The 2nd International Film Festival & Awards • Macao (IFFAM) officially opened today with a Gala screening of box office and critical hit PADDINGTON 2. IFFAM Artistic Director Mike Goodridge, President of Organizing Committee of IFFAM Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, and IFFAM Organizing Committee Executive Vice-President Alvin Chau welcomed an international line-up of guests at this evening’s red carpet event, which was hosted by Dodo Cheng and Bob Lam at the Macao Cultural Centre. Also in attendance were IFFAM Organising Committee Vice Presidents Cecilia Tse and Cheng Wai Tong, Secretary General Alice Azedo Augusto and Head of Festival Management Lorna Tee.
IFFAM is organized by Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) and Macau Film & Television Productions and Culture Association (MFTPA), co-organized with Cultural Affairs Bureau (Macao), Civil & Municipal Affairs Bureau (Macao), supported by Macao Foundation, with the Melco Resorts & Entertainment, Galaxy Entertainment Group, Wynn Resorts (Macau) S.A and Sands China Limited as Premium sponsors, and Suncity Group as Special sponsor. IFFAM aims to bring members of the local and international film community together to create opportunities for cultural, creative and business collaboration, and to provide an avenue to the world of film for local audiences.
Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government Alexis Tam and President of Organizing Committee of IFFAM Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes (Director of Macao Government Tourism Office) were present at the opening ceremony.
Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes commented: “With ‘An Avenue to the World of Films’ as our theme this year, the festival spotlights first and second time feature filmmakers to inspire young industry professionals to soar higher. From around the world we have also selected a range of remarkable films highly worthy of the audiences’ appreciation and offering a springboard for young filmmakers to forge their careers in the industry. We hope the effect of the festival will bring long term benefits for the development of the film, cultural, creative and tourism industries in Macao, as well as adding momentum to Macao’s quest to be a world centre of tourism and leisure. Macao has recently been designated as a Creative City of Gastronomy by UNESCO so a wonderful feast of cinematic and gastronomic experiences awaits our visitors.”
Guests who walked the red carpet included:
· The IFFAM Competition Jury, headed by Jury President Laurent Cantet, with Jury members: Joan Chen, Jessica Hausner, Lawrence Osborne and Royston Tan
· Festival Talent Ambassadors: Miriam Yeung, Jeremy Renner and Doh Kyung-soo (aka D.O.). During the ceremony Jeremy Renner was presented with the Macau East West Actor of the Year Award by Alexis Tam, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, and Alvin Chau, President of Macao Film & Television Productions and Culture Association and Executive Vice-President of the Organizing Committee of the IFFAM.
· NETPAC Jury members: Clare Stewart, Johnny Ma and Hassan Muthalib
· International film festival directors: Smriti Kiran, Ed Lejano, Elad Samorzik, Sabrina Baracetti and Takeo Hisamatsu.
· Directors and Festival Ambassadors Shekhar Kapur and Choi Dong-hun.
· Filmmakers, actors and actresses including: Natalia Garagiola, Benjamin Domenech, Matias Roveda, Lautaro Bettoni, Lola Dueñas, Santiago Gallelli, Fredrik Wikström Nicastro, Asa Butterfield, Xin Yukun, Song Yang, Guy de Beaujeu, Simon Reade, Chan Ka Keong, Yukihiro Morigaki, Yukino Kishii, Kazuyuki Kitaki, Im Sang-soo, Martin Koolhoven, Ivan Sen, Liew Seng Tat, Ofir Raul Graizer, Roy Miller, Benny Lau, Patrick Kong, Calvin Poon, Wilson Chin, Choi Dooho and Philipp Moravetz.
Also joining industry guests on the red carpet were the IFFAM Advisory and Programming teams, MSAR government officials and consul generals.
Local broadcaster Teledifusão de Macau (TDM) broadcast the red carpet and opening ceremony and will broadcast the closing night ceremony and Awards live on 14 December.
The festival will showcase the best of Asian and international cinema with a programme of ten Competition films, three Galas, six Flying Daggers and eleven Special Presentations The Crossfire section sees six genre film directors present their chosen genre favorites while ten award-winning feature films from major international festivals screen in Best of Fest. Special guests will include director Pang Ho-cheung, who takes part in a Masterclass, Asian superstar Michelle Yeoh, who is the subject of this year’s In Focus, and German acting legend Udo Kier, who receives a Career Achievement Award.
In addition, the IFFAM Project Market will welcome 14 projects, each represented by its director and/or producer, to this developing destination for industry professionals seeking original opportunities for the co-production and co-financing of their film projects. Project Market Partners are the Sitges Festival (Spain), the Blood Window
Lab at Ventana Sur Market (Argentina) and the Frontières Lab (Canada). The Award sponsors are IFFAM Project Market 2017, Hairun Pictures, Huace Pictures and Ivanhoe Pictures.
The Festival will close on 14 December with a star-studded awards ceremony. The Competition award winner will receive a cash prize of US$60,000 and a trophy designed by three time Oscar-winning production designer Dante Ferretti, while there will also be an Audience Award presented to one of the films in Competition, with the ‘Eyes of the Audience’ trophy designed by local resident Cheong Wai Pan, winner of the Macao Trophy Design competition.
The 2nd International Film Festival & Awards‧Macao runs from 8-14 December 2017. The full line-up and additional information on the Festival can be found at http://www.iffamacao.com/en/
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Notes to editors:
ORGANISING COMMITTEE
The 2nd IFFAM Organizing Committee comprises governmental representatives and film professionals. MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes takes up the role of President, while President of Cultural Affairs Bureau Leung Hio Ming, President of Management Committee of Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau José Tavares and President of Macau Films & Television Productions and Culture Association Alvin Chau are the Executive Vice Presidents of the IFFAM Organizing Committee.
INTERNATIONAL PROFESSIONAL TEAM
The International Professional Team for IFFAM includes Festival Director, Head of Festival Management, Ambassadors, an International Advisory Board as well as International Consultants. Mike Goodridge and Lorna Tee are Artistic Director and Head of Festival Management respectively.
The International Advisory Board consists of five film experts from the East and the West, including Chinese film director and producer Huang Jianxin, veteran Asia-Pacific based producer Michael J. Werner; Korean producer Oh Jungwan; Hong Kong producer and distribution expert Nansun Shi, French producer Philippe Carcassone, Chinese producer and film critic San Mu and renowned producer Luís Urbano from Portugal.
Ambassadors for the 2nd IFFAM include renowned Hong Kong director John Woo, last year’s jury president Shekhar Kapur, Hong Kong writer/director Pang Ho-cheung, Italian producer Gianni Nunnari, and South Korean director Choi Dong-hoon. Talent Ambassadors are Asian actress and singer Miriam Yeung, Hollywood star Jeremy Renner, action movie star Donnie Yen and Korean actor and singer Doh Kyung-soo (aka D.O.).
The team of International Consultants in charge of film selection includes Giovanna Fulvi for China, Hong Kong and Taiwan; Aseem Chhabra for India; Violeta Bava for Latin America; Fionnuala Halligan for the United Kingdom and Europe; and Hiromi Aihara for Japan. June Wu returns as the Head of Industry for the 2nd IFFAM.
The Team of Honorary Advisors includes Maggie Ma, Chief Officer, Corporate Communications and Corporate Affairs, Melco Resorts & Entertainment; Jorge Neto Valente, Group Advisor, Galaxy Entertainment Group; Linda Chen, President and Executive Director of Wynn Resorts (Macau) S.A; Dr. Wilfred Wong, President of Sands China Ltd.