Airport in

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