Bring Advertising and Music Talent Together

to Foster the Development of Diversified Creative Industries in Hong Kong

(18 September 2023, Hong Kong) Organized by the Hong Kong Association of Interactive Marketing (“AIM”), with Create Hong Kong (“CreateHK”) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (“HKSAR”) as the Lead Sponsor, the Microfilm Production Support Scheme (Music) (“Support Scheme”) has come to its 11^th edition. Entering its second decade, the Support Scheme wishes to continue assembling local advertising and music talents, by creating fascinating work for Hong Kong’s music, media, and advertising industry. The Support Scheme strive to nurture young directors, and screen writers to foster a diversified creative industry in Hong Kong.

The Support Scheme has been highly praised by both the digital advertising and music industries in Hong Kong since its launch in 2013. Over the past ten years, the Support Scheme has successfully nurtured numerous creative talents for local music and video production industries, as well as directors and scriptwriters. At the same time, it has supported many creative teams to pursue their dreams, while bringing their original microfilms to international stage. These microfilms won various awards in different film festivals, which is a well recognition of the achievement of the Support Scheme. The outstanding work of the participating teams have successfully attracted different clients inside and outside of Hong Kong, thus created countless commercial opportunities for the local creative industry.

The AIM organized the 11^th Microfilm Production Support Scheme (Music) Matching and Kick Off Ceremony (“Kick Off Ceremony”) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai today (Monday). Mrs. Lowell CHO, Acting Head of CreateHK, officiated at the ceremony as the Guest of Honor. She was joined by Mr. Francis FONG, Chairman of the AIM, and Mr. Ricky FUNG, BBS, CEO of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (Hong Kong Group) Limited (“IFPI (HK Group)”), to kick off the 11^th Support Scheme.

Mrs. Lowell CHO, Acting Head of CreateHK, sent her congratulations to all the selected digital advertising production companies, directors, and singers. She expressed her gratitude to the AIM for continuing organizing the Support Scheme, as well as to the IFPI (HK Group), the vetting committee, and the mentors, for their kindness support to the Support Scheme.

The 11^th Support Scheme continues to have Tier 1 “Advertising Production Start-ups” and Tier 2 “Small Advertising Production Enterprises”. During the Kick Off Ceremony, drawing of lots was held to pair up the Tier 1’s participating advertising production start-ups and their directors, and the same tier’s singers to form a total of 22 teams to produce their original microfilms under the Support Scheme. As for Tier 2 “Small Advertising Production Enterprises”, the 10 participating teams each formed, with a director, a scriptwriter, and a singer, by themselves, together with an advertising production enterprise also made their debut at the Kick Off Ceremony.

This edition of the Support Scheme will once again subsidize the participating teams, with additional sponsorship amount. The selected Tier 1 “Advertising Production Start-ups” shall receive a maximum of HK$130,000 each to produce an original microfilm of 4 to 8 minutes with the matched singers, while the selected Tier 2 “Small Advertising Production Enterprises” shall receive a maximum of HK$240,000 each to produce an original microfilm of 12 to 16 minutes with the self-paired singer. The Support Scheme also provides comprehensive trainings which covers scriptwriting, directing, production and post-production. In addition, a mentoring team formed by industry experts will provide comprehensive trainings, including scriptwriting, directing, production and post-production, to the participating teams to enhance the quality of their microfilms produced under the Support Scheme.

In addition to providing comprehensive trainings, the AIM will also promote the participating teams and their 32 microfilms produced under the 11^th Support Scheme to the industry and the public via different channels, including the Hong Kong International Film and TV Market (FILMART) 2024, TVs, social media platforms, and the Support Scheme’s official website, etc.

To recognize the outstanding microfilms produced by these participating production teams, the following awards will be presented by the Support Scheme, namely the “Best Microfilm Production Award”, the “Best Microfilm Actor Award”, and the “Best Microfilm Actress Award” (each with its Gold, Silver, and Bronze Awards), as well as the “Best Microfilm Scriptwriting Award”, the “Best Microfilm Cinematography Award”, and the “Best Microfilm Art Direction Award”, winners of all these will be selected by professional judges and the “Most Popular Microfilm Award” winner of which will be voted by public. The winning teams with outstanding performance will be further recommended for participation in international microfilm or short film-related competitions, that can enhance their popularity and benefit the team with future commercial opportunities.

The Support Scheme has been highly praised by both digital advertising and music industries in Hong Kong since its launch in 2013. Over the ten editions, the Support Scheme has fully committed to nurturing local advertising production start-ups and small enterprises to master the microfilm production skills. It has also successfully built a platform for these participating enterprises and provided them with opportunities to grow. While discovering new directors for local creative industries, the past editions of the Support Scheme matched many advertising production teams and singers together for further collaborations, and even brought them with more business opportunities. Some of the outstanding microfilms produced under the Support Scheme have attracted wide attention from different industries both in and outside Hong Kong. This led the production teams behind these microfilms to various invitations for participation in other advertisement, TV and film productions. At the same time, the singers participating in these microfilms have enhanced their visibility by providing their songs for use and performing in the microfilms. In turn, they have been rewarded with further promotion and more performance opportunities.

Details of the two tiers of the 11^th Support Scheme and their lists of participating advertising production companies, directors, and singers are outlined as below:

Tier 1 “Advertising Production Start-ups”

This tier provides 22 teams, each formed by a local advertising production start-up established in not more than six years, with its director who has not more than six years’ experience and a local singer paired up by drawing of lots, with a maximum of HK$130,000 each as production fund to create an original microfilm with storyline lasting for four to eight minutes.

The matching results of the selected advertising production start-ups and singers in the Tier 1 “Advertising Production Start-ups” of the 11^th Support Scheme are listed in alphabetical order of the English names of the advertising production start-ups as follows:

Tier 2 “Small Advertising Production Enterprises”

This tier provides 10 teams, each formed by a local small-scale advertising production company established in not more than 12 years, with its local director who has not more than 12 years’ experience, a local screenwriter and a local singer teamed up by themselves, with a maximum of HK$240,000 each as production fund to create its original microfilm with storyline of 12 to 16 minutes.

The 10 production teams selected to participate in the Tier 2 “Small Advertising Production Enterprises” of the 11^th Support Scheme are listed in alphabetical order of the advertising production companies’ English names as follows:

Following the Ceremony, the participating teams will kick-start their production, and will showcase their microfilm to the industry and public at the premiere in March 2024, and during FILMART 2024.

For more details about the 11^th Support Scheme, please visit: https://www.hkmfa.hk

Organizer: Hong Kong Association of Interactive Marketing

Lead Sponsor: Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Media enquiries: VIS Communications Consultancy Limited

Disclaimer: The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region provides funding support to the project only, and does not otherwise take part in the project. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials/events (or by members of the project team) are those of the project organizers only and do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, Create Hong Kong, the CreateSmart Initiative Secretariat or the CreateSmart Initiative Vetting Committee