The 9th First Feature Film Initiative (FFFI) will be open for applications from today (September 15) to December 15. Production teams wishing to join the film industry are encouraged to participate.
The FFFI identifies new talent through a competition on screenplay and production proposals. The competition is divided into the Higher Education Institution Group (HEIG) and the Professional Group (PG), with each group being awarded a maximum of three prizes. The maximum sponsorship for each winning production team of the HEIG and the PG is $5 million and $8 million respectively. The Film Development Fund (FDF) provides funding for the winning teams to implement their film proposals and make their first commercial feature films. The winning teams are required to complete the whole film production and sales process, which involves planning, shooting and distribution, in order to acquire knowledge from the creation to practical application stages in making a feature film. The director of the participating team shall be a Hong Kong permanent resident aged 18 years or above, and should not have previously directed any commercial film of 80 minutes or more.
The Chairman of the Hong Kong Film Development Council, Dr Wilfred Wong, said, "The FFFI is one of the flagship funding schemes under the FDF, and has identified 32 new directors since its inception in 2013. Their works are highly regarded by film enthusiasts, and have won numerous awards in both local and international film festivals. I encourage young filmmaking talent to take part in the scheme actively, fostering the production of high-quality films and driving the continuous development of the Hong Kong film industry."
For details of the application guidelines, please visit the Hong Kong Film Development Council's website (www.fdc.gov.hk/en/fffi), the FFFI Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/HKFFFI) or Instagram page (https://www.instagram.com/ccida_fffi).