Interview by William Chan
The 4-day International Film Camp, organised by the Hong Kong-based Asian Film Awards Academy and sponsored by Sands China, concluded on Saturday at The Londoner Macao integrated resort in Cotai.
The camp and the academy’s advisor and mentor Roger Garcia spoke to the press before the closing ceremony at a conference at the sprawling resort.
Garcia is a film festival executive, producer and writer. He has been executive director of the Hong Kong International Film Festival and Asian Film Awards Academy, artistic director of the Hainan Island International Film Festival, and curator, consultant and juror to many international film festivals.
The camp brought together 16 young participants from various Asian countries, including China, Mongolia, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Singapore.
The camp offered mentorships from film professionals to enhance the participants’ filmmaking skills. Garcia emphasised that many of these aspiring filmmakers lacked connections and opportunities within the film industry. “The camp not only provided them with valuable resources but also aimed to create opportunities for these marginalised youth to establish relationships with film professionals,” he said.
Among the participants, eight project winners will receive a sponsorship of HK$300,000 each to complete the filming of their short films centred around the theme “My Hometown”.
Comments on film industries
As a film industry veteran, Garcia underlined the three essential components for a successful film industry: production studios, film companies, and funding. He said that Macau, being a wealthy city with international connections and ties to Portuguese-speaking countries, was well-positioned to attract film companies and establish production studios.
However, Garcia acknowledged the significant challenge of a lack of industry professionals and audiences in Macau. He highlighted the success story of Nigeria’s Nollywood, which transformed from an unknown industry to the world’s second-largest film producer, adding that creating opportunities and generating interest among the younger generation was crucial for industry growth.
Garcia said he believed that all film industries are driven by people passionate about film creation. In Macau, while, he said, there are only a few movie enthusiasts, many people are involved in the casino industry with limited exposure to films. To address this, Garcia suggested creating opportunities, such as requiring international and domestic production companies to accept young film producers as interns during film shoots.
On Asian films
When asked about unique elements of Asian cinema, Garcia, who was born and raised in Hong Kong, takes pride in his home town’s action films that have made a mark in the Asian film industry. “Hong Kong cinema is renowned for its dynamic fighting style, often showcasing kung fu and swordplay, which is quite distinct from the explosion-packed, CGI-filled* action films of Hollywood.”
Furthermore, he mentioned popular Asian melodramas, such as the works of Yasujirō Ozu, and noted that many Asian directors are used to and excel at expressing deep emotions on-screen, which are usually shied away in films and directors in the West.
The third point is the influence of Asian cinema in cross-genre films. “In the 1980s, cross-genre films were still relatively rare. Hong Kong film producers were famous for pioneering this film genre, including sudden shifts from drama to comedy within a movie and the fusion of action and comedy,” he said.
In his final remarks, Garcia acknowledged the concerns surrounding artificial intelligence (AI), particularly in the creative arts, where many creators see it as a threat. However, he believes that since humans cannot halt AI’s development, focus should shift to its proper utilisation. Garcia underlined the need to explore making AI more human-like and converting its generated information into tangible forms. “Artificial intelligence is an electronic form of synthesis with no bodily form. I think that what we are grappling with now is how to personify artificial intelligence, and I kind of look forward to trying to use it myself,” he said.
*Computer-generated imagery
Roger Garcia gives a lecture during the International Film Camp last week.
Young filmmakers participate in different activities during the International Film Camp at Sands’ various properties in Cotai last week. – All photos provided by Sands China
